The Mercy of Mot
Part 2
Something was jabbing her in the side. She opened her eyes and looked around in the semi-darkness. The sky was tinged pink on the horizon and Sam assumed it was close to daybreak. She looked up to see Adon standing over her, bow in hand.
"It is time to get up, we must go soon."
She had no idea what he was saying, but assumed he wanted her to get up. She glanced across at Daniel who was still lying on his back with his eyes closed. Another man was similarly prodding him with the end of his spear. She watched as Daniel opened his eyes halfway and said something to the man that she couldn't hear.
Adon began untying the rope binding her to the stake, while the other man said something to Daniel again, this time a little more forcefully.
"Here, Cadmos, watch the woman and I will get the other one up," Adon said, moving closer to Daniel.
The other man moved closer to Sam as Adon bent down and spoke to Daniel. "It is time to leave, you must get up now."
"Can't," was the raspy reply. "Water."
"I will be right back," Adon said, getting up and walking towards Yara.
Sam wasn't sure what had been said, but she didn't like the sound of Daniel's voice. A couple of minuets later, Adon returned with Yara, who was carrying a water skin. The woman bent down and Adon lifted Daniel's head while Yara helped him take a drink.
"His fever is worse. I need to clean and treat his wound."
"We do not have time—father said we must be ready to move immediately."
"This is foolishness; he will kill them before Eshmun has a chance to question them. At least let me immobilize his arm."
Yara took one strip of the cloth, winding and tying it to make a narrow sling around Daniel's arm. She finished just as Melqart approached them.
"It is time to leave. Get them on their feet."
Adon untied Daniel's arm and began pulling him to his feet while Cadmos got Sam upright. Yara brought the water skin to her, holding it up so she could drink.
"Thank you," Sam said. Yara smiled and tipped her head, understanding the meaning if not the words.
Sam watched as Daniel swayed and was steadied by Adon. His face was flushed and Sam could tell his fever had risen. Daniel once again put his free hand around Sam's waist and she thought for a moment she was going to have to support him. But he finally steadied himself and eased his weight off of her.
"Daniel, you gonna make it?"
"Piece... of cake."
She smiled, in spite of their dire situation, at his familiar stubbornness. They would make it. She still had a headache, but the dizziness had eased and she felt like she could put one foot in front of the other without falling over.
Adon and Cadmos moved behind them, giving them a gentle push to get them moving. The rest of the camp was already on the march, tents taken down and packed, and Sam could see the other prisoners being pushed along, interspersed among their captors. The colonel and Teal'c would have no trouble tracking them, provided they were even looking for them. She had no idea if anyone was left alive at the ruins to radio for help. They weren't due to return from the base camp for several days, and no telling where she and Daniel would be by then, or what shape they would be in. In which case, they would have to get themselves out of their predicament. Like Daniel said, piece of cake.
"You sure we're on the right trail?"
"I am sure, O'Neill."
They had been trudging through the forest in the dark for quite a while, Teal'c stopping occasionally to get a closer look at something now and then. Jack had no idea how he could spot anything in this darkness. Their back-up teams had come through the gate, accompanied by Dr. Fraiser who had insisted on coming, and were now somewhere behind them in the dark forest. He noticed a faint light forming on the horizon—daylight wouldn't be far away. He was ready to pick up the pace on this little trek and hopefully catch up to Carter and Daniel. He knew he would have some apologizing to do when they did as his last conversation with Daniel replayed in his head. Teal'c had assured him that both teammates were walking—something that gave Jack at least a little relief. But he knew the knot in his stomach wouldn't go away until he had them back safe and sound.
"Teal'c, are you sure—"
"I am sure, O'Neill."
Daniel shivered, his damp clothes clinging to him as the rain continued to fall. He could feel Sam shivering, too, as he kept his arm snug around her waist. It had begun an hour or so into their hike as a light drizzle, then changed to a steady light rain that was still coming down some two hours later. A chill had set in as his clothes became soaked and he had wished for his BDU jacket and boonie. As it was, he and Sam were both wearing just their t-shirts, pants, and boots, which had been on the warm side when they had been working in the ruins.
He stumbled, jarring his shoulder, and he let out a moan. It was the only place on his body that felt warm—in fact, his shoulder felt like it was on fire. And it was spreading into his arm. He tried not to think about infection. Yara had cleaned and treated it once, but once probably wouldn't protect him from organisms that the arrow might have carried, especially without antibiotics.
Their injuries had made them slow their pace, and now the four of them—Sam, Daniel, Adon, and Cadmos—were falling behind the rest of the group. In fact, the others had been lost from sight as they followed the trail as it disappeared around a hill.
Daniel also had another small problem that was demanding his attention.
"Adon, I need to relieve myself."
Adon hesitated, but relented. "Very well. Come this way."
"Daniel," Sam said as he released his hold on her, "where are you going?"
"Uh, call of nature."
"I really need to go, too. Do you suppose you could ask...?"
"Adon, Sam needs to go also."
Adon looked annoyed, but called to Cadmos. "The woman needs to attend to personal needs. Go get one of the women to assist her and I will stay and watch this one."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, go ahead. Tell them we will catch up shortly."
"Sam, Cadmos is going to get one of the women to go with you. It'll be all right," he added at her uncertain look.
He took a few shaky steps away from her, following Adon into the trees. Sam turned and followed Cadmos down the trail, wondering if this was Daniel's attempt to put them into a position to make a break for it. She didn't know if she was up to taking on the man guarding her, and she definitely didn't think Daniel would have much luck overpowering Adon in the shape he was in. No, Daniel would prefer to talk his way out of a situation. Although he wasn't having much luck getting these people to listen to him so far. Still, Sam trusted his ability to get through to people, no matter how unlikely his success seemed. So she would wait, at least for a while, and give him a chance.
A few steps off the path, Adon stopped. "Go ahead, but be quick." He walked a few feet away and waited.
Not used to having an audience, Daniel turned away, hurrying the best he could considering he only had one free hand. Just as he finished and was turning around, a large yellow blur flew past him. He heard a shout and saw Adon on the ground, a large, cougar-like cat standing over him. His bow had been knocked from his hand and lay several feet away—not that it would do him any good at the moment. The cat growled, exposing sharp teeth, and Adon raised his arm to protect his head. The cat moved swiftly, grabbing the arm with his mouth. Adon let out a scream.
Daniel looked around helplessly for some way to help Adon. He spotted a thick branch lying close by and ran to it, despite his legs feeling like jelly. Realizing he would have to use both hands to wield it, he gently lifted his arm out of the sling, hissing at the pain as he did. Grasping the branch with both hands, he lifted it and turned back to the cat.
"Hey!" The cat released Adon's arm to look at Daniel at the same moment Daniel swung the branch and brought it down on the cat's head. The blow sent the big cat rolling off of Adon.
"Run!" he shouted to the stunned young man, turning back to face the cat again just as it regained its footing and prepared to attack. He struggled to lift the branch again, but his arm was weak from his first strike, which had sent vibrations humming painfully through his body. The cat seemed to have shaken off the first blow, and launched itself at Daniel before he could bring the branch up. It knocked him flat, the branch falling away uselessly, and proceeded to stand on him, one paw pressing on the arrow wound. The pain was unbearable but Daniel had no strength to dislodge his attacker. His vision began to grey and he struggled to stay conscious.
Suddenly, the weight lifted from his chest and he slowly turned his head to see the cat lying next to him, an arrow protruding from its body. He vaguely heard someone shouting and, even though his head felt woozy, he rolled it to the other side, searching for the source of the noise. His eyes were loosing their focus, but he could make out Adon sitting on the ground, bow still raised. Sounds and images blurred once more until everything went black.
