FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 23

Arriving at the Dragon of the Underworld, at least it was according to ancient Egyptian mythology, the group set up.

"Greetings Apophis," Anuset instigated.

"We salute all three back," growled Nephtys, who felt left out.

"Excuse me Nephtys," Lina Onari intervened, "but we have more important things to deal with right now."

"What is more important ...", Nephtys was about to start angrily, when Maahes interfered: "We have found the distortion device and would like Apophis to transfer to the next catacomb and get rid of the worst of it there."

The dragon looked askance at the lion, began to grin, and finally nodded, "Finally, there's something going on here. Besides...", he stuck his head forward and eyed Maahes insistently, flared his nostrils, first sucked in the scent of him, then turned to the hyena, "... look at that. Miss Onari, you smell like a lion and the maned one smells like a female hyena. Is there an explanation for that?"

Lion and hyena visibly blushed.

That was the cue for Nephtys: "Unbelievable!" the mythological goddess cried out, "While we're here fighting for our lives, you put one away? It's typical of a lion cat again, no matter where they're from, they're permanently horny, have a stubborn streak and poke into every hole, the main thing is to be wet and warm."

"Nephtys," cried Camilla Queen, "come back down."

"I haven't even started yet," the Antermerian continued to exclaim, becoming even more shrill.

Anuset, Camilla, and Maahes exchanged glances briefly, and the fox-wolf approached the slavering Nephtys, lashed out, and gave her a resounding slap.

From one second to the next, it was dead silent.

"There you go," Camilla sighed and turned away.

The Antermerian stood there as if struck by lightning, holding her cheek, staring after the fox-wolf.

Suddenly she screamed and jumped right into Camilla's neck, bringing her to the ground.

At the same moment, Anuset pounced on the two, while Stephen pounced on Nephtys, and Nephtys tried to get hold of Camilla.

Only Maahes and Onari looked at Apophis and gave him the dimensional distortion device: "The coordinates are stored in the distortion device. Go there and get rid of everything that gets in your way. It may take some time here," the lion said.

"All right, big guy," Apophis confirmed with a hint of amusement, "I'll see when you show up."

"Have fun," Maahes still wished and Apophis disappeared in a dimensional vortex, which dissolved behind him.

"So what are you and I going to do?" asked Onari, addressing her lover.

"Either we find a cozy spot and leave these," he pointed to the brawl, "alone, or we join in."

"Joining in wouldn't be worth it," the hyena indicated, "just come along for the ride."

Willingly the maned Antermerian followed, both separated, had arrived in a side cave, tore off each other's clothes, Maahes sat down on the rock floor, the hyena climbed over him and took a seat on his lap.

Quickly, the already aroused lion grew into his partner, burying his feline glory of lust deep into Lina's moist pubic, clutching her, nibbling tenderly on her neck.

While Lion and Hyena began to indulge in each other's lust, the dispute, the slap and Nephty's attack on Camilla degenerated into a full-blown brawl.

Anuset lashed out and hit Nephtys, Frank Simson hit Stephen and then Isis, he yelled, "Good too," hit Camilla next.

Nephtys scratched Camilla, giving her some bloody welts, while Stephen couldn't agree on who to willow first and finally focused on Anuset.

Maahes and Lina Onari were instead in agreement. They concentrated on themselves and the partner, surrendered to their feelings and boundless lust.

"What did you actually mean by the surprise you have as a hyena?" asked Maahes, feeling something against his stomach at the same moment.

He stopped nibbling on Lina's neck and looked down.

"That's what you get for getting me too excited," whispered the hyena.

"I don't think it's bad and rather interesting. But does this thing have to be bigger than mine?" Maahes indignantly played.

"Shut up and just get on with it," Lina commanded and sighed.

The lion did as he was instructed, but no longer nibbled on Lina's neck but on the newly added body part of his hyena.

With a loud, bloodcurdling scream, she literally exploded, screaming so loudly that even the opponents had to sort out their thoughts, forgot the cause of the melee, jumped up, briefly gathered themselves and ran in the direction from which the scream had come.

Moments later, the group of thugs found themselves, encountering Lina Onari and the male lion now lying beneath her, they witnessed with horror as Maahes discharged deeply into his hyena as it climaxed hermaphrodite, wrapping itself around the lion's limb on the inside and externally burying her lion under her fountains.

"Oh, shit. Not again," Stephen snapped.

