Born of Shadow - Book 1 (complete)

Chapter 26

Double Chapter Friday - yay! You get both Ch. 26 & 27 today. I've included a picture of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the media box, so check it out.

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“Alexander’s missing tomb is one of the holy grails of Egyptology,” Yasmin said as they bumped over the sand. “We know of at least three tombs. He was first buried in a tomb in Memphis, then his body was moved to Alexandria, then moved again to another part of Alexandria. It was a popular shrine for years, drawing visitors from all over, especially the Romans, including Julius Caesar, Octavian, Caligula, Hadrian, and others.”

“Didn’t Octavian visit to pay his respects and accidentally break off Alexander’s mummified nose?” Liam asked.

“If you can trust Cassius,” Yasmin said. “But by the end of 4th century AD when the Christian emperor Theodosius outlawed paganism, the tomb disappeared without trace. The world has been wondering what happened to it ever since. There are dozens of theories. Some believe it lies in a mosque in Alexandria, or in Siwa as Alexander  requested at one point, or even in Indonesia or Turkey. One of the wilder stories is that the body was removed and placed in a cave in Australia. But Gedo has always believed the body is still in Egypt, just no longer in Alexandria.”

“Why’s that?” Kami asked.

 “After conquering the largest empire in the ancient world, Alexander traveled to Siwa near the Libyan border to be purified and washed by the god Amon, who then supposedly crowned him as his son, which made him divine. After his death, a cult of Alexander formed. When Christianity gained popularity in Alexandria, there was a backlash against the cult of Alexander and those who still retained Pagan beliefs. Gedo believes that Alexander's disciples moved  his body to protect it.”

“To the excavation site?” Liam said.

“That, or maybe they’ll uncover something that will indicate where it is. We won’t know until they finish excavating,” Yasmin said. 

They drove through completely barren landscape, devoid of all life. A large plateau stretched out for miles on their left. Sand ripples like small waves in a lake undulated on their right. Sandstone boulders the size of a car dotted the hills of dirt. Kami glanced at the dashboard of the SUV to see they still had nearly half a tank of gas. This was not a place you wanted to get stranded in.

They passed a pile of rocks shaped like logs.  

“Tree fossils,” Haji said. “A long time ago this was an entirely different ecosystem and more of a jungle than a desert. And if you look over there, you can see the foundation of an ancient structure.”

Kami closed her eyes to try and picture Egypt as a jungle, but she couldn’t conjure up the image. Her mind kept returning to the story Samuel told them about the dead people. She worried her grandparents might have met the same fate. She looked at her cousin and could tell by how Yasmin fidgeted that she was nervous too. 

“Is that a house?” Kami said. In the distance stood a cement shack with a couple of windows. Seven or eight camels roamed in front. “How do people even live out here?” 

“They dig wells,” Haji answered. 

Kami was thinking of other basics, such as electricity, TV, phones, grocery stores, and schools. She thought she had it rough living in a trailer. What a challenging life they must have!  

They soon came to a two-story building that was used as a gas station, grocery store, and apartment. They didn't have much competition out here, which probably meant prices were expensive. A few children chased each other across the lot out front. 

Taking a break, they climbed out of the vehicle, and Kami stretched. The dry heat had a way of cramping her muscles. After grabbing a bite to eat, refueling, and restocking up their water supply, Liam paid their bill and they were off again. 

They were nearing the city now. The scenery began to become more green and lush. Small palm trees and bushes dotted the landscape. Green fields and pastures stretched around them. Kami breathed a little easier seeing signs of civilization again. 

Haji pointed out “pigeon towers,” which were basically narrow, dome-shaped buildings perforated by hollows that housed pigeons. Back home, pigeons were considered a nuisance as they left their droppings in the most inconvenient locations. Here, according to Haji, they were almost revered. 

There were mosques of all shapes and styles. Some that were impossibly tall, skinny towers, and others with large domes that sat over squat buildings. 

As with Cairo, the outskirts of the city were more dilapidated. Piles of tires and other garbage lined many of the streets. A rusted truck was abandoned near a pile of metal. But as they drove closer to the center of the city and near the coastline, the buildings were nicer and the streets cleaner. The houses and hotels were quite fancy. Many displayed lavish gardens, exotic flowers, and inviting swimming pools. Certainly, the wealthy lived here. 

Kami caught a glimpse of some of the prettiest beaches she had ever seen with sparkling turquoise water, white sand, and amazing cliffs. Boys fished from rocks, and families played in the water. Women in black robes and veils waded into the water completely clothed, an act that seemed as shocking to her as the miniscule swimsuits so many wore back home in California would probably be to these people. 

“Alexandria used to be a small fishing village called Racodis,” Haji said, acting as tour guide again. “The story goes that Alexander had a vision of it becoming a place for people to live together with tolerance for one another’s cultural and religious beliefs. Alexander ordered Alexandria to be built in 331 BC.” 

“Along with about seventy other cities by that name,” Liam added. “Think he cared about leaving a legacy much?” 

“So, isn’t the library where Alexander gathered knowledge and stored it in one place?” Kami asked.

“Correct,” Haji said. “One of Alexander’s goals was to amass all the world’s knowledge, although most of it happened after he died. He would bring back knowledge from the countries he conquered. Later, when ships pulled into port, officials would remove the books, have scribes copy them and send back the copies, keeping the originals.” 

They pulled up in front of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a large gray stone building, and everyone got out except Haji. He planned to worship at a nearby mosque, and they had all agreed to meet back in a couple of hours. Samuel had to park several blocks away and arranged to meet them. 

Please hit that little star if you enjoyed this!

I've included a picture of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in the media box. If you want to see the inside of the library, you can check out my Pinterest at: http://www.pinterest.com/sarahbensonbook

If you could visit any library in the world, what would it be?

Dedication for this chappie goes out to a fabulous Wattpad buddy @myepic! I first discovered her through her excellent book "The Prince" and we have since become fast friends. She lives in the Philippines and introduced me to the idea of kilig, which is a Tagalog word for the fluttery feeling you experience when something is quite romantic. So Kami and Liam will share plenty of kilig moments throughout this story. Thanks @myepic! Links below.