EATER OF SOULS
Chapter Twenty Five "Rose, stay back with Bezrek, let me try to distract this creature while you run," the Doctor said softly to Rose. She nodded and stepped backwards to Bezrek's side. The Doctor looked around, picked a large rock up off the ground and showed it to the creature. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Doctor said to Ammit. "He won't listen, Doctor. He won't listen to anyone except my master," Bezrek said. "What is he, where is he from?" the Doctor said as he, Rose and Bezrek slowly backed up. "I'm not sure. Master acquired him from somewhere. Said he might be useful," Bezrek replied. Ammit suddenly lunged at them and snapped his jaws. The Doctor could tell that he wasn't really attacking so much as herding them. He decided to let the beast do so in order to find out what was going on. He backed up beside Rose and they slowly stepped backwards while Ammit followed them, occasionally snapping his jaws in a threatening way. "Why are we being herded? Why don't they activate the transmit and have done with it?" Rose asked as they continued to back up. "Probably a huge ship and it takes time for it to turn or move into position. It's easier just to have Fido move us to the spot where we can be picked up," the Doctor said. Suddenly a bright light surrounded all of them. "And here's the spot right now," the Doctor said. They felt themselves rising into the air. The transmat beamed them up to a massive ship. They were taken into a large room. The transmat stopped and they rematerialized on a large metal circular platform. The Doctor looked around and didn't see anyone yet. He leaned into to Bezrek. "Bezrek, he'll let you go. Think you can find a way to secretly rescue us since you won't be under suspicion?" the Doctor said softly. "Yes, I'll try. What about you?" "Don't worry about me. Try to protect Rose if you can but if not, don't worry about it. Just don't let on that you've switched sides," the Doctor said to him. Bezrek nodded. He pulled his head away from the Doctor when a door slid open and guards dressed in black leather loincloths that resembled the Doctor's linen loincloth marched into the room. The guards, he noticed, were reptilian. Snake-like beings that had a snake hieroglyph tattooed on their chests. Underneath it was some Egyptian writing. The Doctor read what it said and leaned into Rose's ear. "The Brotherhood of Apophis," he muttered to her. "That's who these people are?" Rose muttered back. "It's what the hieroglyphs on their chests say," the Doctor said. "These aren't Carkokians. Perhaps they're hired muscle?" "Kneel!" One of the reptiles said to them as they came up on the platform. "All of you except for Bezrek and Ammit. You may leave." The Doctor shared a glance with Bezrek before he and Ammit walked through the guards and left the platform. "Good day," the Doctor said to them. "Hired help? I'd love to meet your boss." "Silence!" one of them hissed. "You will rise and follow us and you will not resist or you will both suffer." "Where have I heard that before?" the Doctor muttered to Rose as they stood up. The guards surrounded them and marched them off the platform. Rose took the Doctor's hand and he smiled while he gave it a squeeze. When they left the room, the Doctor caught sight of Bezrek. He was standing off to the side, watching them walk away. The Doctor and him exchanged a glance before the Doctor turned his head back to the front. Bezrek watched while the guards marched his new friends towards his master's chambers and he felt rage slowly building up inside him. "You aren't going to hurt anymore people, master," Bezrek said. "Especially not Rose." He followed at a distance. Ammit had already left and was more than likely with his master. He wondered if his master was going to turn Ammit loose on the Doctor. He had heard the ancient Egyptian tales about how the mythical Ammit ate the hearts of sinners and he knew his master viewed the Doctor that way. His fists clenched and his jaw tightened as he followed the guards. The guards stopped at a sliding metal door, opened it and ushered the prisoners inside. The room had a dais at the back. It had a metal chair with a leather cushion and back. There was a metal table beside it. Off to the side of the dais was another metal door and along the left side of the room were a control panel and a metal shelf that was filled with torture implements. On the right side of the room were a flat metal bed with a plump mattress and a black blanket with black pillow. The guards made the Doctor and Rose kneel in front of the dais while Bezrek slipped inside and stood by the door while it slid closed. The Doctor looked around calmly and looked up at the lizard guards. "So, where is our host?" he said to them. As if on cue, the back door slid open and Ammit pranced into the room, a self satisfied look on his face and evidence of blood on his snout. He climbed up on the dais and lay down beside the chair. Then a man entered, another reptilian like the guards. He was dressed in a black loincloth like his guards but he also wore a purple robe that was trimmed with white fur. He had the same tattoos on his chest but there was an extra tattoo next to the one indicating he belonged to the Brotherhood of Apophis. The Doctor read the other tattoo as the reptilian mounted the dais and turned to face them. "Ah, you are Apophis himself?" the Doctor said. "Brilliant. Where is the one known as the master?" "I am he, Time Lord," Apophis said. A confused look came over the Doctor's face. "No, wait, you're Carkokian. My charming little epithet is from the Carkokian language," the Doctor said. "We borrowed the charming little epithet as you put it from the Carkokians when they came to work for us. We are one of the Osirians, although we were banished from Earth and now we