“I wonder whose tomb they’re digging up over there?” he said, gesturing toward the encampment.
Lady Drummond’s eyes grew wide. “We should go investigate.”
“Dear, you heard the man earlier,” Lord Drummond said. “We shouldn’t stray beyond the ropes. It’s for our safety.”
She wagged her finger at him. “It’s because they don’t want us to see what’s really going on. Perhaps it’s some famous pharaoh that they’re unearthing, or maybe they’ve found gold.”
“Nonsense,” Lord Drummond said. “We’ve had more than enough adventure for today, not to mention your episode on the horse.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That beast just took off running, and you know it.”
“What I know is that you dug your heels into his ribs just before he dashed off into the desert.”
“Well, this time, it’ll be me dashing off into the desert.”
With that, Lady Drummond glanced around before lifting up the rope and slinking beneath it. She scrambled up a narrow path comprised of sand and loose rocks, slipping every few steps.
Lord Drummond buried his head into his hands. “Why me? She does this every time.”
“Would you like for me to go after her, sir?” Richard asked.
“Do you mind, Mr. Francois? You’ve already saved her once today.”
“What’s one more, right?” Richard said, flashing a grin.
“You’re more than earning your keep on your first tour with Thomas Cook & Son.”
“No one ever told me that this job would be easy, though I was told it would be different each day.”
“Welcome to my life,” Lord Drummond said. “Fortunately, the dowry has been worth it—so far.”
Richard chuckled before scrambling up the path after Lady Drummond, who was about fifty meters ahead of him. He quickly made up ground, but he slowed for a moment to get a closer look at the camp. If Jabari had led the Reichswehr up here, Richard wanted to know—and if so, he would make plans to come back later tonight.
But upon drawing nearer, Richard noticed that the men appeared to be mostly Egyptian nationals, while the man seemingly in charge was barking out orders in English with a French accent. Then he saw several vehicles parked behind the tents. Jabari had led the Germans across the desert on horses and a few camels.
That can’t be them.
Richard ascended along the path and strained his neck to see anything else over the top of the ridge. But nothing appeared to be the makings of a camp, small or otherwise. He was still scanning the area when a shrill scream snapped him back to the main purpose of his venture up the hill: Lady Drummond.
“Where did she go?” Lord Drummond asked from the bottom of the trail as he shielded his eyes.
“I’ll find her—don’t worry,” Richard said.
He raced back down the hill a few meters until he came to a small opening dug into the rock. While many of the tomb entrances were grand and contained numerous hieroglyphics and other artwork signifying the room’s inhabitant, this was little more than a dank cave, barely lit by the outside light.
“Lady Drummond,” Richard called as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. “Are you in here?”
“Yes, I’m—” she said, the rest of her sentence suddenly muffled.
“Lady Drummond,” Richard called again as he grabbed his dagger and held it outward while moving forward.
Another muffled scream erupted, but she wasn’t saying anything intelligible.
Before he could call out again, a small fire ignited against the cave wall in front of him, illuminating Lady Drummond—and a man who had his hand clamped over her mouth.
“Just let her go, and nobody has to get hurt,” Richard said.
The man yelled something back to him in Arabic. Richard wasn’t sure what the man said, but his tone communicated more than enough. As he was screaming at Richard, Lady Drummond squirmed to get away.
Richard’s mind hummed. He needed to come up with a way to assuage the hostage taker before something drastic happened.
Holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender, Richard crouched down.
“I have money,” he said. “Do you want my money?”
The man nodded. “All.”
He does know some English.
“It’s in my boot,” Richard said as he pulled up his pants leg and dug into his sock with his left hand. But with his right hand, he palmed the dagger he’d tucked into the side of his belt.
