"This is fan fiction for the Whateley Academy series. It may or may not match the timeline, characters, and continuity, but since it's fan fiction, who cares? To see the canon Whateley Stories, check out either Sapphire's Place (http://www.sapphireplace.com/stories/whateley.html) or the Big Closet (http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/taxonomy/term/117)."

Ma-at

By Itinerant
Edited by Amelia R.

Author's Note:  My thanks to John in Wauwatosa and Scott Ramsey for taking time to proof-read this.

Synopsis:  Sometimes there's no way to win, but you must fight to preserve what you can ..

**********

From Chapter 5:

Dani felt that familiar instant of disorientation as she was shifted in time and space.  As the world steadied around her, she took notice of her new environment.  The air was warm and humid, and the buildings were large.  The architectural style was distinctly Roman, and Dani looked around to find herself in an empty city square.  It was impossible to tell where she was -- the buildings blocked any view of the city's setting.  As she turned slowly around, she caught sight of something that took her breath away.

~It was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world!~

She knew where she was, if not when, and her scholar's blood burned at the prospect of exploring *this* place.

Chapter 6

*****

~Ma'at! I ... this is another place I've dreamed of!  There's so much about it that's forgotten in my time, and now I can see it! *Thank you!*~

Soft giggles echoed in Dani's mind.  ~Oh, my dear daughter, it is *such* fun seeing your response to these visits.~

Her response to her goddess's comment was a barely restrained snort.  ~You keep bringing me to places I'd have given body parts to see as Dan; what did you expect?~

~Nothing less, in truth.  Just keep in mind you are here for something more than sightseeing.~   The goddess's thought was mildly admonishing.  In fact, she sounded almost exactly as Dan's mother had in his youth.

~Yes, Mother!~  Dani responded, slightly exasperated as she instinctively reacted as she had in her long ago memory.  As she completed the thought and realized how she'd referred to the goddess ‑‑ and why ‑‑ she caught an image in her mind of Ma'at quirking an eyebrow.

Dani just smiled and shrugged; words were really unnecessary.  An old memory had provoked her response, but, for the last seven years, she had lived with Ma'at's calm, encouraging presence.  The goddess's affection colored the bond they shared, and it had become plain that Ma'at used the term 'daughter' very deliberately.  Dani had been busy for that time, as she was thrown into new societies and problems with little in the way of leisure to consider how her relationship with Ma'at was evolving.  She knew, though, how much it had grown in warmth and intimacy.  She decided that, all things considered, her reaction didn't seem at all out of place.

An immaterial arm hugged the young-looking woman's shoulders, and a warm wave of affection flowed into Dani's mind.

She basked in their shared emotions for a moment, but it was time to get started on her task here.

~The sooner I'm done, the sooner I can go *home*.~

She took just a moment to resettle the pack that had appeared on her shoulder, and appreciate the view, before continuing on her way.  She'd seen it in artist's renderings in museums around the world, and had wondered.  Ptolemy Soter had begun the mighty work.  Ptolemy Philadelphus had completed it, so she was no earlier than 300BCE.  It would have been sizable in her own modern world, and it was an unparalleled feat of engineering in this day.

The Pharos, Lighthouse of Alexandria, rose thirty stories above the ancient harbor; the reality -- even with her exposure to buildings three times its height -- left her awed by its beauty.

~It truly is one of the wonders of the world, My Lady, but what year is it, and why have you brought me here?~

~The year, Meri-Ma'at, is 399CE.  You know already that you are in the city of Alexandria.  I brought you here to meet someone who is very much a 'sister seeker' with you.  Her name is Hypatia, and she is intended to rise to head the Platonist school in this city.  She just needs some help to learn ... tact.  She is brilliant, as your history tells, but she has little patience for negotiations; her diplomatic skills are somewhat lacking.~

Dani snickered.  ~I've known a few scholars like that in my time.~

~Don't forget, daughter, that Hypatia is one of the brightest minds in mathematics, philosophy, and astronomy that humanity ever produced.  Watching over her, and helping her learn a bit of tact, is your task.  You will need to be very cautious yourself, as there is great danger from the religious orders.  Hypatia is what your time would call a 'high-profile' target, and as a non-Christian celebrity she has drawn the attention of those who are determined to crush any pagan influence remaining in the city.~

Ma'at's avatar nodded.  ~I'm assuming you mean Cyril, Peter the reader, and their lackeys.~ She shook her head in despair.  ~Their ... audacity in calling themselves Christians is mind-boggling.  It seems they chose their religion to take advantage of Christianity's newfound Imperial favor so they can have power; they certainly don't seem to follow its tenets.~

A grim thought responded, ~They have a rude awakening ahead in their afterlife, but not before they cause terrible harm to others in this one. ~

~So where should I go first?  Should I find a place to stay, or locate Hypatia?~

~I don't have a temple in this time and place, so other arrangements will need to be made.  First, you need to find Hypatia, and she will have suggestions as to where you can find suitable, short-term lodging.  Head for the Great Library, my daughter; your charge will be in that area by the time you arrive.~

*****

Saint Michael's Church

Cyril shifted nervously under the old man's steady glare, though his friend and companion, Peter, seemed indifferent to Theophilus' displeasure.  They had been caught harassing Jews as they left their service, despite having been warned not to bother them.

~Of course, the old man is *my* uncle, not his.~

"I'd ask you what you were thinking, but it's clear from your actions that you were doing anything *but* thinking!"  Theophilus' voice was quiet and steady, but the tone was sharp enough to peel skin away in small strips.  He leaned slightly forward in his chair.

"And *you*, Peter, were equally at fault."

"Your Excellency," Peter replied, "I had no intent of offending you, but the teachings we both profess to follow are clear about how we are to deal with pagans and heathen.  You, yourself, set the standard by your own exhortations.  I was only following your example."

The archbishop's face turned a pale red.  "Don't presume, child.  I'll have you studying in a Sinai monastery for the remainder of your life.  Leave the pagans alone.  Orestes has made it clear that he's going to protect any Roman citizens among them, and he's too popular for us to overrule.  Both of you will be punished if either is caught in an attack.  Is. That. Clear?"

"Yes, Uncle," Cyril jumped in before Peter could respond.

The two bowed and exited Theophilus' chamber; as soon as they reached the exit on the harbor side of Saint Michael's Church, Cyril pinned his companion in a shadowed alcove.

"What were you *thinking*," he hissed.  "Don't you realize what he can do to us?"

Peter's voice was calm, almost unnaturally so, as he replied.  "He won't do anything, because he knows someone must take action against the evil.  Pagans are a poison in the city, and even if the Prefect chooses to let them roam unchecked, we must do our duty as Christians and exorcise their infestation.  If we cannot yet act openly, we will -- we must -- do what we can."

Cyril backed out of the alcove and headed for the street muttering, "We'll do ourselves right into a monk's cell...."

*****

Theon's Mansion

"Daughter, you have a message from your student, Synesius.  He seems to have some more questions to ask and observations to make on your attempts to reconcile your Platonic philosophy with Christian dogma."

Her laughter filled the room with a brilliant reflection of her joy, and Hypatia, her chiton flowing gracefully around her form, strode quickly to her father, Theon's, chair.  "Did he put that at the top for you?"

 Theon chuckled.  "As a matter of fact, he had a small part at the top, addressed to me, that suggested I waste less time on unimportant things such as conics, and more time on truly useful things such as philosophy."  A mock glare tracked his daughter as she arrived at his chair.  "You've corrupted that boy!  Aren't you ashamed?"

"Hardly, Father," she replied with a smile.  "I'm just pleased he learned his lessons so very well.  Thank you for encouraging him so much while he was here."  She kissed his cheek as she took the letter from his hand.

He shook his head.  "You dazzled him with your beauty, daughter.  I had no chance to win him to the glories of mathematics the moment he set eyes on you."  His smile broadened as a faint blush grew on her cheeks.

The young woman, just past her twenty-ninth birthday, had developed into the sort of mature beauty that poets only imagined, and that outward beauty was a shadow of the brilliant mind and spirit within.

She swatted playfully at him.  "Stop it! You know we were just teacher and student."

A shadow passed behind the man's eyes.  "He'd have been much more, if you'd have given him the smallest hint.  I worry, dear, that you don't realize what you're giving up for your studies."

It was an old argument that had run on since her sixteenth birthday.  People had begun to talk about the strange girl who'd run off every suitor in Alexandria; passing years had made the rumors more elaborate, but no less pointed.