"That's disgusting," Nephtys nagged.

"Why does this whole scene seem so familiar?" turned Anuset to Camilla.

"I have no idea what you mean," the fox-wolf quipped, rolling her eyes.

Maahes and Lina were still prisoners of themselves, gasping for breath and regaining consciousness in slow motion.

Slowly, the hyena turned its head, noticed the uninvited guests and cried out again, but this time not from lust. This scream was like a declaration of war: "What? What are you doing? Are you bored or are we in the peepshow here?"

"No, no. We just heard you screaming loudly and thought something happened," Anuset explained.

Maahes, who let the male extension of his hyena slowly slide out of his mouth, looked at the Taur in a relaxed manner, "And if anything happened, any amount, more than with you."

"You're drooling," Nephtys indignantly turned to Maahes.

"Oh, that can happen," Lina Onari apologized, looking at her lion in love.

"Would you guys leave now. We'd like to get sorted and the ground is getting cold," Maahes asked.

"Yes. Come on, we'll leave these two alone."

"Exactly," Onari added, "you have seen more than you are allowed."

After the group had gathered in front of the cavern of pleasure, Onari and her maned satisfaction slave were dressed and sorted again, the two also found themselves.

"Are there any Queenions or suggestions?" asked Onari irritably.

"No," Camilla replied, "but, if it makes you feel any better, Anuset and I had the same problem."

"Oh, that calms me down," growled the hyena.

"Yeah, ask Isis and Stephen."

"Let's not do that," the Antermerian quickly intervened, stopping any further spread of the topic.

"Where do we have to go now?" asked Stephen.

"Now that we have the first three fragments, we will leave this catacomb and head south. Two thousand meters south is the next one and then we will be surprised what Apophis has done and what awaits us there," Anuset explained.

"Hey, that sounds promising," Camilla tried to cheer up the group.

"Well," Frank Simson started, "at least it sounds like a plan. And please, no more secret intimacies. It's humiliating to be disturbed in the process, but equally it's not particularly pleasant to disturb others and see things you don't want to see."

"We will control ourselves," Lina Onari replied, nodding to Maahes, who blinked slightly.

Meanwhile, all hell broke loose aboard the excursion cruiser.

The tigress, who had taken it upon herself to keep an eye on Anuset and Camilla Queen, had awakened from her supposed slumber after their disappearance and especially the disappearance of Isis. She had not been able to spot all of the aforementioned at the check-out of the terminal and thereupon alerted the Sirian customs.

He in turn informed the local police, who immediately went to the terminal. It was exactly the moment when the group around Maahes was on the way to Sirius B, the police patrol flew in their direction and suddenly found a more rewarding target.

Arriving at the terminal, Captain Degreen was already under observation and tried to give a suitable, albeit evasive, answer to every Queenion, fortunately did not get entangled in contradictions and was released in the end.

It was also found that a simple supply ferry had left the hangar, station of which was also quickly found, but could not account for the whereabouts of the transported contents.

Thus, the case was classified as pending and it was left to pure chance if and when the decisive clue would possibly come to collect the missing persons, along with the remaining contents.

The elderly tigress opened another barrel, nagging something about "always known", "the Taur was scary from the beginning" and "the authorities are incompetent even on Sirius". Following the tirade, one of the customs officers, nodding briefly, tried to get rid of the anthro predatory cat, didn't manage it, and finally two human police officers removed her, shouting savage insults.

In the meantime, the group on Sirius B had changed catacombs, unlocked their weapons, and entered an antechamber of sorts.

"Strange," whispered Camilla, "no one to see or hear."

"Rejoice later," Anuset hissed, "you know the mummies are devious."

"Yes, Apophis had surprised me a lot, too."

"Exactly, but it seems he cleaned up or we would have had visitors by now."

"Apophis?" suddenly shouted Camilla into the semi-darkness.

"Are you crazy?" snapped Onari, "Why don't you give light signals right now?"

"Hello," someone suddenly called out in a deep voice, "I'm over here. Everything's fine and I've already found the three sarcophagi and have them with me."

"Apophis?" asked Anuset incredulously.

"Who else?" the dragon growled, stepping into the light.

"Perfect," escaped Nephtys, "then we can leave quickly."

"I have an idea," Anuset mused aloud, "Apophis? How about I give you the coordinates and you secure the sarcophagi and bring everything to the ferry. If you need help, you can always call us."

