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The center of the DHD had been smashed. Deliberately, from what they could see. "You found it like this?" Sam asked Talla, through Daniel.

She nodded. "Yes, it was like this when Habib uncovered it."

"Where was it found?" Daniel asked.

Talla led the archaeologist toward the center of the cavern room. "It was here, buried under rocks. Habib said that someone had deliberately hidden it. Why, he did not know."

Casey shuddered suddenly. Every member of the team noticed.

"Case?" Jack said, stepping toward her.

"Daniel, besides Hathor, were there any other Goa'uld associated with this planet?"

He hurried back toward the table of scrolls. "Case, you should be able to read these," he said, separating the Egyptian texts from the Babylonian writings.

Tulmet watched the two visitors. They were clearly agitated about something. He could sense that something was wrong. But he remained silent. If these visitors wished them to know, they would explain, if not…well, nothing could be done. In the meantime…He found two stools, took them to where the blonde man and woman hurriedly looked through the scrolls. The smile that the woman flashed warmed him to his very core. He smiled shyly at her. Wished that she did not belong to the man beside her. Shook himself mentally at the turn his thoughts had taken.

"Uh oh," Daniel murmured.

"I don't want to hear it," Jack said.

"Pelops," Daniel said.

"As in the guy who screwed the people of Argos?" Jack asked incredulously.

"The very same. According to this, he was here when Hathor arrived. Seems she…uh… seduced him, learned what she wanted from him, then poisoned him and sealed him in a stone sarcophagus. Which she then had buried in a 'secret place'," Daniel replied. "Seems she did it to Pelops before Ra did it to her."

"Maybe that's where Ra got the idea," Casey said dryly.

"I'm thinking that those who worked for Pelops had hoped to trap Hathor here by smashing the DHD. They'd find and free their god…master…whatever, let him take out Hathor, and then he would fix the DHD," Daniel said.

"Yeah, doesn't look like it quite worked out that way," Jack replied.

Talla and the others were watching, listening with interest. Daniel smiled at them, and translated some of what the team had been discussing. He wasn't sure that they were ready to hear about Goa'uld being on their planet, at least, not just yet.

"This means there's a Goa'uld buried out there somewhere," Sam said.

"Yep. And we need to find him before these people accidentally set his snake ass free," Jack said. "Casey, can you do a search, see if you can find this creep?"

She smiled. "I can certainly try." Daniel was already linking his fingers with hers, she felt his warm, gentle presence. She closed her eyes, moved slowly out of the cave. She frowned. Why were those two men hiding in the bushes, watching the cave? Slowly, carefully she approached the closest man. Like Sitmet, he worked for the leaders of Menefer. Unlike Sitmet he wanted the people inside the cavern arrested and executed immediately. He was…he was planning to kill them himself, rather than risk them being granted life in prison. She backed away from him, searched the mind of the man behind him. This was a simple man…a farmer. A farmer who had…Her eyes flew open, her body began to shake.

"Case?" Daniel asked, pulling her into his embrace, trying to calm the tremors that moved over her slender frame.

"There are two men outside this cavern. One of them works for the leaders, just as Sitmet does. He desperately wants Talla and her friends arrested and executed. But he's worried that they'll manage to escape. He's planning to kill them. Soon. He's been inside here, he's seen what they have. There's another man. A farmer. He found a Goa'uld. He doesn't actually know that's what…who…he has found. All he knows is that he 'freed' a 'god' from imprisonment caused by…demons; and that bringing him to the Chappa'ai, the Great Stone Circle, will please his Master. Who has promised to reward him for his faithfulness," Casey reported. "I don't think the Goa'uld has been…awake…long. A few months at the most. How the snake knew about the 'gate I don't know."

"Hathor told us that she had been drawn to it, when she was inadvertently released," Daniel said. "I guess they all must be able to sense the naquadah the 'gate is made from."

Jack was looking around the room. "Daniel, tell our friends here what's going on. Teal'c, you're with me. We're going to see if we can't convince those gentlemen to join us in here."

Daniel nodded, quickly told Talla what Casey had learned.

"She is a goddess, is she not, to see these things?" Talla asked, her eyes wide.

He smiled. "No. She has a talent…a gift. She's a seer. A very powerful seer," he said, looking hard at Sitmet.

