After about five minutes, Teal'c awoke, growling as predicted. "You should not surprise people like that, Culsu. It could be dangerous."
The tiny child looked gravely down at the recumbent Jaffa and then planted a kiss in the center of his golden brand. "Sorry, Teal'c. I did not mean to frighten you."
Sam hid a grin behind her hand as the child transformed the fearsome warrior into putty. He sat up and accepted Culsu into his lap, scolding with a fierce face, but gentle eyes. "Next time, you will warn me before pointing anything at Sam or anyone else in our vicinity, will you not?"
"I promise," the child said with her slight lisp. "Now can you tell me about your friends? Or does Major Samantha Carter need to remember too."
"Call me Sam, Culsu. And I think it's enough that Teal'c remembers. Can you lead us to our things so we can start back? I'll tell you about Daniel and the Colonel on the way."
"That will be satisfactory." The little girl sprang up and took Teal'c by the hand once again, pulling him after her. "Come with me."
She led them back down the sea corridor, then down a series of branching halls. As they walked, Sam told Culsu about their 'adventures' in the world above, editing out the worst bits. The child was an appreciative audience. She gasped and made sad noises when Daniel was belted by the blacksmith, and clapped and bounced when they found Jack and rescued him.
"Now," Sam finished, "Daniel and Jack are waiting for us to come save them. That's why we need our weapons…"
"…and Daniel's glasses!" Culsu piped up.
Sam smiled at the energetic mite. "…and Daniel's glasses so we can go back and help them."
"Oh!" The girl stopped suddenly and turned to face the two adults. "I just had an idea!"
Teal'c dropped to one knee to bring the girl to eye level. "What is your idea, infans?"
The girl climbed onto Teal'c's knee and cupped his ear, whispering into it.
"Can you do that?" Teal'c looked surprised.
"Father would be very cross with me, but you will not tell him, will you?" Culsu looked anxiously at Sam and Teal'c, biting her lip.
Teal'c shook his head solemnly. "Never. I think this is a very good idea. We shall put it to practice when we have our weapons and DanielJackson's corrective lenses."
"Wonderful! Come on!" The child hopped off of Teal'c's knee and scampered down the hall, leaving the two adults to run after her.
Almost beside herself with curiosity, Sam decided to save her questions until they got where they were going. The kid was fast and these halls were twisty.
Finally, after what seemed like a mile of the looping tunnels, the girl stopped before a door and reached up toward a panel next to it. She could not quite reach, and stomped her foot in frustration. Turning, she looked up at Teal'c and said, "Lift me, please."
Teal'c complied and the girl pressed her tiny hand to the panel. The door swung open soundlessly. "Lucerna!" The room was bathed in amber light and Culsu darted inside.
She led them down row after row of cylindrical bins, none of which were labeled. The girl seemed to know what she was looking for, though. She stopped suddenly, standing before a section that looked identical to all the other extruded lockers, and said, "Here is where I stored your belongings."
Sam opened the first one and handed Teal'c his staff weapon. The Jaffa curled his hand around the staff almost tenderly, and smiled. Grinning, Sam looked in the next one and gave a yelp of joy. Her BDU's, folded neatly in a stack, with her sidearm on top. "Yes! Teal'c, go around the corner for a few minutes. I feel the need to get into uniform." She reached into Teal'c's bin and tossed him his clothes, then shooed him away.
Refusing to be shooed, Teal'c instead stalked around the corner with dignity.
It took a matter of moments for Sam to peel off the grubby green tunic and the band around her aching breasts and to slip, sighing, into the olive drab and black she'd been dreaming about. Underwear, fatigue pants, bra, T-shirt, socks, boots. Heaven.
Culsu was looking at her strangely, and Sam had to laugh. "Don't ask me to explain, kid. I just feel much better now." She bent and lifted the tiny girl into her arms, settling her on her hip. "Hey, wanna tell me what you told Teal'c?" She kept a secure arm around the girl's waist as she opened the next bin. The name on the jacket said O'Neill. She plucked out the gate remote and the Colonel's uniform and P-90, setting them on the floor.
"It's a secret, Sam."
"You can tell MajorCarter, Culsu." Teal'c, now also back in uniform, came around the corner. "She needs to know the plan, and it is yours to tell." He held out his arms and Culsu climbed from Sam to Teal'c like a monkey, ending up perched on his shoulders.
"I am so tall! I can touch the sky!" Teal'c kept a secure hold on the girl's kicking feet, and smiled a tiny smile.
"Culsu. The plan?" Sam looked in the final locker and pulled out Daniel's pack, uniform, zat, and glasses. This last she carefully tucked into a secure pocket and snapped it down. She needed her knapsack, or something else in which to carry this stuff.
"Oh! The plan! I can put you into the world near your friends, if that would help. And bring you back here quickly, but only if I can come with you."
Stunned, Sam said, "That will help a great deal! How soon can we go?" Her watch was less than useless right now; it showed 1300.
Squirming, Culsu asked to be put down. Once on the ground, she opened a new bin and pulled out an empty cloth knapsack and started putting the Colonel and Daniel's clothes into it. Teal'c quickly scooped up the P-90 and zats before the child could touch them. Sam tucked the gate remote into her pack and then transferred the first aid kit to the backpack the girl was working on.
"When the surface is light, we can go. There are certain places in the world where we can put people. The nearest to your village is about ten of your miles from there. It would be best not to travel at night. There are bad people in the world."
Sam hefted her P-90 and checked the ammo. Still full. "I think we can handle the bad people, and we need to get to the Colonel and Daniel as quickly as possible."
Teal'c said, "The child may not accompany us, Major Carter. It might be dangerous."
That stopped Sam short. She had not registered at the time when the girl said she would have to accompany them back. Culsu was not really a little girl, Sam knew. She was a construct of some kind, intended as an interface with whatever computer system ran this complex, this world. She was, however, very like a little girl; impulsive, vulnerable, hyperactive, and cute as a button.
Now, for example, she was standing in front of Sam with her arms stretched upwards. Bending to the girl's demand, she set aside her weapon and scooped the girl into her arms. "I can take care of myself, Sam. I will bring the remembering thing and put anyone who approaches to sleep." Her big green eyes were pleading, reminding Sam of a certain guileless linguist.
"Are you sure you can't bring us back here unless you come with us, Culsu?"
The tiny girl nodded vigorously.
"Okay, then. But you can't go running off when we get up top, you get me?"
Teal'c spoke up then. "Culsu, I would advise you to say nothing at this point except for 'I get you, ma'am.' MajorCarter will become testy otherwise."
Sam stuck her tongue out at the Jaffa, who merely raised his eyebrow and shouldered the now full pack. "Shall we go?"
