A MILLION DOLLARS A FUCK-PART3_(3)

THE PROPOSITION

Captain Miller and Brendan were on a winding two-lane highway sandwiched between beautifully
manicured hedgerows – barracades of nature separating the filthy rich from the great unwashed.
The Impala pulled into a gated driveway. The fat guard in the booth waved them through.
A panorama of excess spread out before Brendan for nearly two acres. He took an instant
disliking to the residents before he even met them. They were poseurs. He could hear the dinner
party conversations in his head.

“Your english garden is to die for, Fifi.”
“Thank you, Jennifer. On our last visit to the Baroness Diana’s estate I was stricken with
jealousy walking through her garden. I just had to have one for myself. Of course the walkway
was taken brick by brick from the late countess Elizabeth’s estate in Tuscany. We bought the
villa just for the two-hundred year old cobbled stones. Three popes and two kings have walked
on these stones.”

They were greeted by a english butler – of course. He led them to a sitting room decorated in
soft pastels. An old woman, tastefully dressed but carrying the old world air of a gypsy, was
joined on a loveseat by a strikingly beautiful teenager. Brendan knew her from somewhere but
couldn’t finish the thought before he spotted the walk-in.

Another old lady, whose hair wasn’t quite blue, slowly rose from a chair at Brendan’s left with
a look of concern on her face.

“Robert! What did you do this young man,” she said in a scolding manner.

“Nothing,” Captain Miller replied in an irritated tone. “He’s fine.”

“Brendan, my name is Lois.” How did she now his name, Brendan wondered? “This is Madame Zena
and her grandaughter, Celeste.” Madame Zena? She ditched the costume but still held on to the
old title. Brendan felt a nervous tension in the air. And from the looks on their faces, the
gypsy and her grandaughter were awaiting a verdict of some sort.

“Brendan, look at me, dear.” She turned Brendan until his back was to the gypsies. Out of his
peripheral vision he could see Captain Miller still had his eyes on them. “We hear that you
have a very special gift of perception.” She looked over his shoulder and smiled at the
gypsies.

Brendan felt as if he was about to be asked to perform at a tea social.

“We believe there is another presence here. If there is, would you describe him or her to us?”
She looked past Brendan to smile at the gypsies again.

There was a another presence, alright – the walk-in Brendan spotted when he entered the room.
What troubled him was that the walk-in belonged to the girl, not the old woman.

“She’s an Egyptian princess.” Brendan just knew that for some reason.”Around five-foot, black
hair, emerald eyes, copper colored complexion.” Lois was giggling with her head down,
and trembling. She took a deep breath before raising her head, and with almost pleading,
teary eyes asked him one more question.

“Do you happen to know her name?”

“My name is Hemetra,” Brendan heard from behind him, almost startling him.

“Hemetra,” Brendan repeated.

“Ha Ha!” Lois doubled over clapping her hands rapidly before a fit of laughter.

“I have to get back to work,” Captain Miller said before turning and leaving.

“Thank you Captain!” Lois called out before returning her attention to Brendan.

“Young man, let’s take a walk.”

They toured her garden with Lois clutching Brendan’s right arm tightly as if he might fly
away if she didn’t.

“I don’t mean to be rude, ma’am, but I need you tell me why I’m here.”

“No, I’m the rude one, Brendan. And I’m truly sorry for the trouble I’ve put you through.”
What did she mean by “I’ve put you through,” Brendan wondered?

“You are here because of a vision I had thirty years ago. I found myself walking the streets
of ancient Egypt, and it was just as real as we’re walking now. My head was full of the know-
ledge and wisdom of the Ancients; knowledge lost to us, maybe, forever.