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Labyrinth Through The Mirror of Time Chapter 26

 



 

Chapter 26: A Ventriloquist?


Remi jumped a little at Omar’s touch. But after all, she was the author of *Women Can’t Be Tamed*—she couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her, and she certainly wasn't going to be left speechless. So, keeping her cool, she casually spoke to their temporary taxi driver, who definitely knew more about Egyptian artefacts than they did, being just a couple of ordinary writers.


"Hi, Omar! I’m Anemo’s childhood friend, and right now, I’m trapped inside this gorgeous fur."


Omar froze with his hand on the cat’s neck, his fingers buried deep in her white fur. For three long seconds, the only sound in the Royal Jewellery Room was the distant clicking of tourists' cameras. Then, the student-turned-driver snapped his hand back as if he’d been electric-shocked. He let out a nervous laugh, staring straight at Anemo.


"No way! You've totally caught me off guard, Mr Writer!" he said, rolling his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. "I swear, for a second there, I actually thought your cat spoke. Where on earth did you get that talent from? You never told me you were a ventriloquist!"


Omar leaned closer to the display case, inspecting the pet carrier like a detective.


"Seriously, where have you hidden the Bluetooth speaker? Or is it some new app on your phone? I have to admit, the timing was spot on. I could have sworn her lips actually moved."


Anemo raised his hands in the air, showing his empty palms, and took a step back. He stood two metres away from the display case, leaving Remi all by herself on the wooden ledge.


"I’m not a ventriloquist, and there’s no app. Put your hand on her collar again. That’s what does all the magic."


Omar placed his shaking hand back on the cat’s neck, completely convinced he was the victim of a prank.


"If—if I look closer, this collar looks exactly like the one inside the display case," he muttered, mostly to himself.


The white cat narrowed her blue eyes, glaring at their new friend with a look so sharp it could have sliced right through the safety glass of Exhibit 1420. She lifted a front paw and slowly licked it before speaking again. Her voice came straight from her little pink nose and mouth, clear, sharp, and deeply offended:


"A ventriloquist? Ha! Your logical, sciency human brain won't let you see or hear reality. But the truth is, these artefacts you’re so obsessed with possess a magic that we are struggling to figure out. Don't panic, young man!"


Omar scrambled backward, bumping his back against the display case behind him. He looked at Anemo, whose mouth was shut tight as he smiled helplessly, and then back at the white cat who was sizing him up.


"Anemo..." he whispered, without taking his eyes off Remi. "If this is some kind of magic trick for TikTok, I swear I’ll dump you here in Tahrir Square and head straight back to university."


"It's no trick. Here, have a sip of water!" Anemo said, trying to calm Omar down as he handed him an unopened, half-litre bottle of still water. "It might be a good idea for you to join us at Shehrazad’s house for Remi’s next journey into the Wall of Ether. If you know my dad, you might know her too—she’s an epigraphist."


Without asking any more questions, Omar chugged the entire bottle of water. He wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve, cleared his throat, and finally, in a calm, warm, and completely normal voice, added:


"Count me in!"


The ride back was no longer just an ordinary trip in an Egyptian taxi. Questions and answers flew back and forth between them. They discussed theories about the two twin collars and what might have messed up their magic. They talked about the mirrors of time, Demir’s illness, Bastet, Sekhmet, Akhenaten, and the ancient city of Amarna. They even talked about Meritmut and Meritbastet, Queen Tiye, and her brother, the High Priest Ay.


Right then, Anemo had a brilliant idea. He searched for Remi’s name on the internet and showed Omar a picture of her in her human form.


"Look at this! This is our cat, and we have to get her back into her human body."


On the cover of the book *Women Can’t Be Tamed*, Remi smiled back at them, looking full of confidence.


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