"Do I get a radio now?" asked the dragon.

"Yes. You take the sarcophagi, come with me to the ferry. Then you get a radio and head out through the portals. Once you have something, you transfer it here. But make sure there's no mummy in it."

"Then I'll do it, and how stupid do you think I am? I can very well distinguish a sarcophagus from a bandage carrier," Apophis confirmed and gave Anuset the device, looking at him slightly offended.

"We should hurry," Stephen called out after he was the first to leave the catacomb and step outside, "Sirius is slowly going below the horizon."

"You're right," Anuset replied, "it will be dark here in two hours at the latest."

"Well, don't talk so much. Look at your breathing air tank gauges and let's go," Lina Onari urged the group.

"Mine are still 45 percent full," Camilla noted.

"Mine, too," Stephen confirmed.

It looked roughly comparable for the others.

"Excellent" still came the announcement of the hyena and the group started to move.

"Watch your step," Anuset called out, "the debris seems to be coming loose from the temperature changes."

"That no one slips off me here," Sachmet urged the group to be mindful.

"Do you think this is going to be okay?" asked Camilla of her partner.

"I think so," the Taur reassured himself.

And so it happened that after an hour and a half the group reached the ferry, opened the lock and entered the vehicle.

"Close and equalize pressure," Maahes ordered, addressing Onari.

A short hiss confirmed the establishment of the usual earthly air pressure, and a brief nod from the lion caused everyone to open and remove their helmets.

"It's a good thing we had the protective suits on," Frank Simson noted, "it's getting cold out there."

"Without the suits, we wouldn't have made it back anyway. On the way there, it was still relatively easy. For physical exertion, the strength of the artificially created atmosphere is not enough and now with the payload even less," explained Lina Onari.

"I'm glad you didn't tell me before," the Doberman thanked him, slightly miffed.

"Now give me the radio so that we can get everything over with. If anything happens, I'll call you," Apophis said, indicating that Maahes should hurry.

The lion looked sharply at the dragon, "Now you're already being grumbled at by oversized worms here. Unbelievable."

In response, Apophis stuck his tongue out at the Lion Cat.

"I saw that," Maahes exclaimed after pulling out a radio from one of the drawers, turning it on and successfully testing it.

"See you later," Apophis still said, pulled the trigger of the phase distortion device and disappeared through the opened portal.

"Well, let's wait. This may take some time now," Anuset stated and leaned against a wall.

After twenty minutes Apophis reappeared and wordlessly placed three more sarcophagi in the shuttle, entered the ship, programmed the new coordinates and disappeared again.

"Runs with him," escaped Stephen.

"Let's hope it stays that way and the wrong people don't notice," mused Camilla.

"Hmmm ...", Maahes mumbled.

"What do you have?" echoed Onari.

"I don't know, but - no - it's nothing," replied the lion.

Unfortunately, the phase distorter was slightly damaged, it did its job, but the shifts between dimensions were not optimal, the activities on Sirius B produced a signature that could be clearly registered. Therefore, not unnoticed, customs and police remembered the disappeared group, the unclosed file and the fact that exactly now the accidental clue to their whereabouts seemed to have appeared.

Within half an hour, four gliders launched and moved from Sirius A to B, getting ready to intercept and detain the person or persons responsible for the anomalies.

At the last second Apophis had boarded the shuttle, collected all the sarcophagi from Sirius B, Maahes started the engines, lifted off and left the thin atmosphere, accelerated and shot like an arrow past the approaching group of gliders, moved away in the direction of Sirius D, compelling attention and arousing the hunting instinct of the space police.

"Son of a bitch," Camilla snapped, "now we have a problem."

"You can say that again," added Lina Onari, "I've been first mate of the tin bucket for the longest time, if they catch us."

"What will we get if they catch us?" asked Frank Simson, whistling softly.

"We're breaking every law we can break right now. We checked out at the spaceport, we didn't go through the quarantine locks, we didn't report to customs, so we've been on Sirius A illegally with all corners turned."

"Is there more?" meekly echoed Stephen.

"You bet. If we're unlucky, they'll hang the theft of a cruiser supply ferry on us, flying under radar range to avoid a police patrol, flying without markings, suppressing radio tracking, conspiring, preparing a serious crime of entering the catacombs on Sirius B, entering Sirius D."

"This is going to cost us our heads," Camilla sighed.