Something cool and soft was being wiped across his face, threatening to bring him back to awareness. The motion was soothing, though, and he let it lull him back into that fuzzy place between wakefulness and sleep. A buzzing sound penetrated the haze surrounding him, keeping him from drifting completely away. It persisted, and, giving it his attention, he realized it was a voice. He tried to remember where he was and who might be talking to him. The voice continued speaking until he could finally distinguish the words.
"Daniel."
The voice was calling his name, trying to get him to open his eyes. He decided to try, managing to open them slightly. A blurry face leaned over him.
"Daniel, it's Sam. Are you awake?"
Sam? That's right, we were working in the ruins. She was standing by the stargate. No! People were shooting at them! Suddenly, the events of the last two days came rushing back. He struggled to sit up but was stopped by a flare of white-hot pain in his left arm and chest.
"Take it easy. Don't try to get up."
That sounded like a really good idea at the moment, so he complied. An image of a huge cat attacking Adon flashed through his mind and he looked to Sam.
"Adon?"
"He's going to be fine. He was bitten on the arm, but it wasn't too bad. Yara just finished treating it."
"Good," he said, closing his eyes again, willing the pain to ease.
"Daniel, stay with me," Sam gently ordered, brushing his cheek with her fingers.
"Mmm," he mumbled, that fuzzy place trying to pull him in again.
"Daniel, Yara needs to take care of your wound. She's going to have to take the bandages off and clean it. Do you understand?"
"Um hm... clean."
Sam was more than worried now. It was obvious Daniel's fever had risen—he was burning up—but now she was having trouble getting him to stay awake. When she'd heard Adon shout, she had turned and run back to where they had left the two, as had Cadmos and some of the other people close enough to hear. Seeing Daniel on the ground, unmoving, the wound on his chest bleeding freely again, had made her chest tighten with fear. She had reached his side and thrown herself to the ground, groping for his pulse with her tied hands. She had felt the reassuring beat against her fingertips and almost cried with relief before she had been yanked away by Cadmos.
Other members of the group had flocked around Adon, who kept pointing at Daniel and the cat, and a large branch lying nearby. She could see the arrow sticking out of the beast and knew Adon had shot it. Piecing together Adon's movements and injury, she had come to the conclusion that the cat must have attacked Adon first, Daniel had hit it with the branch, and Adon had then shot it. She didn't know how Daniel had found the strength to use his left arm, but it was clear that using it had cost him.
Several of the men had picked Daniel up and carried him to the area where the rest of the group was waiting. Adon had walked on his own, cradling his arm.
Yara and Sam had managed to exchange names before Yara proceeded to pantomime to Sam what she needed to do to Daniel. Sam had hoped he would stay unconscious while Yara cleaned the wound, but evidently that wasn't going to happen. And on top of that, she wasn't sure that he understood what Sam was trying to tell him.
She looked up at Yara, shrugging her shoulders and shaking her head. Yara patted Sam's bound hands and smiled. Yara then called out and three of the men came forward. After removing his t-shirt, she gave a couple of brief instructions and the men moved so that they were holding Daniel's legs, head, and wrists. Another woman brought some clean cloths and a couple of bowls, setting them next to Yara.
Sam moved so she was close to Daniel's head and whispered a few soothing words to him. Yara began removing the old, soiled cloths. Daniel didn't stir until she reached the final layer which had obviously stuck to part of the wound. Yara was gentle, taking great care not to pull too hard on the cloth. Daniel began to moan and tried to turn his head, but was held fast. One final pull and the old cloth came free of the wound. Daniel's eyes flew open and he tried to move his arms and legs, with no success. Sam leaned in so she was in his line of sight.
"Daniel, it's okay. Yara removed the bandage. She's going to clean it now. Hang in there, Daniel."
His eyes locked on to hers and she could see he was trying to calm himself. "'Kay," he said, his breaths coming fast with the pain.
The wound looked terrible. There was no question it was infected.
Yara took a cloth, dipped it in the bowl of water, and proceeded to gently wipe the wound. Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and hissed as the cloth made contact with the infected skin. Next, Yara picked up another cloth and dipped it in the second bowl which contained some type of yellow paste. Giving a quick glance to her helpers, she began dabbing the paste onto the arrow wound.
Daniel cried out and tried to arch off the ground before going limp. The men released their hold on the now unconscious man, but remained close by while Yara finished applying the paste. When she was done, she took more cloth and wrapped it around Daniel's chest, covering the wound.
Sam reached over and brushed back sweat-soaked strands of hair from Daniel's forehead. She hated to see him suffer, but she was helpless to do anything for him. He needed to be back at the SGC in Janet's care, but it didn't look like that would be happening any time soon. She just hoped that whatever medicine Yara had used would stem the infection. And that they hadn't waited too long to treat it.
Yara put her hand on Sam's shoulder and Sam looked over at her. She smiled and gestured to Sam's hands. Sam held out her bound hands and Yara moved around Daniel so she was sitting next to Sam. She took hold of the rope and began untying it.
"Stop."
Sam looked up to see Melqart standing over them. She had a pretty good guess what he was saying.
"I do not believe she will attempt to escape without her friend. In fact, I do not believe they wish to hurt us at all. Let me treat the rope burns and you may re-tie her," Yara said, expecting an argument.
Melqart looked over at Daniel and then back at Sam. Sam saw the hardness leave his features before the big man nodded to Yara and stepped away. Sam didn't know what Yara had said to him, but his attitude towards them appeared to soften.
Yara finished taking the rope off and treated the burns with the same ointment she had used on Daniel. Sam hissed as it was applied, stinging her wrists. No wonder Daniel had passed out. Once the initial sting eased, it began to have a cooling effect. Yara then wrapped a strip of cloth around each wrist before saying something to Melqart.
Melqart approached and bent to pick up the rope. He took hold of Sam's arm and pulled her to her feet. He hesitated, rope in hand, and looked searchingly at Sam. She thought he almost looked apologetic before he began re-tying her hands. When he was done, he gently guided her back to sit on the ground next to Daniel.
Sam refocused her attention on her teammate, checking his pulse, not missing the heat of fever pouring off of him. He didn't respond to her touch, and she thought it was just as well—he could use the rest.
Another woman brought a water skin and helped Sam drink. She knew Daniel needed some, too, but had no way to give it to him.
Two men appeared with a makeshift litter. They placed it on the ground and then lifted Daniel onto it, covering him with a thin blanket. Then Sam was being pulled to her feet—it was obvious they were on the move again. Adon and Cadmos walked up to stand next to her and Daniel's litter. Adon's arm was in a sling and his bow was slung across his back. She watched as he moved closer to Daniel, looking him over, his expression full of concern. If Daniel had hit the big cat after it attacked, he may have saved the young man's life. And it might be the reason Melqart's attitude had softened. Maybe their chances of getting out of this situation had just improved.
The group began moving again, and Sam reluctantly started walking. Her head was beginning to pound again and she missed the support of Daniel's arm around her. At least it was no longer raining. She still hoped wherever they were going wasn't much farther.
The midday sun beat down on him as Jack sat on a rock drinking his water. Thankfully, the rain had stopped earlier but it left the air almost unbearably humid.
They had been moving at an increased pace ever since they had found the abandoned campsite that morning. Jack had lost track of how many hours he had gone without sleep. He had reluctantly taken this short break to give his feet a rest and quench his thirst, wondering how long he could keep going without real rest, knowing he wouldn't stop until he'd found his teammates.
"O'Neill."
Teal'c had taken a few steps on down the path and was now calling to him with some urgency. He got up as quickly as he could and joined his teammate.
"What is it?"
"A struggle took place here, between two men and a beast."
Jack didn't like the sound of that, but took it as a good sign that there were no bodies lying around.
"One of the men wore soft boots and the other wore SGC issue boots. There are clearly spots where each of the men fell to the ground. However, it appears the beast was killed. Here is where it lay."
