Forty Days In The Desert
A Tale of Lent
by Ben Church
b_church@yahoo.com
Highlander belongs to Rysher.
No insult to any religion is intended. Please do not take offense.
It was hot. But Tut had grown up in hot temperatures, so it
was all right. Tut sighed.
He'd finally found the time to come out here, away from
everything, and deal with it. "It" being everything. His second wife,
Mary, had died of fever the day before. It had been the straw that
broke his back. First had come Immortality, then his once proud
homeland had been conquered by the Romans, and now this.
His hope, was that some time alone with his thoughts would
help him.
The sound of someone walking nearby swept that away. "So much
for being alone." he thought resignedly.
He opened his eyes and stood. A man stood on the other side
of the small group of rocks he'd lain behind. He was sure the man
had not seen him, but he didn't seem surprised.
"I'd thought to be alone." the man said.
Tut smiled. "As had I. Not either of our days it seems."
There was something familiar about this man. His face, his demeanor,
of course, he'd heard of him.
"You're Jesus of Nazareth." Tut said.
"You are correct." the man said. "And you are Tutankhamun."
Tut's eyebrow's shot up. He'd never met Jesus before, and yet
he knew his name.
But Jesus wasn't done. "You are Tut, born a little over a
thousand years ago, gifted by my Father with Immortality."
Tut wasn't so sure about Jesus' alleged pedigree, since he
didn't share the Hebrew's religious beliefs, but he didn't bring that
up. "Gifted why?"
It was a question every Immortal asked themselves. How? Why
them?
"For his own reasons." Jesus said enigmatically. "It is not
for any of us to know my Father's mind. Not even me."
Tut digested this. "You know who I am, then you must know what
I believe."
"That you still worship the god's of Egypt? Yes. But whether
you acknowledge it, or even know it, you still serve my father."
Before Tut could respond to this, the Gallilean's eyes
narrowed.
"We both came to the desert to be alone." he said quickly. "I
believe it would be best if we acted on that and separated."
"Oh no," a mocking, eerily familiar voice said. "Let him
stay. We're old friends. Aren't we Tut?"
Tut turned, his own eyes narrowing, in hate and suspicion.
"Dehok."
"Ooh," the newcomer said. "Haven't heard that one in a while.
Not since the Greek Gods and their Champions fled this world."
"Hercules and Xena didn't exactly flee." Tut said.
"Yes, well, take it as you will. But I digress. I no longer
go by Dehok. It became tiresome. These days I am known as-"
"Lucifer." Jesus broke in calmly. "This, I believe is between
you and I. Leave Tut out of this. His road goes elsewhere."
"You're right Nazareth." Lucifer smiled. "But Tut, it was
a genuine pleasure to see you again."
"Go." Jesus said to Tut. The Immortal hesitated. Even if
Jesus was what everyone said, would he be able to defeat Dehok? "Go."
Jesus said again. "Please. I will be fine. Go."
Tut sighed. "It was an honor to meet you." he said. Jesus
nodded in response.
As he walked away, Tut mulled over what had just happened. It
was certainly not something he was ever likely to forget. Even if he
hadn't had his Immortal memory.
The End
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