Thebes, EGYPT 1374 BC
The children gathered around Yahuud, the ragged storyteller, not too close, for he smelled like camels, but he irresistibly pulled them into his orbit. The dusty robes and turban hid most of him, but his dark eyes looked fierce, and it almost seemed like smoke swirled out of them, one could not be sure, but there was a hint of movement in them somehow. The three oldest and boldest sat the closest, Akhenaten, Amenhotep, and Nefertiti. Other children of the palace crowded into shaded courtyard by the fountain, ranked by privilege, all eager to hear tales that made them feel closer to mysterious powers.
Every 3rd year, the diplomatic caravan from Babylonian king arrived, and Yahuud, who travelled along with it, told stories to the assembled children. Wide eyed they listened for one particular story, short as it was. In a voice that sometimes whispered, hissed or spoke boldly he started. “When I was a very young man visiting an ancient kingdom called Kerma, I was called to the bedside of an old, miserable, dying prince. His bony fingers clutched my arm so I would not run away and he told me that once he had 4 fine and loving brothers. Each of them was a prince of large and prosperous kingdom inherited from their wise and just father. Upon their father’s death, each brother was separately summoned before the high priest who placed into their hand a shiny black stone, about the size of a peach pit. The priest told him that each brother would receive one stone, and that the stones were dangerous because they had special magical powers, especially when wet. He warned that the stones needed to be kept separate from each other. He told them to be wary as the stones always wished to be reunited and together, and would try control you through your dreams to make this happen. The priest said although the stones would try to use you, they had certain powers you could borrow from the stones when they were wet. If you have one stone you can see into the present, the better to make wise decisions, and this can be good. But with two stones, you can see into the past and future, which can make a man greedy. With 3 stones you can magically transport yourself to anywhere you wish, which can make a man crazy. With 4 stones you became ageless, and can travel in time, which will make a man very dangerous. With 5 stones you can make any wish come true, which would be a disaster for all. The priest then said “The fifth stone is fortunately lost for the safety of the world” However, he warned the brothers, pay heed to this, the more stones you have, the greater your risk that the stones will take control of you instead. One stone is weak, and it is likely you can resist it’s control since you have been warned in advance. Two stones is a little harder, three is a challenge, four stones means you must have a very disciplined mind, and five stones would be irresistible. The priest said it is imperative that to keep the stones separated, and dry. Yahuud the dusty storyteller looked around at each child, sighed deeply, and seemed to be remembereing some secret moment while his eyes bore deep into each of them, making each feel noticed and deeply seen.
Then Yahuud continued “At first, each brother used his single stone to see well, and thus rule his principality at an advantage. But one brother, the youngest, soon understood that if he had just one more stone he could see into the past and the future, which irresistibly fascinated him. He was convinced he could resist the stone trying to control his mind as the priest had warned. He soon poisoned his eldest brother, cleverly making it seem another brother had done the deed. Then another brother fell to his next plot. As he acquired stones, he noticed his dreams changing, with each stone the dreams became more intense. He noticed the dreams that came from the stones were bolder, the colors were different and he could tell he was not dreaming but almost awake and listening during those dreams. However, with the increase in power gained from the stones, he became a more mentally focussed, and he learned to resist those dreams. In the end, he ended up with all 4 stones. Having 4 stones made him the richest and most powerful man on earth, enjoying as much wealth, time travel, love, longevity and adventure as he wanted. He would revisit over and over again his favorite times in life. He loved exploring anything everything he could imagine. But as time wore on, people he loved grew old and died. Visiting his loved ones in the past was not satisfying as he knew what was going to happen to them.The riches and power and pleasures no longer made him happy. He found he longed for the love of his brothers long lost, and attributed this to the stones influence. He decided he was getting tired of fighting his stone induced dreams, and decided that he had had everything he wanted in life, and at this point he just wanted to get rid of the dreams and stones. He travelled far, very far away and he hid the stones in a waterproof box in a cave in the vast and lonely desert. Eventually, as he was out of the sphere of influence of the stones, he once again started to age, and eventually he forgot where he hid the stones, and they were all finally lost. And then, with one last gasping breath, the wretched prince released my arm and died.”
Nefertiti loved the old man’s story, and and was convinced if she somehow found the stones she would use them wisely, making life safer and bringing happiness to all. She knew she would not be greedy, it was not in her kind and loving nature. Akhenaten knew that if he somehow got the stones, he worried that he too could end up with the same miserable fate, and he did not wish for the stones at all. Amenhotep desperately wanted the stones, for he could then posses Nefertiti, who he secretly wanted even though she was betrothed to Akhenaten, and he could then be Pharoah ofEgypt instead of just the High Priest.