Jack looked to where Teal'c pointed, seeing flattened grass and some blood stains.
"You're sure it's the animal's blood and not..." he left it unfinished, not wanting to put into words his fear that either Daniel or Sam had been attacked and possibly injured further. But he had said two men. Had it been Daniel?
"I am sure, O'Neill. The SGC boot prints belong to Daniel Jackson. It appears as though someone carried him from here as I see no prints leading away that belong to him. The second man appears to have walked away on his own."
So not what he wanted to hear. "You think Daniel was injured by the animal?"
"Possibly. I believe we should make haste in following them."
"I agree. Let's go."
His energy was renewed, or maybe it was just his fear pushing him on. In any case, he wasn't about to waste any more time. Capping his water, he adjusted his MP5 and took off down the path at a quick pace behind Teal'c.
The day stretched on and still they walked. The clouds had cleared away and now the sun was beating down unmercifully once again.
Sam continued to put one foot in front of the other, each step reverberating through her head, making it pound in time. She walked next to Daniel's litter, most of the time holding on to the side of it for support. He had roused a couple of times, disoriented, and she had spoken reassuringly to him. He looked at her each time and Sam couldn't tell if he recognized her or not, but he would appear to relax at the sound of her voice and eventually drift off again.
How much longer are we going to walk? They were coming to the end of their second day and Sam didn't know if she could keep going much longer without rest. There had been no lunch stop. She had been handed a piece of bread to eat as they walked and then Yara had brought a water skin for her to drink from. Fortunately, they had stopped walking for a few minutes—long enough for her to quench her thirst. They had also set Daniel's litter on the ground, rousing him and helping him take some water.
Daniel had become increasingly restless as the afternoon began to slide into evening. He thrashed about on the litter and called out. Several times he had spoken what Sam thought was Abydonian and she had heard him call Sha're's name. Once he had called for Sam and once for Jack. She tried to calm him but he didn't appear to hear her.
Finally they reached another clearing and began preparing to set up camp. Sam was led to one side and allowed to sit down. She was relieved to get off of her feet and continued on down until she was lying on her side. She watched them place Daniel's litter on the ground next to her and she sat up again and began scooting over next to him.
He was flushed with fever and continued to move restlessly.
"Daniel." She placed her hands on his arm as she spoke. "Daniel, wake up. It's Sam."
He turned his head towards her and opened glassy eyes to look at her. She couldn't tell if he recognized her or not.
"I promise," he said in breathy voice.
"What?" Sam asked.
"I promise I'll find the boy," he whispered, closing his eyes.
Sam choked back tears as she listened to Daniel promise his wife that he'd find her son. She remembered what he had told his teammates about how Sha're had spoken to him while he was in the grip of the hand device. How Sha're had told him she had hidden the boy and how she had pleaded with him to find him and keep him safe. Sam had been more than skeptical—they all had—assuming it was a combination of the effects of the hand device and the shock of losing Sha're. They had gently rebuffed his efforts to get them to believe him until he had eventually quit talking about it. Sam wished she could go back and change things; wished she could offer him more support, even if she had her doubts. Instead, they had unintentionally pushed him away until he felt his only choice was to leave the SGC.
"Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry. I promise we'll help you find Sha're's son. Just... just don't die. We can't look for him if you die." Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and she squeezed her eyes shut.
"Sam?"
She quickly opened her eyes again at the sound of Daniel's voice. "Daniel?"
"What... what's goin' on?" Even his voice sounded weak.
"We've stopped—I think for the night."
"Where are we? What happened?"
"Do you remember getting shot with the arrow? Or the cougar, or whatever it was, attacking you?" She wasn't sure how much he remembered.
He closed his eyes again. "Arrow? Cougar? I don't—" His eyes flew open again. "Adon? Is he okay?" He began to turn his head as though looking for him.
"He's fine. Just lie still and rest."
"Good, you are awake," Yara's voice interrupted them. She walked up to Daniel's litter holding a bowl and some cloths. Another woman stood behind her with another bowl.
She went down to her knees and set the bowl on the ground. She placed her hand on Daniel's cheek and turned his head towards her. "How are you feeling?"
It would be easier to say 'I'm fine', but Daniel decided it was better to tell her the truth. "Hot, dizzy, my left side is killing me."
"I need to take care of your wound, but I think it would be best to eat something first. Can you try?"
"All right."
The second woman handed Yara the small bowl she was holding. Yara motioned to the woman to help sit Daniel up. Sam stayed next to him while Yara offered him a sip from the bowl. He drank once, grimacing as he turned his head away.
"You must take more—it will help with the fever."
"Don't know if I can; doesn't taste good."
Yara gave a short laugh. "I know, but it will help you."
Daniel turned his head back to face her and tried to smile. She lifted the bowl again and he drank some more. After a third drink, he turned his head away again. "No more, please."
"Very well. Lie down now and I will treat the wound."
The second woman eased him down, took the bowl and walked away. Sam saw a couple of the men coming—one of them was Melqart. Sam took a defensive stance over her friend, leaning over Daniel, stretching out her bound hands. She wasn't about to let that animal get his hands on Daniel again.
Yara touched her arm, smiling and shaking her head 'no'. Sam saw that Melqart had stopped and appeared to be waiting for permission to come closer. Sam searched the woman's face and saw no malice. She realized that she trusted her. Melqart was another matter. She looked at him closely, but couldn't find the anger and hatred she had seen earlier.
"Sam?" Daniel looked at her questioningly.
She looked down at her friend. "I don't think he's going to hurt me," Daniel tried to assure her.
Yara patted her arm and she pulled back, allowing them access to Daniel. "I'll be right here," she told him.
Yara motioned to Melqart and the other man and they moved to either side of Daniel and went to their knees. Each placed their hands on his arms and legs. Daniel closed his eyes as Yara began removing the old cloths. When the last one was removed, Sam could see that the wound still looked bad. The red streaks continued to snake their way down his chest and arm.
Yara took a cloth, dipped it in the water, and began cleaning off the previous paste she had applied, along with the puss from the wound. Daniel began to turn his head restlessly, clenching and unclenching his fists, his breathing coming quicker as she worked.
"Daniel," Yara said getting his attention. "Rest for a few minutes before I apply the ointment. I know it is going to hurt. Would you like some water?"
"Please." He opened his eyes, startled to see Melqart holding the animal skin. But he didn't see the cold, angry eyes that had tormented him earlier—he didn't even recognize this version of the man.
Yara helped hold Daniel's head up while Melqart tilted the skin for him. He watched the man closely as he drank, waiting for him to transform into the hate-filled person he had been earlier. But it didn't happen.
Daniel laid his head back down, still looking at Melqart.
"I do not understand something," the big man said quietly.
"What?" Daniel asked.
"When the nimur attacked Adon, you had an opportunity to escape, yet you did not. Instead, you risked your life to try and save my son. And you did save him. Why?"
"Melqart, we hold no malice for your people. I would not want to see anything happen to your son or any of you. We are peaceful explorers from a far away place. We did not know the ruins were sacred to your people and we are very sorry for trespassing. I would like to make this right if I can. My people would like to be friends with your people."
"You called upon the mercy of Mot, and therefore it will be for Eshmun to decide your fate. I do not know what he will decide, but for myself, I believe you meant no harm. I am sorry for the way I treated you and I thank you for saving the life of my son."
"You're welcome. But he saved my life in return, and I thank him for that."
"Daniel, what's he saying?"
"He was surprised that I helped his son instead of trying to escape. Evidently, we still have to see this Eshmun person, but at least Melqart seems to be on our side now."
"Are you ready, Daniel?" Yara asked, approaching with another bowl and cloth.
"Not really," he replied, "but go ahead." He closed his eyes and braced himself.