The girl rode on Sam's shoulders, directing with nudges of her bare feet in the Major's side, until they arrived at another large open room. "The Stargate!" Sam was very glad to see that round circle of stone, and barely restrained herself from running over and dialing home just to make sure it was real. Unfortunately, that would delay their rescue, as General Hammond would no doubt insist on a trip to the infirmary, a lengthy debriefing, risk assessment, another debriefing once the rescue was a go, and who knew what other delays.
Any delay was unacceptable.
"So, how do we get back into the world?"
A nudge in her right side turned Sam toward a flat black wall. "Say the name of the village, Major Samantha," the girl on her shoulders instructed.
"Okay. Um…I don't know the name. It was a village on the crossroads of the Via Appia and the Via…."
"Domitana," Teal'c supplied.
The wall shivered, and ripples flowed across it like water bugs skating across the surface of a pond. An image formed slowly: dawn lighting a clearing in a grove of ancient oak trees. "What now?" Sam asked, as the image solidified.
A nudge on both ribs.
"Walk forward?"
A giggle and another nudge.
Sam really hoped she had read the girl right, that she wasn't a threat, and wasn't leading them into danger. She did not think she was wrong, but there was always a chance. "Okay. We walk forward. Teal'c, take point."
Staff raised and ready, Teal'c stepped through the image. Sam followed, the giggling girl patting the image and making ripples just before they stepped through and into the clearing. Sam quickly swung the girl down and brought her P-90 up. This was the same clearing. The one where they had first entered this mad world.
"Okay. We're here. Now how do we tell which way to the village?" Sam scanned the trees, the dawn-gray sky, and wondered where the hell they were.
"I think I know, MajorCarter." Teal'c moved into the trees, following a faint path, and Sam followed, keeping half an eye on the skipping little girl.
"Stick with us, Culsu. Don't go running off, okay?"
"Okay. What does that mean? Oh kaye. I know that they are letters, but what do they stand for? In context, it means 'do you understand' or 'is all well?' or many other things. Your language is very confusing, Major Sam." The child kept up a running commentary in her piping voice, not really giving the major a chance to answer.
The path ended in another clearing, in front of a familiar looking hut, half tumbling down in disrepair. His staff weapon charged and humming, Teal'c strode up to the door and knocked hard, rattling the unstable structure.
"Teal'c, what are you doing?" Sam pushed the girl behind them and wondered if the Jaffa had gone mad.
The door opened and an old man looked out, turned pale, and tried to close the door again. "MajorCarter, this man is known to us. He sold you to the slavers, do you not remember?" Easily stopping the door from closing, Teal'c pushed his way inside. He barked something at the quivering old man, who answered in a tremulous voice and pointed vaguely to the southeast.
"Kree, ha'taaka!" Teal'c pointed the staff weapon at the man, who paled and pointed in the opposite direction.
Dropping his aim, Teal'c snarled at the man and strode back out the door. "The village is approximately ten miles to our northwest." He swung Culsu onto his back and began running. Sam followed close behind, breaking into the ground devouring trot she'd learned in basic.
The sun was just coming up over the hills. If they could maintain this pace, they'd hit the village in about three hours, if the old man had been telling the truth. The miles fell behind them as they ran over hills and through fields, startling the field workers who were just setting out to work. Culsu was enjoying herself immensely, from her perch high on the Jaffa's strong shoulders. Her long, dark hair fluttered like a banner in the brisk morning breeze.
Sam felt like she could run like this forever. She routinely ran six miles a day on her treadmill, but there was something invigorating about the air in this world. The ground came up to meet her feet, cradling them as she pushed off for the next stride. If it were not for the anxiety of wondering how her teammates were faring, she would be enjoying herself almost as much as Culsu.
The sun was well up when they topped the rise that looked out over the village. The campground was empty, Sam noted. The village itself was kinda quiet, with people going about their business in a subdued manner. They descended into the valley, and entered the little village after another fifteen minutes walk.
Their clothes earned them some strange looks, but no one would stop and talk to them. Matrons hurried their children along before them like clucking hens protecting their broods, and men gave them a wide berth as well. Everyone seemed furtive, almost ashamed, and no one would meet Sam's eyes.
"I don't like this. How can we find the Colonel and Daniel if no one will talk to us?"
They reached the city center, the place where the two roads met. It was surrounded by marble buildings and a large open area, probably where they held market. "Teal'c, do you think they already escaped? Maybe we should head south."
"Carter!" The Colonel's voice was weak and distant. "Carter! Tell me that's you!"
"Colonel?" His voice sounded like it was coming up out of the ground. "Keep talking. Where are you?"
"In some damn cell. Look at the base of a big marble building. And hurry, damn it!"
His voice sounded hoarse, tired, but she was glad to hear it. She quickly located three small windows, near the ground. "Colonel?"
"Here, Carter!" The middle window, then. She knelt down and looked in, but could see very little.
"Is Daniel with you?" She could make out two forms in the dim little room, one lying down, the other sitting against the door.
"No, he was taken a couple of hours ago. Don't waste time with me; go find Daniel!"
Sam looked around for the building's entrance, then went in at a run, Teal'c at her six with Culsu clinging to his shoulders like a miniature jockey on a very strange horse. She ran down a long hall, looking for doors or, failing that, someone to shake down. The ideal candidate quickly presented himself as they rounded a corner.
Caligula looked at the militant trio in alarm and turned to run, but Sam caught him in a headlock and slammed him against a white marble wall. She twisted his arm up behind his back and said, "Where are Colonel Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson?"
His voice growling, Teal'c translated.
The youth could not answer fast enough, though part of Sam wanted him to slow down so she could have the pleasure of twisting his arm a little higher. "What's he saying?"
"He will take us to the Colonel. DanielJackson is along the road to the south of the village. He is very sorry and wishes he had never tried to kiss you. You are, apparently, not at all attractive to him any more. I, myself, find nothing wrong with your appearance, and am quite displeased that he attempted to forcibly kiss you." The Jaffa snarled something in Caligula's ear that made him go even paler.
Twisting the man's arm up a little higher, she got her revenge for that little scare. "You make me feel all warm and rosy, Teal'c. Let's get the Colonel and go find Daniel. I'll take Culsu; you handle this little creep."
They made a curious procession, but the guards at the door at the bottom of the stairs stood aside at Caligula's order. Sam zatted them for good measure, buying some time. As an afterthought, she zatted Caligula too, leaving him in a pile with the guards.
The Colonel was struggling to sit up, untangling himself from the blankets and the sheet that covered him. Claudius was at his side, helping, when Sam and the Jaffa came in.
"What happened?" A crude splint was tied to the Colonel's right leg, immobilizing it. "Can you walk."