Richard calmly stood, tucking the knife up his sleeve. He held out his hand, showing the man his last bit of money. The robber scowled as he peered down to look at it. As he went to snatch it, Richard quickly released the knife, sliding it into position with the blade out. He then slashed the man’s wrist, resulting in him instinctively reaching for the wound to stop the bleeding. With Lady Drummond released, Richard yanked her toward him. Seeing that the hostage was getting away, the man fumbled for his knife, but it was too late. Richard slammed the man’s head into the cave wall and knocked him out.
“Let’s go,” Richard said, pulling Lady Drummond toward the exit.
She ran so fast that she passed him, bursting outside and falling into Lord Drummond’s arms as he reached the mouth of the cave.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Lady Drummond sobbed and muttered that she was, keeping her head buried in her husband’s chest.
“What happened?”
“I was attacked by one of those crazy Arabs. He threatened to kill me. But Mr. Francois saved me.”
Richard stayed a few feet away, allowing the Drummonds to have a moment without intruding. But a moment was all Richard was willing to give them.
“We need to get going,” Richard said. “Who knows if there are others nearby. We can’t afford to risk it.”
Lord Drummond nodded and assisted his wife down the hillside to their horses. They all mounted their steeds and proceeded to tear out across the desert back to Luxor.
Richard let the Drummonds go before he stopped and stared back at the dig sites scattered around the ridge. None of them appeared to be occupied by the Reichswehr unit, but he needed to get closer to make sure. However, with the Drummonds racing ahead, he couldn’t let them get much more of a head start before he wouldn’t be able to catch them.
I’ll be back tomorrow.
Chapter 21
THE WINTER PALACE HOTEL restaurant was teeming with who’s who in the archeological world—and Richard couldn’t wait to find out more about the treasure the Reichswehr were pursuing. With a substantial tip from the Drummonds for his services as well as his bravery, he approached the bar and ordered a drink. After some friendly banter with the server, Richard inquired if there were any archeologists present.
The bartender scanned the room. “There in the corner,” he said, pointing toward the back. “That’s Dr. Howard Carter. If you want to speak with anyone, he’s the man you want to see.”
“I’m familiar with him,” Richard said before thanking the man and sauntering off toward Dr. Carter’s table.
Clad in a dark three-piece suit and wearing a tan top hat, the mustachioed archeologist sat with his legs stretched out while sipping a cup of tea. He scanned the room as if he was expecting someone to join him.
“Dr. Carter,” Richard said as he offered his hand, “I’m Jonathan Francois here as a guide for Thomas Cook & Son on the Valley of the Kings tour. Would you mind if I joined you?”
Dr. Carter rolled his eyes before half-heartedly gesturing for Richard to sit across the table.
“Thomas Cook & Son, huh?” Dr. Carter said. “Can’t you find more meaningful employment?”
“I was desperate,” Richard said as he sat down. “I was robbed of almost all my money and needed work. However, I’d gladly switch to working for you if you need any help on one of your digs.”
Dr. Carter took a big swig of his tea and then sighed. “I wish I had a dig for you to join me on.”
“Fund
ing troubles?”
“That’s never a problem with Lord Carnarvon, my patron. However, the Egyptian Antiquities Services is another matter. I don’t believe I could imagine a more corrupt organization—and that’s saying something since I’ve had dealings with more than my fair share of companies that seem to specialize in improprieties.”
“Is this a new development?” Richard asked.
Dr. Carter nodded. “As of this morning, my entire project was placed on hold. The Egyptian Antiquities Services limits the number of digs occurring at once to three, and someone must have offered a large bribe to Pierre Lacau, the official who oversees the permit department, because he personally visited me on my way out this morning to inform me that my work must cease immediately.”
“Is someone digging on your site now?”
“I hope not, though I didn’t bother making the trek to the valley today. Honestly, I don’t mind a little break, despite Lord Carnarvorn’s constant pleading with me to uncover more tombs or risk having the funding pulled. This business isn’t for the faint of heart.”
Richard took a long pull on his drink. “Whose tomb are you expecting to find? I’ve heard that they’ve all been uncovered.”
