In the time loop. Secrets of past lives 2

I paced up and down the room, more mechanically than consciously, trying to make sense of these amazing incidents, but my head was still in chaos, and the only thing looming was Klaus’ personality. Suddenly, the noise of the crowd outside, beyond the terrace, broke the silence. Sergei and I approached the balustrade, and an incredibly stunning picture opened before our eyes.

Joyful excitement reigned in the streets of the ancient city. All the houses were decorated with garlands of flowers and palm branches, and the doors and flat roofs of the houses, which served as terraces for their residents, were decorated with flowers. Music could be heard everywhere. Dressed-up residents of the city crowded the streets. The spilling of the Nile was celebrated. The waters of the Great River overflowed its banks, flooded the fields, promising a bountiful harvest to the country.

A huge crowd gathered on the shore, and it grew, everyone tried to be as close as possible to the wide staircase, to which a large gilded vessel moored. Everyone turned to the shore, and deafening screams rang out. A procession appeared on the stairs, priests were descending it, followed by dignitaries and warriors. They all boarded the boats that were located at the royal vessel. Then a luxurious stretcher decorated with gold inlay appeared under the canopy. Fans of ostrich feathers, mounted in special gilded sticks, waved around the stretcher. On this throne, which was carried by a dozen slaves, sat the Pharaoh.

Pharaoh!!, Priests!! How familiar this whole picture was to me, I had recently seen it in the labyrinth room, and it seemed to rise again from the distant depths of my memory.

Sergei and I turned to each other, and the same thought struck us like lightning. “The hourglass! He turned over the hourglass!” Sergei exclaimed.

Chapter 7

“Hey! Time travelers!” We pushed the girls aside, “Let’s get out of here! Run, run!” The girls looked at us dumbfounded. At the same time, Nuita was not among them. She disappeared in the most mysterious way.

“Listen, Maxim, and how cleverly she dragged us here. Oh, I’m afraid, I’m afraid it’s dangerous. That’s a cunning beast!” Sergey was indignant.

“What’s the matter?” Elsa was muttering.

“Because, my dear, it looks like we’ve been transported back about three thousand years. Run back, run. Until the hourglass has completely poured out its sand.”

“If the sand in this watch has not yet completely poured out.” I said gloomily. “But we’ll try to get back.”

“They won’t succeed!” Sergei growled angrily.

Everyone rushed back to the tomb of Osiris, and completely irreverently, without curtseying, they galloped past the sarcophagus to the spiral staircase. I was a little late, and resolutely took with me a chest for a bottle of elixir. Crossing the halls, we raced through the galleries like nimble monkeys climbing up the steep steps of wells. Interminably long corridors, painted galleries, and wells led us back to rooms and galleries. There seemed to be no end to this run. The sounds of a heavy gong rang out behind us at strictly defined intervals, counting down the last minutes.

“Now it’s like in a fairy tale, we will all turn into pumpkins and mice,” we must pay tribute to Sergey, he could still joke. But everyone was desperately silent.

And now a hole appeared in front of us, and through it the sky was blue, the native, earthly sky of the 21st century. With a vengeance, we rushed to the exit. And as soon as I was the last to cross the cherished threshold, and we all came to the surface, the last gong of the time clock sounded.

We looked around, smoke seemed to be billowing in the opening, and gradually the outlines of a door with a key hole in the shape of the boat of the god Ra appeared. Panting, we fell to the ground.

“We made it, fuuu,” the girls muttered.

“You still ventured through that door,” Klaus’s voice rang out, “I didn’t doubt you at all.”

“Why didn’t you show up on time?” Elsa was indignant.

“I came on time,” Klaus laughed, “you would have persuaded me to wait for you here anyway until your adventurous spirit was fully satisfied. To be on the island of Bige, and not try to find the tomb of Osiris. Yes, this is the dream of all archaeologists in the world. And you, mere mortals, have been given such a chance.”

