by Kevin Ashman
‘And that is why I make the accusation,’ said Mensah, ‘you condemn yourself with your own words.’
‘My views may not be yours, Mensah but I am not the one who is about to be put to death. I will judge the merits of your position this evening while drinking my beer and you are being digested by the crocodiles. I think I already know where I would rather be.’
Mensah was about to answer when the door burst open and a squad of palace guards entered accompanied by a priest.
‘Make way,’ said the priest, ‘I am seeking the soldiers due to be sacrificed to Sobek.’
‘These are the condemned,’ said the original guard, ‘and we have just been enlightening them as to the error of their ways.’
‘Release them immediately,’ demanded the priest.
‘But…’ started the guard, but he was cut short by the priest.
‘By order of Khufu son of Sneferu, I command you to release them immediately.’ He turned to face Mensah. ‘You and your comrade are free to leave. The charges are dropped and you will be compensated for your wounds.’
‘I don’t understand,’ said Mensah standing up, ‘what have we done to deserve such mercy?’
‘Our king is a merciful man and has other plans for you,’ said the priest, ‘you are immediately released from the ranks of the army and will serve the palace directly. Present yourself to the temple of Osiris this very day, the priests there will feed you and see to your wounds. At dawn you are to attend the pyramid of our master and present yourself to one called Haji. He will tell you more about your role.’ He turned to the guard. ‘Where are the children?’
‘They are in another building not far from here.’
‘Take me to them,’ demanded the priest, ‘and I hope for your sake they have been treated well.’
The guard looked worried but led the priest and the other soldiers from the hut, leaving Mensah and Manu alone. For a few seconds there was silence but finally Manu spoke.
‘I don’t understand,’ he said, ‘moments ago we were condemned men, now we are in favour and will be working on Khufu’s tomb. What has happened to make it so?’
‘Only the gods know the mind of a king,’ said Mensah, ‘but I will fret not, our new future, whatever it may be is infinitely preferable to the one we have just avoided. Come, let’s see what delights the priests of Osiris can offer two hungry soldiers.’
They left the cell and made their way across the city, unaware that as sacrifices, their fate had not been changed, just delayed until the king’s death, a historic event that unbeknownst to them was only weeks away.
----
Chapter Five
The Road to Cairo
Egypt 2014
‘India, you cannot be serious,’ said Brandon, ‘if we go back there now we could be killed.’ Brandon had pulled over at the side of the road and parked in a dusty lay by.
‘You don’t understand,’ said India, ‘there is something I need to retrieve as soon as possible.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Brandon, ‘I thought you had all your possessions here? What have you forgotten?’
‘I haven’t forgotten anything,’ said India, ‘my bag contains everything I had when I was arrested.’
‘But I thought the only thing you had lost was your passport and your phone.’
‘My passport was stolen by Muburak’s men,’ said India, ‘but that’s not the problem. I need my phone. I threw it away as soon as I realised I was going to be arrested and now I need to go back and get it.’
‘India, your phone is just a piece of plastic and printed circuits, hell, I’ll give you mine if it’s that important but what I don’t understand is why you threw it away in the first place?’
India turned in her seat to face him.
‘Okay,’ she said, ‘I will explain but then you must take me back.’
‘Tell me what you know and then I’ll make my decision.’
India took a drink from one of the bottles of water Brandon had brought with him.
‘The thing is,’ said India, ‘Muburak was right. I was indeed in a restricted area and was fully aware that I risked arrest should I be found,’ she paused before adding, ‘especially as I stole an artefact from a priest’s tomb.’
What?’ gasped Brandon, ‘you mean to tell me that dodgy cop was right all the time and you are actually a tomb robber?’
‘Well, I think tomb robber is a bit strong,’ said India, ‘but essentially I suppose that was what I was doing.’
‘But why, India? I don’t understand why you of all people would break the law.’
‘It’s a long story,’ said India, ‘but basically, when I was back in London I got bored and needed adventure.’
‘Most people who need adventure book a holiday somewhere they haven’t been before, they don’t steal artefacts from a country where such things are scrutinised at every turn. You risked everything,’ he continued, ‘and even if that cop had been straight, there would have been repercussions. What about your reputation, your job?’
‘What job?’ she replied gloomily.
‘Don’t you have a career as head of libraries?’
‘I did,’ she replied.
‘What do you mean?’
‘I quit, Brandon, I gave notice and walked away.’
Brandon stared in astonishment.
‘You have got to be kidding me.’
‘Nope, as of two months ago, I am officially unemployed.’
‘What on earth possessed you to do such a stupid thing?’
‘Because of everything we have been through these past few years,’ said India. ‘After living life on the edge chasing Mortuus Virgo, seeking the Suleiman treasures and finding those missing U Boats, how could I ever go back to the mundane and be happy with my lot?’
‘I’ll tell you how,’ said Brandon, ‘because of job security, because of a healthy pension, because you would not be risking your life on a daily basis. How about those three for starters?’