"Nope. All this stuff isn't that bad, gets us a few years in prison, so nothing dramatic. What's worse is that we have on board, in an absolutely unacceptable way, several Antermerians who don't appear on any legitimate list and were considered gods in prehistoric times on Earth. In addition, and this will really kill us, we have with us in several small sarcophagi a dismembered humanoid body, which points to a crime, and of all people, the conspirators and the actual culprit also on board. Now I have the list of problems complete. Pick one and you'll always find it."

"What do you suggest?"

"Not to let us get caught. At least not until your Osiris is completely made, you've cleared up some things with him, and maybe we can just get back on board the excursion ship with the ferry through a transfer. Afterwards, we can play dumb and ask what this is all about, because we were never away," the hyena replied.

"And you think they're going to buy our shit?"

"The wise thing to do is to try," came the curt reply.

"Colonel Zirkow?"

"Sergeant?" came the Leopard's query back to his subordinate Griffin.

"Do you have any idea who they are?"

"No. In any case, they're not from around here and they're up to something."

"Terrorists?"

"No, they're behaving too conspicuously for that. I rather suspect that they are looking for something, have found it, and have now received a hint that there is more to come on Sirius D."

"But what would there be to get on Sirius B that would secretly circumvent all regulations?"

"It has to be about something that makes it very urgent. Something where time is of the essence. Time that they don't seem to have and the leader seems to be a certain Camilla Queen, a fox-wolf, an adventurer."

"Ah. The name rings a bell," the sergeant replied, "How do we proceed?"

"Stay within radar range, but don't stalk them directly. Make them feel reasonably safe, and on Sirius D, the trap snaps shut."

"Do we have people there yet?"

"Yes. However, no one has found anything to interest a fox-wolf named Queen."

"They're falling back," Maahes intoned, glancing at the radar.

"Looks heavy on the tactics," Onari replied, "they're just trying to lull us into a sense of security."

"I'm getting a funny feeling," Camilla added, "someone is already waiting for us on Sirius D."

"You mean they already have police on the ground there?" asked Stephen.

"Under warranty and then they snap."

"Want me to use the dimensional shift and take a discreet look?" offered Frank Simson, getting a horrified look from Nephtys, "Sure, just say you want to get rid of me already."

"But don't, Nepy-darling," murmured the Doberman.

"Right answer," came from the Antermerian.

"Take the distorter and open a portal - Maahes, give him the coordinates," Anuset agreed, turning alternately to the Doberman and then to the Lion.

"What if I trip over the head by accident?" inquired Frank.

"Then bring him directly," Sachmet ordered, "perhaps this way we will save ourselves the further journey."

"Aye," Frank confirmed, entered the meanwhile stored coordinates into the portal opener and pressed the trigger, "Wish me luck," the Doberman still said and disappeared into the gray-purple vortex, which closed behind him.

"If something happens to my beloved dog, none of you will need another spaceship to fly through space," Nephtys growled to himself.

"He'll be fine," Anuset soothed.

Minutes passed, then almost an hour. There was no trace of Frank Simson.

"Should we have sent Apophis?" doubted Camilla.

"Sure, we'll send a big dragon, which comes from ancient Egyptian mythology, but is actually of Antermerian origin. It doesn't stand out at all."

"Sorry about that, it was just a thought."

"I get it, but a simple Doberman should be more inconspicuous," Anuset started to reply, but broke off when the dimensional portal opened and Frank stepped out.

"Are you all right?" asked Nephtys anxiously.

"Yes, and I was able to get our point across seemingly successfully."

"They could what?" it escaped Camilla.

"The head of Osiris is not a secret, not for a long time. The inhabitants living there have heard about the alleged myth and just did not know where the body and limbs are located," Frank explained.

"That means we are welcome?" echoed Onari.

"You can call it that. The police didn't do it and were pinned down in a little side cave. We just have to land on Sirius D and put Osiris together," Frank added.

"Fair enough, but what about our shadow?" asked Maahes.

"We have to get rid of him, no matter what," Anuset started, suddenly looking at Isis, "My dear, how about you show up at their house and talk some sense into them?"

"You mean they're going to get a fright if I suddenly stand in the middle of the room?"

"Exactly! And then flutter your white feathers beautifully. They're guaranteed to eat out of your hands."

"Joker!" Isis still said, grabbed the distortion device, pulled the trigger and was gone through the portal.

"If something happens to her ...," Stephen instigated.