Melqart and the other man resumed their positions holding Daniel's limbs. Yara dipped the cloth in the ointment and began to dab it gently on the arrow wound.
Daniel hissed through clenched teeth, and as it began to burn, he cried out and tried to pull free. The two men held him firmly as Yara applied more ointment. Yara quickly finished and set the bowl aside. Daniel quit struggling and lay quietly, his breathing ragged, as the men released their holds and backed away. She then picked up clean cloth and began re-wrapping the wound. When she was done, she covered him once again with the blanket. She picked up another cloth, dipped it in the water, wrung it out, and began wiping Daniel's face and neck. He shuddered once and became still, evidently slipping into unconsciousness. Yara turned to Sam and offered her the cloth. Sam took it and continued Yara's ministrations. She knew they needed to keep Daniel's fever down. She hoped Yara's ointment would start having some effect on the infection, too.
Sam glanced at Melqart who had begun helping set up the camp. She smiled to herself. Daniel had done it after all—gotten through to the most violent of their captors and softened the man's heart. Of course, he had done it by putting himself in harm's way. She looked back down at her friend as she continued to wipe the cloth over his face. What am I going to do with you? She knew one thing for sure; she would do whatever it took to keep him from leaving SG-1.
Jack woke with a start, instinctively reaching for his MP5, before realizing where he was.
"It is time for us to leave, O'Neill."
"Right. I'm ready." He glanced at his watch and saw that he had been asleep for two hours.
He hadn't wanted to stop and rest, but Teal'c had said he would be a liability if he didn't take a break. He knew it was true. They had been on the go without sleep for two days straight and his body wasn't going to be able to keep going much longer.
Teal'c also said he thought they were gaining on the group they were following, and that they should be able to catch up with them soon, even if they took a short rest break. Of course, that was provided the group stopped for the night again and hadn't already reached their destination.
"Don't you need to rest, Teal'c?"
"I performed a brief kel'no'reem. I will be fine."
"Right. Okay, lead the way."
A quick radio check confirmed the other two SG teams were a few hours behind them. Jack tried not to think about what shape his teammates would be in by now. If they were injured before they had started this trek, not to mention Daniel might have been injured a second time, and had been forced to walk for two days ... No, best not to dwell on something he couldn't do anything about—yet. He was glad Fraiser was somewhere behind him even as he hoped her talents wouldn't be needed.
"Teal'c, are—"
"I am sure, O'Neill."
Sam sat next to Daniel and watched the people around the fire taking their leave of each other as they headed off to bed. Sentries were posted at the edges of the camp and Adon and Cadmos were arranging their sleeping pallets next to Sam and Daniel. She could see the other two sets of captives across the fire ring settling themselves for the night.
Sam had been given a bowl of stew and some bread. She had awakened Daniel and gotten him to take some of it, too, before he drifted off again. Even though her hands remained tied, she was not tethered to a stake this time, and neither was Daniel. They had either decided she really wasn't a threat to them, or that she wouldn't risk leaving Daniel alone.
Daniel moved restlessly and mumbled something. Sam took the damp cloth she had been given and wiped his face with it. She wasn't sure, but she thought there was less heat coming off of him. Hopefully, his fever was coming down.
Sam suddenly realized how incredibly tired she was. She set the cloth back in the bowl and settled herself next to Daniel. She wished she knew how far they still had to travel, and what was waiting for them at the end of this journey.
She laid her hands on Daniel's arm and quickly fell asleep.
Jack adjusted his field glasses as he scanned the camp below. It looked like the people were preparing to leave. Suddenly, he spotted what he was looking for: a shock of short, blonde hair. Sam was sitting next to a prone figure, her hands obviously tied. As she moved to one side, he saw the other object he'd been looking for: Daniel. He was lying down, covered with a blanket. There was another man crouched next to him and they appeared to be conversing.
They had caught up with the group a short time ago. Teal'c, having determined they were close, had led them off the trail to the top of a small hill. The foliage was thick and hid them well, and they were far enough away that the sentries hadn't detected them.
But now he had a dilemma. It looked like his teammates were about to continue their little trip down the yellow brick road and he desperately wanted to rush in and get them back. But the other SG teams were still at least two hours away, which meant it would be Teal'c and him against the entire group. He had only seen primitive weapons—spears and bows and arrows—which was a point in their favor. They had faced worse odds before, but he was worried about who else might be hurt in the ensuing chaos. He had counted at least three women in the group, and then there were his teammates. They didn't look like they would be much help in a fight, especially Daniel, who made no move to get up. He might be putting them at a greater risk if they tried something now.
He sighed, taking off his cap and running his hand through his hair before replacing it. Finally, he made his decision. They would follow for a while and hopefully get a chance to take them back when the group was not so concentrated. Even though it was killing him to leave his friends in the hands of their captors for another minute.
In the grey of pre-dawn, Sam watched the camp prepare to begin their march once again. She had been given a piece of bread and some water, and Yara had brought Daniel another drink of the foul-tasting stuff he'd had the day before. He had been grateful for a piece of bread and drink of water to rid his mouth of the taste.
Sam had hoped Yara would clean and treat Daniel's wound again, but apparently that wasn't going to happen. She could tell he still had a fever and she was worried about the infection. At least he had seemed a little more alert this morning.
She had been allowed to tend to personal needs, and when she came back, Melqart was kneeling next to Daniel. They were conversing, but Sam didn't understand any of it.
"Where do your people come from, Daniel?"
"It is a place very far away." He was afraid to tell him they had come through the gate—he wasn't sure how Melqart would take the news that they came through an object that was obviously sacred to them.
"Why were you in the sacred city?"
"We didn't know it was sacred. We study the past and just wanted to find out who had lived there and what they were like. Did your people once live in the sacred city?"
"Our stories tell us that our ancestors once lived there, but they abandoned the city and moved into the forests."
"Do you know why they left?" Daniel's curiosity was piqued.
Melqart looked around uncomfortably. "That story may be written in our sacred texts, but I do not know it."
Daniel wasn't sure if he was getting the whole truth, but decided not to press the matter.
Melqart changed the subject. "Why are you the only one who speaks our language?"
"That is my job—to communicate with people that we meet. I have learned many languages in my travels."
At that moment Philo signaled for the group to move out. Two men came and picked up Daniel's litter. Sam stayed close to his side and Adon and Cadmos stayed close to both of them.
"We will speak more later, Daniel," Melqart promised, turning to go.
"Wait," Daniel called. "Just one more thing."
Seeing he had Melqart's attention, he continued. "Who is Eshmun, and what can we expect when we meet him?"
"He is the head of the council. Since you called upon the mercy of Mot, he will hear your plea and decide what is to be done about the defilement of our sacred city."
"Oh." That's what he had been afraid of.
"Do not worry. He will be fair," Melqart said, turning and walking away.
He who calls upon the mercy of Mot shall be heard, and they will be judged justly.
Daniel only had one worry: what did a goa'uld consider just?
The worry that was gnawing at Jack's gut went up a notch when he saw two men pick up whatever Daniel was lying on and start carrying him. Daniel must be hurt pretty bad if he wasn't walking, and he hadn't missed the fact that Carter was hanging on to the litter. Jack hated that all he could do was follow and watch. And they were moving further from the gate with each step.
SG-3 and 5 were pushing themselves to close the gap, but they were still at least an hour and half behind them. Jack was concerned that they would reach the group's destination before the other teams could catch up. The last thing they needed was for the group to meet up with more natives. If they did, they would lose their chance to overpower the relatively small group. They were going to have to make their move soon.
He glanced over at his Jaffa friend and saw the same concern etched in his features. However, Teal'c's attention was focused on something over Jack's shoulder. He turned, following Teal'c's line of sight, and, after searching a couple of seconds, he located what held the Jaffa's attention. In the distance he could see the faint curl of smoke rising and beyond that a thin, blue line that was probably a lake or sea. Dollars to donuts, that was their destination, and they'd be there within a few hours.