‘Fair point,’ said India, ‘but when I got back from Antarctica, not a day went by without me falling into a daydream about what else was out there. My work suffered and for the first time in my life I was summoned to head office and given a warning.’
‘Wow,’ said Brandon, ‘seems a bit harsh.’
‘But well deserved,’ said India. ‘Anyway, I did some thinking and realised there and then what I wanted to do. I gave a month’s notice, used up what holidays I had left and quit my job.’
Brandon shook his head in disbelief.
‘So what are you doing for a living now?’
‘Not much,’ said India, ‘for a few days I got my affairs in order. I sold the car, paid off my debts and put the flat up for sale. I made a tidy profit on the deal and here I am, footloose and fancy free.’
‘India, forget the profit, how are you going to live?’
‘Well, with the money I made on the flat and my savings I reckon I have enough to last a year, perhaps eighteen months.’
‘And after that?’
India shrugged her shoulders.
‘I figured that if I hadn’t found something worth doing by then I could always get a little job in a library somewhere.’
‘On a quarter of your old salary?’
‘Perhaps, but Brandon, I had to do this.’
‘Why, India?’ We’d all like to live our dreams but you are risking everything.’
‘Because I found something, Brandon, something that could change written history and if I am correct, it could make me a very wealthy woman.’
‘Is that what this is all about, India, fame and fortune?’
‘Of course not,’ she snapped, ‘you of all people should know that. It’s about history, Brandon, the pursuit of everything that came before us. It’s about the burning need to uncover what others may be hiding or even that which has never been seen before. Do you even understand what I am saying? That’s why I need to do this, that’s why I am here, and that’s why we have to go
back. The information I need is on my phone and without it I may never have this chance again.’
Brandon leaned his head against the steering wheel.
‘India, do you even know what you are asking? Those people back there are dangerous. They would probably have no hesitation in putting a bullet in our heads and burying us in the desert. Nobody would ever know.’
‘Brandon, what’s happened to you?’ asked India, ‘you are usually the person dragging me around the world getting into trouble. Why the sudden change in attitude?’
‘Because it’s so dangerous, India,’ said Brandon, ‘we have been lucky so far and sooner or later that luck will run out. The longer I do this the more I realise this is not a game and there are some very dangerous people out there, only interested in what they can get for themselves. Most are plain crooks, pure and simple but others hold positions of power and can have us disappeared at the tip of a hat.’
‘Then we have to stay one step ahead,’ said India leaning in toward him. ‘I didn’t ask for this, Brandon, but three years ago you roped me in to one of your hair brained schemes and it’s been a rollercoaster ever since. As dangerous as it was running from an Arab assassin in a tropical rainforest, it still beats stamping library books for a living. I want more of it, Brandon, the world is full of things waiting to be discovered and I’m not getting any younger.’
Brandon glanced at the woman beside him. Her flaming red hair was dirty and tied back away from her face but she was as beautiful as ever and her eyes held a fire he had seen only a few times before.
‘So what do you say, Brandon?’ she continued, ‘what about reforming our little partnership and picking up where we left off?’
‘I don’t know, India, what about what happened on that cruise ship?’
India sat back in the seat and turned her head away for a moment.
‘That was then, this is now,’ she said eventually. ‘We can’t look back or we will forever be beating ourselves up. Let’s just focus on the here and now.’ She turned to face him again. ‘I mean it, Brandon, my phone contains pictures that can blow apart everything the world knows about Egypt and potentially make us millionaires overnight.’
‘Is that what you want, India, money?’
‘If I did, Brandon, I would have stayed at the library and written a book. I only mentioned it to underline the scale of the discovery.’
‘So what is it, India? What is this information that is so exciting it made you risk your future?’
India took a deep breath and stared at the ex SAS officer for several seconds.
‘Brandon,’ she said, ‘as you may know the records show every Egyptian ruler from the Scorpion King over five thousand years ago right up to the Roman Pharaoh, Decius in the third century AD.’
‘The Scorpion King? Isn’t that just a fantasy film?’
‘On the contrary, we know there was an Egyptian king with that name who existed approximately three thousand years BC. He was one of the first true rulers of Egypt but the point is, since then Egyptologists have managed to piece together the timeline of every king, whether their tombs have been found or not.’
‘Don’t you mean Pharaohs?’
‘No I mean Kings,’ said India. ‘The term Pharaoh is a reference to the institution of kingship and means Great-House. It was coined much later on during the new Kingdom. All rulers were actually called Kings or indeed queens. Haven’t I explained this to you before?’
‘Come to think of it, I think you have,’ said Brandon.
‘I thought so,’ said India, ‘anyway, the point is, many of them have yet to be found.’
‘And I suppose you have found one of the missing tombs?’
‘In a way yes. You see, though the names are well known, often their resting places are less obvious for many were buried in deep chambers underground and the landscape has changed so much over the millennia, any trace of their final resting places has long gone.’
‘Weren’t they all buried in pyramids?’
‘Some were,’ said India, ‘the greater kings from the old kingdom for instance but building pyramids was a lifetime’s task and used huge amounts of resources both in monetary terms and manpower. As time went on, the later kings could not afford such impressive monuments and settled for tombs hidden away amongst the rocks in the outlying valleys.’