"She's the least likely to happen," Maahes choked him off.

Aboard the small police ferry, from one second to the next, a grayish-purple swirl danced on the inner wall, which formed from a flat disc into a relief, and the Antermerian appeared.

"What the hell ...," the sergeant-at-arms started.

"No, no and no again," she began, "nothing with devil. My name is Isis."

"I am Genghis Khan," escaped the colonel cynically.

"Yes, sure. First of all, Genghis Khan was a man, not a leopard," Isis teased back.

"You started the prank," Zirkow growled.

At that moment, the Antermerian spread her white wings and raised them magnificently: "Any Queenions?"

"No, I don't think so," Zirkow muttered, staring at the wings, "What's it going to be?"

"We put my spouse together and his head is on Sirius D."

"And what was on Sirius B?" the colonel inquired.

"The parts of his body."

"You're not seriously trying to tell me that there's anything to this ancient Egyptian, human magic," the leopard indignantly said.

"You see me? You know the ancient records and reliefs?"

"Yes, and they look an awful lot like these."

"Indeed, there are no gods."

"I told you, it's all magic."

"We are Antermerians."

"Don't know it."

"They can't either, because they don't have the necessary information and release protocols," Isis taunted with some degree of satisfaction.

"Pretty arrogant for a human woman," growled the colonel.

"I'm not human, or have you still not understood that?"

"Yes, yes. Antermerian. Why don't you tell me your story? Maybe I'll be willing to believe you."

"They are a product of feedback from human, antermerian, and festrid genes artificially recombined on Earth and on the planet Genro of the Elara system."

After Isis simply put this fact in the room, suddenly something unpredictable happened.

"I thought so," the colonel sighed, gesturing for Isis to sit down.

"You don't seem so surprised now," Isis echoed in wonder.

"I had found out some things by chance and there was talk of a military base on a planet and some genetic experiments and anthro soldiers."

"That's the tip of the iceberg and it would go too far now to tell them the whole story."

"Then why don't you confine themselves to the essentials," the leopard prompted.

"Just stay away from Sirius D, we do our thing, get out of there and nothing happened."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"Their people, whom you sent there in advance, are sitting in a side cave and are prisoners of the inhabitants. We have free passage there," Isis explained.

"That sounds convincing. Can I get my men back without any damage?"

"It all depends on whether you're well-behaved."

"Sergeant. Break off the pursuit. How much time and head start do you need?"

"Give us 12 hours, after that you can pick up their people unharmed," Isis concluded.

"Deal!" said Zirkow, extending his hand, which Isis accepted graciously and gave a quick slap.

"I'm going to go back now, and please keep our agreement."

"I will if you stick to it, too. You have 12 hours. I will continue the flight to Sirius D after exactly 12 hours, no matter what happens then."

"It's a deal. We may see each other again, Colonel. - Sergeant, stay relaxed," Isis recommended and opened the portal, disappearing as abruptly as she had appeared.

"Any ideas?" the griffin asked.

"We'll stay here and wait. The deal stands and you won't run away from us either."

"Do you think there's any truth to this woman?"

"You mean by her story? I'm not entirely sure, but there's something to be said for it."

"Aye, then we wait," the sergeant confirmed.

"I was able to communicate our reQueen very well," Isis announced after arriving back on board her own ferry.

"Where have I heard that before?" inquired Apophis, "Oh yes, that came from me, albeit ages ago and on a different occasion."

"Very funny, dragon," Isis rumbled, "you'll stay away for 12 hours, then we have to have everything and be done."

"Then I should go full throttle," intoned Maahes, pushing the energy regulator completely forward.

The flight lasted 6 hours in the end.

"This is getting close," Camilla intoned, making a thoughtful face, "Where do we have to go? - Apophis?"

"What's the point of asking?" the underworld dragon was indignant, "The coordinates are in the dimensional distortion device. How about someone using it, carrying a radio, and directing the rest to the destination?"

"Why is it that a body eater from the intermediate world, a soul torturer, came up with the brilliant idea and not me?" mused Anuset.

"Because you're Seth, too, and no better than me?" teased Apophis.

"What do you mean, worm?" indignant Anuset.

"You do steal souls on the way to Anubis, leading them astray and thus to eternal damnation."

"Please, that's too easy now. It was exclusively about the dead whose soul was not sure whether it would make it to Osiris or be eaten by you."