“That’s merely conjecture,” Dr. Carter said, waving his hand dismissively. “You can’t definitively know that without continuing to dig since there’s no written record of all the kings buried there.”
“So there is one you’re targeting,” Richard said.
“Ever heard of King Tutankhamun?”
“As a matter of fact, I have.”
Dr. Carter’s eyes shot upward. “Maybe I should hire you when our digging resumes. Outside of the academic community, I’ve never met anyone who’s even heard of him. Very little is known about his reign. And some archeologists and historians think King Tutankhamun is merely an ancient legend. But I’m going to do my best to prove that he existed—if he indeed did.”
“You don’t sound so sure yourself.”
Dr. Carter shrugged. “It’s never a good idea to be sure in our line of work. Between scam artists who fake artifacts and the tenuous nature of bringing buried items to the surface, most of what we do is educated conjecture. However, if the Egyptian legends about King Tutankhamun are true, Lord Carnarvorn will be delighted that he saw this excavation process out.”
“I’ve heard that the treasure was substantial,” Richard said.
“Perhaps the most significant of all the kings in the valley,” Dr. Carter said as he nodded. “But again, that’s pure speculation.”
Dr. Carter glanced at his watch and abruptly stood. He offered his hand to Richard.
“Pardon me, Mr.—”
“Francois. Jonathan Francois.”
“Mr. Francois, I have a prior engagement that I’m going to be late for if I don’t hurry. It was a pleasure speaking with you.”
“I can assure you that the pleasure was all mine,” Richard said.
“And if things don’t work out for you with Thomas Cook & Son, please come see me. I think I was wrong about you earlier. You’d actually make a great addition to our dig team.”
Richard smiled as he watched Dr. Carter saunter off. Spending hours sifting through sand wasn’t the most appealing career to Richard, but he imagined he could do it for a few weeks if he had to. However, the lure of uncovering a king’s tomb was irresistible.
He went outside and stared at the large moon hovering above the ruins of the Luxor temple.
Oh, Grandpa, if you could’ve seen this . . .
Richard soaked in the scene for the next ten minutes before retiring to his room for the evening, where he found a note from Vincent about his next assignment as well as a thank you based on the gushing praise about his bravery in rescuing Lady Drummond from their tour.
After washing up, Richard climbed into bed, anxious to get a good night of sleep after a long day. He drifted away while reliving all the adventure he’d experienced. It made him feel like the earlier portion of his trip across Europe had been relatively uneventful.
Richard was deep in dream state when he was rudely awakened. He opened his eyes when he felt a large hand clamp down across his mouth.
“Don’t make a sound,” the man said.
Chapter 22
RICHARD ATTEMPTED TO PROCESS his startling awakening, which was challenging due to how disoriented he was. The pale moonlight streaming through the curtains turned the figure over him into nothing more than a hulking silhouette. Despite the order to remain silent, Richard tried to scream. Only a muffled noise escaped, which wasn’t loud enough to alert any potential passerby in the hallway.
Next, he lunged for his dagger stashed inside the bedside table. Unable to reach the drawer, he struggled to get away, only to be pinned to the bed by the man’s knee.
“It’s me,” the man said. “Jabari.”
Richard studied the man’s profile before sitting upright in bed.
“Are you insane, waking me up in this manner?” Richard asked. “I could’ve killed you if I’d kept my knife within arm’s reach.”
“That’s actually a wise thing to do in this area of the world,” Jabari said as he eased off Richard and moved to sit at the foot of the bed. “There’s a thief lurking in every shadow. In fact, I heard you ran into one today.”
“Who told you that?”
“I overheard it in the dining hall, and I assumed it was you based on the story that was related to me,” Jabari said. “Two members of English nobility out with a guide on his first tour and the woman wanders into the cave only to be rescued by the man?”
“And you just assumed that was me?”