She turned a sad smile toward her father.  "I know you've always hoped that I'd find someone to wed, and you'd have grandchildren to spoil."  She took one of his hands between her own.  "I'm sorry, father, but this is what I was born to do.  I *have* tried to find someone, but ..."

Theon rose, and folded his daughter in his embrace.  "I love you, my dear child, for the person you are, not the person I might want you to be, and I am proud of the wonderful woman you've grown to be."

"And there could be no better parents than those the gods have given me."  She eased back from her father's arms.  "I have to meet my students at the Library, and then Orestes has a meeting of his advisers.  If I delay any more, I'll be late."

Her father released her.  "Quickly then.  Get what you need, and I'll call for your chariot." He called for the servants as she left to gather her scrolls.

*****

~You'd think I'd be accustomed to this by now,~ Dani thought, ~but every stop just whets my appetite for more.~

She was making her way west, with the Pharos on her right, along a road running inside the walls of the great city.  Her clothing, not surprisingly, had again become time and place appropriate; she attracted only a brief glance from those she passed.

~You will reach a plaza with four pylons,~ Ma'at commented as Dani passed another intersection, ~and then you have one more crossroads before reaching the Library.~

It was hard, terribly so, to just walk.  She wanted to scurry around the city, like a mouse in a cheese factory, sampling all the wonders of this fourth century jewel in the Roman crown.  For the next 140 years, until the arrival of bubonic plague, it would be a shining center of learning and trade.

~There is so *much* to explore here,~ Dani grumbled, ~that I could spend years digging into the corners of this place.~

~Ahem!~ Ma'at's mental voice overflowed with amusement.

~Yes, ma'am,~ came Dani's supposedly admonished response.  Her mental giggle left some doubt about her sincerity, however.

Her first sight of her destination was somewhere between disappointing and disorienting.  No paintings, portraits, or descriptions of Alexandria's Library had survived from this time, but even though she'd expected something different from a modern library, this was more like a college campus than the grand temple of knowledge she'd secretly hoped for.

It also made it difficult to decide where to go.

She wandered slowly north along the street, examining larger buildings for clues.  A small cluster of men and women stood near the central building in the complex; she decided that, unless Ma'at said something, she'd head there first.

She smiled as a chariot rattled to a stop at the furthest large building and was immediately swarmed.

~It looks like a rock star arriving at a concert.~

Dani's interest was piqued as a woman stepped down from her chariot, and slowly worked her way through knots and clusters of people along the path toward her destination.

~That's interesting.  I wonder....~

~This is Alexandria, Dani.  In this place and time, a philosopher, astronomer, or mathematician can draw the same sort of crowd a rock star, such as Joanie Brown, will in your time.~

Dani's grin colored her thoughts.  ~My Lady, I didn't know you were a popular music fan!  I recall the stories last fall about Joanie, and Abby has been playing her album as much as I play country music.  I knew people of this time were more civilized in some ways.~ Dani watched for a few moments,  ~That's my target then?  She's a bit far from here, but from what I can see she lives up to her historical reputation as a beauty.~

~Take your time as you approach her, dear one.  You need time to hear the dialect they use here and now; you'll just have to explore the library a bit and listen to Hypatia's lectures.  A terrible burden, I realize, but you're a strong woman.~

Dani grinned a bit.  ~I didn't realize goddesses could manage to put their tongue so far into their cheek.~

Hypatia had finally reached an entry; Dani followed her inside shortly after.

*****

Dani walked slowly and quietly through halls lined with slots for scrolls, and new shelving for codices -- the early incarnation of modern books.   Here and there a codex stood with an incipit visible, tempting her with treasure lost for a thousand years.

Tables stood at intervals, lit by windows set high in the walls.  Dani listened carefully to various conversations as she tried to gauge differences between her own knowledge of Greek and Latin, and what scholars in this time and place actually spoke.

~I don't necessarily need to speak precisely as they do.  An outlander wouldn't be expected to have a native accent, after all, and I think I qualify as an outlander.~

She smiled to herself as she stopped to examine a scroll at random; Dani was delighted to note it was one she'd seen before -- or would see in seventeen hundred years.  Time travel grammar was as confusing as Douglas Adams had deduced, not that she'd ever admit to her grad students that she was a fan.

~One of the Sibylline Oracles!~  She carefully lifted and unrolled it.  ~Let me see ... book eight ...~  Her smile at her discovery vanished as she read, and slowly a frown appeared.  (Author's Note:  Here's an on-line copy of what's come down to the present:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/sib/index.htm)

~This isn't the same text that survived to my time.  I knew that changes were made to some ancient writings, but this ... I wonder if even this is an original.~

She continued her reading, mentally comparing what she'd seen before with what lay in front of her as she kept an ear on discussions nearby.  Debates on topics from conics to machinery were just audible around her as she took time to scan the document before her.  She added her own muttering, occasionally including imprecations in many languages, to the soft sounds around her as she made mental note of differences.

*****

Hypatia looked around her as she finished her explanation.  "Are there any brief questions before we part?"  She smiled, and her students chuckled.  In a philosophy discussion, there *are* no brief questions worth asking at their level.

"Very good, then, and we'll meet again next month.  Remember, I expect you all to have your reading done."

Her students departed in ones and twos, and she shook her head in mild disappointment.  They were a reasonably bright group of young men and women, but none seemed to have caught onto her more subtle points.  It was a source of frustration to her as she sifted young minds for those who would be able to carry on her work, and, gods willing, delve deeper than she had herself.

~Ah well, I've not yet reached thirty; I have time to find someone to train up.~

Her scrolls were, at last, tucked securely away, and she began to thread her way toward the entry.  She was in no particular hurry as her meeting with Orestes was to begin with the evening meal; she almost regretted the extra time as some of her 'admirers' pressed their attentions as she stopped to speak with students and colleagues.

Dani had started grumbling in French, having worked through several other languages as she fumed about corrupted texts.  "Idiote! Minus!" (translation: “Idiot! Moron!”)

Hypatia stopped abruptly, frowning.  ~That's no language I've heard before.  It sounds vaguely Latin, but....~  She walked slowly along the tables searching for the speaker -- the voice was that of a woman -- as her target switched her comments among what seemed to be several unfamiliar tongues.  The Roman scholar finally located her target at a table in a corner of the stacks.

The woman was tall, slender without being skinny, and black-haired.  Her back was turned toward Hypatia as the philosopher walked up; even the sound of approaching sandals failed to catch the stranger's attention.

Hypatia reached out and tapped an arm.  "Pardon me, but do you have a moment?"

The stranger gasped softly in surprise as she straightened and whirled to see who had disturbed her.  She was as tall as Hypatia, but her appearance was similar to that of the ancient paintings on so many walls of cities and tombs far south along the Nile.

*****

Dani was fixated on her reading, oblivious to the activity around her, when she felt something tap her arm and a voice ask for her attention.

She started, gasping in her surprise as she was wrenched from the text before her, and spun around.  Her heart beat double-time for a moment until her brain finished translating what had been said, and she'd had a chance to focus on, and recognize, the person who'd spoken.

~Hypatia!~

Dani's surprise gave way to swift study of her charge, and she squelched a smile at her own brief surge of resentment as she looked into the eyes of a woman just as tall as she was -- a novelty during her travels, so far.

~I should have been paying attention.  Roman civilization provided enough quality food for men and women to reach average heights humanity won't achieve again for hundreds of years.  Wealthy families were even better off, and Hypatia's family was *very* well off.~

Barely a dozen heartbeats passed before Dani managed a smile and response.

"Certainly I have a moment.  What can I do for you?"

Hypatia's brow wrinkled momentarily as she strove to place the stranger's accent.  Her diction reflected someone who was well educated, but her inflections were odd, as though she had been taught by someone who'd not been directly exposed to the language.  In any case, the young woman before her presented a fascinating mystery.

"My name is Hypatia, and I couldn't help overhearing you as you were reading.  I didn't recognize the language, and wondered if you had time to indulge my curiosity?  I have a meeting to attend this evening, but perhaps tomorrow we can meet again.  I can send a chariot if you're willing to tell me where you live."  The other woman, whose appearance caused a growing itch in Hypatia's mind, made an odd shoulder movement and smiled.

"My name is Danielle,” Dani said, “though my friends call me Dani, and I'm very pleased to meet you.  I arrived in this city only today, and have no place to stay at the moment.  If you have a suggestion as to where I might look, I'd be very grateful.  If there are any questions you care to ask, I'll be happy to answer them if I'm able."

