Of Biblical Proportions (5/11) II Amy waited impatiently for Julia to arrive. When she and Hashira had returned from the market, there had been a message on her machine saying that Julia was leaving the site and coming back home. The sun was setting, leaving brilliant hues decorating the sky. Amy reclined on a chair by the driveway observing the different color changes. Soon the car pulled in. Amy jumped up and ran to greet her friend. Julia got out of the car and the two women hugged. "I've got tons to tell you," Julia remarked, pulling out her small case. "Ditto for me, too. I don't know where to begin." "Methos talked to me. He knew exactly who I was and," her eyes widened in alarm, "he knew about us writing the Horsemen papers. How did he get access to Watcher documents?" "Dawson," Amy spit out. "I'm sure his good friend, Joe, lets him use his computer and even takes out chronicles for him to read." "I don't think so. Not even Mr. Dawson would let an Immortal into the Watcher database." "Don't be too sure. Now do you know *what* he's doing there?" "Methos acts like one of the students. There's a wall with tons of glyphs on it and Samir said that no one's been able to make heads or tails out of it. He assigned it to Methos as a joke. Boy, was he pissed when not only did Methos photograph and sketch the writings, but was able to translate at least half of it." The two women walked into the house. "But was he writing what it really said?" Amy had to question. She doubted that Pierson even knew how to be up front about anything. "I asked. He told me it was the 'undiluted truth.' And I believe him." Amy reserved judgement. "What's happening in Paris?" Julia inquired. "Did you find that Watcher who had kidnapped Nick Wolfe?" Amy sighed. "Not only that, but Dawson killed him. The Watcher was John Murray. He kidnapped Wolfe to trade his life for Amanda's crystal. Joe says that Murray and Duncan MacLeod were fighting for the assembled Methuselah Stone when it went into MacLeod. Dawson saw them fighting, and he shot Murray in an effort to protect the Highlander." "He's invincible now?" Julia looked stunned. "So the old-wives tales say. MacLeod has closed himself up in the barge and won't come out. I've received two reports from Paris and both say that he's totally isolating himself." "What does Dawson say?" "That MacLeod won't see him, either. Keith Trenton told me that from the little he can see inside the barge's small window, MacLeod is meditating. Constantly, day and night." "Doesn't sound good," Julia remarked as she got herself a glass of soda and then sat down on her couch. "What are you going to do?" "Tell Pierson." "His name is Methos. Why can't you call him that?" "Methos is the man I investigate, my assignment. Pierson is the irritating Watcher that I have to converse with sometimes." Julia laughed. Amy didn't think it was funny. She had to compartmentalize the man or else she'd go insane. "Pierson, or rather Methos, is MacLeod's friend," Amy said. "He might know something, being so old." "Something to help MacLeod deal with the situation or something that proves it's all a myth?" "Who better to dispel a myth than a myth himself?" Amy thought the argument sounded lame, but at least her friend wasn't laughing at her. "You want me to take you over to the dig tomorrow?" "No tonight. Can we go now? If we tell him sooner rather than later, he'll be able to get to Paris faster." "Sounds like you're beginning to care about Duncan MacLeod. Maybe some of Joe Dawson's prejudice is rubbing off on you," Julia teased. "I'm not concerned about MacLeod, but about the Game as a whole. Think of the ramifications if this Stone really does do what it's reported to." III Methos was sitting by himself outside the tent absorbing the atmosphere. He had a beer in one hand, and in the background he could hear his two friends Kevin and Toby arguing over a find. Their heated words washed over him and the contentment was more intoxicating than the beer. A car door slammed and he saw Julia Harami and Amy Zoll get out. The two women perused the site finally catching sight of him. His contentment dissolved into irritation. They were two women on a mission and somehow it involved him. There was no place to hide so he sat waiting for them to pounce. "Dr. Picket. We would like a word with you on your work today." Methos slowly turned his head to find both Dr. Hawass and Slimy Sammy had descended on him from the other side of his tent. "Did I do something wrong?" As he asked the question, the women reached his other side. Julia Harami nodded to Slimy Sammy, but Amy Zoll looked confused at Methos' defensive remark. "We do not agree with your translations and would like to know how you arrived at them." Dr. Hawass said. Slimy Sammy grinned in triumph. What bothered Methos more was the impatience Amy Zoll was exhibiting. She obviously wanted to speak to him and that had never really happened before. Methos turned back to the archeologists. "I used my knowledge of the evolution of Egyptian hieroglyphs to back calculate what the meanings would be." He flashed them an ingratiating smile. "Were my calculations wrong?" Amy stepped forward. "I have worked with Dr. Picket and I can assure you that everything he says," she flashed him a knowing look, "has an element of truth. His knowledge is unsurpassed in this field and I would believe his translations. Now if you would excuse us, I have important news that I must discuss with him." Methos was impressed at how she was able to disband the lynching party. He nodded his thanks to her. Slimy Sammy looked to Julia for help, but she sided with her friend and gave him no encouragement to continue. Dr. Hawass gave Amy Zoll a direct look to which she responded, "I'm Dr. Zoll, curator for the Musee National