"Uh, that would be a no. I ordered you to go after Daniel." O'Neill sat up at last, looking very pale and haggard. "Daniel…they were going to…they whipped him. I heard it. About an hour, hour and a half ago. Claudius knows where." He was obviously in a lot of pain, his words coming between short breaths. Sam rummaged in her pack and found the pre filled syringes of Dem/Phen. A shaking hand stopped her before she could get the cap off. "Danny will need it more. Go get him, Carter. Go on."
Sam put the syringe away, the Colonel's words finally sinking in. Daniel, whipped? By who? Why? Questions could wait though. "Colonel, our escape route is approximately sixteen klicks to the northwest. Let Teal'c carry you out and we'll get a wagon or something when we have you topside."
The Colonel nodded. "Okay. But you go now, with Claudius, and get Daniel. They...it may be too late. May not. Hurry, god damn it!"
The urgency in his cracking voice spurred her. She grabbed Claudius and dragged him out the door. He looked in alarm at the unconscious forms of his nephew and the guards. "They're fine, Claudius. Just asleep. Dormitum." He smiled, recalling their first English lesson together, and nodded his understanding.
"Hurry, Sam. Daniel crucifis. Ita?"
Crucifis. Crucifix? Sam went cold with dread. "Shit. Come on." She hit the street at a run, Claudius loping behind her, and said, "Where?"
The Roman pointed along the road leading south, and she took off at a sprint. Every step was a prayer. Don't let me be too late, don't let him be dead, don't please God let him be nailed to a fucking cross. The mind wanders down strange roads under fear and stress, and she found herself reflecting on the irony of praying to a supposed God who had allowed it to happen to his Son, not to let the same fate befall her friend. Not that she'd been in a church in years. Not since Mom… not since she was fourteen or so. A few more sprinted steps and the prayer just turned into pleasepleaseplease.
The road was climbing now, leaving the city, and Claudius was still keeping up. His limp was slowing him not a jot, though his breathing was coming fast and gaspy.
No, she realized with a start, that was Daniel. She stumbled to a stop against the mile stone, catching her breath and stared, her mind not able to accept what she was seeing. It was so alien, so wrong, that it did not connect. That could not be Daniel, must not be. Was.
The moment of disorientation passed when Daniel opened his eyes and looked into hers. "Oh, Daniel." His image wavered and she furiously fisted tears away with one hand, and zatted the guards who were stationed around the cross with the other.
Daniel looked around in vague confusion, his breath shallow and wheezing, as the soldiers fell away. "What…" He had no voice left, Sam noted with dismay. The word was a bare whisper. "Sam?"
The cross was short, barely tall enough for his tied feet to clear the ground, and the cross bar seemed to be resting on the top of the main post. His hands were curled forward like claws, and iron spikes were driven deep into both wrists. Sam felt nauseated. "God, Daniel. I'm so sorry." She had no idea how to get the battered man down without hurting him further.
Claudius came loping up at last, out of breath and sweating. He cried out softly and looked sick when he saw Daniel. Sam started working on the ropes that were pinning his legs to the post. Stepping up quickly, Claudius removed his toga and eased it around Daniel's body, holding him up as the ropes came away and taking all the strain off of the impaled wrists. Daniel's breathing eased immediately, though Sam could see him shaking from where she stood. He's in shock, she thought.
A tug on Sam's pant leg drew her distracted attention downward. Culsu. "You shouldn't be here, little one!" She covered the girl's eyes, turning her away from the heartrending sight.
"Major Sam, I can help." Culsu moved pushed Carter's hand away firmly and held out her arms to be picked up. "Lift, please. Shoulders." The wide green eyes looked very old, suddenly, and Sam reminded herself that this was not a child at all. She bent and lifted the tiny thing to her shoulders and let herself be guided over to the cross.
"Be ready, Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus." Culsu took the head of the cruel spike in her tiny hand and pulled, holding Daniel's forearm steady against the beam. He came fully awake then, bucking weakly in Claudius' arms and making a sound like a scream, but with no sound behind it, only pain. Then the nail came free and Culsu threw it far away, wiping her tiny hands clean on her tunic. "Other wrist," she said in a tiny, shaky voice.
Sam stumbled over, wiping tears from her eyes. "Almost over, Danny. It's almost over," she said, more to herself than to her twitching friend. Get him down, dose him up, get him home. God, she was ready to go home.
"Here we go. Be ready to catch him." The nail came out with a shriek, and Danny bucked again, a ragged groan whispering out of his abused throat. Claudius caught him in his strong arms, then, as he sagged to the ground. Sam put Culsu back on the ground and helped Claudius wrap the shivering man in the toga, holding pressure on each wrist to stop the bleeding there. Sam felt the shattered gravel of his wrist bones beneath her hand, and wondered if Daniel would be able to use his hands again.
He looked up at her and smiled tiredly, but did not speak. After a while, he closed his eyes and seemed to go to sleep, though he might have passed out. Sam sniffed and zatted the guards again, who were showing signs of waking. She hoped sufficient time had passed that they weren't dead from the second shot, but she could not bring herself to be too concerned for their well being.
"Claudius, can you bring Teal'c here with the wagon?" To her surprise, Culsu translated in rapid Latin. After a moment's thought, she realized there was no reason the girl shouldn't be able to speak Latin, but it had never occurred to her to ask.
"He says he will bring them back soon, Sam. Will Daniel be all right?"
"I hope so. Hand me my backpack. I have medical supplies in there."
Claudius loped back down the hill to the village and Sam set about assessing Daniel's injuries. A shot of Demerol and Phenergan for pain, a shot of penicillin to stave off infection, and then she unwrapped the still shivering man to assess his wounds.
She bit back a curse; his back looked like hamburger. She had nowhere near enough supplies. Best to just concentrate on keeping him free of pain and out of shock until Janet could get her hands on him. Where the hell was Teal'c?
Gathering Daniel into her arms, she wrapped the bloody toga more securely around him and settled in to wait. She leaned against the mile marker stone, Culsu a warm little weight leaning into her side. Daniel never stirred, and his shivering gradually eased as the sun warmed them. The bleeding seemed to have stopped; every breath he took while on the cross had reopened his back wounds, judging by the dark stain on the wood.
Repositioning herself slightly, Sam made sure that, if Daniel woke, he wouldn't see that damned tree. Sam did not want to look up and see it, either. His head lolled on her shoulder, his breath light and warm on her neck and smelling faintly of wine and something bitter. He did not stir.
At long last, the clop of hooves and creak of harness heralded the arrival of the rest of SG-1. She shifted slightly and heard a very soft, "Sam?"