Hypatia tugged on a lock of her hair that had escaped from its confinement as she considered her response.  Unfortunately, Alexandria was hardly a place for unescorted -- or so Danielle appeared to be -- women, and any travel within the city walls was particularly risky with unpredictable monks who circulated the thoroughfares in a search for heretics and pagans.  She was also drawn, like iron to a lodestone, to this woman with dark, dark eyes whose depths shone with humor and intelligence.

"I don't keep track of such, normally," Hypatia began, "but I can think of a few scholars who might know of such.  Until I have an opportunity to ask them, my home has plenty of space for one more.  You're welcome to stay until other arrangements can be made, Dani."  Her cheeks dimpled as she smiled mischievously.  "At least as long as you're willing to put up with the questions I plan to ask, starting with an explanation of your strange accent."

Grinning in return, Dani replied, "I'm grateful for your offer, Hypatia, and accept.  I'll even answer your questions as I can, and may."

~That was a very carefully phrased answer,~  thought the dark-haired Roman.

Dani's first ride on a chariot was an experience she dreaded repeating.  As carefully paved as the streets were, they still provided a myriad of opportunities for a wheel to go abruptly up or down, leaving Dani white-knuckled in her attempt to stay aboard.  Her pack was braced between her legs and the chariot's body.

Her hostess glanced in her direction, amused at her desperate efforts to stay aboard.

"I take it," commented Hypatia, "you're not accustomed to chariots."

Dani's reply was interrupted by a particularly wicked lurch.  "You might say -- uuuunh -- that."

*****

Marcellinus had been loitering near the pagan witch's house, tasked to watch her comings and goings.  Peter had insisted that his sentries not leave unless someone had come to take their place, or Hypatia herself did something out of the ordinary.

She was due back from her usual time at the library and then she'd be off again to the Prefect's palace for a council meeting.  Watching her was boring, as she kept to a routine that was broken only in rare circumstances.  This post was, for all practical purposes, a punishment for those who had annoyed Peter.

He stiffened as she came into sight today.  She had always been alone before, but now she had another person, a woman, in her company.  He watched carefully from his nook as the two walked into the mansion, committing every possible detail to memory, before he departed.  He walked slowly until he was well out of sight of the mansion, then took to his heels to make his report as soon as possible.

*****

Theon's Mansion

Theon turned at the sound of sandals on the entry floor, smiling as his daughter swept into view.  His eyebrows rose in question as another figure, equally tall and feminine, walked into the room in his daughter's wake.

Hypatia smirked at his reaction, walked up to him and took one of his hands.

"Father, I'd like you to meet Danielle.  She was at the library when I finished my class, and I've offered her a place to stay until she can find her own rooms.  Danielle, this is my father, Theon."

"Welcome to our home, Danielle," Theon said with a smile.  "You are welcome to stay as long as you have need; this city, unfortunately, can be dangerous to unaccompanied women."

Dani returned his smile.  "It is a great pleasure to meet you, sir.  Thank you both for your kind hospitality.  My name is Danielle, but my friends call me Dani."

"The pleasure is ours, Dani.  As I said, I have a meeting this evening which I must attend, but don't worry, I'll exact my price for your housing later," the Roman woman said, smiling broadly.

At her father's questioning look, she continued, "Part of the reason I invited her was to find out where she comes from.  I'd overheard her speaking to herself in a language I hadn't heard before.  I hope you don't mind my leaving you two."

"Does this mean I have her to myself for the evening?  Perhaps she's a mathematician?"  He sighed, and a heavy, theatrical look of misery appeared on his face.  "If she attracted your attention, daughter, I suspect she's yet a kindred soul of yours -- another philosopher come here to study."

"Oh dear!" Dani interjected, "I think I've provoked another round of a long-running discussion."

Her hostess waved dismissively, and giggled at her father's exaggerated response.  "It isn't your doing, Dani.  It's almost impossible to avoid the topic as my poor father is fixated on the supposed glories of mathematics and astronomy, while neglecting the true beauty of ..."

"... philosophy," Theon interrupted, chuckling.  "As you can see, young lady, we've tilled this ground before."

Dani shook her head and smiled at the bickering pair.  ~I see nothing has changed in academic circles in the last thousand years or so.~

Hypatia took a few minutes to show her guest to a room, but she was abruptly gone in a whirl of white.

*****

Imperial Prefect's Palace

Orestes, the Imperial Prefect -- effectively the Mayor -- of Alexandria, grabbed a grape cluster then leaned back on his couch.

"We've covered the business I'd planned for the evening.  I do have some information that is of interest to the scholars in our midst."  He plucked a small handful of grapes from the stem and popped one in his mouth.

Hypatia's gaze flickered in his direction, and her eyes narrowed.   ~This isn't good, whatever it is.~

The Prefect's mouth was set in a firm line.  "I know it has been only eight years since the Emperor Theodosius decreed the closing of the Museion, and Theophilus carried out his order with such ... enthusiasm.  The order and its execution came so close together that there was little time to rescue the Museion's content.  I've had friends at court in Constantinople send word that the Emperor Flavius Arcadius is considering another, similar, order to shutter the rest of the library.  An alternative is to have its content reviewed and any unlawful texts are to be destroyed or rewritten.

"I don't know if it will happen, or if it does, when it might occur.  I ask that those who are able take measures to copy what they can, and preserve the most critical texts."

Orestes looked sadly at the furious and crestfallen faces in the room.  "It may be, my friends, that the library is doomed.  I find myself praying daily that I might still succeed in preserving your lives, and even that is no certainty in these dark days."

*****

Saint Michael's Church

Theophilus' audience room

Marcellinus shivered, in part from sweat overcooling his body.  He also felt a cold serpent's gaze from Peter, who had listened to the runner's hurried, stuttering report.

The bishop nodded.  Theon and his daughter entertained guests on occasion, but they were almost invariably acquaintances of one or the other.  It was very, very rare for a complete stranger to be welcomed.

"Whomever this woman may be, she is obviously unusual enough to merit further inquiry by the pagan scholars.  Keep close watch, and ... invite the stranger to an audience if she should be by herself long enough.  And gentlemen, I *mean* invite."

He gave his attendants a sharp look, but missed a half-smile on Peter's face.

*****

Theon's Mansion

Lamps lit a lovely garden hidden within the mansion where their dinner had been served.  A small cluster of musicians played softly in a shaded corner as their master and his guest reclined at their meal.

"That was a delicious meal, Theron; your cook did wonders.  Thank you very much."

Dani had enjoyed the food, though she had to suppress a shudder at being attended by slaves.  Three courses had been served -- ab ovo usque ad mala, from eggs to apples -- accompanied by watered, spiced wine.  The first course, as expected in a seaport, consisted of freshly cooked fish with raw vegetables.  Roast pork flavored with a sweet-sour sauce, cooked asparagus, onions, and beans served as the main course, followed by sliced apples and honey sweetened pastries.

"Fame has some advantages, as does a reputation as a kind master.  I find that gentleness is far more effective in getting the best from my slaves than harshness.  They are well cared for, and they take very good care of me and my daughter in return."

"I find that principle holds true in almost any relationship."  She sipped at her wine as her host nodded.

"Very true, young lady, and it is something well worth remembering.  Your parents did well in raising you."  He chuckled at her faint blush.

"I thank you, in their name.  They were scholars in my homeland, and I caught their love of learning."

"My daughter mentioned that you are new to this city.  Is your family further south along the Nile?"

She shook her head and nibbled on a pastry before replying.  "My family is not from Egypt, and my parents died some years ago.  I was their only child, so I have no family left."

Theon nodded in sympathy.  "I won't intrude on where you're from; my daughter would be looking for revenge, if I found out before she did.  On the other hand, since you're from another mysterious land, perhaps you have some knowledge of any cosmological theories from your area?"

~I'm glad this is an easy debate to handle, at the moment,~ she thought.

"We have two schools of thought.  One says the Earth is the center of the universe; the other believes the Sun is at the center...."  She briefly sketched out a body of knowledge consistent with Theon's time, and stated her own opinion that the heliocentric version seemed more elegant.

"I'm not an astrologer, of course, and wouldn't claim enough expertise to argue more than the most general topics."

Theon nodded and sighed.  "Our own philosophers have argued that topic for centuries.  Aristarchus is perhaps our most highly regarded proponent of a sun-centered universe.  He had no ready answer for why we feel nothing of the Earth's motion, and, even ignoring that, he couldn't explain why there was no measurable parallax for any of the stars; something should be observable.  Ptolemy's cycles and epicycles predict the planets' motions very well, and no one has improved on his system for the last two hundred years."