“Ordinary mortals could stay there forever.”

“It’s true, you had such a risk. By the way, a couple of expeditions in the twenties of the last century suffered just such a fate. But they didn’t have me, Klaus Staufkettel, as their assistant. And do you have. I would have gotten you out of there.”

“Ah, well, you seem to be on good terms with Osiris and those gods in the dungeons. In particular, with that bearded man with an hourglass in his hands.”

“Well, not for a short time. But I could have gotten you out. By the way, the bearded man with the hourglass, whom you even had the honor to talk to, is Chronos.”

“It’s terrible what progress has come to, you can just talk to Chronos about this and that, or with Zeus, for example.”

“I appreciated your sarcasm. But, we really can’t delay anymore. Everyone run to the boat, a helicopter is waiting for us on the other shore, and if you hesitate, the local police will take you by the white knuckles for invading tombs without a proper license. Hurry up.”

We were already taking off when police cars actually drove up to the site. Having gained altitude, the helicopter flew smoothly, and this flight was even pleasant for us. We felt completely safe and confident, aware of ourselves in the modern world of the 21st century. And no matter how much they scolded modern civilization, this civilization was ours, our native one, as if we had returned to our native land from a distant space flight. The lights of Cairo were already visible, but the helicopter continued its flight.

“Klaus, where are we going?” “To Alexandria,” he replied.

“Why to Alexandria? What about our stuff at the hotel?”

“They’re already at the hotel in Alexandria, don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten any of your things,” he turned around and looked at me attentively with a slight grin. I read a silent question in his eyes. But I wasn’t going to answer that question. The treasured vial was hidden under my shirt, and I was clutching a beautiful chest tightly in my hands. If Klaus needed him so much, then why didn’t he go after him? He obviously sent me into the mazes for that reason.

All night I was tormented by strange visions, a pharaoh, priests, a beautiful girl dancing in front of me. In the morning, after breakfast, I had an obsessive need to draw a portrait of Tianta. Her eyes haunted me relentlessly.

After fixing the canvas on the easel, I began to mix the colors on the palette with a strange irritation. I couldn’t find the exact shade of the girl’s skin, capture that look of shining eyes, intense and burning, to convey the color of her hair, black as the dead of night. I worked on the portrait so furiously, as if the solution of some mystery depended on it. This mystery wouldn’t let go of me. The painful uncertainty, the understatement of the visions in the pyramids weighed on me. Working on the portrait, it was as if I was trying to break through the veil of a fatal mystery.

A few hours of hard work exhausted me, and I dropped the brushes and went to wash my hands. Then, I went up to the portrait, and looking at it, I noticed a strange effect in it. Wearily, I rubbed my face with my hands and went out onto the balcony. I’m just tired. Still, the walk under the pyramids was very stressful. From the balcony, I watched my friends playing tennis on the court. It’s a very energetic sport, and I’ve never been good at it. And how women handle such a heavy racket.

There was a knock on the door, and I opened it. Klaus was standing in the doorway. “I’d like to see this portrait of a girl,” he said. “Of course, if you don’t mind.”

“Who told you that I was working on a portrait?” I let him into the room.

“It wasn’t hard to guess from your face at breakfast. You were sitting at the table, among your friends, and quite automatically participated in the conversation. And you were far, very far away.”

“Come on,” I said briefly, “I’ll show you my painting.”

I’ll tell you right away, I painted a very strange portrait. I went to the easel and turned it so that the portrait was clearly visible. It seems that instead of the perfect beauty of the girl that I saw in my vision, I could only portray a strange cruelty.

Klaus fixed his gaze on the portrait, and an exclamation of surprise or mockery escaped him. “There are two girls on this canvas at the same time, don’t you understand?” He said, “death and two lives, both have an irresistible magnetism in their eyes. But one of them has a painful look, the other has a sensuality of the eyes accompanied by a cruel crooked smile of the lips.”

