The Tomb Builders

by Kevin Ashman

  ‘Feast your eyes for no other living man has seen such a sight. Take it into your heart and rejoice in the wisdom of the gods.’ He turned back toward the Kushnis. ‘There are three more such nights until the moon is once more resplendent in the skies. Until then we will rest and build our strength but on the third day we will finish what it is we started. Together we will dig into the mountain and create a resting place where Khufu’s Ka can rest for eternity. Together our fingers will bleed and our arms will ache until we have formed a tomb, so deep and so safe that no man will ever gaze upon his death mask again. Around him we will lay his riches so he can live amongst the gods but before his chamber we will build labyrinths and pitfalls as has never been seen before. We will block the way with a thousand deaths so though this earth may live for eternity, the very rocks will wear away before any man will find our king. Do this alongside me, brother amongst brother and together we will pave the way to the two fields for the greatest king that ever walked the sands of Khemet.’

  A peal of thunder echoed through the valley and the Kushni looked up at the sky.

  ‘Listen,’ said Haji, ‘even the gods roar their pleasure at our achievement. Surely we will all reach the two Fields, such is their joy.’

  The canyon suddenly lit up by a flash of lightning before the rumble came again.

  ‘People of Khemet,’ roared Haji again, holding his arms wide, ‘rejoice in the face of the gods, glory is mine before Ra.’

  Mensah glanced over to Manu as the thunder peals got louder. Haji did indeed cut an impressive figure but the soldier worried he was taking the gods’ names in vain. As the first drops of rain fell the Kushni got restless and some stood before Haji had released them from the gathering.

  ‘Hold still, unbeliever,’ roared Haji, pointing at the nearby man with his spear.

  The sky quickly darkened and within moments, the shower turned into a deluge, the enormous raindrops battering the sodden Kushni as lightning lit up the ravines and thunder echoed between the canyon walls. Within moments the people got to their feet and though Haji ordered them to stay, his ranting went unheard in the roar of the deluge.

  ‘Manu,’ called Mensah, ‘come, we have to get out of here.’

  ‘What about him?’ shouted Manu, pointing up at Haji.

  ‘Leave him,’ screamed Mensah, ‘the gods will look after their own. Come, grab the children, we need to find shelter.’ The two soldiers descended to the canyon floor and quickly found Sagira and Adio before following the Kushnis toward the safety of the higher canyon walls.

  Behind them Haji laughed manically into the deluge, his spear held up triumphantly at the skies. His eyes widened in awe as the storm raged and he realised he was surely seeing the battle of the two gods as Ra battled Apep for control of the heavens.

  ‘Praise be to Ra,’ he roared into the storm, ‘I have led them here, king of king s, I have followed your lead and brought Khufu to your home. Behold the fulfilled pledge, Ra, behold the tomb of Cheops.’

  As if on demand, a huge lightning bolt cracked the night sky, lighting the dark canyon and illuminating the lone figure of Haji, his arms outstretched, exulting the enormous pyramid before him.

  ----

  High above the gorge and secure in the dry tunnels, the Sinagua sat around their fires, sitting out the storm and telling stories of their people’s history to the children. In the largest cave, Hopachi sat by his own fire with the elders of the tribe.

  ‘So, it has come to be,’ said Hopachi, ‘a strange people have come from another world to live in the lands of the Hopi. As foretold around the fires of our grandfathers, they have walked into the fourth world bearing the body of a great chief. The dreams are true, the Anasazi have come.’

  ‘What is our path, Hopachi?’ said one of the men, ‘the dreams say nothing of their fate, yet their fires are less than half a day away. Do we set amongst them with blades or is peace to be our offering?’

  ‘I have taken the dream smoke,’ said Hopachi, ‘and the spirits show the Anasazi amongst our halls, laying at rest. No war cries are to be heard and no women lament the death of our warriors. This is truly a sign and we will take an offering of food to their leader when the rains stop. This is my judgement.’