He paused for a few moments.  "It may not matter, soon.  Theophilus and his like-minded friends are rising to power all over the Empire; they are becoming more intolerant of pronouncements that contradict their own interpretation of their holy books."

Sadness filled his face for a moment.  "Be careful, young lady.  Thugs in this city are sometimes more than they seem.  Your appearance is unusual enough to attract their attention; I'll ask Hypatia to stay close, until you can make other arrangements for guards and servants."

*****

Theon's Mansion

Dani's room overlooked a garden area, and she was gazing out her window well before dawn.  Below her, dew reflected glints of light from house and sky, and quiet sounds of a wakening household filtered from open doorways.

~It's about time,~ she thought.  ~Nebka, and dear Tiy, would be calling Ma'at's priests and priestesses together and beginning our morning ritual.~

Her heart ached as she missed her friends, but she quietly began to sing her part of Ma'at's morning service -- welcoming her new day of challenges.  In her mind, as she replayed her memories, she heard her friends taking up their lines and songs, and took her cues from their ghosts.  Finally, just as the sun broke over the eastern horizon, she sang her last notes and wiped at her eyes.

Hypatia had made her way briskly toward her guest's room.  Danielle had retired before Hypatia had returned from her meeting, and it was time for their morning meal.  Hallway lamps had been lit and still glowed, though it was nearly dawn.  As she approached her destination, she heard a sweet, soft voice begin to sing a hauntingly beautiful song.  She slowed, and was intrigued by what seemed to be random pauses of variable length.  Hypatia stepped as quietly as she could to Dani's doorway, and she waited quietly until she saw her guest wipe at her face and turn from the window.

"That was lovely, Dani, but I don't think I've heard it before."  The avatar turned to see Hypatia standing at her door.  "I came to see if you were hungry," said the scholar, "and I thought I'd wait until you seemed to be done.  Was that a song from your homeland?"

"I appreciate your courtesy," Dani replied.  "It was a hymn of sorts, an ancient Egyptian song of thanks for a new day that a dear friend taught me.  I needed the time this morning to remember and celebrate memories of people I dearly love and miss."  Her eyes were dark as she thought back to friends who'd been gone for millennia.

"Well, you have a lovely voice.  If I may offer a place at our table for a meal, and then," Hypatia smiled gently, "I do have some questions from yesterday to ask.  I think I may have some new ones now, come to think of it."

A quick meal, consisting of freshly baked bread, sated Dani's hunger; she soon found herself seated in a quiet room with Hypatia and Theon, her father, and steeling herself for a sharp, intelligent interrogation.  Yet she grinned at her inquisitors, relishing the prospect of sharp minds engaging and honing each other.

~Be careful, my daughter, as they may not know you are a time traveler.  You may, if you wish, reveal your place as my avatar.~

Dani's smile was mirrored by Hypatia as the questioning began.

"So, Dani, my morning is free, as is my father's.  If you don't object, I would very much like to sate my curiosity.  I wondered, first, where you come from, and what languages you were speaking in the Library?"

A momentary frown crossed Dani's brow.  "My home is west of here, far west of Britannia and Hibernia.  I'm forbidden to say much more than that."

"Why would that be?" Theon inquired.  "You sound as if you're protecting your home from us, or perhaps you're trying to protect us?"

"It almost sounds," Hypatia said, slowly, "like Plato's portrayal of Atlantis, a great land in the midst of the sea.  No Roman vessel has ever traveled beyond sight of land west of Hibernia that has returned to tell their tale.  What made you travel so far from your home?"

Dani smiled gently.  "We are not Atlantis, that I *can* tell you.  Consider, though, how large Eratosthenes calculated the world to be -- twenty-five thousand stades; it's hardly surprising no Roman has reached our shores.

"I'm a student of ancient history and had traveled to Egypt to study its ancient capital, Memphis.  You overheard me speaking languages spoken in lands near my home, which I learned from my parents as a child.  I learned seven languages as a child, and still more as part of my education.  I have traveled enough that knowing local languages has helped."

Her hostess took a moment to consider Dani's answer before continuing.  She knew Latin, and Greek was used in her home and in scholarly circles, but having to know so many languages was unheard of.

Theon, seeing his daughter deep in thought, continued.

"I'm puzzled.  How is it you have come so far, yet aren't accustomed to something as simple as a chariot?  Poor people don't travel as you have, and anyone who can afford to travel has access to a chariot."

"My people are able to travel long distances more readily than are Romans, but Roman chariots have their basket mounted on the axle.   We have ways of making them ride more softly."  Dani's wry smile drew a brief, broad grin from her hostess.

"Yes, I recall you seemed to be a bit unfamiliar with riding in a chariot, yesterday.  That said, you've hardly answered our question."

"I understand, but consider it from my viewpoint.  My people have knowledge in some crafts beyond yours, yet our wisdom seems hardly any greater.  We still have wars, and the weak are still preyed upon.  I am forbidden to say too much so that you may find your own way, your own answers."

Dani squelched a grin as she had a sudden mental image of herself dressed in a Star Fleet uniform and executing a 'Picard Maneuver' -- tugging her jacket hem down.

~Yup!  I sound just that pompous.~

She almost lost it when Ma'at chimed in.  ~If you call me 'Q,' daughter, we *will* have words!~

Dani sent a mental glare at her patroness then refocused on her host and hostess.

Several hours of evasive answers followed, interrupted only by a midday meal -- prandium -- that was slightly tense.

Theon was slightly less frustrated than his daughter, but even he was chafing at their guest's responses.

"Dani," he said as they sipped on watered wine, "it's obvious to even a casual listener that your homeland has knowledge far beyond what even our greatest Roman natural philosophers possess.  You also have a very odd attitude toward your field of study -- you never explicitly said it, but it is apparent from your descriptions of your own parents' work that your methods insist on actually seeing artifacts 'in situ'.  And your insistence on recording and numbering your findings is ..."

"Aristotle would find your methods wasteful," Hypatia cut in on her father's commentary.  "Pure reason, applied to clear observations, is sufficient.  To do otherwise is to allow yourself to become so encumbered with frivolous details that you lose truth's purity.  I cannot allow myself to be drawn away from my pursuit of the Ideal, the One from whom all good proceeds."

Dani hoped her clenched teeth weren't obvious, though her hosts were bright and observant enough to make that unlikely.

~There's so much they *don't* know, and their methodology is just....~

She understood Hypatia's determination to be true to her philosophical foundations, though in this case she allowed it to cordon off vast regions of systematic investigations -- pagan philosophy had its own blind spots, as did Christianity.

She suppressed another sigh of frustration, wondering how to help them understand why she was so evasive.  She racked her memory for a suitable cautionary tail to explain her problem.  Hypatia was puzzled when a wry smile appeared on Dani's face.

"I've been a bit frustrated myself," the avatar began, "as I'd truly love to say much more than I have.  My people, though, have made dreadful errors that have caused terrible death and destruction.  One of those took place some years before I was born.

"Our merchants had long wanted to open trade with an island nation far to our west, but they were unwilling for many years.  Our rulers finally sent several warships to make it clear we were very ... determined to begin trading.

"The islanders were unhappy, and fearful, but finally decided they would allow trading to take place.  They also decided that they would do what they could to ensure no one would force them to act against their will again, so they began to study our land, and the lands of our friends.  They changed their way of life and built a powerful army and navy.  It took years, but finally our interests and theirs clashed."

Twilight shrouded Alexandria as Dani recalled friends and students lost in the Pacific war.  "I lost many friends in our war with the islanders.  We defeated them, and they have since become friends, but had we been wise enough to bide our time and not forced them to open their doors before they were ready, perhaps many thousands of lives would have been saved.  I *will* not make that mistake, if I can help it."

*****

The Library of Alexandria

Dani had found a seat along one wall of a large ... classroom? conference room?  She wasn't quite sure what name should apply in this time and place.  Light poured in through wide, high-set windows, and white walls reflected it as if they were indirect lighting of a time more than a thousand years in the future.

She had accompanied Hypatia to observe a long-scheduled discussion and debate between groups from several of Alexandria's major philosophical schools, and now she sat back to listen and take note of who adhered to which school, and what each considered their preferred points of verbal attack on their counterparts.  Platonists and other Skeptics, Epicureans, Stoics, and Christians had gathered for their monthly meeting to test each other's intellectual mettle.

Hypatia *loved* it.  Encounters such as this were her joy, and usually the only real intellectual challenge she encountered.  She was effectively, if not formally, her school's leader and definitely its leading light.  She enjoyed having to cope with multiple arguments about her own beliefs, as she challenged her peers to defend their own.