"It's over, Danny. All over. We're going home."
^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *
"Do you see them yet?" Jack bit back a curse as the wagon lurched again, jostling his aching leg painfully. Trees passed slowly by, and O'Neill felt like getting out and pushing.
The Jaffa shook his head, and slapped the reins over the backs of the stoic pair of mules Claudius had commandeered from the Magistrate's stables. The floor of the wagon was thick with mattresses and pillows, for which Jack was very grateful. Two big sheepskins were laid over the thickest concentration of padding, under the tarp in the back. O'Neill really hoped it was overkill.
"We there yet, Teal'c?"
"I see them, O'Neill." Teal'c's voice was grim and angry. Jack looked over the side of the cart again, but couldn't see anything. Claudius had looked sick when he'd come stumbling back into the village square, and did not look much better now. "MajorCarter! We have arrived!" The Jaffa pulled back hard on the reins and handed them to Claudius, jumping lightly to the ground.
No matter how Jack twisted, his leg prevented most movement. Daniel had done a great job of splinting it, but the swelling had yet to go down, and that was making even thinking of moving far very painful indeed. What was taking so long? "Hey! What's going on out there?"
"Just a moment, Colonel." Carter sounded as shaken as Claudius looked.
Impatient, he tried to peer over the top of the wagon's wall again and found himself face to face with a pair of sad green eyes. "Uh…Hi." O'Neill lost his grip on the wagon and fell back on his cushions, clutching his newly throbbing leg. The child climbed into the wagon and landed on a pile of pillows with an "Oof." She was tiny, no older than five or six years old, and barefoot. Her long, dark hair was tangled and windblown, and her blue tunic had dark stains on it.
"Hello," she said. "I have a loose tooth." She poked her tongue against it to demonstrate. "Major Samantha thinks it might come out tomorrow. I am Culsu. Are you Colonel O'Neill?"
Confused and charmed, Jack nodded. "You can call me Jack, though. Where did you come from?" He had a vague memory of a child back in the cell, when Carter showed up the first time, but Daniel's screams had been echoing in his memory and his only thought had been to get Sam on the road to rescue him.
"My Father made me. His name is Caput Lupinum, but I call him Aita. Or Father." The child moved to the rear of the wagon, wading through the soft mire of padding, and smoothed out the sheepskins. "He made everything. Here comes Daniel Jackson."
Carter walked around the back of the wagon, her eyes red, and unlatched the back panel. "Hello, Colonel," she said, climbing in. She wouldn't meet his eyes, focusing over his shoulder, or looking away. "Teal'c's right behind me." She scooted out of the way, straightening the sheepskins as she went, and partially blocking Jack's view. "Culsu, is there anywhere closer we can go to get back? I want to get home as soon as possible."
It sounded like she was two words away from weeping, her voice thick and clogged with the effort of control. Jack thought about why this might be and scooted closer to the end of the wagon, ready to help.
The girl shook her head, answering Carter's question. "There's one ten miles down the road, or ten miles over the hills. There is a portal hub on Ponza, of course, and one in Rome. The next closest is near an inn, twenty miles north of here."
Her little girl lisp was deceiving, O'Neill decided. "I have the impression there is more to this little girl than meets the eye, Major." Jack eased his leg straight, leaning back against the wall of the wagon with a wince.
Carter nodded distractedly, and then Teal'c was setting Daniel in the back of the cart, taking infinite care. Sam helped to position the far too still man on the sheepskins, turning him on his side and bolstering him with cushions so he wouldn't roll.
When the Major finally moved out of the way, Jack's stomach turned. He's so pale, he thought. So still. They had him wrapped up, his bruised arms free of the fabric's embrace, but wrapped individually and splinted from elbows to fingers. The blood had seeped through at several places, but it was drying now. Then he saw the hands, lying curled and clawed on the soft sheepskin, and he could not look higher. Couldn't look to see if Daniel were awake, damning Jack with his eyes.
"Sir." This was going to change the man forever. "Sir?" He could still hear Daniel's screams, growing hoarser and hoarser, though no more terrible, with each thunderous crack from Hastatus' whip. "Sir!"
"What!? Damn it, what, Carter?" He glared at his 2IC, looking crisp and comfortable in her BDU's while Daniel was wrapped in a fucking shroud. "What the hell took you so long, anyway? Stop to see some sights on the way? Pick up some souvenirs?" His anger was irrational and he knew it, regretting the words before they left his mouth. Still, the poison dripped into the shocked silence and he could not stop himself. "I trusted you to get back in time; *he * trusted you."
Making no response, Carter latched the wagon's end panel again and climbed back into the wagon, settling near Daniel's feet. "This wagon has no shocks, and we're going to be driving over some bumpy ground, Sir. I need help bracing Daniel. Can you make it back here?" Her voice broke on the last sentence. She busied herself propping pillows and bolsters around Daniel's body, making certain he was padded on all sides and would not roll. Only the occasional sniff gave her away, and she kept her eyes on her busy hands.
Collecting himself, cringing with shame, Jack nodded once. He took a deep breath and said, "Yeah. Sorry. Yes. On my way." He levered himself partially upright and half lurched, half-limped back to the tarp-covered area. Daniel looked even worse up close, pale and shivering in the mild warmth of the day.
He was also awake, his eyes open and sleepy, staring up at Jack. Shaking his head once, rocking it against the pillow, he whispered something Jack couldn't hear. No damnation there, no accusation in those eyes. Just fatigue, pain, and sadness.
Wedging himself against the side of the wagon again, Jack brought head and pillow to rest in his lap, extending his unbroken leg behind Daniel to support him further. Carter piled pillows around them both, making sure O'Neill's splinted leg was raised and immobilized.
"Thanks, Carter," Jack said. She mumbled a reply, still not meeting his eyes. He stopped her, catching a hand and then catching her eye. "Carter…Sam, I'm sorry. You made it back way before Daniel guessed you would. You did good, and I'm glad you're here."
Anger, shame, gratitude, and relief made for a strange expression, if that was what Jack was reading in his 2IC's face. The warring features eventually settled into a kind of watery smile, and she squeezed his hand, hard. "With all due respect, Sir, you can be a real bitch sometimes."
"I am aware of that, Major. Carry on."
"We're set, Sir. Teal'c, let's go. Culsu, why don't you go up front and keep Claudius company for a while."
"C-Culsu…gate-keeper of unnerworld…." Daniel's voice was barely above a whisper, but Jack could hear it and he smiled down at the pinched and pale face in his lap.
"Hey, Danny," he said softly. He brushed back the damp strands of hair with his stiff fingers. "How ya doin'?"
