*Sigh*
The story ends at last! Granted, not as long as To Manifest Me Rightly, simply because I didn't think I'd have the strength to continue any more! But I hope I didn't write myself in a tangle at all!
I seriously thought of doing this sooner! But I didn't want to spoil the funreally wanted you guys to read this as a suspense/action story and hopefully catch the plot (well, at least the gist of it!!!) without me needing to explain every single historical detail! Anyhow, as I promised, here are the details that I worked out even before beginning the storyyep, some awfully ambitious plan which I hoped did at least have a bit of success!
I did battle long and hard how to end the story - for those who were looking for a mushy, fluffy ending, sorry, I can't quite do fluff at allthose who wanted a resolution and a tying up of loose ends, I'm afraid also, that I can't give that, because there are just too many entanglements to carry on and we will simply all drown in quicksand. This story is not quite the happily-ever-after fic - there are implications of course, that point to this - and it's better for you to let your imagination extend what you want to see! ;-)
To all reviewers and all those who read the story, thank you so much, for following this through, for not giving up on this. This story came into being because of you. Thank you Ruse, whose first Ardeth/Evy pairings inspired this story.
OK, enough of my long-windedness! Onto the timeline and the skeleton of the story.
**********
Sketch of Distrust
Setting: Egypt, 1926, in the middle of the Egyptian fight for independence. The Wafd coalition is a force which fights against the British.
Dramatis Personae:
The Mahadeva Clan
Rahiq Mahadeva Carnahan: Wife of Rohan Carnahan; Mother of Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan; Egyptian nationalist, niece of Sayyed Mahmud Mahadeva.
Yasser Mahadeva (or better known as Severige): Brother of Najya Savita Mahadeva, Leader of the Wafd, cousin of Rahiq Mahadeva Carnahan, cousin of Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan, many times removed.
Najya Savita Mahadeva: Sister of Severige, part of the Wafd Council, cousin of Rahiq Mahadeva Carnahan, cousin of Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan, many times removed.
Rohan Carnahan: Husband of Rahiq Mahadeva Carnahan; Father of Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan; double agent.
Evelyn Carnahan: Daughter of Rohan and Rahiq Carnahan, former librarian and governess.
Jonathan Carnahan: Son of Rohan and Rahiq Carnahan, the Flaneur in most respects.
The Medjai
Ishaq Bay: Deceased leader of the Medjai, Father of Ardeth Bay.
Ardeth Bay: Son of Ishaq Bay, now leader of the Medjai, husband to Lena Shirin Bay (also deceased).
Lena Shirin Bay: Wife of Ardeth Bay, deceased.
Mejdan Bay: Brother of Ardeth Bay, defector to the Wafd.
Taqiyyah Hasnan: Wife of Rick O' Connell and part of Medjai's fighting force.
Rick O' Connell: Former French Legionnaire, now husband of Taqiyyah Hasnan and part of the Medjai by marriage and Ardeth Bay's aide.
Azhar, Kahleh and Al' Fahroud: Members of the Medjai Council.
Others
Mrs Elby: The faithful English housekeeper of the Carnahan home.
Abdul: The curator of the Museum of Antiquities, strangely affiliated with the Medjai.
Lyanka: Old, heathen gypsy, whose roots are Romanian.
**********
Timeline:
(Hey, 'tis a real historical reference pointjust that I slipped in my own characters in betweenin bold are the historical events and in normal lettering is what I have drafted out for this story)
WWI years: Egypt came under the British Empire when the Ottoman Sultan declared his support against the Allies. The then-Khedive of Egypt, Fouad, had his authority challenged by Egyptian nationalists who fed on resentment of foreign domination.
1916
Rohan Carnahan gets a job offer by the foreign office in Egypt
1917
Rahiq Mahadeva Carnahan receives letter to go to Egypt and goes with husband,
who belatedly takes up this offer from the foreign office. Rohan Carnahan becomes
a double agent - for the British as well as the Wafd because of his wife's strong
affiliations with the Wafd.
1918
The end of World War I.
In the Egyptian sphere, Sa'ad Zaghloul, who was a nationalist movement leader during and after the war, formally presented the British High Commission the demand for complete Egyptian autonomy but was rejected. It led to his eventual arrest, where he was deported to Malta. This sparked anti-British riots.
The Wafd would have collapsed if not for Ishaq Bay's help and interference. He pledged Medjai help and integrated his 12 tribes within, empowering the Wafd by leaps and bounds.
1919
Rohan Carnahan's double agent status is discovered by Ishaq Bay and is killed
by him. He was about to flee to England when he dies in the shootout between
the nationalists and the British, leaving behind his wife and his children in
England.
1922
The British ended its protectorate and recognized Egypt's independence but maintained
control over essential government institutions as well as the Suez Canal. From
1922 onwards, there would be a constant power struggle between the British,
the Egyptian puppet king and the Wafd nationalist party.
The Burning of Alexandria occurs, which claim the lives of Ishaq Bay, Rahiq Mahadeva Carnahan, Lena Shirin Bay. Ardeth Bay becomes the new chief and we see the rise of Severige as the second generation of the Wafd leadership.
1923
The Mummy! (which is the reason the whole array of fanfic is written!)
On my side of the story, the Medjai under Ardeth Bay's leadership, is still under Wafd control. Mejdan Bay, the brother of Ardeth Bay, begins to carve a name for himself in the Wafd and tries to be independent of the Medjai. Meanwhile, Ardeth withdraws the Medjai and its forces from the Wafd, depriving it of its power and military strength. But the catch is this: The Wafd and the Medjai had been together for 5 years and have forged some solid bonds. Ardeth's sudden withdrawal split the Medjai, leaving half with the Wafd and the loyal half with him. The Wafd loses considerable influence and power and thereafter, petty differences have pushed the second-generation leaders apart. Severige wants Ardeth to return the Medjai to the Wafd and will stoop to any measure to ensure it
Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan return to England after The Mummy.
1925
Rick O' Connell marries Taqiyyah Hasnan and becomes part of the Medjai and Ardeth
Bay's most trusted counterpart.
1926
Sketch of Distrust begins when Evelyn and Jonathan Carnahan return to
Egypt once more to pursue the truth about their parents.
There you have it! Hope it ironed out some things!