Each group tended to use these encounters as a testing ground and finishing school for their most promising students.  It was their version of graduate school, and served to sort out the most capable minds.  Invitations to participate were high praise for a budding philosopher; failure to demonstrate their presumed ability, however, had led to long delays before a second invitation -- or worse, of late, a one-on-one meeting with Hypatia.

Dani, even seated along one wall behind Hypatia and her colleagues, could see the philosopher seething as a young man, Proclus, who seemed to be about Dani's apparent age, flubbed his response to a Stoic's counter-argument.  It seemed, Dani decided, that the poor boy was destined to receive a chewing out for being too nervous under pressure.

~That's not helpful for him,~ she thought.  ~He'll be worse, not better, if Hypatia rips into him.  I've had hints of her temper before,~ the black-haired avatar mused.  ~I suspect I'm about to see a demonstration of just why I need to be here.~

The young man visibly cringed as Hypatia, her dark eyes flaming with anger, stormed up and dragged him off to a small room just off a hallway.  Dani quietly stepped over to stand by the doorway, and she could hear the woman's voice as she coldly and systematically used her words to strip the boy's hide from his body.

~That poor kid will take months to recover from this,~ thought the avatar, as she winced.

The boy was white-faced and shaken as he opened the door, and Dani watched as he walked, slowly, stoop-shouldered, and almost weeping, away.  Hypatia followed him out with a disappointed expression.

"He was doing so very well," Dani heard her murmur.  "I had hoped...."

"You have an interesting way with your students."  Hypatia flinched at Dani's cool tone.  "I thought you said only your very best were invited to these."

"I did, and they are," Hypatia replied in a slightly puzzled tone.

Dan glared out from behind Dani's dark, young eyes.  "You have an interesting way of encouraging your students to improve.  It sounded as if you were on the verge of throwing him out of your school because of his utter incompetence."

Hypatia blinked at her guest's simmering anger.  "He knew better; he'd been taught how to counter their argument not two years into his instruction!"

"And just what do you think will be helped by your tearing into him?  Proclus will be thinking about today the next time he's called for a debate."

"That's the *point*."

"Wouldn't you rather he be thinking about how to make his point correctly, about making you proud, rather than worrying about how you'll yell at him if he makes a mistake?"

Hypatia blinked as Dani, her own temper running on the ragged edge, stalked away.

~I need to take a walk before I really tear into Hypatia,~ Dani thought, as her anger seethed.

*****

Dani's life had settled into a routine of sorts.  Not long after her arrival, and following several unsuccessful visits to short-term rental properties, Theon had suggested that Dani continue to stay in a room of his home.  He'd noticed her attempts to tame his daughter's temper, and had decided that keeping a good influence around the house was worth a good deal more than his small extra cost in food and candles.  Hypatia had left for a meeting early, leaving Theon time to extend his offer.

"We have more than enough room, and having another youngster around the house is good for my daughter as well.  She tends to spend too much time with scrolls and classes, and not enough with those her own age."  He sighed.  "I suppose it's my fault.  From her earliest years, as soon as she could speak, she asked questions about so many topics that I lost myself in teaching her.  Her mother resigned herself to having two of us around the house, early on.  There are times when I wish Hypatia had gotten along better with her mother, though.  I can't help but wonder if that isn't why she never found a husband."

Dani shrugged.  "I know of a man who was much the same way.  He lived for almost one hundred years and never had a family of his own.  Some people seem to get so involved in their studies that they forget there's more to life than knowledge.  It isn't necessarily your fault; sometimes it's the person."

"Perhaps.  I doubt he threw a sanitary napkin at his suitor to chase them off, though.  My daughter has little tolerance for those who don't listen."

Giggling, she looked at him and asked, "You're serious?"

Theon nodded, but any reply was cut off by his daughter's return for their noon meal.

"Well, ladies, I have some friends to meet at the baths today," Theon commented after they finished eating.  "I'll see you later, unless you care to join me?"  He stood up to leave, but hesitated for an instant as a stiff joint sent a burst of pain through his leg.

"Dani hasn't been on one of our excursions to the baths."  Hypatia turned to the avatar.  "Would you be interested?  I normally go when my father does, and it's a wonderful way to spend some time."

Dani nodded.  Stories remained, and Theon's mansion had a private bath, but seeing a real Roman public bath in operation was an opportunity she refused to miss.  "I'd love to join you, if you don't mind."

Theon nodded.  "I'll call for the larger chariot, then, and wait for you."

Hypatia sent a worried look after him as he walked away.  ~I forget, sometimes, how old he really is.  Perhaps the hot baths will help.~  She startled a bit as Dani spoke.

"How old is your father, Hypatia?  He seems to be fairly healthy."

Her hostess gave her a sad smile.  "He's sixty-five, and you're right, he is in good health for his age.  I'm afraid that the last few years have been hard on him, though.  He's been declining since the Emperor shut down part of the Library and had so many unique scrolls destroyed."  Hypatia's own face reflected a scholar's anguish at so much lost knowledge.  "It's as if his last reason for living was gone, since my mother died some years ago.  I don't know how long he'll last if the Emperor closes what remains of the Library."

*****

Dani was fascinated as she walked into their destination, and she was grateful yet again for being forced to shed any remnant of body modesty she might have had.  It could have been worse; at least men and women were segregated where ancient Greek baths were coed.  She wasn't quite ready for a mixed audience.  She was more than ready for her first trip to a public thermae, though.

Hypatia and her father had brought along two of their house slaves, and the one accompanying the women now carried towels as Dani and Hypatia, clad only in sandals, walked toward the caldarium.  Elegant artwork and mosaics adorned each wall along their way, with vivid colors glowing in reflected sunlight.  Dani was also intrigued by some erotic scenes -- apparently signifying that prostitutes plied their trade in an upper tier of rooms.

Muffled sounds of passion from a doorway affirmed her surmise.

Not much later, Dani was calling down every blessing she could think of on Romans, their engineering expertise, and whoever had applied it to a bath house.  She'd slowly eased herself into a steaming pool of water, allowing the heat to soak into every muscle and joint.

~A late fourth century hot tub, minus the water jets.  Oh, it feels so *good*!  It's nice to be spending time in a culture that appreciates baths and sanitary sewers.~

*****

Dani spent most of her time at the Library, often with Hypatia, but frequently without.  She was unable to resist the temptation to explore quarters of Alexandria she'd not visited in her host's company.  Portions of the city's center, where Roman, Greek, and Egyptian architectural styles blended and clashed, was her current target.

She walked slowly around the great square and examining each of the four obelisks that stood their silent watch at each corner.  Hieroglyphics covered each face, and she was fascinated as she saw engravings that hadn't survived to her time.

~Definitely Thutmose III as we'd expected,~ Dani thought as she checked a face that had been eroded beyond translation when Dan had first seen it in the early 1920's.  ~I still wonder what happened between him and Hatshepsut, and just what ended her reign.~

She had just rounded a corner when she was faced with a pair of monks.  She tried to back away, but her back collided with something.  She turned her head just enough to identify the obstacle as two more monks.  She tensed for a moment, but relaxed a little as Ma'at's mental voice intruded:

~I am here, my child, and I will not let them do you any real harm.~

Dani's reply was forestalled by one of the monks in front of her.

"Archbishop Theophilus has sent us to ask you to come speak to him, and he has time now.  If you would accompany us, we will ensure no harm will come to you.  The city can be hazardous to the ... unwary, and we have been commanded to see to your safety."

Dani nodded her acquiescence, and walked quietly within her quartet of 'guards' as they led her through the ancient Roman temple's main entrance.  She tried to slow down enough to take in some of the great church's splendor, but her guards gently, but firmly, hurried her along.  She could catch only glimpses of murals, and statues gilded and gleaming in flickering lamplight.  High windows allowed shafts of light, sparkling with swirls of dust, into the gloom.  Her eyes adjusted slowly as her 'protectors' guided her to a large audience chamber off the sanctuary

A dais occupied one end of the chamber and held a large, ornate throne, occupied by a man in flowing robes.  Clusters of men littered the space to each side of the room, leaving a clear aisle between the door and platform.  She drew only brief notice as she and her 'guides' walked along, other than a steady glare from a man to her left.  She glanced his way, and icy chills wrapped around her as she saw an all-too-familiar darkness shrouding him.

~That's bad enough, but he's contaminating everyone around him,~ she thought.  Here, though, she was in no position to cleanse another religion's place of worship.  She shuddered again as the man sent a vicious smile her way.

