When we returned to Mena House that day, Murphy needed rest, but he refused to be alone in our room or to have me alone in there with him the entire afternoon. So, we found a place in the rooms downstairs to relax. Murphy reclined on one of the small sofas and I sat on another sofa, opposite, where Caroline later came to sit beside me.

Others came and went from the lounge area. Behind Murphy, I could see David and Garin standing at a table, where they had lain out many photographs taken over the last few days. Dolores came and went from their table.

I couldn't hear their conversation, but I did not try. I passed the time with my two sketchbooks and  drawing tools, including my new pencil. I sketched objects in the room, or images of Minerva-Sarasvati, or Murphy. He appeared to be reading a copy of Blue Glasses, but I didn't think he was really concentrating on it. His eyes were closed much of the time. Caroline shuffled a deck of cards.

She had no game in mind, she said, but could find the shuffling itself relaxing.

By evening, Alpha came downstairs, apparently having washed and changed his attire, so that he wore his lambskin trousers with a tailcoat I supposed to be borrowed from Thierry. He found an armchair in the room and pushed it closer to our group.

He sat down and then asked, "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Of course," I said and then realized that was the opposite of what I meant, "I mean, of course, you may sit; I don't mind."

Murphy raised his head; I think he'd been asleep. He turned to look at Alpha then pushed himself up more nearly to a sitting position.

"Subtle, My Friend," Murphy said.

"Feel it," Alpha said, extending his left arm toward Murphy's sofa.

Murphy reached out and ran his fingers up and down the inside of Alpha's black velvet sleeve. "That is some high-quality velvet. Now I want to keep touching."

Alpha withdrew his arm.

Murphy gave him a look with lilting brows and pursed lips that I supposed to mean, "your loss."

"You know I still love you," Alpha said plainly.

"I love you, too,"Murphy said, acting as if more interested in his literary journal.

"Cut the deck for me," Caroline said. She held the stacked cards face down, in the palm of her right hand.

I removed roughly half of the cards from the top of the deck.

"Show me your bottom card."

I flipped over the low card with my left hand. "The Moon?"

Caroline lifted the card from the top of her deck with her left hand and held it aloft between two fingers so that I might see: The Star.

"I mixed that deck," she said. The numbers on the cards were close.

"My number is higher. Is that better?" I asked.

"Perhaps we'll see." Caroline went back to shuffling her cards.

I was mildly startled when someone leaned over the back of the sofa and put himself close to me. I leaned to the side, and saw it was only Thierry reaching to kiss his sister's face. He walked around our sofa and the low table. I knew he must be conspicuously dressed from Murphy's wide-eyed expression. Thierry returned to my view wearing Alpha's oxblood leather jacket.

"You can share," Thierry said, with a gesture to Murphy's legs on the sofa.

Murphy rolled his eyes, but his legs shifted forward. "We seem to share a lot now, " he said.

Thierry sat down beside Murphy.

Caroline leaned across the table to offer Thierry the cards.

"Why do you have these out?" He asked. Yet, Thierry did pick a card. It showed a picture of a man sitting smugly surrounded by goblets. Thierry laughed when he looked at it.

Caroline pushed the cards in Murphy's direction.

"I do not play with oracles."

"I will pick for Tyron." Thierry picked another card then panned it around so we might see.

"Is that figure asleep or dead?" Murphy asked.

"No doubt that is your card." Alpha laughed. "Am I playing this game?"

Caroline moved the deck toward Alpha, who cut the deck, then retrieved the card between. "A Priestess?" He asked. "I recognize the Isis crown, but what do the initials BJ mean?"

"What? Let me see that."  Murphy wrested the card from Alpha's hand. He squinted at it a while. "Boaz and Jachin," he said, handing back the card.

Alpha shook his head.

"Some great metal columns—like Tesla's coils—from Solomon's first temple."

Behind Murphy's sofa, David raised his head to look toward our seated group.

"They look like Egyptian columns with the floral capitals," Alpha said, even as Thierry was asking:

"Electricity in Ancient Israel?"

"If anyone had such things, it would be Solomon," Alpha said, "with the amount of legends about him."

"ʿalayhi as-salaam," Murphy said quickly. "I might seem wise, if I could talk to animals and djinni."

"But, really, you do not suppose they had modern devices?"

Murphy sighed and turned his face towards Thierry. "I don't know why I said that. Probably because I was carrying some of those coils about this morning."

"Was there some meaning in us taking cards?" Alpha asked.

"Only if you choose to believe there is meaning," Caroline answered.

I looked again at the card I had drawn. "Are they for meditation?"

"How do you mean, Julien?"

I hesitated. "I realize not all faiths are the same in using depictions of deities, but in my path, depictions of Minerva-Sarasvati are highly symbolic. We meditate on her image and realize her symbols to better know ourselves and inform our choices."

"What would my card mean?" Caroline asked, showing again her Star card.

I smiled. "It means you are learning about Egypt."

"A woman pouring water onto wet and dry land?"

"The bright star is Sirius, which rises with the sun about the time of year the Nile flood—Hakim told me that—the flood adds water to the river and land around it."

"Which I did not know. Clever Julien."

"This?" Murphy asked, showing his card once more.

"That you still need rest, Murphy. Thierry's card means he thinks he's in love."

Thierry laughed again, this time covering his face with one hand. "That is a strong word."

"Can you explain this as easily?" Alpha asked.

I leaned in a little to better look at his card. "Have you considered it might indicate your concerns in politics related to Palestine?"

Alpha whispered a curse.

"Jules should be reading fortunes in a bazaar," Murphy said.