‘Like the valley of the dead?’
‘Exactly like that. Anyway, as it happens your question regarding the pyramid is a valid one. The largest of them all is at Giza, built by Cheops over four thousand years ago.’
‘I know,’ said Brandon, ‘I remember learning something about it in school.’
‘Well,’ said India, ‘Cheops was also known as Khufu and when he died, he is thought to have been interred in the pyramid alongside his second wife, Henutsen.’
‘Thought to have been?’
‘It has never been proved,’ said India, ‘in fact, experts say that the burial chamber or king’s chamber as it is known has never been used at all.’
‘So where was he buried?’
‘That’s just it, his mummy has never been found. Of course it may have been destroyed but bearing in mind his importance, many believe he is still out there waiting to be discovered.’
Brandon looked at the growing excitement in her eyes.
‘So what have you found, India?’
‘I’m not sure, Brandon and reluctant to say just yet, but all I ask is that you trust me and help me get my phone back. If I am wrong and all this is just a wild goose chase then I promise you I will come back to England and take up knitting or something.’ She flashed the glorious smile that always made his heart melt.
‘I don’t know, India,’ he said quietly, ‘we could get ourselves killed.’
‘We all die in the end, Brandon, but some of us need to live a little first.’ She touched him gently on the shoulder. ‘How about it, are you in?’
He stared at her a few moments before leaning forward and starting the engine once more.
‘I’ve got a horrible feeling I am going to regret this, India,’ he said, ‘but for some reason you’ve got me hooked, I’m in.’ Before she could answer he gunned the engine and spun the car around, heading back toward Nazra-El-Bedhel.
----
Several hours later, the bushes moved slightly on the brow of a hill as Brandon peered down to the site below. Before him lay a typical rural Egyptian village, sprawling across the slopes of a small hill. The night was cold but at least there was a clear sky and the moon provided more than enough light for what he was about to do.
‘Is this the place?’ he whispered.
‘Yes,’ said India, ‘the workings are over there to the right.’
‘I can’t see anything.’
‘There’s not much to see,’ replied India. ‘Most of the work is underground and accessed through a shaft hidden inside one of the houses.’
‘And you actually went in there?’
‘I did but there wasn’t so much security then. I don’t suppose they expected any intruders.’
‘Well that’s certainly changed,’ said Brandon and pointed to a glowing light near the dig site, a sure sign of a guard smoking a cigarette.
‘I wouldn’t worry too much,’ said India, ‘at least you don’t have to go up there. When I was discovered I tried running back to the car but when it was obvious I would be caught, I pretended to fall and pushed my phone under a nearby bush. Hopefully it will still be there.’
‘Which bush?’ asked Brandon, ‘there are hundreds of them.’
‘I’m not sure,’ said India, ‘but will recognise the area when we get there.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Brandon. ‘You don’t think I’m taking you with me?’
‘You don’t have any other choice,’ said India, ‘you could spend a week down there and fail to find it. At least I can take us to within a few metres.’
‘India, you never fail to amaze me,’ said Brandon. ‘Okay, but this is how it w
orks. I will lead the way, using whatever the best method is depending on the ground.’ He peered over the lip. ‘It seems there is a brick wall that will take us most of the way but after that, we get our faces in the dirt, understand?’
India nodded.
‘India, if we get this wrong I have no weapon to try and fight our way out. It is important you do everything I say but most of all, be patient. This is not a race and we have several hours to get back here before the sun rises. Now, roll down your sleeves and empty your pockets of anything that may make a noise.’
India did as she was told and eventually indicated she was ready.
‘Okay, let’s drop back down and take the long route around this hill,’ said Brandon.
‘Can’t we just go over the top? It’s dark enough, surely we won’t be seen.’
‘We would be highlighted against the sky,’ said Brandon. ‘From our perspective it looks like we are in complete darkness but from down there, the sky is several shades lighter and any movement will stand out like a sore thumb.’
‘Okay,’ said India, ‘lead the way, I’m right behind you.’
For the next half an hour, Brandon led the way around the small hill and into the back lanes of the village. The pace was agonisingly slow and India found herself frustrated at the lack of urgency.
‘Brandon,’ she whispered, ‘is this really necessary?’
‘Trust me,’ replied Brandon, ‘the slower we go, the less chance there is of raising the alarm. These places are riddled with dogs but even if they pick up our scent, as long as we stay calm, the chances are they will stay quiet.’ He continued forward, keeping to the shadows and carefully selecting each dusty step. Finally they reached the end of the lane and Brandon crouched before signalling India to join him.
‘Do you recognise this area?’ he whispered.
India nodded and pointed at a far wall.
‘That’s where they handcuffed me. The bushes are about ten metres up the path on the left.’
Brandon put his finger to his lips and slowly pointed at the roof opposite. India froze as she saw the silhouette of a guard walking slowly along behind the parapet. For several minutes they watched him stare out over the dig site but eventually he disappeared.