"Feel like I got stepped on. Big el'phant. You?" The eyes were open a bit wider now, but the voice was no stronger and Jack had to strain to hear above the creaking harness as they got underway.
"Also pretty crappy. What were you saying about a gate-keeper?"
For a long moment, Jack thought his friend had fallen asleep again, then, feather soft, he heard, "Etruscan. Culsu and Mania guarded the entrance. Demons."
The little girl picked that moment to bean Claudius on the head with one of the more tasselly pillows. "Demons, huh? I can believe it. Where did you get the kid, Carter?"
As they spoke, Jack could feel Daniel relaxing bit by bit, letting the reality of his friends soak into his psyche, taking comfort in their nearness. Jack brushed a few moist strands from Danny's warm brow and found himself stroking the man's hair, soothing it back. He supposed he should feel self-conscious, but it felt good, and he thought it might be comforting. It sure comforted Jack.
Sam was doing the same thing to Daniel's feet, rubbing them lightly as she braced his wounded body against the sway of the wagon. "When we got to Ponza, we found Daniel's grotto. Culsu was there. I believe she's a construct of some kind, like an android, but I'm fairly sure she's flesh and blood. She has a loose tooth."
Jack nodded. "She showed me."
From the front of the wagon, the little girl sang, "I am an homunculus! A changeling! A demon childe!" She solemnly handed Claudius a pillow and giggled.
Sam quirked a little smile. "Any way, she apparently has been following her programming for years, putting people into this world after wiping their memories, and just got lonely. She left us with most of our memories intact and waited for us to find our way to her."
Plausible, but there was something about the story that had bothered Jack from the beginning. "What about historical figures like Claudie, or that Caligula guy? They didn't just wander into a Stargate and into this picturesque little hellhole. History recorded their deaths."
Carter's hands stopped moving as she thought this over. "I, I don't know, Sir. I hadn't thought…Culsu! Stop hitting Claudius with that pillow and come here for a second."
"He was hitting me, too, Major Samantha." Claudius dropped his pillow and attempted to look innocent. Culsu bopped him one final time and then scurried over and plopped down against Carter's side, cuddling under her arm until she was draped across Carter's lap. "Yes, Sam? How is Daniel? Is he better?"
Jack looked down at the tousled head in his lap, noted the even breaths, the limp limbs. Asleep, thank goodness. "He's resting, Culsu. I have a few questions to ask you."
The little girl yawned, and wriggled into a more comfortable position. "Okay, Colonel Jack. But I may not know the answers."
O'Neill nodded. "I can accept that. Tell me where Claudius came from."
"Lyons. Well, Rome, but he was born in Lyons. Ten BC. Why?"
Carter poked the little girl in the nose, eliciting a giggle. "What the Colonel wants to know, mite, is how he came to be here, and young again."
"Oh! Well, my Father made a device that reaches into the past and pulls people out. Claudius was nearly dead of Julia Agrippina's poison, but Father turned back the hourglass and the sands flowed upward. The years fell away, and the waters of Lethe washed away all memory of his life, until he was a child again. I wish I could have fixed him; he has what you call cerebral palsy. Father would not hear of it, though, and became quite cross when I suggested it."
"Amazing." Sam was gaping down at her wiggling lapful with wide eyes. "But it makes some sense. Not actual time travel, but manipulation of temporal possibilities. And I suppose you put them back the same way, a whole new life span lived, when they reach their natural death here?"
"Uh huh." The girl nodded, playing with the Major's dog tags.
A thought entered Jack's mind, and he said, "Can you turn back that hourglass for oh, say, an hour? And what would happen?"
Culsu rolled over in Sam's lap and regarded Jack seriously.
"You would be an hour younger."
Jack nodded in annoyance. "And?"
"And what Colonel Jack? What do you want to know?"
Daniel twitched, groaning as the wagon hit a particularly jarring bump. The little girl patted his feet, rubbing in soothing circles, and the semi-conscious man calmed down, murmuring to himself again. Controlling his rising temper, Jack said, "I want to know if it would heal Danny."
The little girl looked startled then bit her lip, thinking. Jack stroked Daniel's head, combing through the drying strands with his fingers, and rubbing the man's temples lightly. At length, the child said, "I think so. I do not see why it would not. But you would want a day or so. Twenty-four hours, rather than one. It would be as if the day had never happened. No hurts, no memory."
"Perfect." Jack nodded in satisfaction. "Teal'c, drive faster."
The plodding mules would not, however, be hurried. It took the better part of the day for them to find the oak grove once again. To Jack's profound relief, Daniel slept through most of it. He was still sleeping when they finally reached the grove and could go on sleeping, as far as Jack was concerned, until they got him fixed up.
He called Carter and Claudius over to help him up, leaving Daniel in the wagon for the moment. With Claudius under one shoulder and Carter under the other, Jack hopped off of the wagon with little discomfort. "Culsu, go do that voodoo that you do."
"You made a poem, Colonel Jack!" The giggling girl skipped forward and stood between two oaks, her arms outstretched. A shimmering black curtain stretched from one to the other. Slowly, the ripples cleared and Jack could see strange shapes and glowing structures. To one side, he saw a bit of a Stargate, and felt an almost overwhelming sense of homesickness. The construct reminded him of the quantum mirror Danny had fallen into, but this was just hanging there, strung between two trees.
"Teeeeel…ck, take point," the girl sang, and Major Carter laughed quietly under O'Neill's arm. Then she stiffened as the sound of an arming staff weapon brought the group to a stop.
"I don't believe this! Hastatus. Carter, hand me your P-90 'cos I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch. What's he saying?"
"He says what they always say, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "Give up now, or you are all dead."
"Well, *that's * not gonna happen."
^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *
The world was rocking softness and distant pain. Fading in and out, Daniel vaguely registered that his head was in Jack O'Neill's lap, and that the Colonel was stroking his head. Too tired to be surprised, Daniel gave in to the softness, the closeness of his friends, and his fatigue and let himself fade out again.
The next time he woke, the rocking had stopped. Gingerly propping himself on one elbow, he looked around blearily, but the wagon was empty except for gear and pillows. "Jack?" Daniel was surprised at the whisper of voice, and the pain that accompanied it. He tried again, but with no better result. After a third try, he gave it up as a lost cause and decided to go looking for his friends.
This proved much easier to contemplate than to accomplish. He was tangled up in a long sheet that was stuck to his back, and there was something painfully wrong with his hands. His wrists. His mind shied away from the memory of why his wrists hurt so badly, and he concentrated on sitting up, then on swinging his legs over the back of the wagon. Someone had thoughtfully left the gate off, and he sat there for a moment, waiting for the sudden rush of dizziness to pass. Sam must have doped me up pretty well, he thought vaguely.