Time to make our move.
Sam sniffed the air, realizing that she could detect something different—it smelled like the ocean. They must be getting close to a large body of water. Surely that meant the end of their trek.
She glanced down at Daniel who was sleeping again. He had drifted off as soon as the caravan had started moving. She moved her hands over until they came in contact with his cheek. The fever had obviously not released its hold on him—he was hot. She could also see red streaks snaking out from beneath the bandages around his chest. Either Yara's medicine wasn't working, or the infection was too severe. Or maybe it was just going to take more time. Sam sighed, wishing Janet were here—she would surely have something to tame the infection.
Looking around, Sam considered the reality of their situation. They were two days from the gate, she had no idea if the colonel and Teal'c even knew of their plight, much less if they were on their way to rescue them, and she and Daniel were in no position to try and escape. Choiceless. She hated having no control over their situation, but all she could do was continue to walk next to Daniel and face whatever was to come by his side.
Jack and Teal'c had been following the group that held their teammates for close to an hour. Jack had been contemplating how to get them back with minimal loss of life. He had spotted the other archaeologists who were also tied and kept in pairs—one set towards the front of the group and another in the middle. Carter and Daniel were towards the back, which was fine with Jack. It would be much easier to grab them. Of course, Daniel would give him hell if he left the other people as prisoners, but he just couldn't see how he was going to get all of them out of there.
Just then he noticed Daniel, Carter, and their escorts all coming to a stop. He tensed, glancing at Teal'c who gave him a small head bow to let him know they were on the same page. This might be the opportunity they had been waiting for. Besides Carter and Daniel, there were two men carrying Daniel's litter, a young boy with his arm in a sling, another young man walking beside Carter, and a young woman.
Daniel's litter was placed on the ground and the young woman knelt next to it, holding some kind of pouch. Carter helped Daniel sit up and then the woman tilted the pouch—obviously a water skin—while Daniel drank.
The two men who had been carrying the litter walked off towards the trees, apparently taking care of personal needs. The rest of the group was pulling ahead and making their way down an incline towards a small stream.
This was it—the break they had been waiting for.
Continuing to support Daniel as Yara helped him drink, Sam couldn't help but notice his skin was hot even as his body was shivering. She knew it meant his fever was spiking again, and that couldn't be good. She gave Yara a questioning look and received a tense smile in return. Not what she wanted to see—the other woman was obviously worried, too.
Sam was glad, however, to get a break, even a brief one. Her headache had begun to escalate, and the dizziness was returning. When Daniel finished the water, she helped him lie down again. She gladly accepted the water skin from Yara and took a long drink before handing it back to her.
And that's when she heard it. A soft, low, whistle, almost indistinguishable from the other bird calls floating through the forest. But she was familiar with this one—the colonel had used this signal before. She glanced at Daniel, but he had his eyes closed again and didn't seem to have heard it. She only had seconds to prepare herself before the sounds of zats firing rang through the air.
She dropped as low as possible and scooted over next to Daniel, wondering how the hell she was going to get him moving.
"Daniel—let's go!" She pulled him into a sitting position and he looked at her with bleary eyes.
"Sam?"
"Time to go, Daniel. Come on," she continued, trying to pull him towards the trees.
She scanned her surroundings, noting where each of their captors were. The zats had taken down Daniel's litter carriers but Adon and Cadmos were taking defensive stances with their own weapons. Yara had flattened herself to the ground, eyes frantically looking around to see who was attacking them.
Jack and Teal'c suddenly appeared from behind some trees, weapons trained on Adon and Cadmos.
"Drop it!" Jack yelled, aiming his MP5 at Adon.
Teal'c had his staff weapon in one hand; in the other was a zat, pointed at Cadmos who had lifted his bow. The man attempted to reach for an arrow, but Teal'c was quicker, bringing him down with another zat blast.
"Carter, get Daniel out of there!"
"Trying, sir." She awkwardly pulled him up with her bound hands, steadying him as he swayed. She knew any minute the rest of the group would descend on them and their chance to get away would be gone.
Too late. Melqart and another man were the first to reach them, weapons ready. Melqart looked at each of the men lying motionless on the ground and the anger and loathing they had seen in him earlier returned.
Before he could move against them, Jack swiftly moved to Yara, aiming his zat at her prone body.
"Get back!" he shouted, holding his zat on her with one hand and using his other to point his MP5 at Melqart.
"Stop!" a weak voice broke the standoff. "Stop!" Daniel repeated again in Phoenician.
"Daniel, we're getting out of here now!" Jack ordered.
"Wait—don't hurt them. We've come to an understanding. And besides, we can't leave without the others."
"An understanding?" Jack shouted. "What I understand is that you've been shot and Carter's tied up. I'm sorry about the others, but my responsibility is to you and Carter. Now move!"
"No." Daniel continued to lean into Sam, allowing her to keep him upright.
Melqart moved as though he were going to throw his spear, but Daniel's words stopped him.
"Melqart—stop. My friends just want to get us back. I've asked them not to hurt you."
"But they have already killed three of our people!" he spat.
"No! No—they're not dead, just unconscious—uh, sleeping. They'll wake up soon and be just fine. Please, trust me."
Melqart looked at Daniel skeptically, and then at Jack and Teal'c before returning his gaze to the men on the ground. At that moment, one of them moaned and turned his head.
Melqart back at Daniel. "They are truly unharmed?"
"Yes, they will be fine. Please give me a chance to talk to my friends."
"Very well," Melqart replied, keeping his weapon aimed.
Just then, more of the group joined Melqart with weapons raised.
"Stop!" Melqart commanded them, raising his hands to bring them to a halt. "Their friends have come searching for them. Daniel Jackson wishes time to talk to them."
The group looked uneasy, but relaxed their stances.
"Daniel, what's goin' on?" Jack demanded.
"It's a long story. But first, let Yara go—you're scaring her and I owe her my life—so does Sam." Seeing Jack didn't look convinced, he added, "These people aren't going to attack us unless you provoke them. I've asked them to let me talk to you."
Jack looked at Daniel, taking in his flushed skin, the cloths wrapped around his shoulder, and the way he leaned heavily on Carter. Carter looked about ready to collapse herself and Jack wanted nothing more than to get the two of them into Fraiser's hands. But he knew Daniel wouldn't settle for nothing less than getting all of them out of there. It wasn't that Jack didn't care about the archaeologists; he just cared about his teammates more. Doing it Daniel's way would mean trusting Daniel to talk their way out of the situation. And right now, the man didn't look like he could talk his way out of a paper bag.
Scanning the group, Jack noticed there was no sign of the other captives or the rest of the group of natives they had seen earlier. Obviously, the rest were guarding the archaeologists at a distance, either to bargain with them or possibly kill them.
So what were his choices? Get his two teammates out by taking on the entire group now facing them, or give Daniel a chance to convince these people to let all of them go? Both were risky, but if there was a chance to get the others back along with his teammates, he knew he'd have to take it. And there was one other thing to consider: if Jack denied Daniel the chance to find a diplomatic way out of the situation, how would that affect his decision to leave the SGC? Jack knew the answer to that—it wouldn't be good.
"Fine. Tell them to lower their weapons and we'll do the same."
Daniel spoke to Melqart and soon everyone had lowered their weapons. Yara got up and moved closer to Melqart, as did Adon.
"All right, Daniel, tell me what's goin' on. Who are these people and where were they taking you?"
"Sam," Daniel said as he began to sink to the ground.
She tried to ease his descent but was hindered by her bound hands. Jack and Melqart moved simultaneously to Daniel's side, taking over for Sam.
When Daniel was safely sitting on the ground, Jack and Melqart released their holds, eyeing each other warily as they took seats on either side of him.
