1 00:00:05,467 --> 00:00:12,420 Without warning, the children landed at the bottom of a tunnel with a loud thud. 2 00:00:12,421 --> 00:00:15,614 “Ouch!” shouted Vinnie. 3 00:00:15,615 --> 00:00:18,282 “Oomph!” cried Mandy. 4 00:00:18,283 --> 00:00:20,742 They opened their eyes. 5 00:00:20,743 --> 00:00:23,223 The bright light was gone. 6 00:00:23,224 --> 00:00:26,181 The darkness of the tunnel was gone, too. 7 00:00:26,182 --> 00:00:30,417 They both lay on the ground, not far from each other. 8 00:00:30,418 --> 00:00:34,613 “Are you okay?” Vinnie called to his sister. 9 00:00:34,614 --> 00:00:37,967 They had landed on the bank of a long river. 10 00:00:37,968 --> 00:00:41,069 They could see ducks and geese flying by. 11 00:00:41,070 --> 00:00:45,954 Men with nets and spears were fishing from boats and from land. 12 00:00:45,955 --> 00:00:49,619 “Mandy?” Vinnie called to her again. 13 00:00:49,620 --> 00:00:56,130 As he got up and moved closer to Mandy, Vinnie could see why she didn’t answer. 14 00:00:56,131 --> 00:01:00,095 Standing in front of her was a boy about Vinnie’s age. 15 00:01:00,096 --> 00:01:03,958 He was dark and slender. 16 00:01:03,959 --> 00:01:06,348 “Are you the gods of the Nile?” 17 00:01:06,348 --> 00:01:09,207 the boy asked, falling to his knees. 18 00:01:09,208 --> 00:01:12,271 “The Nile?” Vinnie questioned. 19 00:01:12,272 --> 00:01:14,868 Then he realized where they were. 20 00:01:14,869 --> 00:01:18,500 “We’re in Egypt!” he shouted at Mandy. 21 00:01:18,501 --> 00:01:20,818 “Please don’t hurt me,” 22 00:01:20,818 --> 00:01:24,152 the strange boy cried, his voice shaking. 23 00:01:24,153 --> 00:01:28,602 “No, we are not gods,” Vinnie said to the boy. 24 00:01:28,603 --> 00:01:32,410 “I’m Vinnie and this is my sister, Mandy.” 25 00:01:32,411 --> 00:01:38,874 The stranger wore only a short white skirt, tied with a sash around his waist. 26 00:01:38,875 --> 00:01:42,545 Suddenly Vinnie looked down at himself. 27 00:01:42,546 --> 00:01:45,430 That’s all he was wearing, too! 28 00:01:45,431 --> 00:01:47,925 Vinnie’s face turned red. 29 00:01:47,926 --> 00:01:51,087 Mandy was also dressed differently. 30 00:01:51,088 --> 00:01:54,805 Her body was covered by a straight white dress. 31 00:01:54,806 --> 00:01:57,240 Her feet were in sandals. 32 00:01:57,241 --> 00:01:59,739 Her hair was in a long braid. 33 00:01:59,740 --> 00:02:02,707 “But I saw you fall from the sky,” 34 00:02:02,708 --> 00:02:06,217 said the boy, getting back up on his feet. 35 00:02:06,218 --> 00:02:12,049 “We have . . . special powers,” she paused and looked at Vinnie. 36 00:02:12,050 --> 00:02:16,873 He was still holding the photograph, which he stuck inside his sash. 37 00:02:16,874 --> 00:02:20,733 The stranger gasped and fell to his knees again. 38 00:02:20,734 --> 00:02:25,940 “Don’t worry. We’re not going to hurt you,” Mandy said kindly. 39 00:02:25,941 --> 00:02:28,253 “We need your help.” 40 00:02:28,254 --> 00:02:33,572 “I am Akhom,” the boy said, “and I promise to help you.” 41 00:02:33,573 --> 00:02:36,677 “Thank you, Akhom,” said Mandy. 42 00:02:36,678 --> 00:02:40,935 They heard voices coming toward them from the distance. 43 00:02:40,936 --> 00:02:43,480 Vinnie and Mandy froze. 44 00:02:43,481 --> 00:02:47,668 “Oh, those are my friends,” Akhom explained. 45 00:02:47,669 --> 00:02:51,269 He held up an odd shaped ball in his hand. 46 00:02:51,270 --> 00:02:53,531 “I left them to look for my ball. 47 00:02:53,532 --> 00:02:55,947 Then I saw you.” 48 00:02:55,948 --> 00:02:59,074 Vinnie and Mandy looked at each other. 49 00:02:59,075 --> 00:03:03,606 “Please don’t tell them about us, Akhom,” they both said. 50 00:03:03,607 --> 00:03:07,745 Akhom nodded. “Yes, it would be best for you to hide. 51 00:03:07,746 --> 00:03:10,935 My friends are not accustomed to strangers.” 52 00:03:10,936 --> 00:03:13,948 The loud shouts came nearer. 53 00:03:13,949 --> 00:03:19,350 “Akhom! Are you looking for cobras again?” shouted one boy. 54 00:03:19,351 --> 00:03:22,403 “Cobras?” whispered Vinnie. 55 00:03:22,404 --> 00:03:26,679 Vinnie hated snakes even more than spiders. 56 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:29,717 “Cobras, hippos, crocodiles. 57 00:03:29,718 --> 00:03:34,074 They’re all over the Nile,” Akhom whispered back. 58 00:03:34,075 --> 00:03:40,718 “Crocodiles!” Vinnie mouthed, his eyes getting very big. 59 00:03:40,719 --> 00:03:46,215 “Akhom! Where are you?” the voices shouted again . 60 00:03:46,216 --> 00:03:50,142 Akhom threw the ball back to his friends. 61 00:03:50,143 --> 00:03:53,353 Then he signaled to Vinnie and Mandy. 62 00:03:53,354 --> 00:03:57,217 “Quickly follow me!” 63 00:03:57,218 --> 00:04:01,745 Vinnie and Mandy ran after him. 64 00:04:01,746 --> 00:04:07,619 Out of breath, they arrived at a small house with windows high up on the walls. 65 00:04:07,620 --> 00:04:11,478 Its white surface had many cracks from the hot sun. 66 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:17,531 “Welcome to my home,” Akhom said warmly.