"But can you be as revealing about yourself?" Thierry asked.

I took a deep breath. "Maybe." I looked at my card. "Maybe I am like this dog; so busy howling at the moon I don't notice the tasty lobster...."

I trailed off as Caroline laughed loudly and put her hand on my arm. "You got all Yankee on me calling that crawfish a lobster. Look at those skinny claws."

"What?" I tried not to laugh. "It's half the size of that dog. It has got to be some giant lobster."

"Julien." Murphy said my name slowly.

I looked up. Alpha was looking down. Murphy was looking towards me. Thierry was looking at Alpha.

"May I see that card?"

I leaned across the table to pass the card to Murphy.

He looked at it a while. "This path is a wadi bringing water from the mountain rains down to this pool in an oasis. Those are hunting dogs. This fire atop the mountains is the symbol of divine love between Heaven and Earth." 

"The land of Sin," Alpha said.

"You mean Sinai?" I already knew of Sin as a Thoth-like figure on the team's shrine.

Murphy looked at me, then turned to Alpha.

Alpha sighed, "Yes. Sin is the regional god, like Bes is for Eivissa or Neptune for oceans."

"But, you do not believe yourselves to be polytheistic any more than I do."

 "Generally, around here, people—"

"Not everyone," Murphy interjected.

"Not everyone," Alpha agreed, "but generally, the regional gods are considered lesser spirits: angels, daimons, saints, or djinni.  They are not God, as you spell-out in English as a proper noun;  not Allah, not The God; not the creator of everything."

"Ancestor spirits?" Caroline asked.

"In some cases," Alpha said.

"But then those who follow Odin, or Minerva, or Ganesh are looked down upon?" I asked. I was already afraid this was so.

Alpha rubbed his temple. "Not under the law," he said, "Egypt's constitution absolutely granted freedom of belief, before the Pax, and you know the Pax has specific lists and classifications under Religious Tolerance sections."

"He means 'yes'," Murphy said with a sigh. "People will look down on your faith, Julien. It's just the way it is. People often look down on things that are less common or popular or traditional. It doesn't make them right, just...a majority." He sighed again. "I don't know if I have the energy for this discussion."

"The end result usually being the agreement that we cannot legislate change we want to see and then expect the people to follow. We must convince the people that a new way of perceiving an issue is suitable and then ask them to vote on a law that enacts the practices they already are self-determined to see."

It was clear Alpha and Murphy had discussed the matter before. Both Murphy and Thierry began to speak.

"But how—?" Thierry began, then stopped himself.

"Athené," Murphy began. His eyes track to his side, where Thierry sat, before he continued, "You know you have my vote, but I can't discuss tonight. My head hurts." Murphy placed the two cards he had been holding on the tabletop.

"Get out of here." Alpha smiled up at Murphy as he rose from the sofa. "Get some rest. Consider it  an order if you like."

Murphy walked around Alpha's chair and whispered something at his ear.

"Always," Alpha said softly.

"Murphy," I said.

"Stay," he said.

Caroline touched my arm. "Give him long enough to fall asleep," she whispered. She lifted the cards from the table.

I busied myself with straightening my drawing tools into their small pouches and boxes for the next several minutes, while Thierry asked Alpha about how one changed public opinion.

I excused myself to my room, but before I could reach it, Hypatia intercepted me in the upstairs hall. She requested I follow her, which I did.

Past my own room, near the end of the corridor, Hypatia knocked once at a door, and then turned the knob to open it. She ushered me in before her.

"I think Murphy is waiting for me," I said, cautiously stepping into the doorway.

"We know." Hypatia laughed behind me, as I saw Malik Paris Arafa seated in a wooden armchair with his Azawakh, Troy, at his side. 

"Julien," he said, gesturing to a chair not far from his, "have a seat."

"Sir," I said, "Yes, Your Majesty." I sat in the chair, laying my sketchbooks across my lap.

"Tell me, how has Tyron been doing?"

I immediately feared the purpose of this question and wondered if I might get Murphy in trouble, but the Malik of Egypt was expecting an answer.

"He only just got out of the hospital after his ordeal," I said, "so, it is understandable he needs rest."

"But, how does he seem, Julien?" Hypatia asked. "Emotionally. Mentally."

That she asked that way made me think they already knew the answer.

"He remembers everything, but sometimes, when he tries to say a name it comes out wrong. And, he may be having more bad dreams than would seem usual. He's aware of it himself.

"We wish to see Tyron well, but he should not recover here under public scrutiny."

"We will arrange for Murphy to invite you to Sinai," Hypatia said. "Go with him. See if he recovers. Keep us informed."

-----

Chapter 80! Double-sized to celebrate 40 more chapters since double-sized Chapter 40 posted last Halloween. 

The audio media is "The Crossing" from the soundtrack by Austin Wintory for the video game Journey. I listened to the entire soundtrack while writing this chapter. It's quite beautiful. I might use "Apotheosis" for a future chapter.

There is also an image media above: a new Rory's Story Cube roll.

I did shuffle and draw from a deck of Rider-Waite Tarot cards to determine what cards the characters would get. The cards were: The Star, The Moon, 9 of Cups, 4 of Swords, and The High Priestess. 

This chapter was difficult to write. Not because of length, but because the conversational setting and tone kept leading to plot derailment along these tangents into philosophical, political, or religious debate issues. I kept re-thinking and then deleting. It's in-character that these characters would have all sorts of passionate, intellectual evening conversation, but writing such comes with all those risks of telling instead of showing, info-dumping, slipping into authorial advice, or seeming to use characters as a mouth-piece to promote personal views.

Now to get back to travel and adventure....