  A murmur of approval echoed around the cave while outside, the storm got worse and worse.

  ----

  ‘Sagira,’ roared Mensah above the noise of the torrent, ‘Adio, do not go that way, you will surely be washed away. Follow Manu up the sides of the cliff.’

  ‘There is no way out that way,’ shouted Sagira, ‘and the Kushnis say they will be safe on the slopes of the Pyramid.’

  ‘There is no time,’ shouted Mensah, wiping the water from his face, ‘the river rises rapidly and you are too small to cross. Come this way, we will see you safe at a higher level.’

  Sagira and Adio followed the soldiers up the rocks, climbing as quickly as the darkness and the pounding rain would allow.

  ‘Here,’ shouted Manu, ‘there is a ledge that will take us all.’

  Sagira and Adio crawled over and found themselves sharing a rocky platform with several shivering Kushni, all huddled together against the storm. Below them the waters of the river crashed through the canyon, the levels visibly rising as the flood from a storm stretching hundreds of miles northward poured through the narrow channels of the canyon.

  ‘Mensah,’ cried Sagira, ‘the water is washing away our shelters.’ Sure enough, as they watched, the temporary animal-hide shelters that had served them well through many months of arduous travel were ripped from their tethers and thrown amongst the torrent of broken trees, rocks and dead animals that the angry river cast so indiscriminately before it.

  ‘Where’s the king?’ shouted Adio, ‘we have to save the king’s body.’

  ‘It’s too late,’ shouted Manu grabbing the young boy, ‘he is in the hands of the gods, now. All we can do is hope that Osiris sees fit to deliver him back to us.’

  ‘The river is rising quickly came a shout,’ we have to get higher.

  Mensah looked up but saw there was nowhere else to go. As he watched in horror, he saw many more of the Kushnis torn from their various places of safety to be smashed amongst the rocks of the river and he knew it was only a matter of time before its icy reach dragged them to a watery doom. He turned to see the fear in his comrade’s eyes.

  ‘It is over, my friend,’ he shouted, ‘it is the end of days, the gods have surely deserted us and Apep triumphs over Ra. Pray to Anubis, Manu, our time is here.’

  ----

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Above the Grand Canyon

  2014

  ‘That’s the Colorado river beneath you,’ came Tom’s voice over the headset. ‘Scientists reckon that many of these canyons were formed geologically in the distant past but wherever the softer rock has been exposed, the river has made them wider and deeper over time. It looks quite calm at the moment but sometimes we have flash floods that raise the level hundreds of feet in minutes, especially in the narrower gulleys.’

  India looked at the sight below her in amazement. The scenery was spectacular and for a few minutes she forgot the reason they were there and just enjoyed the views and the running commentary from the pilot.

  ‘That village on the right,’ continued Tom, ‘is one of many belonging to the Hopi. They live on their own reservation of about two and a half thousand square miles.’

  ‘Wow,’ said Brandon, ‘that’s quite a size.’

  ‘Not really,’ said Tom, banking the helicopter, ‘the Navajo for instance have a reservation of twenty seven thousand square miles and completely surround the Hopi.’

  ‘Do the Hopi live in the canyon?’ asked India.

  ‘Some do,’ said Tom, ‘and there are many ruins of ancient settlements along the river. Their history is interesting, they say this is the fourth time the world has existed as each time the human race was wiped out by some sort of disaster. Interestingly enough, they say the last one was a gr
eat flood. Sound familiar?’

  ‘It does,’ said India.

  ‘If you look to the left,’ said Tom, ‘you can see the observation points. People come from all over the world to see the canyon but the best way is to jump on a chopper, you get to see so much more.’

  ‘Can you show us the features named after Egyptian gods?’ asked Brandon.

  ‘Sure can,’ said Tom and banked the helicopter to the right.

  ‘That mountain in front of us is called the Tower of Set,’ said Tom, ‘and that one there is called the Temple of Horus. Some say they were named by explorers but I don’t agree, I think they were named by the natives.’