*****

Peter turned as footsteps approached, and his gazed fixed on the newcomers.  A quartet of Theophilus' guards entered, leading a smaller, more slender female.  He silently snarled as God's voice spoke quietly in his mind.

~That is the hand of my ancient foe, my rock.  She is a new Eve bearing temptation and evil to my holy place.  You must obey your rulers, but remember -- you must obey me, not man, if there is conflict.~

~Yes, Lord,~ Peter silently replied.  ~What would you have me do?~

~Watch, and if Theophilus chooses to ignore my decrees on destroying the heathens, you and your companions must act.~

*****

Her guides drifted away to each side as she reached the dais, and she found herself pinned by a cold, considering glare.  The man on the throne looked old and weathered, but his eyes were bright, clear, and hard as black onyx.

"Your Grace," began one of her guards, as he bowed toward the throne, "we extended your invitation, and have guided Hypatia's guest safely here as you commanded."

Theophilus turned his attention to the young woman.

"I am Theophilus, Archbishop of this city and guardian of Christ's faithful.  I have been told that you are a guest of the pagan Hypatia.  Why have you come to trouble this city, Egyptian?"

Dan had long ago learned tact and diplomacy; dealing with local tribes and governments to gain access to new sites, and extra hands to excavate them, across Egypt.  Dani slipped into an old, comfortable role as she replied, using the guard's salutation to her 'host.'

"Your Grace, I am called Danielle.  I have not come to trouble your city, only to study it.  I am a scholar from a distant land, though I look much as your Egyptians do."

Theophilus gazed steadily at his 'guest.'  Her body language indicated that she believed what she said was true.  "And where might your homeland be, if not somewhere near the Nile?"

She moved her shoulders oddly; a gesture of uncertainty, if he was interpreting her correctly, but not a Roman, or Egyptian custom.

"My home is so distant that you have never heard of it.  We have heard of Egypt, and its long history; we also have heard of Imperial Rome, though none of my people have been here before.  We had also heard of your Lighthouse and Library, and I wanted to see if what I had heard about them was true."

Theophilus nodded.  "And you encountered Hypatia at the Library.  She invited you to stay with her then?"

Dani nodded.  "I had asked for suggestions of where I could rent a safe place to stay.  She offered her own hospitality to a stranger, which I gratefully accepted.  I intend to remain there until it is time for me to leave, as it is a convenient, and pleasant place.  She's a fellow scholar, and I'd hoped to meet her.  I'd heard of her, though her temper has been a bit of a revelation."

Theophilus' mouth twitched at the woman's wry expression.

"Is your homeland Christian, or pagan?"

Dani hesitated for a moment then explained that, while many lands around her homeland have officially approved Christian churches, her own land, while generally Christian, did not.  Many different bishops held authority over groups of believers.

"We have chosen to allow people to freely choose whom to follow.  Each bishop is free to proselytize, and we believe God is better served by followers who freely and willingly convert."

Theophilus was mildly irritated at her impertinence, but he raised a hand to stifle Peter's angry condemnation.  His voice was sharp as he questioned her again.

"Are you questioning my authority and methods?"

She returned his gaze calmly.  "Not at all.  I am simply stating how churches operate in my homeland, and the reasoning.  It isn't my place to critique your choices."  ~However much I might want to, it would be fruitless and counterproductive.~

She had apparently sated her "host's" curiosity, for the moment, as she found herself being led again by her 'escorts' back to Theon's mansion.

The Archbishop stared after the strange, young woman.  She was calm beyond her years and a civilized barbarian.  Her homeland was odd sounding, but no more so than so many half-heathen lands that had been overrun by Goths -- less so, in truth.  His spies had reported that she had seemed entirely at home since her arrival.

~It seems she has come to visit the Library.  Perhaps I can rid myself of a mystery along with the pagans.~

He waved to a short, graying man who stood to one side of his throne.

"Philip, I want you to gather your assistants and draft a petition to the Emperor to speed implementation of his decree to close the pagan's Library.  Have it ready for my approval by next week, and choose an envoy to present it at court."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Peter watched as men scattered to take up their assigned tasks before turning to his own companions.  He spoke intensely, but quietly to them.

"I want her followed, and chased from this city.  If the pagan whore tries to get in your way, you are to deal with her however you must to keep her from interfering.  This 'Danielle' must be removed from our city."

Whispers of leather on marble were their only reply, as Peter's men left to begin their task.

*****

Imperial Prefect's Palace

Hypatia's smile turned into a worried frown as she greeted her friend and long time ally, Orestes.  He almost always had a fretful expression; it seemed to go with his job.  She wasn't accustomed to having him look actively worried.

Her expression garnered a weary smile in return.

"Our friend, the Archbishop, is making life interesting, again, Hypatia.  I'll fill everyone in when our meeting begins."

Less than an hour later, Orestes finally sat down to join everyone he'd summoned.  His advisory council, and a select group of scholars, filled his private audience chamber to capacity.

"I asked you to come so that we can coordinate our efforts.  Theophilus has sent yet another emissary to Constantinople with a request to purge and close the Library.  I had sent an envoy there following our last meeting, but he has yet to even schedule a meeting.  I also sent someone to Antioch in an attempt to secure their Archbishop's assistance in gaining the Emperor's ear; so far he reports no reply has been received to his requests for a meeting."

Hypatia and her father glanced at each other and sighed.  The Library of Alexandria was known to be under imperial disfavor; no one would intercede without an exceptionally good reason.

Orestes noted the reaction.  "I know.  We're unlikely to even get an audience, much less a reversal.  What I've called everyone here for is to try to organize a means to begin preserving those unique texts we know will be sought out for destruction.  I'd like the heads of the major philosophical schools, and Hypatia as the ranking Platonist, to appoint as many students as possible to quickly sort through, and copy as possible, the Library's content.  I don't know when we'll be stopped, but if we move quickly, we should be able to preserve something."

"Excuse me, Orestes,” Domnus interrupted. “Even when we've sorted out and copied the scrolls, we need someplace to hide them; someplace where Theophilus and his associates can't find them.  We need someplace that's not too far away, too.  It will be hard enough to conceal what we're doing without having a long caravan that a child could follow."

It was nearly sunset, and hours of discussion had ended in fruitless arguing, when Theon blinked and stood.

"Actually, I think I may have someone else to consult.  Our guest, Danielle, claims to be knowledgeable about the Nile valley and its ancient ruins.  With His Excellency's permission, I'd like to have her brought here to see if she has any ideas.  I would ask, though, that guards be sent; she's been having some slight problems with hooligans of late."

Other messengers were sent out at the same time to alert each school to the huge task they would soon begin.

Dani had been delving into some of Theon's notes for his commentaries on Euclid, and had stumbled across Hypatia's editorial markups on her father's commentary on Ptolemy's Almagest, when she was summoned to the Prefect's Palace. She found herself a center of attention as she arrived in company of two large, heavily armed soldiers from Orestes' guard.

"Your Excellency," she said, bowing to Orestes, "what may I do for you?"

"Your hosts mentioned you have some knowledge of the lands along the Nile.  We," he waved his hand at those crowding the room, "are concerned that the Emperor may demand the destruction of all the scrolls remaining in the Library.  We had hoped you might know of some suitable places where we might hide, and preserve, copies of our most important writings."

The avatar blinked then frowned, as she tried to recall what areas remained reasonably pristine for at least the next few centuries.

~The Valley of the Kings isn't too badly off, and the Giza plateau isn't too active....~

She broke off her musing and asked, "Are you planning a single, large cache, or are you intending to have many small locations?"

A librarian replied, "I'd recommend a number of scattered locations.  That way, we don't lose everything if someone stumbles across one of our hiding places."

A spirited discussion ensued over their options, and Dani found herself standing beside Hypatia and giving her hostess a sharp nudge to her ribs to squelch a heated retort.  Dani's raised eyebrow and half smile took any edge off the implied rebuke; Hypatia grimaced, but finally responded with more diplomacy than she'd first intended.

Maps were located, and Dani began to tick off several suitable areas where the Library's content might safely pass the centuries, until civilization and reason made it safe to unearth them again.

*****

Saint Michael's Church

Mid-morning

Weeks of surveillance had garnered only frustration for Peter.  Cyril had been sent to Apollonia, Cyrene with a confidential message for the remnants of the Christian church that lingered in an increasingly deserted city.  Peter, freed from Cyril's timorous adherence to his uncle's orders, had gathered his monks together for final instructions before he sent them to watch the Library.  They were dour, hard-faced men who had drawn Peter's attention, and approval, as they hammered street thugs from various factions with their clubs.

