Petshop of Horrors: Walking The Sand (PG)
Summary: An archaeologist has vanished in Egypt, and Leon's on his trail...with a little help. Sequel to Sifting the Sand.
Notes: NENN for October 4th. The excuse for me to exercise my love of Egypt and cheesy mummy movies continues! (Does that make it a series? Ack.) AU, not that anyone doubted it.
WALKING THE SANDS
*
"Where the fuck are you taking me?"
"To the tomb."
"What, the tomb Lord Bannon found?"
D only smiled. Leon went back to muttering under his breath, and concentrating on where he was walking. This was way the hell out from where he'd expected, and they were walking on dune sand, not the hard rock of the valley. Between the uneven sand and the possibility of snakes, he was stuck keeping his eyes on the ground instead of really paying attention to where D was leading him.
At least he'd left a note back at headquarters. Assuming anyone got it, or believed it when they read it.
With his eyes on the ground instead of looking ahead, it wasn't his fault he practically walked into D. "What the hell, couldn't you have warned...me...?" What was that? He'd seen temples and tombs before: this was Egypt, you could hardly walk anywhere without tripping over them. But mostly they looked worn out and old. This looked...well...new. It was all polished and sharp-edged and there were colors, more like something he'd expect to see at home than something here.
"This is where Lord Bannon came," D said softly from beside him.
"Really," Leon said weakly. "And this is where, again?"
"Deep in the desert. Not far, perhaps, by your automobiles or planes, but far enough by walking."
No help. Not that he'd really expected any. "So Lord Bannon just went for a little stroll and found it by accident?"
"No," D said. For a second it sounded like he was going to laugh. "There is a map, within the tomb that Lord Bannon discovered, that pointed him this way. But maps cannot be trusted."
"Is the map still there?"
"No."
"Of course not."
"We had forgotten it was there," D continued, ignoring Leon's disgruntled mutter. "It has been erased."
"Isn't that erasing your own history or something? I thought you didn't like that."
D turned to look at him, but he didn't protest. He only said, "Come inside, Detective."
"What?"
"This is where Lord Bannon came," D said, for the second time. "If you wish to find him, that is where you must go."
Leon looked up at the big stone doors, standing just enough ajar for someone to walk through. Then he snarled and reached out to grab D's wrist.
"Detective!"
"Sure I'll go -- but like hell am I going alone. You're coming with me!"
"Detective," D murmured again, mildly protesting. But he didn't resist, or try to pull his wrist free. He followed, and out of the corner of Leon's eye, he could see a faint smile on D's face.
That shouldn't have reassured him, but as they passed through the stone doors, it did.
-end-
Notes: NENN for October 4th. The excuse for me to exercise my love of Egypt and cheesy mummy movies continues! (Does that make it a series? Ack.) AU, not that anyone doubted it.
WALKING THE SANDS
*
"Where the fuck are you taking me?"
"To the tomb."
"What, the tomb Lord Bannon found?"
D only smiled. Leon went back to muttering under his breath, and concentrating on where he was walking. This was way the hell out from where he'd expected, and they were walking on dune sand, not the hard rock of the valley. Between the uneven sand and the possibility of snakes, he was stuck keeping his eyes on the ground instead of really paying attention to where D was leading him.
At least he'd left a note back at headquarters. Assuming anyone got it, or believed it when they read it.
With his eyes on the ground instead of looking ahead, it wasn't his fault he practically walked into D. "What the hell, couldn't you have warned...me...?" What was that? He'd seen temples and tombs before: this was Egypt, you could hardly walk anywhere without tripping over them. But mostly they looked worn out and old. This looked...well...new. It was all polished and sharp-edged and there were colors, more like something he'd expect to see at home than something here.
"This is where Lord Bannon came," D said softly from beside him.
"Really," Leon said weakly. "And this is where, again?"
"Deep in the desert. Not far, perhaps, by your automobiles or planes, but far enough by walking."
No help. Not that he'd really expected any. "So Lord Bannon just went for a little stroll and found it by accident?"
"No," D said. For a second it sounded like he was going to laugh. "There is a map, within the tomb that Lord Bannon discovered, that pointed him this way. But maps cannot be trusted."
"Is the map still there?"
"No."
"Of course not."
"We had forgotten it was there," D continued, ignoring Leon's disgruntled mutter. "It has been erased."
"Isn't that erasing your own history or something? I thought you didn't like that."
D turned to look at him, but he didn't protest. He only said, "Come inside, Detective."
"What?"
"This is where Lord Bannon came," D said, for the second time. "If you wish to find him, that is where you must go."
Leon looked up at the big stone doors, standing just enough ajar for someone to walk through. Then he snarled and reached out to grab D's wrist.
"Detective!"
"Sure I'll go -- but like hell am I going alone. You're coming with me!"
"Detective," D murmured again, mildly protesting. But he didn't resist, or try to pull his wrist free. He followed, and out of the corner of Leon's eye, he could see a faint smile on D's face.
That shouldn't have reassured him, but as they passed through the stone doors, it did.
-end-