Anansi returned me to the exact spot where he abducted me from, "I'm surprised that you chose Amun Ra as your alias", he said displaying a beatific smile. "Surprising?", I asked. He gestured me to the river. The Nile froze and an image of an Egyptian god displayed, "that is Heru and as you can see you are identical", he said. "Doppelgänger", I said dubiously, "well it could be David Kufu's doppelgänger", he said as the Pandora's Box materialized in his hands.
"Calm down and try to recall your steps, where and when did you lose him", said a familiar voice. "I was over there", replied another familiar voice. "well then, here comes your fold. I shall return the box to you within an hour or more. Well, that depends...", "wait!", I stopped him. "You were deceiving Hera when you exploded, didn't you?", I asked hoping that I was right about him. "Why does it matter to you, son?", he asked, "as much as I dislike you. I prefer to know you as a benevolent deity among those who believe in you", I replied. For a moment Anansi appeared to be human but I knew better than to believe that.
He walked towards me, placing the Scroll on my right hand. The Scroll felt comfortable, like a marshmallow. "I am humbled by your gesture. You see, son. God creates human beings and human beings create gods. We, gods, can only exist if human beings believe in us, well not I in particular. We cease to exist once they stopped and though I may differ from Ethnic gods.", he shuddered.
"I too am bound to only exist by those who practice trickery and deceit therefore I can neither be benevolent nor malevolent. Ethnic gods exist in a context of the time that is fit to the imagination and intelligence of its people. I exist in the realm of reality.", he gave me a mirthless smile.
I am positive that he knew what was on my mind. As he vanished, he said, "I'll catch you later".
"JK!", bellowed Makela. She ran to me with such speed that we fell on the bank when she embraced me. "I thought I lost you", she cried. "Really?", I asked dubiously. She was beaming until she saw the Scroll. She stood up abruptly moving away from me. "You found the Scroll", curiosity got the better of her. "Jacob! I found him, and with the Scroll", bellowed Makela. Footsteps got louder, Jacob Ekende materialized a few meters from where we were. I stood up cleaning the dust from my Border Tribe robe and suit. "Remarkable", beamed Jacob.
"The team that the Maditau has assembled- if you keep this up you might lead the biggest coalition among our faction", he said looking at either of us. "Patriarch Ekende, sir, I have secured the perimeter", said one of the Apostle. "prepare the unit for a ruck teleportation", instructed Jacob. "Confirmed, Sir", and off he strode.
Jacob's usual smile suddenly turned into mild anger. "Juda! What was all that in Paris? Do you know how much it took for me to divulge Apostle presence at the massacre!. And! An audience with the Metronome to appease the flow of either world", "Jacob it was my fault, I started it"," it is still JK's fault. He is the Alpha of the team", exclaimed Jacob. I remained expressionlessly silent, Jacob was right it was my fault. "Destroying fifty-three military tanks, fifteen jet fighters, eighty-five military personnel and law enforcement and might I add; crashing a jet into the Eiffel Tower.
Do you have a thing for the number five!?", he fumed. We stood silently for a moment until Jacob's expression returned to normal. "Well… Thanks to you, our Bearer, Reginald Argus the Pope has "resigned" though, the news is not yet public, given that he is dead.
That was an excellent work", said Jacob beatifically. "Simultaneously, you managed to find the Scroll of Zayi which is astounding! Not to change the subject though I ponder how you managed to have come thus far with armours in such terrible condition", added Jacob.
I evaluated my suit which to me appeared fine. "I do not see anything wrong with it", claimed Makela, I shook my head in agreement. "Really?", asked Jacob. He moved behind Makela and tapped the cylinder disc. The right-wing extracted halfway out. The glitch produced sparks and as result, the disc fell off the suit. "looks like you won't be flying any time soon", chuckled Jacob.
"I'm not going to tap your armour JK because if I do, it might fall off. Terrible condition", he said displeasingly while evaluating my suit. "I'll make some arrangements and see if we can get it fixed as soon as possible", he assured as he walked off.
"JK I…", "peace, it was not your bidding. Anansi", I interrupted. She embraced me, "I am simply glad to see you. I went around the twig and I could barely contemplate nor concentrate during combat", she said as she let go of me. The same occurred to me, however, I did not tell her. "Eisenhower is next on the list, right?", I asked, "nope. By targeting Argus, the Pope or whatever he referred to, we imbalanced their entire order and their plan to initiate the war this year. "So, it's over?" I asked and even though I had not displayed it, I felt unsatisfied about it all being over and done with, especially because now, Eisenhower would still get to live.
"That's how it seems, we should always be on our guard therefore, I have made arrangements for Normmengard", intercepted Jacob. I looked at Makela who was trying so hard not to scream.
Normmengard is the university she dreams of attending. "Unit Ulphatron, form ruck teleportation in six seconds", Jacob instructed his unit.
Within seconds the unit circled us with devices that produce violet coloured light that connected from one device to another forming a circle. The light got brighter to the point of oblivion and finally, the sound produced by a vacuum cleaner followed.