"I want that pagan whore to disssappear," Peter hissed.  "I don't care if you have to remove that damned witch, Hypatia, at the same time.  Find them, drag them off, and get rid of that Egyptian outlander!"

~I can't let that damned Hypatia win her appointment,~ he snarled silently.

A half-dozen cloaked figures bowed then departed.  They had risen to the sort of rough authority available to a strong, hard man in a mob of other strong, hard men.  Fear was foreign to them; mere pain had long since lost its place as a concern.

To a man, they feared Peter.  Their bodies could bear injury without complaint, but their commander left their souls quaking.  Their fear drove them, as swiftly as human legs could move, to take their posts outside the great library where both their targets were last seen.

Chariot or not, the two would not return to their residence this day -- not intact, anyway.

He turned to John Mark, as his team walked away.  "How are your efforts to ... take care of those little problems going?"

John Mark smiled.  "We've managed to track all but one of our issues; I'm afraid that we may not be able to deal with that one.  We did a good job of making sure all the other issues were properly cleaned up."

"Very, very good, John Mark.  Make sure they don't find out you're taking care of those problems for them.  They seem to be having a good time, and it would be a shame to spoil it."

~Thank you, Lord, for the warning of what the pagans intended....~

*****

The Library

Early Afternoon

"Congratulations, Hypatia!  You should be proud of your appointment as head of your school!"

It had been a long, LONG year for Dani as she advised, coaxed, cajoled, and argued Hypatia into a semblance of diplomatic, if not tactful, behavior.  Changing the philosopher's habits had been only slightly harder than convincing others in her school of philosophy that she had, indeed, changed her treatment of other people for the better.

Hypatia still had her moments, but even Proclus had lost much of his hostility, though none of his caution, around her.  Her change of attitude, combined with her will to succeed and sheer brilliance, had finally led her peers to follow through on their inclination to appoint Hypatia as leader of the Platonic School.  She'd also done a stellar job of organizing her school's efforts to copy and save hundreds of scrolls that would certainly be purged from the Library, even if it were permitted to remain open.

Hypatia blushed at Dani's praise.  "It was you as much as anything I did.  I'd managed to repeatedly offend so many of my fellows that they'd have been more likely to vote me entirely out of the school than vote me as its head."

They stepped out into bright sunshine, dazzled for a moment as their eyes adjusted and unable to see that Hypatia's chariot lay beyond a small group of large, heavy men equipped with vicious looking clubs.

~Who?~ Dani wondered as her sight cleared.  As the men started toward her, she decided to ask for identification later.  She grabbed Hypatia's wrist and pulled her back toward the building.

"Come ON, Hypatia!"

The other woman blinked, gasped, and joined in a desperate dash away from the men who now pursued them.  Hypatia quickly began to lead the way through the Library's maze of rooms, pausing for only instants to pull tables into their pursuer's way to gain a bit of time and distance.  Her efforts gained little, as the men split into teams, cutting off escape routes and herding the women into a long hallway with only a couple of doorways.

"I'm sorry Dani," Hypatia gasped as they ran.  "There's no other way out, and they'll catch up to us here."

"Maybe not," the avatar replied.  "Quick! Over here!"  Dani dragged Hypatia to and through a door, closing it quickly behind them.  The place had windows, but they were set far too high to reach, though they shed reasonable light.

"They'll just force it open," Hypatia fretted as she tried to secure the door.

"Not when I'm done!"

Dani stretched out her hand, and then carefully closed her fingers.  She watched as time's flow sped up and blotches of red began to speckle the hinge's surface.  Hypatia watched in astonishment as the door's top hinge reddened from black iron to a reddish lump of rust.  Sweat beaded Dani's forehead as she finished her first hinge.  She repeated her effort on the bottom hinge, and then the door latch, freezing them all into utter immobility.

The avatar was wobbling with fatigue as she finally stepped back and dropped her hand, leaving Hypatia silently gaping.

The monks clattered into the long hallway, and slid to a stop.

“Curse them! Where have they gone?”

All six monks conferred for a moment before they split again into three teams.  One team was to check any doors present in the hall; the other two teams would attempt to check outside in case their quarry had managed to elude them.

Hypatia held her breath as someone, presumably one or more of their pursuers, hammered on the door.  She heard muffled curses, then heavier thuds sounding as if someone was ramming their shoulder into the stubbornly immobile door.

Curses filtered through to the two women, and slowly faded as the monks outside moved on, muttering.

“All the money spent on this place and they can't keep the doors working.   Those women couldn't hold the door against us or gotten in with all that rust.”

As their voices faded, Dani stepped toward the door.   She stopped abruptly, as she heard Hypatia's whispered, fearful question.

“What in the name of all the gods *are* you?  Who are you, really?  How were you able to do what you did to the door?”

Dani sighed then turned toward her with a sad, serious expression.

“I have not lied to you; I am Danielle, as I said when we first met, Hypatia.  I am a scholar of history, as I said before, but I am also the avatar of Ma'at, an Egyptian Goddess -- her hands and eyes in the world.  She has gifted me with certain abilities, and she sent me to this city to watch over you for a time.”

Dani smiled a little at Hypatia's puzzled look.  "Watch over me? Why?  And why me?"

"Why you?  I can't say with certainty.  I suspect you are a target for my Lady's enemy, Set, and here and now is a critical point in their battle."

Hypatia shook her head.  "The gods contend with each other, and we poor mortals are, as always, caught between them -- mere pieces on the game board for their amusement."

~There's nothing much I can say to that,~ Dani decided.  ~My Lady, now might be a good time to show me how to undo what I've done, here.~

~You did well, so far, dear child.  Now stretch out your hand and mind as you do when you accelerate time's flow.  Focus only on the upper hinge, for now ... very good.  Now, exert your will this way.~

Dani felt, yet again, a mental muscle flexing in a strange, new way, almost, but not quite as she did when she lit fires for her friends near the Black Sea.

~Gently, my daughter, gently.  Bring it to a slow stop and then make it reverse.~

Hypatia watched intently as her strange companion reached out her hand.  Minute flickers of golden light appeared around her as Dani's face grew more focused, as if listening intently to a voice only she could hear.  The philosopher looked for a moment toward the hinges, and was shaken to see the upper hinge's corroded, rusty form slowly return to its original condition.

~I see it, and I still find it hard to believe!~

Dani wobbled a bit from fatigue, as she dropped her hand.  "That's one.  Let's see how my next try goes."  She reached out again, this time toward the lower hinge.

Hypatia noticed beads of sweat rising on Dani's forehead, but many fewer flickers of light, as another hinge was restored.  The avatar quickly redirected her attention to the latch, which was swiftly restored to full function.

"That," Dani said, breathing heavily, "was work."  She watched as Hypatia stepped over to examine each hinge carefully.

~I know I saw rust.  I know I heard those monks beat on this door.  I watched her reach out and make these hinges rust and then make the rust go away....~  All her philosophy hadn't prepared her for this.  Ancient tales of Greek heroes -- Heracles, Theseus, Achilles, and so many more -- had never mentioned anything resembling Dani's abilities.

~I don't recall any Egyptian tales, either, but then they have been systematically expunged from the Library.~

She turned away from the door to stare at her house guest, who calmly returned Hypatia's stare.  Dani moved to the door, opened it, and led them out of their hiding place.

"Let's go back to your home, Hypatia.  I know you're bursting with questions, and I'd rather be in a safer location when I try to answer them; I'd also appreciate it if you'd keep what I can do to yourself."

*****

Hypatia's impatience was at a boil when they finally entered the mansion, and she hardly waited to greet her father before whirling on their guest.

"Alright, we're back.  Explain!"

He blinked in bewilderment at his daughter's almost angry expression, though Dani seemed to be unfazed by it.

"Let's get comfortable,” Dani said to Hypatia.  “It will take a little time to explain to your father what happened, and why you're perturbed."

Theon, by the time Dani and his daughter were done, wondered if he'd fallen into an ancient, epic tale.  Even Dani's demonstration of some of her abilities, at one point using her powers to hold a small vase in mid-air as her host and hostess walked around it, hardly made it any easier to believe.

Dani waited as her tale was digested.  Finally, after what seemed far too long a time, Theon returned his attention to her with a simple question.

"Why?"

"Because your daughter is important enough to have me brought here to guard her, and try to help her learn how to control her temper."  Dani squelched a grin as Theon smiled -- until he caught a glimpse of Hypatia's glare.  His smile vanished, but migrated to become a twinkle in his eyes.