A few minutes passed in complete silence, then Klaus said: “I’m leaving, and you should sort out your women. There are two women in the portrait — Tianta and Nuita. And it’s not because you’ve seen them both in mazes, and their images are mixed up in your head. This is because both of them are the main women for you in the destinies of your different incarnations. Two rivals, both in your heart, but the best part of your heart belongs to Tiante. Nuita will never forgive you for this.”

And with that, he headed for the exit. His words hurt me.

“Listen to me! How do you know about Tiante and Nuit? I’ve never told you what I saw under the pyramids. And anyway, I hate the rivalry of two women for one man. I think this is stupid, because these women are not at all interested in a man’s opinion. Women are always fighting among themselves on this vital tatami, it is important for each to win and destroy the other. And a man is a prize for them, that’s all.”

“I don’t need to tell you about your adventures. I already know. As for your dislike of the rivalry of women, well, that’s why you don’t give anyone magical help in love spells. Your deep memory, you know, doesn’t allow you to do that. You hate the tenacity of these women because you yourself have suffered from this rivalry in past lives, and more than once, I must say.”

“Weren’t Tianta and Nuita the same woman in that pyramid encounter?” We don’t necessarily assume the same appearance in different lives. Nuita mysteriously appeared and mysteriously disappeared, but I will meet her. I know, I feel it. She’s already taken over my heart, and I think she’s always been there. There, in the pyramids, I understood the meaning of this last test. A symbol of Adam’s seduction by Eve, after she ate the cherished apple. Adam couldn’t resist then, and gave humanity the great mystery of passion. A real passion, such as a real woman can inspire, and it will forever remain in a man’s heart.”

“I told you, they are two different women, and both are in your heart. But the best part of it is given to Tianta. Why? You need to figure it out for yourself. But Nuita is not only not going to give up the part of your heart she occupies, she needs full power over your heart.” After a pause, Klaus added, “she’s a very active person, not like Tianta. Tianta is Lilith, who ran away from Adam, even in your case in a tragic way, Nuita is a jealous Eve. They don’t always attract men. Do you believe in eternal love? Many good women believe in her. They want to be Eve, but Adam always remembered Lilith, and this annoyed Eve very much, so she ate the apple. She really wanted to outshine Lilith forever. If a woman subconsciously has a fear of losing her man, it results in seemingly gratuitous jealousy, which means she feels his Lilith is somewhere nearby, very close. It scares and irritates a woman. Eve was always afraid that Adam would leave her as soon as Lilith returned. “After saying that, Klaus left.

I looked at the portrait again, it was like an annoying memory for me — terrible and ghostly. The portrait got on my nerves. In one person, two girls looked directly into my eyes, their gazes burning through me, and at the same time overwhelm me with inexplicable horror with their attractive gaze.

This Klaus is a strange guy. He brought us here, easily pays for our trips, all our whims. And here in Alexandria, we live in a small old manor house near the famous catacombs. And I have a suspicion that this is not a private hotel, but his own estate. That’s how the servants crawl in front of Klaus. Although he exudes such magnetism that everyone freezes even for a second when meeting him.

When he appeared at the wedding of Elsa and Sergey, he captivated our attention with his majesty at first glance. This grandeur was felt in everything, in his height and manner, his charming manner, and the almost fiery gleam of his dark eyes in his somewhat pale face. Elsa immediately called his appearance demonic, I would say Luciferian. We had just returned from France, after my investigation of the admiral’s case at his castle.

Chapter 8

After I solved the mystery of the portraits at Admiral Koptev’s residence in France, Elsa and I returned home to Crimea. Irina went to her city, where her little son was eagerly awaiting her in the company of his grandfather.