"Culsu, go do that voodoo that you do!" Jack's tired voice and the childish giggle that followed drew his attention. "You made a poem Colonel Jack!" A child? Daniel wondered if he might not be hallucinating, but the pulling agony in his back was too real. He had vague memories of a childish voice, mixed with Jack's gravely voice, answering questions.
He leaned against the side of the wagon for a moment, his arms resting in his lap, and contemplated standing. Perhaps it would be better to wait for one of the others. Surely they'd come back for him. Lethargy turned his limbs to lead, and he decided he was content to sit.
The sound of a staff weapon powering up brought him around instantly. "Teal'c?"
"//Surrender now, or you will all perish. You will return with me to the Magistrate.//"
Jack's irate voice said, "I don't believe this! Hastatus. Carter, hand me your P-90, 'cos I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch. What's he saying?"
Standing carefully, Daniel looked around the side of the wagon. Hastatus had Teal'c's staff weapon aimed at his friends. Jack was being held up by Sam and Claudius, and Teal'c was carrying a little girl. They couldn't do anything against Hastatus.
Gear. Backpacks. Daniel remembered seeing their backpacks in the wagon. It was worth a try. With fingers that did not want to bend, Daniel wrestled open one of the packs and upended it. BDU's, the gate transmitter, and some MRE's. Nothing useful there, unless Hastatus could be forced to consume the Tabasco sauce that the government insisted on putting inside every MRE packet.
Daniel snagged another pack, his wrists aching with every jarring movement. He set his jaw and opened the backpack, spilling its contents on top of the first. To his profound relief, this one held a zat. Cradling it in his stiff hands, Daniel looked around the side of the wagon again. The tableau had not changed. He armed the hand weapon and fumbled for the trigger, not quite able to feel it. Almost by accident, the weapon fired, and Hastatus collapsed in a ball of blue fire.
The temptation to pull the trigger again was almost overwhelming. Daniel was frightened by his sudden desire to annihilate this man, and he dropped the zat before he could find the trigger again. He was not afraid of killing, but only in self-defense. Never in anger, never in fear, and never for the sake of vengeance.
"Way to go, Daniel!" Jack crowed.
Leaning against the side of the wagon, Daniel waved tiredly. Teal'c scooped up his staff weapon and nudged the unconscious man over onto his back. "What shall we do with this ha'shak, DanielJackson?" He looked down at Hastatus with disgust.
Daniel shrugged. "I don't really care, Teal'c. Just wanna go home." He clutched the toga with his clawed and crabbed fingers and avoided looking at the man on the ground. The ground was starting to look pretty good, actually, all cool and green. His whole body hurt terribly and he was starting to shake again.
"Send him back with the wagon," Sam suggested. "By coming after us, he became a fugitive. Let Callas deal with him." She looked to Daniel; somehow the decision had become his. Well, there was a certain ironic justice to it.
At Daniel's tired nod, Teal'c tied Hastatus' hands and hoisted him into the wagon, clearing it first of their gear. He then led the mules back to the path and sent them ambling on their way.
"Hate to just let that bastard go. You okay, Daniel?"
The bent man huffed a tired, bitter laugh. "No. Not really. Can we go home now, Jack?"
A little girl approached him and looked up, solemnly. The child he had heard earlier. "Follow me, Doctor Daniel Jackson." She pulled him toward a shimmering portal that hung between two trees. "Home is this way." He let himself be pulled through, stumbling momentarily until Teal'c steadied him with a careful hand on his arm.
The room on the other side would have been fascinating, if he were not so damn tired. He had an impression of organic shapes, warm light, and a Stargate. "God, I'm glad to see that," he said. His voice broke and he was surprised at how close he was to tears. "Home now?"
Sam and Claudius settled Jack on a low bench. "In a bit, Daniel," Jack said.
"Just a little farther, Doctor Daniel." The girl led him to a table and said. "Lie down."
Daniel looked at Jack, who nodded. "She says this thing will fix you up, Daniel. Go on."
He looked at the table dubiously. "Not like a sarcophagus?"
"Nothing like a sarcophagus, DanielJackson. Culsu thinks the procedure will heal you."
A little alarmed, Daniel pulled away from Teal'c. "Procedure? What procedure? And who is Culsu?" He had a vague memory of the name; Etruscan guardian of the underworld, usually depicted as an old woman holding a pair of scissors.
The little girl who had led him through the shimmering curtain held up her hand. "I am. Me. I am Culsu. Nice to meet you." She covered her mouth with both hands and giggled. "I made a poem."
Daniel had to smile. Her giggle was infectious. Still, "Tell me about this procedure." He was starting to shiver again, and really wanted to lay down somewhere for a while. Preferably a nice, warm infirmary. The room was spinning slowly, and his knees were feeling very wobbly. "Why can't we just go home?"
"Daniel, your wrists are shattered," Jack said bluntly. "Janet can't put you back together again. Culsu thinks she can."
So that was why his hands wouldn't work right. The nails must have… He tried to flex his wrists and gasped as the pain shot up both arms and burrowed into his shoulders. "Okay. What do I do?"
"Just lie down, Doctor Jackson," the girl said.
With Teal'c's help, Daniel stretched out on the table. It molded itself to his shape, cradling him with no pressure on his ragged back. It felt cool, then warm, and then Daniel felt no pain at all as the light grew brighter around him. He heard a distant hum, like a broken hymn, and tried to follow the tune but lost it quickly, as the bed grew warmer beneath him. Soothing warmth, melting into his aches and giving him ease.
The pain in his wrists went first, and he hands finally relaxed. The healing warmth traveled up his arms, to the strained muscles in his shoulders and back. Then down his back in licks of soothing heat.
He didn't know just how long he lay in the bed's embrace, but eventually the light faded around him and the bed firmed beneath him. Taking the hint, he sat up, wincing as the toga pulled on the welts left by Hastatus' willow whip.
"How you feeling, Danny?" Jack asked.
Sam walked up and slipped something into his hands. "My glasses!" He put them on, clumsy due to the splints, and sighed happily. Everything came into focus for the first time in days, and the first thing he saw was that everyone was looking at him. "What?"
^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ * ^ *
Teal'c went with Daniel to change, leaving Jack waiting impatiently on his bench. He looked around and saw Sam and Claudius whispering together in the corner, the kid up on Sam's shoulders. Probably translating. They looked excited and a bit worried. "Carter, shouldn't you be finding a DHD or something?" His leg was hurting like hell and all he wanted right now was Dr. Fraiser and her happy meds.
"Culsu will dial out, Sir. Before we go, though," she hurried over to him, the kid still perched on her back like a parrot. "Claudius was telling me that Callas had cru…executed several of his workers before attending your trial. We were thinking that some of them might still be alive."