"How do I know you're not lying?  Even with your demonstration, you could still be...."  Hypatia's rant died as Dani stood, glaring.

~Wretched, ungrateful...,~ Dani fumed internally.  Ma'at hadn't been a 'mainstream religion' for centuries, but it was still offensive that Ma'at's truthfulness had been questioned.  Dani was willing to put up with only so much.

"That's enough!  Ma'at is the goddess of truth.  Even if I wanted to, I'm not permitted to lie, or willfully mislead.  I may not tell you everything you want to know, but that is hardly lying.  Ma'at sent me here to keep her enemy's followers from keeping you from achieving your destiny.  I had heard of you even in my homeland, and I *had* hoped to become a friend."

Theon winced; Dani's voice reflected her tightly reigned anger.  ~She's utterly sincere in her belief, and after protecting my daughter I can see why she'd be upset.~  He decided that he'd best intercede before the women's clash escalated beyond recovery.

“Hypatia!  You just said that Dani had protected you from those monks who were chasing you.  She has nothing to gain, so far as I can tell, by lying to us.”

“Why didn't she tell us who she really is?”

Dani shrugged.  “It didn't seem important to me.  I am a historian who happens to also have other responsibilities.  I truly came to Egypt to study its history.”

Hypatia gathered herself for another comment, but her father spoke up again and for the first time since Dani's arrival his voice crackled with command.

“Enough, daughter!  Our guest has done nothing but good to you, and for you.  Do you really believe that you're living up to your ideals right now?”

Hypatia flushed under his rebuke.

*****

405 CE

Alexandria, Egypt

Five years had passed since Hypatia's reaching the pinnacle of her career.  She'd never succeeded in bringing her fiery temper completely under control, but she had managed to subdue it.  She and Orestes had become a frighteningly effective team, managing to block Theophilus' attempts to destroy the remnants of the library, and keeping the pagans from being overtly persecuted in Alexandria.  Orestes had been forced to assign guards to escort Hypatia and his other counselors after the monk's attack on Hypatia.

Their efforts to copy and hide scrolls throughout the Nile valley had also been completed, and even Dani breathed a sigh of relief.  She knew, now, where each cache was.  She could hardly wait until she could return home and restore a bounty of ancient knowledge to her own modern colleagues.

Now, though, Dani had a more immediate task.  Theon had developed an odd cough, which grew worse as weeks passed.  He collapsed, and despite his physician's efforts had succumbed to his ailment.

Hypatia was his heir.  Theon had been the last member of her family, and she sat grieving her loss bitterly.  Tears cascaded down her face as she mourned her father and mentor.

Dani sat beside her.  Six years of close contact and living in the same household had allowed a tight bond of friendship to develop -- perhaps even more like sisters than friends.  She had become fond of Theon herself, and she, too, felt his loss keenly.  Now, though, her friend needed comfort.  Dani wrapped her arms around Hypatia's shoulders and held on as her friend wailed her pain to the world.

*****

March. 415 CE

Alexandria, Egypt

Dani had been getting more nervous as the new year progressed -- or at least *her* definition of a new year.  The Julian year began at the end of August, but she'd kept track of the days since the winter solstice.  Dani's mind spun in a desperate attempt to save a brilliant scholar and friend. 

~I suppose I could try to lure Hypatia out of the city for a while.  Perhaps offer to show her some of the ruins near Memphis, or the temples near Thebes....~

~No, dear one.  You may not, you *MUST* not interfere.~  Ma'at's voice was soft, but it was implacable for all its gentle tones.

Dani found herself, for the first time in years, in a vision of the Dean's office where she'd first seen Ma'at.  She stood beside the desk and glared at the feather-crowned goddess, who sat in a chair before her.

"Why!?  Why can't I at least keep them from torturing her?"

Ma'at's brown eyes reflected a depth of pain that made Dani flinch.

"Do you think I want to stand aside, daughter?"

"No."  Dani's voice grew thick with sorrow, and her eyes teared.  "But they'll flay her alive! Isn't there anything you can do, or let ME do?"  She fell to her knees beside the chair.  "*Please!*  She's become like Iri, and Tiy to me.  She's family!  There must be something that can be done!"

The goddess gently, and briefly, stroked Dani's hair then raised her chosen's chin with her hand.  "I'm sorry, dear daughter, but the price for interfering isn't one you'd care to pay.  Your friend would still perish, and Set would be allowed to interfere as well.  Look at the monitor, and see just one example of what your time might be like if I step in."

A flat-screen monitor hung on an office wall, and displayed scenes of horror.  Instead of large cities filled with relatively healthy, well-fed people, she saw hamlets that were even more crude than those she'd left in ancient Memphis.  Rag-clad people, adult and child alike, used crude tools to scratch away at small fields filled with scrawny plants.

"What happened?" Dani whispered.

"Set, if he is allowed to, will guide the Mongols further into Europe, and everything up to the English Channel will be devastated.  Even the Muslim armies will be struck down, and their cities sacked.  China's civilization will be stunted for centuries from repeated incursions.  With no one to preserve the ancient Greek texts, no kernel of knowledge and culture will remain to grow into the Renaissance.  Everything will fall back into darkness, chaos, and ignorance."

Tears tracked down Dani's face, but strong, gentle hands wiped them away.

"I would lose you, my dear one.  You would never come to be, if we interfere."

"Can you spare her anything, My Lady?  If she must die, can't you shield her from the agony?"

The goddess turned her head for a moment, considering what the ramifications would be.  She looked again at Dani and replied, "I will do what I can, so long as it will not ruin the future we have both worked so hard to preserve."

*****

St. Michael's Church

Lent had come at last, and Orestes was fighting a mighty battle to protect what remained of scholastic freedom in his city, but Cyril, appointed as Archbishop to replace his deceased uncle three years earlier, had wielded the mobs to slowly whittle away at the Prefect's options. 

“Peter!”  Cyril called and waved his old friend to his throne.

“Your Grace?”  Peter bowed respectfully to the Archbishop.  In public he was scrupulous about maintaining a proper attitude toward the Archbishop; in private, they continued to enjoy the same close friendship they'd had since they were young.

“Our spy sent word that Orestes will be summoning Hypatia for consultations.  Make sure she is stopped.”

“She'll have her usual set of guards, Your Grace.  It might get violent.”

“It is the Lord's work; do what you must.  It is time to bring the pagans to heel.”

*****

Hypatia had been a bit bewildered by Dani's behavior.  She couldn't get an explanation, but her companion and friend -- she was hardly a guest anymore -- was growing more agitated by the day.

Hypatia had been summoned to Orestes' Palace for more conversations about how to check the growth of Peter and Cyril's mob.  Dani waved goodbye as Hypatia rode off, escorted by several of Orestes' guards.

A large mass of men, some monks as well as thugs from the city's factions, waited in the square in front of St. Michael's.  A smaller, but still sizable, group had taken their position on a side street.  Peter watched patiently as Hypatia and her guards clattered along the main thoroughfare.  He watched, smiling, as his men bolted from their concealment.  Hypatia's guards wheeled and charged, driving the men away from their charge, who clattered ahead toward her destination and safety.  As Hypatia's chariot rounded the last corner into the main square, but slid to a shuddering halt as a mob of hundreds of cudgel-wielding men blocked her way.  Both sides paused for a heartbeat, then another.  The mob surged forward and surrounded their victim, seized the horses, and swarmed toward the chariot itself.

Hypatia desperately looked around.  Her escort was approaching the mob, but far, far too late.  She screamed in fear as rough hands dragged her off the chariot.  Moments later she screamed again in pain as sharp blades began to slice at her clothing and body.

Suddenly, Hypatia felt a strong hand grab her own and pull her away from the pain; the world faded away from her ....

*****

~It is time, my child.~

Dani's head snapped up, and she shot to her feet as a shimmering figure faded into view before her, coalescing into an all-too-familiar form.

~Hello, sister,~ Hypatia's image said.  She shook her head, smiling sadly as Dani broke into tears.  ~Don't weep for me, my friend.  The mob has only the shell, not the soul.  You still have things to do, and I'll be waiting when your own time is done.~

"I'm sorry, Hypatia.  I tried ... I wanted to ..."

~I know, but this is what had to be.  Be well, sister, and go with my love.~  Hypatia, still smiling, faded away.

~Come, my daughter,~ Ma'at's voice spoke again.  ~It is time for you to go home.~

Dani felt the world spin and her vision blurred and faded from red into white ....

 

  since 2/10/08