"You have confused them, my dear," Apophis countered.

"That's my job."

"You don't have a job at all in that regard, you were head of internal security on the Byblos along with Sachmet."

"Yeah, and she wants me back, too."

"But so what," yelled the lioness from the back row.

"You see. Your funny role comes from the ancient human Egyptians and now you slowly separate yourself from it," Apophis admonished the Taur.

"Give me that, I'll go and let you know where to go," growled Anuset, grabbing the distorter and opening the portal.

"Shouldn't Sachmet go instead?" asked Isis.

"And then?" countered Anuset.

"She's in charge of field missions and always the first one on the scene? Besides, what if something happens to you? Then we have a bit of a problem. One dead Taur and Seth and Anubis lost," the Antermerian woman advised.

"You seriously want to make me a widow early," Camilla growled sourly.

Thinking for a moment, Anuset looked at his fox-wolf and deactivated the portal, pressing the phase distortion device into Sachmet's hands, "Maybe you're right. You go."

The lioness pulled the trigger and left the group through the new portal.

A little later, there was a short crackle in the radio and Sachmet's voice was heard: "I'm right on time. Got Osiris head in front of me. The inhabitants are peaceful, the captured policemen less so. Come on down, the landing site is only a few minutes from my location."

"We're on our way," Maahes confirmed, slowly lowering the shuttle toward the planet's surface.

Two more hours passed, finally the ferry had ground under its supports and the group disembarked.

"Terraforming seems to have worked better here than on Sirius B," Camilla announced, taking a deep breath.

"Hello," Sachmet called from afar, "May I introduce you to Jar'tin'lep?" the lioness continued, pointing behind her.

Everything froze and eyed one of the inhabitants of the planet Sirius D.

"What is it?" asked Camilla meekly.

"I am Jar'tin'lep," the cockroach-like man began, "We are friends and fought alongside the Chafren and Antermerians centuries ago."

"Yes, I remember the Haldorans," intoned Anuset.

"But, what are you doing here?" asked Isis, "You did return to our home dimension with the rest of us."

"My dear Vice Administrator Isis. I am very glad to see you. But you know yourself that we were never really gone after there was trouble on LV 426, the peace treaty with your renegade Antermerian branch came into being, and humanity still wanted to banish you from Earth, in a hasty decision unleashed a nuclear strike, wiping out more than ¾ of the human race in 3060."

"I can understand that very well. Especially since alot had changed after the great Gau and the great change," Isis confirmed.

"I salute you Jar'tin'tep," Anuset began, "I knew a Shar'tark at the great defensive war."

The cockroach/ant mix leaned forward a bit and eyed the Taur, mandibles and antennae constantly moving.

"Greetings," came the reply, "Shar'tark was my great-great-great grandfather. He was honored to have fought alongside you, especially alongside the Chafren."

"We are their descendants," Stephen interjected, looking to his stepsister.

"That is correct," the Haldoran continued, "but now let us assemble Administrator Osiris and return."

"Yes, yes. My repeated outrage," sighed Anuset.

"You didn't do it willingly, after all," Jar'tin'tep intervened, "The uprising of the nationalists, triggered by the gray eminence, coupled with targeted misinformation and the problem with synthetics in important key positions had demanded a painful step."

"Yes, but that I of all people had to follow the myth and Seth killed Osiris again," Anuset sighed.

"How much time do we have left?" interjected Camilla looking at the clock.

"Just under three hours," Maahes announced, "We need to get moving."

"Come on, let's get started," Sachmet prompted and walked inside a cave. The group followed her hesitantly at first.

Only Apophis remained with the ferry and began to unload the sarcophagi, bringing them piece by piece inside and placing them next to the one with Osiris' head for content.

Isis opened the sigils, looked inside and examined the contents, "Everything looks very good. - Where is the altar?"

One of the Haldorans present points to the back of the cave, said nothing.

"Then let's put the fragments on the altar and put them together," the Antermerian instructed, taking a lower leg and walking in the predetermined direction. Once there, she activated a dormant generator, brought light into the semi-darkness.

"Come on," cried Sachmet, "let's hurry."

"What happens now?" asked Camilla, unsettled.

"It is time. Osiris is reanimated and my fate is determined," Anuset replied, carrying a fragment of the torso to the altar.

A few minutes later all the pieces were in place, Isis went to the last sarcophagus, opened it and took out Osiris' head, lifted it up and added it to the body.