  ‘Why do you think that?’ asked India, glancing at Brandon.

  ‘Don’t know really,’ said Tom, ‘but there are some similarities between the Sinagua and the Egyptians. For instance, did you know that both cultures worshipped the sun god?’

  ‘Who are the Sinagua?’ asked India.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Tom, ‘they were the common ancestors of all the tribes in this area. Apparently they used to live in fantastic cave structures built right into the cliffs. Most have washed away now and over time the Sinagua split into the many different tribes that now inhabit the south west, including the Hopi.’

  ‘Fascinating,’ said India and grabbed her seat as the helicopter banked sharply.

  ‘Well,’ said Tom, ‘I suppose this is what you’ve come to see, one of the most amazing natural wonders in the canyon. That, my friends, is the Pyramid of Cheops.’

  ----

  India drew her breath in astonishment. Though she had seen pictures in the guide books, they bore no resemblance to the magnificent structure before her. The late afternoon sun gave it a red hue and it soared skyward, a breath-taking natural feature the likes of which she had never seen before.

  ‘It looks exactly like a pyramid,’ gasped Brandon, ‘but on a far, far greater scale.’

  ‘It does,’ said Tom, ‘but imagine what it would have looked like thousands of years ago before the flanks eroded, the angles of the slopes would have been perfect. No wonder it was named as it was.’

  ‘Can we get closer?’ asked India.

  ‘Sure,’ said Tom and banked the helicopter to fly close to the surface of the impressive mountain.

  ‘It takes my breath away,’ said India as they flew around it.

  ‘There’re people down there,’ said Brandon, pointing out a group on the flanks of the mountain.

  ‘Always are,’ said Tom. ‘All sorts of people enter the canyon these days, climbers, campers, archaeologists, naturalists, you name them and they’re in there. A bit of a shame really as it takes away from the solitude.’

  ‘I suppose the anthropologists find the tunnel systems fascinating,’ said India.

  ‘Funnily enough, we don’t get many of them in this area,’ said Tom, ‘nor cavers.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Well, though the rocks are reputed to be riddled with caverns, most are sealed off by the government.’

  ‘But why?’ asked India.

  ‘The official line is for safety reasons but after pressure from the caving fraternity, who pointed out there was no such thing as a safe cave anyway, they changed their tune and said it was due to an imminent study on a species of rare bat that may occupy the tunnels.’

  ‘How convenient,’ said India.

  ‘Isn’t it,’ replied Tom. ‘Anyway, do you want to see anything else?’

  ‘No, I think we are done,’ said India.

  ‘Right, let’s get you home,’ said Tom and India’s stomach turned over one more time as he banked the helicopter steeply and headed back to the airstrip.

  ----

  Half an hour later India and Brandon sat in the Winnebago, each sipping on a cup of hot tea. The owners of the airstrip had allowed them to park up overnight free of charge as a thank you for their earlier help during the accident.

  ‘I wonder how Tarik is,’ said India.

  ‘He’ll be okay,’ said Brandon, ‘he’ll probably be back tomorrow.’

  ‘What do we do then?’ asked India, ‘there’s no way he can go hiking.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Brandon, ‘and to be honest, I think we have taken this as far as we can go.’

  ‘Why?’ asked India.

  ‘Did you see the amount of tourists in that canyon?’ said Brandon, ‘like Tom says, there are people looking for the legendary tomb almost every day of the year. On top of that, any tunnels worth exploring seem blocked by the government so to be honest, I think we have drawn a blank.’

  ‘Don’t you think it’s down there Brandon?’ asked India.

  ‘Actually, I do,’ said Brandon, ‘but if it is, it hasn’t been seen for almost a hundred years despite everyone looking for it.’

  ‘We could be the ones to find it,’ said India.

  ‘How?’ asked Brandon, ‘we don’t have a map or even any instructions. The trail’s gone dead and we have no idea where to go.’