are here to reclaim the Earth for our own. The other Osirians are now long gone and only we remain, we are the rightful masters of Earth." "And your pet?" The Doctor said, gesturing to Ammit. "A curious creature. A scientist on a distant planet genetically engineered him from Earth animals. I know the legends the humans made around us and I know of Ammit, the devourer of souls. This creature resembled the Ammit of myth so I decided to use her to put fear into the hearts of the humans and kill anyone who threatened to discover our existence. "Femi?" Rose said. "She saw Bezrek out in the desert and followed him. He and my workers are building a plasma cannon in a secret chamber beneath the sands. She saw the chamber and the cannon and once Bezrek alerted me to her existence, I sent my pet to deal with her." Bezrek felt sick to his stomach. He knew now that Femi was Ahmose and Amisi's child and both of them had taken him in and had been kind to him. Guilt flooded his mind. "What about the captain of the guard in the palace?" the Doctor asked. "I sent him to kill that fool to prevent him from killing you. I wanted you all to myself, Sheltek Na'barak and now I finally have you." "Yes, hurrah, you're very clever. You have me, not let Rose go," the Doctor said. "No. She has seen too much. She must die before she tells others of our existence. Besides, she is one of your disciples which makes her a threat to us. She cannot be allowed to live." "So what are you going to do to us?" the Doctor asked. "I'm not sure. I thought perhaps I would let my pet have you. After all, it would be fitting to let Ammit devours your wicked heart in accordance with the human's myths. But you have a mind that might be put to better use in the service of the Osirians. I have a way to turn you into a living mummy and enslave your mind. I may do that. As for your disciple…perhaps mummified and buried alive inside the heart of the Great Pyramid of Giza so that Earth archaeologists can discover her remains centuries from now." "I'm warning you, if you do anything to her," the Doctor growled. "You'll live to regret it." "Or…" Apophis said, ignoring him. "Perhaps I can use her as a concubine. I have never had a human concubine and even though the bare pink skin is repulsive, perhaps I can get used to her in time." "If you think I'm shagging you, you're mistaken," Rose said. "Perhaps evisceration?" Apophis said, continuing to ignore them. "Open her up and keep her on life support while I slowly remove her innards. You know, I have a way to keep her alive even if all organs are removed. How about that, Doctor? Would you like to watch your helper become a shell, empty except for her brain which would of course would be removed last after she has experienced the full horror of having nothing left inside her. And of course, the humans during mummification took a long metal rod, went up through the nose, scrambled up the brains and let them come out through the nose. Perhaps I could do that in keeping with tradition. My, my, so many possibilities here, I'm not sure what I want to do with the two of you. Suddenly, Apophis let out a delighted laugh and clapped his hands together. "I know," he said, walking down off the dais. "I know what I could do with this pretty Earthling." "What?" the Doctor growled. "I shall give you a choice, Sheltek Na'barak, between two methods of execution. You see, I think it would be fun to let you be her executioner since you have experience with killing others. So here are your choices. You can either mummify her alive, put her in a sarcophagus in the Great Pyramid and leave her to suffocate to death or you can do what I suggested and slowly eviscerate her while life support systems keep her alive." "How about I let her go and do neither," the Doctor said. "Not an option. If you won't choose between my options, I will choose another one that is a hundred times more horrifying. Perhaps slow digestion in the belly of the Mungus plant and make sure that Rose is fitted with a microphone that will withstand the stomach acid so you can hear her screaming and crying for help while she's slowly digested. Choose, Doctor, or I choose that for her." Bezrek barely could contain the rage. He had to fight to restrain himself. He knew the Doctor was counting on him to aid in their rescue. He waited with baited breath while Apophis waited for the Doctor's answer. "If she's going to die, let me kill her quickly and painlessly," the Doctor finally said. "She's innocent." "No one who helps you is innocent, Doctor. She chose her fate the moment she decided to become your acolyte and she will suffer accordingly. Now which is it?" The Doctor looked at Rose and saw love and complete trust on her face. He put his hand on her arm while he gazed at her. "I choose mummification," the Doctor said, figuring maybe that could buy him some time. "Very well. Guards, prepare my laboratory. Bring fresh linen, resin and oh, some of those little Earth amulets the superstitious humans used to bury with their dead. Might as well give the girl the full Egyptian sendoff, eh?" While Apophis ordered the guards to do his bidding and take them to the laboratory. Rose leaned into the Doctor's ear. "I trust you, my love. I'm not afraid," she whispered. The Doctor gave her a tender look and leaned into her ear. "If it looks hopeless, I will do something to end your suffering. I won't let you be buried alive." Rose nodded. The Doctor smiled when she quickly leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before Apophis ordered them to stand. The Doctor took Rose's hand and the guards surrounded them as they led them to the back door and out of the room. Bezrek waited until Apophis and Ammit followed them out before he clenched his jaw and followed them.
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