"Now what?" asked Stephen, turning to Camilla, who was standing next to him.

"I don't know either. In the old traditions there is something about divine magic. But I don't know what it looks like," the wolf male answered.

"All of you leave the cave," Isis ordered, "You are not wanted from now on. As soon as it is done I will call you."

"We're not allowed to be there?" asked Onari, slightly indignant.

"Trust me," Isis countered, "you don't want to be there."

For a brief moment, the hyena considered, then bristled, looked to Maahes, and finally nodded in understanding, "I think I know how you raise the dead, and indeed I don't want to see that."

"For crying out loud. You don't really think I'm going to send you out and I'm going to commit some kind of necrophilia here," Isis became indignant, "of course you're going to stay here."

"Now you've really fooled us," Camilla replied, laughing out loud.

"I'll start the resuscitation," Isis announced, reaching under her cloak, pulling out a couple of vials of a greenish liquid and pouring it over the ends of the fragments. She then pushed the individual parts of the body together, creating what appeared to be an intact body.

Following this, she raised her arms, stroked them through the air from left to right, formed the body of her spouse, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and began to speak:

"Wsir it pa anch en-chet aa neb-et Ta-meri, Ta-schemau, Ta-menu.

Neb-et pa pechti schen ba ka djed.

Wsir neb-et en-chet su is su sem su ii.

Pechti pechti su ii."

After she fell silent, she tenderly stroked Osiris' body with her hands and opened her eyes, bent over him and kissed him.

"Awake, my spouse," she whispered, stepping back.

Nothing happened and Camilla, as well as Stephen looked disappointed while the others looked irritated.

Suddenly the left hand twitched, then a leg and the head lifted a little.

"What?" cried the fox-wolf, "There's no such thing, it worked?"

"Oh man!" groaned Osiris, stretching on the stone table, "Seth, you do that again and you'll be in for a treat."

"I'm sorry, but I had no choice," the Taur justified himself.

Slowly Osiris rose and sat upright, "No matter who you are, you look between horror and disbelief."

"It is fascination," Frank countered.

"Fascination? - Isis? Have you pulled off mysticism again?"

"Mysticism?" began Camilla, "Isis, are you saying that none of this was necessary?"

"Well, to be honest, no. But it worked."

Maahes began to giggle, Sachmet stared at the ceiling, and Nephtys looked into space.

Camilla looked from one god to another, then to Anuset, who looked at his fingers, "Did you know this was all a show?"

"What, us? No, no. What makes you think that?" asked Anuset hypocritically.

"I just don't believe that. I'm disappointed."

"Administrator," Anuset shouted distractedly.

"Seth and Anubis," the Antermerian replied, still somewhat dazed, "no sooner am I forcibly incapacitated than everyone here does what you want."

"I'm sorry about the dismemberment," the Taur apologized.

"You did what had to be done. But you don't bring me back without a reason. What is your desire?" echoed Osiris.

"We do indeed have that desire," Camilla blurted out.

"Who are you?" the Antermerian inquired, slightly flippantly.

"I am Camilla Queen and Anuset's mate. I want to keep my Taur as he is and with what he has," the she-fox demanded emphatically.

"Sachmet? - Seth is your partner after all. What do you think?"

"Let her have the Taur and the two personalities of Seth and Anubis. I want to ask you to transfer a copy of Seth into his body and thus give me back my partner," the lioness revealed her wish.

"Camilla Queen, you heard Sachmet's wish?" inquired Osiris.

"Yes, and I agree with that."

"Anuset?" the Antermerian asked merely mentioning the name.

"I want to stay as I am with my beloved, with my fox-wolf."

"Are there any other reQueens?" sighed Osiris.

"Yes, here," exclaimed Lina Onari.

"A hyena," the man groaned, rolling his eyes, "What do you want?"

"Let me ask you very nicely, Mister Osiris. Maahes and I are just beginning a very intense partnership and I want to keep it that way. Besides, I am the hyena and not just a hyena."

"Then I apologize. But now can someone fill me in on all the pairings and matings?"

Isis cleared her throat and started, "Sachmet wants Seth, Nephtys is with Frank Simson, Camilla Queen is with Anuset, Miss Onari is with Maahes."

"And what about you?" echoed Osiris, "you don't want me to know you're teetotal."

"Stephen?" she prompted her male wolf, beckoning to him.