“Only a foolish person would enter a cave like that without a small group,” Jabari said. “It’s a well-known fact that members of the Arabean Losus spend their days there before pillaging unsuspecting foreigners and vulnerable Egyptians at night. A more seasoned guide would’ve known better.”
“A more seasoned guide would’ve let a woman die today?”
Jabari nodded. “But you’re different, aren’t you?”
“If you say so. I just try to do what I think any decent human being would do.”
“A decent human being without any shred of fear in his body.”
Richard chuckled. “You’re starting to sound like my mother. But I’m sure that you didn’t come here just to tell me that you heard people talking about my exploits at dinner.”
Jabari shook his head. “I came here to warn you that Wilhelm has posted lookouts all around their dig site and has ordered anyone who sees anything suspicious to report it to him. And one of the hired guards reported that he saw a tour guide trying to snoop around some of the sites. And the guide was escorting a pair of middle-aged English clients, including a portly woman who entered a cave. Sound like anyone you know?”
“I wasn’t anywhere near the dig sites,” Richard said. “I was just trying to see if I could see you, though I thought it was foolish since you led them in a different direction.”
“Wilhelm wanted me to take a long route to throw off any marauders who might be following us. He wanted us to appear as if we were simply heading off into the desert, not traveling to the Valley of the Kings to dig.”
Richard nodded. “Wilhelm is no fool. And he did such a good job at disguising the site I couldn’t tell which one was yours.”
“We’re on the fringe of most of the other sites,” Jabari said.
“And what have you found so far?”
“We’re never going to find anything where we’re digging—at least, not what Wilhelm is searching for.”
“You’ve seen the map then?”
Jabari nodded. “And I’m leading them to dig in a different place to ensure that they find nothing.”
“How long do you think you can keep up this charade before he figures out what you’re doing?”
“Long enough for you to find the real treasure,” Jabari said as he placed a rolled up map into Richard’s hand. “I deciphered Dr. Miller’s
original map and have extrapolated it here for you.”
“So, what am I supposed to do with this? I’ve never done this before. Besides, when am I going to have time to do this? I’m still working for Thomas Cook & Son, leading tours to the valley. I even have one in the morning.”
“I’ve taken care of most of the arrangements for you, including paying off the Egyptian Antiquities Services so you can begin work as soon as possible.”
“How did you—”
“Wilhelm gave me money to pay them off to secure a dig permit,” Jabari said with a smile. “It was far more than necessary, so I doubled it to get you access as well.”
“Now I’m supposed to go find some random people and start digging around?”
“I hear Dr. Carter isn’t doing anything these days,” Jabari said with a chuckle.
“I’m sure you didn’t just wake me up to tease me with this,” Richard said. “I need more specific instructions than that.”
“There is a mercantile two blocks south of the hotel. You can’t miss it. Go there and ask for Sherif Nazari. Go there and tell him Jabari Gamal sent you.”
“He’s not going to pull a dagger on me, is he?”
Jabari laughed. “He’s my cousin and one of the most knowledgeable men in Luxor when it comes to the Valley of the Kings. He knows where all the tombs are and whom they belong to. He’s also worked for Dr. Carter on several digs over the years.”
“And he’ll be able to interpret this map?”
Jabari nodded. “Don’t let anyone else see this but him.”
“How will I know it’s him?”
“Just ask him to show you his tattoo of a pyramid on his left ankle.”
“Then what will we do exactly?” Richard asked.
“Find the tomb, of course—and make sure the Germans never see it. Good luck, and stay clear of those caves.”
Richard ushered Jabari into the hallway, locking the door after he left. Collapsing into a chair in the corner of the room, Richard turned on the light and unfurled the map. He studied it closely for several minutes before rolling it back up and stuffing it into his sack. His tour in the morning wasn’t scheduled to start until 10:00 a.m., which gave him enough time to pay Sherif Nazari a visit and get the process started.
The Secret of the King's Tomb Page 12