des Antiques, in Paris, France, and a colleague of Dr. Harami's." Dr. Hawass considered her words then looked back at Methos. "When you finish talking to these ladies, please come and see me so we can discuss this further." By this time, Methos didn't care whether they believed his translation or not. He was done. It just wasn't worth justifying his work to a bunch of ignoramuses. Slimy Sammy and the boss walked away, and Methos turned his whole attention back to the two Watchers. "I don't think we should go into it here." Julia darted looks around. "It's not secure." Methos felt his danger antennae picking up ominous signals. Maybe he didn't want to hear what they had to say. "Just give me the bare facts and let me decide how much privacy we need." Amy Zoll looked uncomfortable, but plunged in. "The Methuselah Stone has been assembled by a Watcher and in an effort to stop him, Duncan MacLeod absorbed it." Methos stared at her without blinking. His mind, only half believing, worked around what she had said. The serious demeanor of the women subtly convinced him that it wasn't a joke, but he found it hard to comprehend. "Aren't you going to say something?" Amy asked impatiently. "I'm thinking. How is he reacting?" "He's closed up in his barge and won't talk to anyone." He looked at Amy. "You came to Giza to tell me this?" "Of course," came the affronted reply. "You're his teacher and you take care of him. He needs your help now more than ever." "Sounds like interference to me," he teased, still stalling for time in order to assimilate the facts and decide what to do. "I do not interfere," she continued on the defensive. "I'm sorry if you think I'm getting involved in something that's none of my business." Methos let his eyes widen in surprise. "You get involved in something that's not your business?" He let the smile spread across his face. "Isn't that in the Watcher job description?" Amy remained tight-lipped. "What are you going to do about it?" "Right now, I'm going back to my hotel in Cairo and check out. Tomorrow I'll fly back to Paris and pay a call on my *student*," he chucked. Imagine Amy Zoll thinking of him as MacLeod's teacher. He also had to do something about his scrolls. "We'll see you at the hotel," Amy told him without hesitation. Methos shrugged his shoulders as he got off his chair and began packing up his tent. The women watched him work for a few moments and then left. Kevin came over as he was rolling up the tent. "You're leaving?" "Manchester has recalled me. Some new text has been discovered in a church located in the fens and they want me to decipher it," he lied. Kevin looked a bit sad as he helped Methos carry his belongings to the car. "Next time I get to England I'll look you up." "I'll look forward to it." Methos felt a tinge of regret as he gazed at his new friend, knowing full well that Kevin would never be able to find him. He got into his car and waved goodbye. With a last lingering look toward the pyramids and a reverent goodbye to the Sphinx, he left the site. He needed to stop in Cairo before heading back to his hotel room. IV "Where the hell is he?" Amy muttered, pacing back and forth across the hotel lobby. Julia sat in one of the chairs looking relaxed, but her clenched fists gave away her anxiety. "When he gets here, do you intend to accompany him to his room?" Julia asked nervously. Amy darted another look to the front door before answering. "Yes. I want to know what he's going to do." "You're brave. With everything we've learned, *I* wouldn't want to be alone with him. No telling what he's capable of." "I'm not worried about him hurting me, it's just--" "He's larger than life?" Julia finished for her. "I pride myself on my intelligence, yet with him, I'm floundering. I can't out-think him. I can't stay one step ahead. That frustrates the hell out of me." "And you're just a tiny bit afraid of him." Amy stopped in front of her friend and thought about it. "Maybe just a little," she admitted. "Me, too. I thought I could go up to him and just talk, but I couldn't think of anything to say. I stood there like an idiot," Julia confessed. Amy gave her a commiserating glance and then walked over to the front door, perusing the parking lot, thinking about her fear of the oldest Immortal. Her mind invariably reverted back to the incident at the submarine base when Methos had locked Melanie and herself into one of the rooms. Absently, Amy saw a car pull into a parking space. She hadn't thought she and Melanie would get out of the bunker alive. A man exited the car and it took several seconds before her brain kicked in and she recognized the occupant. "He's here," she called out to Julia, already walking through the doors towards where Pierson was opening his trunk. As Amy reached his car she saw a disgruntled expression cross his face then disappear immediately. "Drs. Zoll and Harami. Shouldn't you be doing your job over there? I should at least have the appearance of privacy." "I need to talk to you." Amy wasn't going to let him get away. "We've talked. You've told me about MacLeod. Now leave." With a flash of anger, he slammed the trunk closed, without taking anything out. Reaching inside the car, he took out a duffel bag and, wearing his irritation like a shield, he walked away from them. Neither woman moved until he strode out of sight. "How come you didn't ignore his dismissal and just follow him?" Julia asked. "I don't know. I can't tell whether he's really mad or whether he's pretending in order to get rid of us." Amy paused a second and then her hesitation gave way to humor. "Can you believe the bit about the 'appearance of privacy'? He just gets my dander up, and then my intellect goes on the fritz." "Come on. What's done is done. Let's give him some space and then come back."