Sitting with his head down, Daniel's right hand cradled his left arm close to his body. His skin was still flushed and Jack wondered for a moment if he had passed out.
Daniel lifted his head and took a deep breath. "These people are descendants of the Phoenicians. They hold the ruins of the city as sacred and consider our trespassing there as a desecration. They are taking us to see someone named Eshmun who will decide what to do about it."
"What's this 'understanding' you have with them?"
Daniel closed his eyes and lowered his head again. His reply was almost a whisper. "This is Melqart," he said, nodding to the man next to him. "I, uh, sort of saved his son from a... a cat. He's on our side, now. I think... I think he'll support us when we face Eshhh... munn." He trailed off as he began it list sideways. Jack grabbed him and eased him down, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. Checking for and finding a steady pulse, Jack was satisfied that his friend had merely passed out. Jack looked at Sam. "A cat?"
"It was something like a cougar, sir. It attacked Adon," she explained, indicating the young man standing behind his father, "and Daniel used a branch to knock it off of him. Apparently, it then attacked Daniel and Adon shot it."
"Sounds like you've had a busy couple of days, Major. So what do you think? Are these people going to back us or turn on us when they get the chance?"
"These people were very angry at the beginning, sir, but once Daniel saved Adon, they seem to have had a change of heart. This woman, Yara, has been extremely kind to both of us. She's the one that's been treating Daniel's wound."
"Who is this Eshmun guy? And why are they taking you to see him? Why didn't they kill you like the other two archaeologists we found in the ruins?"
"Daniel told me that when they attacked us in the ruins, he called on the mercy of their god, Mot. I think that's what saved us, sir."
"Mot was an enemy of Ba'al," Teal'c interjected. "Ba'al defeated him in battle and he was killed. That was many years ago."
Sam continued. "Daniel translated some of the writing that said 'He who calls upon the mercy of Mot shall be heard and they will be judged justly.' I think by saying that, these people are obligated to give him a fair hearing, and apparently Eshmun is the judge."
"Well, that's fine and dandy, Carter, but what if this Eshmun isn't as forgiving as the rest of these folks. What's the penalty for trespassing?"
"I... I don't know, sir. I don't think Daniel knows."
Of course not. "Do you think he can convince them it's in their best interest to let everyone go?"
"Well, I think these people wouldn't be too hard to convince, but it's not up to them—it's up to Eshmun."
That's what Jack was afraid of. He really needed Daniel to wake up and talk to these people. He tapped his friend's cheek. "Daniel."
A couple of seconds went by and he tried again. "C'mon, Daniel, rise and shine." No response.
"I think it's time Fraiser joined the party."
"Janet's here?"
"She and SG-3 and 5 should be here in a few minutes. I requested radio silence, but obviously that's not necessary any more. Can you figure out some way to let them know we're going to have a couple of visitors? I'm going to request Fraiser and Reynolds join us and have the rest stand by at a distance."
"I'll try, sir."
Sam proceeded to pantomime to Yara and Melqart that someone was going to come and take care of Daniel. They seemed surprised at the news that others were nearby, but seemed to understand and consented. Jack radioed the other teams and relayed his plan. The radio startled those standing around, but they didn't make any aggressive moves.
A short time later Fraiser and Reynolds appeared through the trees, walking slowly with hands in front of them, palms out, to show they weren't aiming any weapons. The natives tensed, holding their weapons tightly, but not raising them, either.
Fraiser quickly walked to Daniel's side and knelt down. She looked Sam over, taking in her exhausted appearance and bound hands. She would be next on the list, but Daniel needed her attention first.
"What's the situation, Colonel?"
"I'll let Carter fill you in."
"He was shot with an arrow, Janet. This woman, Yara, cleaned it and put some kind of paste on it, but I think it's infected."
Yara moved closer and knelt down opposite Janet. She gestured to the cloths around the wound and Janet nodded her head. She could see the red streaks radiating from under the cloths—not a good sign. Yara began slowly unwinding the cloth, gently moving Daniel as needed to reach the back. Janet helped lift him and soon the cloths were off. Janet took hold of the square of cloth covering the wound and pulled it off, revealing the badly infected wound.
"Whoa!" Jack exclaimed at the sight.
Yara handed Janet another piece of cloth and indicated she should use it to clean the wound.
"No, thanks. I have my own," Janet smiled as she handed the cloth back. She dug in her pack and pulled out her supplies. Yara watched closely as Janet cleaned the wound and began to apply an ointment. Daniel had lain quietly until the ointment touched the wound, then he began to roll his head back and forth, moaning, and finally his eyes flew open.
Janet gently placed her hand on his good shoulder and spoke softly. "Daniel, take it easy. It's Janet—I'm just treating your wound."
"Janet?" Was he in the infirmary? Didn't feel like an infirmary bed; didn't sound like the infirmary, either. He glanced around and saw Jack and Teal'c, then Sam and Colonel Reynolds. Turning the other way he saw Yara, with Melqart and Adon behind her. He remembered where he was then and wondered when Janet and Reynolds had shown up. He also remembered that they had been in the middle of a standoff. What had happened while he was out?
"Jack, what's going on?"
"Just waiting for you to wake up from your little nap, Danny boy. Let Janet finish fixin' you up and then we need to talk."
"'Kay," he replied, looking at Janet.
"I'm going to put some more ointment on the wound and then bandage it, okay?"
"'Kay," he said again. The one-word answers were starting to bug Jack. Since when did Daniel give a one-word answer to anything?
Janet turned to Jack. "Sir, you might want to be ready to help," she said with a slight nod of her head towards Daniel.
"Oh, right." Jack moved closer and placed his hand back on Daniel's shoulder.
Janet began to apply more ointment, but at the first touch Daniel cried out and tried to move away.
"No you don't," Jack insisted, pressing down on his good shoulder with one hand and placing his other on his friend's cheek. "Hang in there, Daniel, she's almost done."
Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Jack nodded to Fraiser to finish. She quickly applied the last of the ointment while Daniel clenched his jaw and breathed faster. When she was done she bandaged the wound and then wrapped clean cloth around his chest and shoulder.
"All done, Daniel."
Daniel kept his eyes shut while his breathing began to return to normal.
"Can you take these pills?" Janet asked.
Jack helped him sit up while Janet mimed drinking to Yara. The woman quickly got up and retrieved the water skin. Janet placed the pills in Daniel's mouth and Yara helped him drink.
"Thanks, Janet," Daniel said when it was all over.
"You're welcome. Now, we need to get you home as soon as possible."
"Did you take care of Sam? She got hit on the head—might have a concussion."
Janet looked at Sam. "She's my next patient, Daniel. Don't worry, I'll take care of her."
"Daniel, I know you're not feeling so hot right now, but we need to talk to these people about letting you and Carter go home. Think you can do that?"
"Elissa and Hanno. Lilith and Thales."
"What?"
"The other prisoners, Jack. We have to try and get them to release all of us."
Jack sighed. "All right, Daniel. Now, can you talk to them?"
"I'll try."
Daniel called to Melqart and, seeing Philo standing in the group, he asked him to join them. He explained that their people had come to bring them home and that they would like to be friends, but first they must free them. Philo insisted that their laws must be followed and they must face Eshmun. They had no quarrel with the new arrivals, only with those they had found in the ruins. He said Jack and the others were free to leave or follow, but Daniel, Sam, and the others must plead their case to Eshmun. Daniel decided it would be wise to avoided telling them their friends had also been in the ruins.
Daniel knew Jack wasn't going to like it, but they were going to have to go before Eshmun to get the situation straightened out. He hoped Jack wouldn't decide to fight their way out—he didn't want to see anyone hurt on either side. Hopefully, they would be able to explain to Eshmun that they meant no harm and didn't know the ruins were sacred. During the conversation, he had learned that these people called themselves Carthians, their home being Carthia. It's similarity to Carthage was obvious.