Jack kicked himself mentally. He'd all but forgotten about that. Kind of strange, though, that the Roman would take an interest. "'Claudius, any particular reason you're wanting to help out here?" He didn't think the man had a guileful bone in his body, but he was also an unknown. "This sort of thing has been going on for a long time now. Why haven't you tried to stop it?" Culsu translated softly.
"Sir, I…" he held up a hand and Sam stopped talking.
The man looked uncomfortable, listening to Culsu's translation. He replied briefly, then limped away to start packing.
Culsu said, "His reasons are the same as my reasons." She stood before him, shifting form foot to foot, picking at the dark stain on her tunic. That's blood, Jack realized. Daniel's blood. "You were never real to me before, Colonel Jack," she said at last. Her voice was very quiet, and there was a sadness in her wide, jade eyes that had not been there before.
"Since taking on this form, I have gained a new perspective. I have seen your love for your friend, the gentleness with which you held him. I have felt anger myself, when I saw his pain. So fragile, but he fought me when I removed the iron from his wrists. Claudius feels as I do, and we want to change the world my Father made. He wants to stay when you go, and free Father's world. Starting with the men from your vineyard."
"With our weapons, it would not be a long delay, Sir," Carter added. "There's a portal near the Drunken Carter. We can be back within a half-hour."
Jack looked up into the eager faces of his team and decided his leg could wait a half-hour. "You have a go. But if it looks dicey, you pull out and hare back here, get me? And take Teal'c with you. Culsu, run find him quick and let him know what the plan is." The girl was off like a shot, bare feet slapping against the floor.
"Th-Thank you, Colonel," Claudius said.
Jack nodded, a little surprised that the man had spoken. The Roman had been hanging back for a while, he realized. Lending a hand where needed, but not really interacting with the team much. Back in the cell, Jack had been too preoccupied to notice the man at all. He had vague memories of being handed food and water at intervals, but he had been too caught up in what he was hearing outside to have any appetite. It had been worse when the screaming stopped, though. He remembered soft, meaningless words, and himself railing at his inability to change things. Claudius had stayed with him, though he could have left at any time.
"Sam, how are you coming with the Latin thing?" he asked.
Sam looked up from the backpack she was loading and said, "Fair, Sir. Why?"
"Need you to translate for me." He beckoned her over.
She looked surprised. "Maybe you better wait for Daniel to come back, Sir. You'd get better results."
"Just do your best. Tell Claudius thank you for all the help he's given us. Tell him we never would have made it here if it hadn't been for him."
Sam smiled and said, "I've told him all of that already, Sir. But he'll be glad to hear it from you."
Sure enough, the man smiled like a star going nova, it was that bright. His whole face just lit right up. Jack had to wonder what the man's life had been like when a scrap of praise would fuel that warm a glow.
A delighted squeal from down the corridor drew his attention. Teal'c, Culsu on his shoulders, came charging in the room. Daniel followed close behind, trying unsuccessfully to control his laughter. The Jaffa circled the room twice, galloping like a racehorse, before swinging the little girl high in the air and swooping her down for a landing. "There, infans. You must stay here and mind O'Neill and DanielJackson. We will return soon."
"But, I must open the door for you on the other side. I must go with you."
Sam said, "This time it'll be too dangerous, kid. Can't you just open the door from this side, or keep the door open for us?"
"Well, yes. I suppose. But I want to help, as I did with DanielJackson."
Jack controlled his flinch, saw Sam look guiltily at Daniel, and saw the questions already forming on the younger man's face. Well, he never intended to lie to the man about what happened. For a start, he would probably work it out for himself. Better to meet it head on; at least he would have no actual memories of his ordeal to keep him awake at night. The man had enough nightmare fodder in his brain all ready.
"You can help by keeping our escape route open, infans," said Teal'c. "We must depart now."
With a pout a mile long, the little girl opened the portal again. Jack recognized the pathway to the pool behind the Drunken Carter, shimmering in midair. "Good luck, kids. Be back before curfew." Sam, Teal'c, and Claudius stepped through the portal and disappeared down the path.
The room was quiet when the three had gone. Jack tried to get his leg into a more comfortable position, but on the hard little bench it was difficult. It was throbbing, now, and he really hoped the rescue mission was over quickly.
Daniel was strangely quiet. He was standing, his arms wrapped around his body, and staring off into the distance. Warning bells went off in Jack's head. There were fascinating lines of script on the walls that he was completely failing to show any interest in. Always a sign of trouble. "Daniel? You okay?"
"You keep asking me that, Jack. I'm fine. Is there some reason I shouldn't be fine?" The younger man's voice was tight with barely held control. "Sam keeps looking at me like I'm going to shatter, and Teal'c won't meet my eyes. What happened that I'm not remembering, Jack?"
"Daniel, I…"
"I saw the toga, Jack. I had to peel it off of my skin. The blood stains down my back, my legs. Hell, my wrists." His voice cracked, but the volume kept escalating. "You've got a fucking Shroud of Turin in there and I haven't got a mark on me, except for a few welts and a fading goose egg on the back of my head." He took off his glasses and rubbed his still sore eyes, trying for some measure of control. "It's like, there's something tickling at the back of my head, something that wants to be remembered, but it didn't happen yet. I know that makes no sense. Like a reverse deja' vu."
Crap. Jack looked at Culsu, who looked sad, but not surprised. "Sometimes it is thus. Memories too strong for forgetting refuse to go. They camp and lay siege at your doorstep, like frightened children yearning for your hearth to warm them."
She scampered off and returned a few minutes later with a cone shaped device. "This will make you remember, DanielJackson." She placed it in his hands and went and sat in the corner, a little bundle of sadness.
Daniel turned the device over in his hands.
Best to meet it head on? Like operating without anesthesia was more like it. If he didn't tell him, though, Daniel would make himself remember. "Don't, Danny. You're right that something terrible happened to you. You don't need to remember, all you have to do is ask. Isn't it enough to know what happened, without remembering it?"
The man went pale at Jack's words as understanding dawned. They had never been able to speak openly of it, but Daniel understood. "They did it? Really did it? We didn't get away? I thought…. And Sam found me; that's why she can't look at me." He looked at the device in his hands like it was a poisonous snake. "You healed me, somehow, and the process erased my memories, right?" He looked up at the little girl in the corner, who nodded. "This will bring my memories back?" She nodded again. "What will happen if I don't use it?"
"Nothing. You will remember everything in time, probably, except for details."
"And if I do?"
"You will remember everything. Vividly."