Nausea was all I felt. I hated this feeling, if I were to regurgitate, then why the back and forwardness? The frustrating ringing noise disturbing my ears, all the colours that give meaning to the exquisiteness of site were over lit by white and similar to lightning, the feeling short lasted. "Sorry about that mate. On normal grounds, this never happens", apologized Jacob.
Makela ran forward unaware of her surrounding, without thinking, I ran to catch her. It was only when I grabbed her waist in an attempt to pull her back had I realized that there was a handrail in front. "Aww, I had not known that you like me like that", teased Makela. "Look!", she continued.
I doubt till this day that there is a word in the English dictionary that can describe what my eyes beheld. Perplexed yet marvelled, I have not laid my eyes in any city finer than this. As I held either hand on the handrail, only realizing that we stood on a terrace. From a bird's view, the entire city was structured to the form of an African masquerade mask.
Egyptian architecture is all I saw from near- I was lost at words, there is no befitting description that can describe what I saw. Yonder stood three pyramids positioned diagonally in alignment with Orion's Belt. I was at lost at its magnificence, all three shot beams of rainbow lights to the stars, aligned with each pyramid by channelling energy or some sort of essence from the stars.
I had not known. "This city is…", I found myself lost at trying to emphasize its marvellous magnificence.
"Welcome to Normmengard, the first and oldest university in all of history", said an old, wise and pleasant voice. Before we stood a tall well-aged man with a body built that indicated that once, he could have been a gladiator and had given up the sword for the pen. He was dark in complexion, a white beard that reached to his chest. Dressed in a black robe adorned with gold jewellery. He held a sceptre though you could confuse it for a stylish walking stick and no not the modern type. The type Noah, Abraham and Moses used.
"Professor Dissengomuka", said Jacob with a beatific smile. The professor returned the gesture and ushered us into his office. From the threshold I had to hold my breath, books in their respective shelves decorated the wall as if the office was layered by bookshelves and not bricks. Above us were bookshelves that seem to go up as far as the eye could see. He looked at me and knew what I was about to ask. "If there is a book that you seek, you shall find it here. Well almost", he chuckled.
"Yuda-a-Nkufu, the last Apostle of the Bantu Rite and last monarch of the Bantu Kufu of Kongo. I welcome you to the cradle of Thought", he said to me. He looked at Makela and smiled, "I have been wondering when you would show up, I have lived for over a century and a half and you, my dear, are by far one of the bravest women I know", he said. Makela blushed at the sight of his charisma and charm. Professor Dissengomuka walked to his throne-like seat and sat down, this guy had swag, like the package. His cadence, gestures, nuances. Like He would have made a better version of Gandalf and Loki put together.
"You have a talent for training the best, that confirms a lot about you, Jacob. Not only has your move prevented an inevitable war, but it has also weakened the Bearers Order to their core. I suspect that the Bearer Pope is dead though, from my sources, a double body lives his life until the public announcement of his resignation", he said eyeing everyone.
"Unfortunately, this victory as in the past cannot be celebrated. Caution is essential when dealing with the enemy, especially the Bearers of Light. As for now you shall return home but before that, your armours require full attention", said the professor.
When he said "home", my heart skipped several beats. What home? How do I return home? To live what kind of life? I had a life before all of this and that life does not seem real anymore so where am I supposed to return to. I felt like a soldier who was being sent home after surviving decades of war.
I held my frustration and contempt, surely this wasn't it! Sure, we have made a difference BUT… Return home!? "Most of all, I wish to thank you and congratulate you on finding the Scroll of Zayi. Had the Greeks and Romans discovered it in Pandora's Box, all would have been lost. Much like present Africa", said Professor Dissengomuka as Jacob handed over the Scroll to him which now appeared typical.
I could no longer control myself, I had to speak before I erupted, "I know, Juda. It shall not be the same, however, remember it may not be over yet", assured the professor. This dude could read minds, I thought to myself.
The professor turned to Makela, "I believe you have profound aspirations of attending here", asked professor Dissengomuka. Makela nodded, "well, I shall have to pull several threads though it is possible. After all, rules made by men can be broken by men, ah... in this case, bent. The Academic year initiates in the first week of March for first-year students, given the fact that you are bright, I am sure being months late will not be a problem", he guaranteed, Makela nodded again.
I wish to know what was happening in Makela's mind, her dream to attend here had turned into reality. "As of JK?", asked Jacob. "Young lord Kufu who has similar aspiration is welcomed to attend here or any other university of his choice in the Gentile world", assured the professor. In no way had this mollified my contempt, I was failing in concealing my scorn.
Sure, I wished to go to university but this cannot be how things ended. It just can't!
I wanted to protest though just before I could toi-toi, professor Dissengomuka called Miss Olanma, his secretary To escort us to Laodicea, "I and Jacob have some personal talking to do. Off you go", and that was the last I heard him as we walked out. Four Apostles remained outside professor Dissengomuka's office on guard duty while two stood at the reception entrance and two escorted us.