He looked over at his friend. No point putting it off—he had to tell him.
"Jack, they're not going to just let us go. We have to go before Eshmun and plead our case. Philo did say they had no quarrel with the rest of you—you can go home or come with us to Carthia."
Daniel saw Jack's jaw clenching as he tried to contain his anger. "Daniel, SG-3 and 5 are waiting for me to give them the word to move in. We could take these people—"
"No, Jack. Someone would get hurt or killed. If we follow their rules we might come out of this with allies instead of enemies. If we're going to search, and possibly mine, for naquadah, we'll have to deal with these people, too. Please, let us try."
"Daniel—" He cut himself off. What else could he say? He knew he what he was going to do; He just hoped he wasn't going to regret it.
He clicked his radio. "Warren, Coburn."
"Yes, sir," two voices replied.
"We're going with this group to their city. I want the rest of you to follow at a reasonable distance. Keep an eye out and wait for my orders."
"Understood, sir," they answered, acknowledging their orders.
Jack turned back to Daniel. "Okay, kids, we're off to see the wizard."
After more conversation, Sam was untied, as were the other archaeologists. However, they were still surrounded by Carthian guards as they continued their march to the city. Jack, Teal'c, Janet, and Reynolds were allowed to keep their weapons, but were also surrounded by guards and separated from the prisoners.
Daniel had been returned to his litter and Sam continued to walk by his side. After another hour and a half of walking they were met by Carthians who had been posted as sentries awaiting their return. Melqart and Philo explained who the strangers were and what they were doing there. The sentries looked them over curiously, but allowed everyone to pass.
From the top of a small hill, they could see buildings peaking through the trees and behind that a ribbon of blue which could only be water. Another half hour and they found themselves at the edge of Carthia. A wall of tall, sturdy posts surrounded the city, though the gate was open and people were coming and going. Purple banners with the gold symbol of Mot in the center hung on either side of the gate. The air carried a strong scent of the sea as well as pleasing cooking aromas.
Once inside they saw many small wooden buildings that were apparently homes. Most people were dressed simply in earth-colored tunics and pants or long dresses. Many of them stopped their activities to give the group of strangers a curious glance. As they continued on, they encountered a few stone buildings that surrounded a central plaza. There was a well in the center where people were filling pitchers and other containers. Around the plaza's edges were booths where merchants sold various wares.
The group passed the well, continuing to the opposite side of the plaza, and stopped in front of a large, stone building with a set of about ten steps leading up to the entrance. A large crowd had begun to gather in the plaza, making Jack uneasy. He looked up to see a group of about a dozen men with spears exit the building in front of them. Philo approached the man in the lead and spoke to him, turning to point to their prisoners. The man nodded and went back into the building.
Jack surveyed the surrounding crowd, noting that it was a mix of men, women, and even some children, and that no one looked particularly threatening. Yet.
His attention was brought back to the front of the building as the guard returned, followed by another man, probably in his fifties, dressed like everyone else except for a purple, knee length robe trimmed in gold that he wore over his other clothes. He spoke a few sentences to the waiting crowd and then turned and walked back into the building.
Immediately, the men with spears descended the steps and moved into the crowd. Jack saw a couple of them take hold of two of the archaeologists, tie their hands, and push them towards the steps. He shifted his weapon in his hands as he searched for Daniel and Sam. He caught sight of two men pulling Daniel up off of his pallet, holding him upright as he swayed, tying his hands together in front.
"Daniel!" Jack began to move towards his teammates when several other men approached them and took hold of their weapons.
"I don't think so," he said, unwilling to relinquish his MP5.
Several other guards approached and leveled their spears at Jack's group. The man who had hold of his gun said something he couldn't understand.
"It's okay, Jack. They'll give them back later. You can't take them inside."
Jack looked up to see Daniel standing on the steps, still held between two of the spear holders. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he was pulled into the building. Sam, hands retied, followed him with her own escorts.
"All right, fine. Take it," he growled, letting the man pull it from his hands.
"O'Neill," Teal'c said as one of the men took hold of his staff weapon.
"Let him have it, Teal'c. Daniel says we can't take 'em in, and there's no way I'm going to miss this little party."
Jack could swear he heard Teal'c growl as he relinquished his weapon to an obviously frightened guard.
The rest of the group was similarly disarmed and the men lowered their spears, surrounding them and urging them towards the building.
Once inside they found themselves passing a hallway with more purple-robed men watching them. A short distance further brought them to an interior open space in the shape of a circle. It looked like an arena with rows of stone risers ascending above the floor. On one side were five chairs draped in purple fabric occupied by four men dressed in matching purple robes. The fifth man was the one who had come outside and spoken to the crowd. He stood in front of his chair as the group filed in. Some of the villagers also began to file into the arena, taking seats on the stone risers.
Jack's group was led to one side and told to sit down. Daniel, Sam, and the four archaeologists were led in front of the five men and pushed to their knees. The group that had captured them sat on the lower level of the risers, except for Philo and Melqart, who stood behind the prisoners.
Jack watched uneasily as the head honcho looked over the captives and began to speak.
Daniel tried to ignore the pain in his shoulder and concentrate on what the council leader was saying. He was asking Philo and Melqart about the events of the past few days.
He looked at the four archaeologists—this was the closest they had been since their ordeal began. They looked in good health, albeit dirty with a bruise here and there. Daniel nodded at Hanno with an inquiring look, and received a positive head shake in return. They were okay.
When Philo and Melqart finished their account of events, the council leader turned to the captives.
"I am Eshmun, head of the council. Who speaks for you?"
"I do," Daniel replied, trying to get his eyes to focus on the man. From what he could make out, Eshmun appeared to be middle-aged, with dark hair, and eyes that were not unkind.
"What is your name?"
"Daniel Jackson."
"Daniel Jackson, do you claim the Right of Archigia?"
He was asking Daniel if he claimed the responsibility of leadership. Which meant he would be claiming responsibility for the group's actions. Jack wouldn't be happy about it, and neither would Sam, but he really had no other choice.
"I do."
"Very well. You are charged with entering the sacred city without permission or cleansing. Is this true?"
"It is true we were in the city, but we did not know it was sacred. We are travelers from far away who study the past and were only interested in learning about the people who had lived there. We did not know anyone still used it. If we had known, we would have asked permission. We seek to become friends with those we meet in our travels, and we would do so with your people if you would allow it."
Eshmun listened intently to Daniel's words. "Talk of friendship must wait until the matter at hand has been dealt with. I understand that you are strangers here and did not know of our laws. However, regardless of the circumstances, the sacred ground was still defiled, and this demands atonement. For this offense, the punishment is death."
Death? Daniel swallowed hard and tried to think of what he could say that would help them avoid such a severe punishment. He looked around at the people who had gathered to watch, his eyes coming to rest on a mother and her young child.
"If this child," he began, gesturing to the boy sitting with his mother, "had made the mistake of wandering into the sacred city, would he be punished?"
"He is too young to understand. He would be scolded and instructed in the proper behavior."
"Then think of us as children who did not understand. We had no way of knowing that we were breaking your laws. There was no one there to tell us or for us to ask permission from."
Again, Eshmun appeared to be thoughtfully considering Daniel's words.
"This is an unusual situation. Therefore, the council will recess to discuss it and to consult our texts. We will call an assembly when we have reached a decision."
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. He had bought them a little more time, and hopefully the council would decide in their favor.
Sam had been trying to follow the conversation even though she couldn't understand any of the words being said. She had seen Daniel tense at one point, gesture to a mother and child in the audience, and then make a plea to Eshmun. He seemed to be relieved at whatever Eshmun's response had been.
"Daniel? What did he say?"