Sitmet studied the young woman with the long, golden hair. He had seen so much in the past hour or so, had learned much. He glanced at the scrolls that the one called Dan'yel had read so easily. Scrolls that told the story of the arrival of the ancestors. Through the Great Stone Circle. He shook his head. All his life he had been taught that the Menes people had been created by the gods, and that Menefer itself had been built by the gods for them. He felt as if his entire world had been turned upside down. He took a deep breath. "Swear to me that what you speak is the truth. Tell me what I think now, and if you are correct, I will vow my allegiance to you," he said quietly, looking at Casey.

Daniel translated. He smiled at his wife. "Can you do it?"

She shrugged. "I guess we'll find out." Her fingers were still locked with his. Once again his gentle presence filled her mind. She took time to caress him, smiled softly when that caress was returned. She moved towards the man who stood staring at him. He was confused, frightened. Desperate to have something to believe in, something solid, tangible…visible. His faith in the 'gods' had been shattered. "Tell him that we aren't gods. We don't work for gods. He seeks comfort, needs a god to believe in. Tell him that there are those worthy of his…faith. But that he is strong enough, intelligent enough to find them on his own. He doesn't need someone else to tell him who they are, or where they are, or how to worship them. Tell him that his heart will lead him," she said softly.

When Daniel translated her words, the man was visibly shaken. He dropped onto a nearby stool. "I think you did it, Angel," he said softly.

Sitmet shook his head, then looked at Daniel. "I will go to those for whom I work. I will tell them what I have seen. They will not believe me. But I will convince them. If you speak to them, they must listen. If you speak to the people, they will hear your words."

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Daniel said slowly. "Your people have the right to know about their origins, this is true. However, to force a change like this could be devastating for them. Sometimes it's better to move slowly, take small steps."

Talla nodded. "Habib said the same thing. That the people aren't ready to know, not yet."

"I can leave a 'key' to help you translate all of these writings, these scrolls," Daniel said. "Tell your leaders that the truth can't be hidden forever."

Sam had been working on the DHD. "I can't fix this. Not without new crystals. I have what I need…in my lab," she sighed.

Daniel glanced at his watch. "It's going to be at least another hour and a half before it's time to check in. Duncan is sure to open the 'gate to check the MALP when we don't report in."

The colonel nodded. "I can tell him what I need, and he can send it through. In the meantime-"

Jack and Teal'c entered the room, pushing two men in front of them. One resisted, his dark eyes full of hate. The other, a simple middle-aged man who had worked hard all of his life in the fields, stood trembling, not looking at any of the people around him.

Casey's heart went out to the farmer. He was confused, and terrified. She reached out - soothed, calmed his fears. "Daniel, find out where Pelops, or whoever the Goa'uld is, has been hiding. We can slip out tonight and take him out. Then these people can continue to…mature…on their own."

He nodded. "Where is the one who tells you that he is a god?" he asked gently.

The farmer looked up at him, his brown eyes wide. He had seen books that depicted Angels. They looked very much like this man and the two women with him. The other two men…he shuddered slightly. The man with such dark skin was no doubt a demon. But why would Angels and a Demon work together? "He is a god," he said, although he wasn't quite as convinced as he had been. If the man in his cellar was a god, then he wasn't a very powerful one, for these…Beings…seemed to be more powerful than he!

"He's not a god, trust me," Daniel replied. "Please, tell me where he is. He'll kill you, and more innocent people if we don't stop him."

The farmer started. Several times his new Master had threatened his life for hesitating to do his will. He had suffered from the beam of light that came from his hand. "He has much power. He has the ability to call forth light from his hand, to cause great pain."

Ribbon device. Daniel flinched slightly.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

The young archaeologist translated what had been said. Casey pulled her lip between her teeth. "The Fire, Daniel. Just to let him know that Pelops isn't the only one with a bit of magic up his sleeve."

Daniel called up the Fire, tossed a blue ball of light into a pile of rocks. Several cracked and fell apart. Everyone in the cavern not aware of Daniel's ability fell to their knees. "Get up!" he demanded. "I am not a god! I simply have a…a gift! This man who claims to be a god must have a device on his hand to do that much!"

Slowly, the stunned group stood to their feet. Both government agents were trembling. Neither could believe what they were seeing…hearing. Sitmet had become more doubtful of the stance of the Conciliators the longer he had worked with Those Who Search, although until this moment he hadn't realized that fact. The other man hadn't been witness to the opening of the Great Stone Circle. Hadn't seen all of the treasures hidden in the cavern. But this one act alone sent his mind reeling.