"A wolf?" the Antermerian asked, slightly irritated.

"Yes," Stephen interjected, stepping up to Isis' side.

"That's fine with me. I have enough work on the Byblos and don't get to indulge in certain cravings anyway. What's the future going to be like?"

"Anuset and I will return to my parents' mansion, and it looks like the others want to as well," the fox-wolf replied.

"Not quite," Onari interjected briefly, "Maahes and I will stay aboard the cruise ship if we can manage to appease the police and customs."

"Sounds quite like a plan," escaped Osiris and he closed his eyes, stayed like that for two minutes, he and everything around him sank into silence.

"It is done. Return to your shuttle, I will return with Apophis to the battle island of Byblos and leave this universe. - Isis, I wish you a lot of fun with your male, you are a pretty couple. -Nephtys, behave yourself. - Anuset, leave the girl altogether and -Maahes-you'll find out what a hyena is and can do."

"I already have and I want more," the lion trumpeted and was pinched by Lina.

"And what about me?" asked Sachmet, looking at Osiris promptly.

"What about you?" a voice was heard from the background and footsteps slowly approaching.

The lioness turned around, looked strained and suddenly roared, ran into the semi-darkness.

"Did something happen?" inquired Camilla.

"Yes. Seth is there," Anuset answered her Queenion.

"What, how so?"

"You remember the longer pause at Osiris' speech?"

"Yes."

"He had made contact with the central server and arranged for the data transfer of Seth's knowledge, experience, and character into his body."

"So Sachmet has her Seth now?"

"That's exactly how it is. Everybody got what you wanted."

"Is this a happy ending?"

"One with a stale aftertaste," Isis interjected, "We still have the police and customs on our backs."

"Let them come," Osiris suggested, "We'll clear everything up here and he can invite his people right in."

Time was up.

Twelve hours deadline expired.

Colonel Zirkow and his sergeant dutifully arrived on Sirius D.

"Miss Isis," the colonel added, "you had assured me of something."

"Mister Zirkow, allow me to introduce my consort Osiris."

"If you think ...," he stopped short, then looked the Antermerian in the eye, "... that can't be true."

"Colonel Zirkow, I think we can settle this whole thing very quickly," Osiris added, "You take your men and we were never here. The assignment that Miss Camilla Queen had is done and will not result in any problems. Miss Onari will return aboard the cruise ship with Mister Maahes and resume her place as first officer. The rest of those here will fly to Miss Queen's estate using the cruise ship already mentioned."

"Mister Osiris, that sounds way too easy to me."

"It is. Did anything happen? Did anyone get hurt? Was anything stolen?"

The police officer thought for a while and finally shook his head, "But what about my four people stuck in the cave?"

"This was a misunderstanding with some hermits who felt threatened by their armed men."

"Sounds plausible. But there are still the violations of entry to Sirius A, no customs, no registration, no emergency quarantine if that had been required."

"Do those present look ill?" echoed Osiris conciliatorily.

"No. At least you all make a healthy impression, if I except for the paleness of their consort."

"Ey, I beg your pardon," Isis was indignant.

Osiris couldn't help but grin wryly.

"Good," Zirkow finally announced, "I fully agree. The rest will get in the shuttle and fly to Sirius B and remove the shuttle from orbit there. Then we detected the cruiser's supply ship on Sirius A. And as for the people here on Sirius D ...."

"We will leave and we were never here," Osiris assured.

"Who are you?", Zirkow pointed Queenioningly at the cockroach-like ones.

"They are Haldorans," Osiris explained.

"Don't know it. Take them with you, please."

"That's my aspiration."

"Excellent."

Zirkow entered the side cave, looked at Osiris, then at his officers: "What were they thinking, messing with the locals?" snorted the leopard.

"But sir ...", one of the arrested men started, but was immediately interrupted: "But what? Nothing but. These are natives, that's why Sirius D is a restricted zone. They arrive here and act like Rambo. Let's go. Get in our shuttle and get out of here. I look forward to hearing their reports."

Osiris scratched under his chin in amusement, "Impressive," he said softly.

"You better not say anything more. We're gone now, do the same."

Hours later, everything was deserted. Osiris was on his way to the home dimension with the Haldorans.

The colonel had long since reached Sirius A with his people and the group around Camilla Queen had arrived on Sirius B, Sachmet had occupied the small shuttle and Maahes was also on his way to the cruiser with his transport ship.