Metal Birds

Chapter 14: Some (Not So) Familiar Faces

Kafr Saad, Egypt, August 1934

He woke up early in the day, with the sun peeking through the cracks of the thatched roof. He allowed his eyes to open slightly. He lay there, listening to those outside preparing for the morning. There was a light knocking at the door. He was aware of Lauren's voice, speaking softly.

"Bella... come on, Bella, wake up. We're all going down to the river to wash up."

Arthur blinked and rolled over, watching through half lidded eyes as Lauren -long brown hair undone, arms laden with old towels- moved to pull Bella from her bed. The other woman groaned, sitting up and absentmindedly and patting down her bed head.

"Come on..." The smaller of the two urged, before pulling her larger companion to her feet. Bella yawned and shifted her wings, tossing one side of the sheet her and her brother were sharing onto the cot.

The two women quickly left, and Arthur sat up. Andries was still fast asleep. If anything, Arthur was surprised he hadn't slept more. Perhaps it was with how early he'd fallen asleep. He ended up sitting up on the edge of his cot, stretching as he stood and began to meander outside. He could see a few others going outside, mainly the women. They were all heading to the river.

He blinked slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as Imhotep made his way down the dusty road. He waved good morning, before retreating back into the hut to preen after the long flight. Andries was curled up on the far side of the cot he and his sister had been sharing, seemingly undisturbed by the noise outside and the bits of light that managed their way through the roof. He yawned again, stretching his arms and wings as he did so. Lord, was he sore. He chuckled to himself, shifting to plop down on the bed, drawing his bag close to his feet across the sandy floor. He was still wearing his jacket, and he was fully aware that he would need to take it off later, but he didn't. At least, not yet. Digging through the bag to see what he still had, as if in reassurance. Pride and Prejudice and Sherlock Holmes, his Bible, his razor, his extra clothes and his radio. And Francis' letter, tucked in the Bible, which was folded up in his flag for the meeting. And two of the nun's biscuits. He had eaten one before leaving Luxembourg, and two in Sicily. 

Arthur found himself smiling some as he thought of the cathedral. Joshua, Marie and Elizabeth were the first people to come to mind, and he found himself having a sad tug in his gut as he thought. It couldn't be homesickness... then again, it very well could. He chuckled lightly and shook his head, pulling out the thin pamphlet that made up the book Joshua had given him.

He turned to the page he had cornered off, settling on his cot for a while as he gingerly ate one of the biscuits. They were beginning to grow stale, he realized. It made him sad. His thoughts weren't so much on the pages and words as they were on what was happening back at the cathedral. How the sewing group was faring, and if Elizabeth and Joshua were still alright; and if Marie was doing okay.

He sighed as he heard a soft knocking at the door. He glanced up. It had only been about ten or so minutes.

"Hello?"

"Is that really you, Artie?"

"Artie!"

Arthur felt an instinctive smile come to his face as he cornered his page and stuffed it in his pack. It had to be none other than Alfred and Jett -better known among the others as America and Australia. He stood, coming to the door and brushing away the fabric across the entrance.

The two stood there, beaming like children.

Arthur, inwardly, was taken off guard. They were very different from when they had last met -Jett, he'd even met with before, not since his early youth in 1790, though he had sent and received many letters with, including images and discussions of his independence in 1901- but he was surely surprised.