Daniel looked at her and she saw that his eyes were bright with fever once again.
"I guess this is an unusual situation for them. Their council is going to discuss it."
Before he could elaborate, the guards moved in again and pulled them to their feet. Melqart and Philos approached them.
"You will be taken to a place where you can rest and eat while you wait for the council's call," Melqart explained.
"What about our friends?" Sam asked after Daniel had translated.
"They will be allowed to rest also. Come, we will escort you to your room," Philos said as the guards began urging them forward.
Sam searched for the colonel and saw the four SG members waiting in the stands while the prisoners were being escorted out of the arena.
"Hey! Where are you taking them?" O'Neill was shouting.
Sam knew he was probably going crazy not knowing what was going on. She could still hear him shouting as they were led down a hallway and into a large room. It held a table and four chairs, plus several cots that looked inviting after having slept on the ground for the past few nights. Their guards untied their hands as several women brought in food and water and set them on the table. Daniel immediately headed for one of the cots and eased himself onto it, stretching out on his back and closing his eyes.
Rubbing her abraded wrists, Sam walked to Daniel's side and placed the back of her hand on his cheek. A little warm, but not nearly as hot as he had been. "Daniel, you want something to eat?"
"Maybe later, Sam," he said without opening his eyes.
She left him to rest and joined the others around the table. She selected some fruit and a roll and sat down to eat.
A few minutes later she heard loud voices in the hallway. Actually, one loud voice.
"Finally!" O'Neill was standing just outside the door as it opened. Teal'c, Reynolds, Melqart and Philos were behind him while Yara and Fraiser stood together in front of him. Two guards led the way into the room and half a dozen more trailed the group as they entered. The room had suddenly become very crowded.
"Sir, what's going on?" Sam inquired as she got to her feet.
"We were trying to tell these bozos that we wanted to see you. Fraiser finally got Yara to understand that she wanted to check on Daniel.
As he spoke, Janet and Yara walked over to where Daniel was lying. Yara assisted Janet as she woke Daniel up and proceeded to treat his wound.
"How is Daniel Jackson?" Teal'c asked.
"He still has a mild fever and he didn't want to eat. But I think he's better than he was."
"Do you know what Daniel and that Eshmun guy were talking about?"
"I didn't get the whole story, yet. I think Daniel was trying to get him to understand that we didn't know the city was sacred to them and that we wouldn't have trespassed if we'd known. He said this was an unusual situation for them and that Eshmun and the council were going to discuss it. I guess they're going to come get us when they've made a decision."
"What are the options?"
"I don't know. Daniel didn't say."
Jack had a bad feeling about this. If Daniel left out some information then it must be something he didn't want them to know. They'd been on enough missions together that everyone understood that you didn't withhold information. Fever or not, it was time for Daniel to give them the full story.
Walking to Daniel's cot, Jack asked Fraiser, "How is he, Doc?"
"I'm right here, Jack, you can ask me," Daniel said opening his eyes.
"Well, since I already know you're not 'fine', I think I'd like to get a professional opinion."
Jack caught the glare directed at him as he turned to Janet.
"He still has some fever—he's probably still fighting the infection. However, I think there's been a slight improvement. I gave him some more antibiotic and pain reliever."
"See—not 'fine'."
Daniel didn't reply but just rolled his eyes.
"Anyway, we need to talk, Daniel. What did Eshmun have to say?"
Daniel closed his eyes again. "Um, the council is going to consider the situation and get back to us."
Again, the briefest of answers. Jack was losing patience. "And?"
"And... we wait until they call us back to the arena."
"Daniel! There was a lot more said then you're telling me. Now, I want the whole story—and don't leave anything out!"
"Sir," Janet interrupted, "I think we should let him rest—he's still pretty sick."
"I'm sorry, Doc, but I've gotta have every bit of intel I can get. I am the team leader, you know." That last part was directed at Daniel, and he knew it.
Daniel sighed and opened his eyes again, looking directly at Jack.
"I tried to convince Eshmun that we meant no harm—that we would have asked permission if we had known. I also told him we would like to be friends. He said that even though we didn't know their laws, the sacred city was still defiled and that we would have to atone for it."
"Atone?" Jack felt a knot beginning to form in his stomach.
Daniel didn't like Jack's tone. It had that edge to it that said he barely had his anger under control. Daniel knew his next words would probably make it worse.
"He said the usual punishment was death. But, since this was an unusual situation, the council would consult their texts and discuss the matter."
"Death? Death? You've got to be kidding me! We're waiting around to see if they're going to kill all of you?"
"Actually, no."
"Daniel, so help me, I'll kill you myself if you don't spit it out."
"He asked me if I claimed the Right of Archigia and I said yes," Daniel quickly explained before Jack could continue his rant. "It means I am claiming leadership and therefore responsibility for the group's actions. It means that I will be the only one to suffer whatever punishment they decide on."
An ulcer. He must have an ulcer because that knot in his stomach felt like it had just ruptured. How could Daniel claim to be the leader and take on responsibility for the entire group? Hadn't they had this discussion before?
"Daniel, you had no right to take that on yourself. Why didn't you tell them I'm the leader?"
"Jack, I'm the only one who can speak their language. If I had told them you were the leader, they would have spoken only to you, and then where would we be? I was the only choice that made sense. Besides, I think Eshmun doesn't want to kill me—I think he's trying to find a way around it." At least, he hoped that was why they were recessing to discuss it.
"When we go back out there, I want you to tell them the truth and ask if you can translate for me."
"Jack, you can't do that! If Eshmun finds out I was lying, he'll probably have all of us killed. Even if he didn't, how could they trust anything we say? We can't tell him you're the leader. Just let me do this—it's the only way."
"He's right, sir," Sam said.
"I concur, O'Neill."
Outnumbered. And when had this become a democracy? What happened to the good ole 'yes, sir, whatever you say, sir"? He hated to admit it, but Daniel was probably right. Changing midstream would undoubtedly cause them more problems. They'd just have to ride it out and see how things went. Except for one thing.
"Fine. But let me make one thing clear: there is no way I'm gonna stand by and let them execute you. If it comes to that, we'll intervene—no matter the consequences. Understood?"
"Understood," Daniel replied, closing his eyes once again. He just had to believe it wouldn't come to that.
"Well?" Jack said, looking at the rest of his team, sweeping his gaze to include Fraiser and Reynolds.
A round of "understoods" greeted him. Only one thing left to take care of.
"Daniel, you'd better keep up your strength. Time to eat something."
"But—"
"Ah!"
Daniel knew without looking that there was a finger waving in his face.
They had gotten Daniel to sit up and eat and drink something before the guards had indicated it was time for the visitors to leave. Apparently, they weren't going to be allowed to stay with the 'prisoners'.
Night had fallen, and Jack's group had been led down the torch-lit hall to another room and left alone. A quick glance outside the door had shown that there were guards in the hall. Food had been left for them, and they ate, having been quite some time since their last meal. There were also cots along the walls, and Jack knew they could all use some rest, too.
But first things first. He keyed his radio. "Warren, Coburn."
"Here, sir," came the replies.
"Apparently, we're spending the night. The town council is going to reconvene in the morning; that's when they'll hand down a decision on us trespassing in the ruins. I want to be prepared in case the decision is... unacceptable. So I want you to get your teams into position to back us up if we have to shoot our way out."
"Where are you located, sir?" Warren asked.
The council chamber is located at the end of the village that overlooks the sea."
"Understood, sir. We'll see if we can take up positions on either side of the chamber."
"That wall gonna be a problem?"
"We'll handle it, sir."
"Good. I'll contact you if we need your help. Maintain radio silence until then."
"Yes, sir," both men replied.
"Okay, let's go over our plan, then we can take turns getting some rest," he said to the rest of his weary group.