Thebes, EGYPT 1350 BC
Nefertiti, now the Queen of Egypt is watching as her young daughters listen to the old mystic Yahuud telling the very same story of the 5 stones in the very same courtyard when Nefertiti was herself young. Time has made Yahuud look even dustier, his robes and turban still ragged, but his eyes have not changed. She thinks there really is something strange about those eyes. Nefertiti can’t resist listening in as her kids are mesmerized by the same story she fondly remembers.
Thebes, EGYPT 1347 BC
Nefertiti and her daughters are enjoying a gorgeous day outside exploring. They girls are running about the old palace ruins, the royal quarters used before Hakenated converted the kingdom to the new religion of the one God, Aten. Much of the old palace was taken apart to use as materials for the new palace. The natural exuberance of youth has the girls scampering about exploring newly exposed nooks and crannies, some of it buried for centuries as new rooms had been built on old rooms, exposing what for centuries has been hidden. Nefertiti hears her oldest daughter, Meketaten yelp, and Nefertiti rushes over. Meketaten has fallen in a hole, and landed in a small room long forgotten about. Meketaten is not injured, other than skinned elbows and knees, and although whimpering a little, she is looking at various items around her. A small box draws her attention. She grabs it, and blows the dust off, wipes the snot off her nose, and undoes the hasp and opens the box. There are 4 black stones, and she squeals in delight “Mommy, I found the 4 magic stones the old man talked about, Mommy, Mommy!”
Nefertiti smiles at her daughter's lively imagination and reaches down and pulls her daughter up and out of the musty room, hugging her tightly. Her daughter hands the box to Nefertiti and runs off to see what her sisters are doing. Nefertiti looks at the stones and notices they are dull are crusted, surely not the magical stones. She stuffs the box into the basket they brought refreshments in, and the rest of the morning is spent watching the girls frolic. As the day heats up, they walk back to the coolness of the new palace rooms.
After Nefertiti's servants put the girls to bed for a nap, Nefertiti decides to bathe as well, as the dust has stuck to her skin. She goes to her marble pool and takes off her shift, and gets into the pool of refreshing water. She remembers the box of stones in the basket, and gets out and walks back to the bench and gets the box. She puts the box on the pool's edge, gets in, and after bathing, she opens the box a picks out a stone and puts it in the water and wipes it clean. Immediately, in her minds eye, she can actually see that she is being watched by Amenhotep, and she now understands that he has been spying on her bathing activities. Furious, she grabs a towel, the box of stones, stares at the peephole higher up in the wall Amenhotep is viewing her through, and then runs to Akhenaten rooms. She finds Akhenaten and tells him the whole story, that the stones are real, and Amenhotep is spying on her bathing. Just as they open the box to look at the stones, the box is knocked out of their hands and grabbed by Amenhotep, who slips on the water puddle on the stone floor in his haste. The stones bounce all over the floor, Amenhotep, terrified, grabs for them, only gets two, and runs for his life, as he is not a match for Akhenaten, much less both Amentohep and Nefertiti. Akhenaten and Nefertiti recover from their shock and grab the other two stones and Akhenaten runs after Amenhotep, but Amenhotep is gone.
Nefertiti does not know what to do. That the story of the stones turns out to be real is stunning! Her mind is reeling at the implications, both good and bad. But she is also worried. She has figured out over the years that Amentohep has a dark lust for power, and now that he has two stones, she knows he will be able to see into the past and the future, if the old myth of the stones is true. And he will be able to watch her at will, which disgusts her.
What happens next is the Amentohep uses his two stones to attempt to steal more of the stones from Nefertiti and Akhenaten. Frequent tricks, ambushes, and violence erupt, and at one point Akhenaten threatens Nefertiti’s daughters with harm. It is a stalemate, each can see past, present and future and it becomes a game of competing statedies. Akhenaten and Nefertiti realize that this is a losing game. Amentohep will chase them forever, and because of his prescience, they do not see how to stop him. They can’t just order the soldiers to arrest him, he is the High Priest, and he has the power to see their plans in advance. Something radical has to be done as they fear that it is also possible Amentohep might actually outsmart them and get the 4 stones which would be a disaster for all of Egypt.
After attending a fancy celebration for some officials of the state, Amentohep and Nefertiti meet back in Amentohep’s rooms, and take their 2 stones out of the secret hiding spot. Nefertiti and Akhenaten are curious and wet the stones they still to see what the stones will do. They see a shocking vision of themselves, holding eachother, sobbing in tears burying their daughters. This horrifies Nefertiti, and crying she thinks that if she could just find a way to take the 2 stones and travel in time she could save her children and keep the stones out of the hands of that rotten Akhenaten. She thinks back to the legend told by the storyteller, and remembers that it takes 3 stones to travel, she cries some more in frustration, as she only has 2, and her tears land on the stones, and poof, she disappears!