Sergei, then still Elsa’s fiance, met us at the airport. And in the evening, at the table, he listened with admiration to the narration from the lips of his bride. But when he learned about the admiral’s courtship of Elsa, he feigned terrible jealousy, and promised not to let his beloved visit any barons without a wedding ring. Elsa was all lit up with happiness, the wedding day was set, and the couple chose a trip to the castle of the baron, a friend of our admiral, as their honeymoon. Even before we parted, the admiral promised me a new investigation, which I cannot refuse. So our fun campaign has been living all these days in anticipation of the pleasure of the upcoming trip.

For two weeks I had to endure the slight nagging of my Lidochka. Of course, she was offended that I didn’t take her to France with me. But now I firmly promised my girlfriend that she would definitely come with us on the next adventure.

One evening, someone rang the doorbell of my apartment. I was annoyed, because at that time I was talking on a video call with Irina. Once again, Irina complained to me that I did not help her resolve the issue of their relationship with Alexei exactly the way she wanted it. And she didn’t take my explanations in any way. That’s what she wants, period

It was at this time that the saving bell rang, interrupting these inflections, which I was already tired of.

“What’s the matter?” I barked, throwing open the door. “Oh! If I was lucky, I was so lucky,” I immediately got kinder when I saw Elsa on the doorstep in the company of a pretty girl.

“Hey, Maxim, what happened to your face?” Elsa stepped into the hall, followed by her friend. “Let me guess, you just talked to Ira. And she ruined your aura again.”

“Worse, she ruined my karma.”

“Why are you so modestly avoiding Faith? Didn’t you recognize your former patient? No, well, what’s the result, huh? You should be proud of your work! And stop staring at her, and let us into the house normally. Give me some coffee. We don’t mind having dinner either. What do you have in the fridge?” And Elsa went busily into the kitchen.

“Faith!!? I see a familiar face. But! Faith! Wow!”

Faith was smiling, and she walked modestly, but not without coquetry, into the living room. Really! I didn’t expect such a result myself. It’s only been six months since Elsa first came to me with a request to look at Faith’s problem.

Six months ago, a fat 85 kg girl with thin greasy hair and a depressive-suicidal mood sat in front of me. The girl abruptly began to get fat over the course of several months, by nature a giggler, always on the positive side, turned into an intimidated chicken. Elsa then dragged her to me literally by the hand. Faith is terrified of magic.

“Max, look at her, maybe she has something from her mother. They have an extremely bad relationship, the mother has not loved her daughter since childhood. And now he’s just mocking her appearance. Her mother has a second marriage. Well, it’s just like Inna’s, remember?” Elsa told me then. “Until recently, Faith weighed 49 kg. And now! Do you see? There’s a reason for this!”

“I have a purely personal matter,” Faith interjected.

“Everyone’s business is strictly personal. And everyone comes to me because they can’t achieve anything in the usual way”.

A picture of shop windows with advertisements in English suddenly floated before my eyes, then a bracelet and runes flashed by.

“It doesn’t look like it’s from your mother. Faith, have you traveled abroad recently?”

“Yes, for a week with a girlfriend, in Scotland. I’ve never been abroad. And then by chance I was offered two discounted tours. Well, my friend and I went. It was winter.”

“And?” the information was difficult to reveal, there was a good lock on the witchcraft. “Remember where you went, who you talked to. Then it dawned on me, did you go to the hairdresser?”

“Oh, yes, exactly, as I forgot. It was a friend who wanted to dye her hair there. I was just sitting on the couch in the hall.” Faith paused again. “We need to remember more.”

“Did you sit in the hairdresser’s chair?”

“No, not really. I was just drinking coffee while I was waiting for Nadia.”

“Did someone talk to you?”

“I remember! An elderly woman came into the hall with a girl, I think her granddaughter. She looked about 15 years old. She looked around and sat next to me. After a couple of minutes, she started praising me, admiring how slim I was, and how long my beautiful hair was. He touches my hair and says, “Only the tips need to be cut off a little.” I said I wouldn’t cut anything. Then a friend came over, and we went to the mall together. And there this old woman and the girl caught up with us.