Crapcrapcrap…just once, Daniel, let it go. He could see the need to know and the fear of that knowledge written plainly across the young man's face. "Let it go, Daniel. Just this once. There's all kinds of hell I'd forget if I could. Let this one stay buried as long as it likes. Trust me."
Daniel sat on the floor, his legs crossed, and looked down the barrel of the thing. "I don't really want to remember, but it feels like cheating not to."
The little girl stood up and padded over to him, taking the device from his hands. "It is not cheating." She laid the thing to one side and then picked up Daniel's hands and kissed the inside of his wrists, one and then the other. "It is a blessing. The waters of Lethe cure as well as curse."
Daniel sat, lost in thought, then looked up at O'Neill, his eyes watery blue, and smiled shakily. "Okay. We let sleeping dogs lie."
"There are no dogs here, DanielJackson."
Jack laughed, surprised, and the tension broke. "Culsu, are you sure you're not related to Teal'c?" Daniel was smiling, though, and that was a miracle. "I think there's a bit of family resemblance, don't you, Daniel? Maybe around the eyes."
"I was thinking more around the ribs," Daniel said, and reached out with wriggling fingers. He tickled the child unmercifully until she collapsed in a pile of giggles in his lap. "Yep, definitely Jaffa material. Stoic," tickle, "stalwart," ticklegiggle, "and stout of heart." The girl jumped up and ran to Jack for protection, hiding behind his bench.
"Save me, Colonel Jack!"
Far sooner than expected, the curtain shimmered and the rest of the team walked through, alone. "Where's the rest of the party?" Jack asked.
"Horace Hospes sends his regards, O'Neill, and says not to worry."
Sam dropped her pack and sat on it, combing her hair with her fingers. "Apparently he rescued the men the day after Callas left. Caupona is taking care of them now, and they will be moved to a safer location soon." She smiled fondly at Claudius. "Claudius has a villa nearby. He volunteered the use of it until the men can fend for themselves."
"Generous. Okay, Culsu, dial us up. Time to go home."
"Sir, I don't think it's going to be that simple," Carter said. "We've been gone for more than a week; our mission was supposed to be completed in two hours. Surely the General will have blocked out our gate remote, won't he?"
"True, but trust me. Culsu? Will you do the honors? Daniel knows the coordinates." The two went off to confer and Jack motioned for Sam to hand him his pack. He dug for a minute and pulled out the gate remote, punching in numbers. "Emergency override. We never had to use it before, but General Hammond wanted each of his team leaders to have a guaranteed backdoor home, if things got dicey. The codes change at random, but we should be okay."
"Should be, Sir?" Sam looked at the Stargate doubtfully. "With all due respect, I have no desire to be splattered on the other end of the wormhole. Can't we, I don't know, throw something in to test first? Morse code?"
Jack looked around. "We could send a message through, ask for a response. Good idea, Major." He quickly wrote out the coordinates to this Stargate and a brief note to General Hammond, including the last three override codes.
"Heads up! Activating," Daniel called. The 'Gate opened with a liquid whoosh, then subsided again. "Alarms must be going off like crazy back home." Jack handed him the letter and he sent it through. Jack activated the gate remote, then sat back. Daniel looked longingly at the blue, shimmering pool and said, "I really want to step through, Jack."
The gate vanished as suddenly as it appeared.
Culsu climbed into Sam's lap again, playing with her dogtags. "Gonna miss you, Major Sam 'n' Teal'c. I do not have anyone to play with." She looked up at the Jaffa with bright eyes and said, "Will you not stay and be my playfellow?"
"I cannot, infans. I am needed among the Tau'ri. But, at the Drunken Carter, there is a little girl for you to play with, and an apprentice blacksmith named Alvanus who, I am certain, will let you ride upon his back if you ask him."
Sam looked at the Colonel with sad eyes. "No, Major, you can't keep her. But she's welcome to come back with us if she likes."
The girl shook her head. "Claudius is staying, so I will stay."
"Claudius?" Daniel looked at the Roman in surprise. "Why? Come back with us." He repeated himself in Latin, and the Roman answered him, the limping cadence of his speech determined, but sad.
"He says he knows this place is not his world, but these people are his people and he will not abandon them. If Culsu can make everyone remember where they are from, he will help them find their way home," Daniel translated. "I told him he was welcome on Earth and that Culsu knew the way."
The wormhole activated again, and a piece of paper came sailing through. Sam retrieved it and handed it to O'Neill as the 'Gate winked out again. "It says, SG-1, come home. Dial her up, Daniel, and let's move out."
Translations in order of appearance
Sedare. Ejus a me - Easy. It's just me.
Ego audire tu. Daniel dormitum. - I heard you. Daniel is asleep.
Si placet, Sam. Dormitum es 'asleep'? I-ita - Please, Sam. Dormitum means 'asleep,' right?
Tace - Silence
Progredi - Move (forward)
Vexatoris tu, Milesitis Senex - Did I anger you, old soldier?
Iter facere - March faster
Desistere - Stop
Egere aqua - You want water?
Milesitis grandis. Bellator vallidisium - Great soldier. Mighty warrior.
Non militaris. Marmoset nos! Concidere, marmoset. - You're no soldier. You're a marmoset. Come down, marmoset.
Tace - Quiet
Canis - Dog
Nil mortus tu - I'm not going to kill you.
Scia? - Understand?
Plecta mia tu. - You will be punished
Carus para dominus - Master paid alot (for you)
Adde furca - Bring the furca
Custodia agere - I will guard him.
Hastatus. - (a) spear or pike; also the guy's name
Iteras. - Repeat
Bene - Good
Salute, Canis. Bene somnus? - Hello, Dog. Good sleep?
Aqua. Sitis tu? - Water? You're thristy?
Obtinea aqua tu. - You will have water.
Sequae, Canis. - follow, dog
Carnifex. - Executioner
Biba toto queo - Drink all you can.
Bellator caederae Harundo - the warrior killed Harundo
Harundo mortus est - Harundo is dead
Bibae, cito - drink, quickly
"Nex omnes, Milesitis Senex. Tace ac abceda." (You'll kill us all, Old Soldier. Be quiet and go.)
"Effugio!" (Escape)
"Necare mie frater, nothus!"(you killed my brother, bastard) "Canis! Mori tu!" (Dog, you die!)
Mansuetus - Mild or mildly, also the name of the guard who helps Daniel and Jack escape.
Danae, Karen, and Lems Betad the first bit, but I got impatient and beta'd the rest myself. Thank you to everyone who commented or made suggestions as this sucker was going up on SG1HC.
And a big big thank you to Stacey of the rabid plot bunnies. You kept me going, ma'am.
September 9, 2001 © The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp. The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television, Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd. Partnership. This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and solely meant for entertainment. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.