"Please, we must stop this…man. He's evil, twisted. He seeks only to destroy," Daniel implored quietly.

The farmer nodded his head. "He remains hidden in the cellar beneath my dwelling. I will take you there."

Daniel smiled, put his hand on the man's shoulder. "Thank you. We must wait until dark, it wouldn't be wise for anyone else to know about this."

Again the farmer nodded. "As you wish, my Lord," he replied, bowing slightly.

He shook his head. "No. Daniel. My name is Daniel."

"It will be nightfall soon enough. Until then, what do we do?" Talla asked.

"It would be best to return to our daily affairs, as if nothing is out of the ordinary," Sitmet said, his voice still a bit unsteady. "I can make sure that there are no questions asked." He turned to the other agent. "Do you not agree, Zahur?"

The other agent managed to nod slowly. He looked from Daniel to Sitmet and back again. "If you are not a god, how do you possess such…power?"

Daniel smiled. "That…power…was a…uh…gift. Given to me by Beings much more powerful than you can imagine. To help me do what I must do."

"What is it that you must do, Dan'yel?" Tulmet asked.

"Protect the Innocent," was the simple reply.

"Such a duty cannot be easy," Kiki murmured.

"No, it's not. My Wife, she who is My Chosen, and I have suffered greatly because of this…duty."

"Because you have failed?" Zahur asked.

He shook his head. "No. Because we did what was expected of us."

"That doesn't seem fair," Paki muttered.

"No, it doesn’t," Daniel agreed.

"The gods have their own ways," the farmer said sagely. "Fairness is determined by them, not us."

"Very true, my friend," Daniel smiled.

"Uh, Danny?" Jack said. "Wanna let us in on it?"

With a grin, Daniel let his teammates know what had been said. "I think it's a good idea to let them go back home. It will keep them out of trouble, and lessen the chances of us getting caught here."

Jack nodded. "Okay. Find out where Pelops is hiding. We can go there, take him out, get back and be through the 'gate before anyone is the wiser."

Daniel nodded. He turned back to the Menes who waited patiently. "You all should leave, stay away from here for a few days." He looked at Talla. "I promise to leave a key for you. Then you can translate the scrolls of your people."

Talla nodded. "It will be as you say."

He turned to the farmer. "If you can tell us how to get to your dwelling, we will come tonight, and take this…false god…away. Is there somewhere you can go to be safe until tomorrow?"

The man smiled. "I haven't gone fishing in many cycles. Perhaps I'll leave this very evening."

He patted the man's shoulder. "Good. Just don't return until late tomorrow. Now how do we get to your dwelling from here?"

The farmer gave careful instructions, made Daniel repeat them back to him twice. With a glance at the others, the man approached Casey slowly. He reached out, his fingers shaking, and touched the braid that had fallen over her shoulder as she had worked. So soft against his callused fingers. He smiled at her, nodded at those watching, and turned and left the room. They could hear him whistling as he left the cave.

"Come, we must go," Talla said quietly. She turned to Daniel. "We will never see you again, will we?"

"I don't know, Talla. Perhaps someday. When your people are ready. We'll check in on you, from time to time," Daniel promised, smiling at her.

She nodded her dark head. Before she could resist the impulse, she leaned up, kissed his cheek, then fled from the cavern room.

The others nodded as well, and left, each of them standing at the entrance to the cavern, waiting until the one who had left before could no longer be seen.

Daniel watched them leave, his emotions in an uproar. There was so much to know about these people, so much to teach them, share with them. Why did leaders…politicians, bureaucrats… have to be such major pains-in-the-butt? Why did people allow a handful of out-of-touch, power hungry nitwits dictate to them? He shook his head. Wherever humans were gathered, living in any sort of society, there would be politicians. And not a damned one of them were worthy of the air they breathed.

"Daniel?"

He smiled when soft arms wrapped around him. "Hmm?"

"It's not your fault."

He started, looked down into green eyes that seemed to have the ability to see into his soul. "What's not my fault?"

"Not being able to help them…free them from a repressive government. They have to do that for themselves."

"I know, Angel."

"Come on. Duncan should be contacting us in about an hour. Let's get that key made up for Talla." She slipped her fingers around his strong, warm hand, led him back into the cavern where the 'gate waited silently.

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