  ‘I think you’re right,’ sighed India. ‘So, what do we do now?’

  ‘Well, we are alone,’ said Brandon gently, ‘perhaps we could have that chat that’s long overdue.’

  ‘We could,’ said India, looking at him with a gentle smile, ‘but I’ve got a better idea.’ She stood up and walked over toward him but as she reached down to kiss him, a knock came on the caravan door.

  ‘I don’t believe it,’ gasped Brandon, ‘surely they haven’t let Tarik out of hospital already?’

  ‘I doubt it,’ laughed India, ‘it must be one of the people from the diner. I’ll see what they want and get rid of them. Don’t look so disappointed, Brandon, we’ve got all night.’

  She walked to the door and looked through the window.

  ‘Can’t see anyone,’ she said and turned the lock to step outside. As she leaned out, someone grabbed her by the hair and dragged her down the steps, before pinning her against the aluminium wall with a forearm across the throat.

  ‘India,’ shouted Brandon from inside, ‘are you alright?’ He ran to the door thinking she had fallen but as he raced down the steps he came face to face with a man holding a pistol.

  ‘Mr Mannering,’ said the voice, ‘we meet again, or should I say, Mr Walker? That is your name, isn’t it? You see, I found out the name you used back in Egypt is as dubious as those dollar bills you gave me.’

  ‘Muburak,’ said Brandon, ‘what do you want?’

  ‘I’ve got what I want, Mr Walker,’ he said, ‘that pretty little thing against the van. Now, let’s get this straight, you are both going to come with me but make no mistake, any nonsense from either of you, and the other gets shot. Understood?’

  ‘Understood,’ said Brandon.

  ‘And what about the lovely Miss Sommers?’ asked Muburak turning to face India, ‘do you fully understand the implications of non-cooperation?’

  ‘Yes,’ said India.

  ‘Good,’ said Muburak, ‘in that case, get into the car.’

  ‘Where are we going?’ asked Brandon.

  ‘We are going to see a mutual friend,’ said Muburak as one of his henchmen bundled India into the car.

  ‘We have no mutual friends,’ said Brandon.

  ‘Oh, but we do, Mr Walker, a very old friend.’ He paused for effect before continuing. ‘I’m sure you’ve heard of him, his name is Khnum Khufu.’

  ----

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  The Cheops Pyramid

  Grand Canyon – 2014

  India and Brandon sat against a rock, their hands cuffed together with cable ties. They had been dropped off at the base of the Cheops pyramid by another helicopter at first light and had watched with concern as Muburak handed over a wad of bills to the corrupt pilot. Eventually the helicopter took off and when the dust had settled, Muburak walked over to speak to them.

  ‘Right,’ he said, ‘we have about an hour’s walk to the base of the mountain. Once there, you will show me how to get in and we can all be back on our way home
before the day is out.’

  ‘I told you,’ said India, ‘I have no idea how to get in.’

  ‘And I believe you, Miss Sommers,’ said Muburak, ‘but luckily we have this.’ He produced the disc from within his pack. ‘Now, you know and I know that it was mainly down to your impressive deciphering skills that we are all standing here today. I can’t believe that this thing would bring us all the way here without showing the way in, so, all I want you to do is give me the final directions and we can all move on.’

  ‘Muburak,’ said India, ‘I believe that disc was created before Khufu was even dead. How on earth could it show the entrance?’

  ‘That’s nonsense,’ said Muburak, ‘you’re just saying that to gain time.’

  ‘I’m not,’ said India, ‘and even if I’m wrong what makes you think I can decipher the last clue?’

  ‘This makes me think you can,’ said Muburak, pulling out a pistol. ‘Either you find me a way in, Miss Sommers, or your boyfriend here, gets seriously hurt. Now, shall we do this or not?’

  India stared at him in despair as his two henchmen pulled her and Brandon to their feet.

  ‘Right,’ said Muburak, ‘start walking.’

  ----

  For an hour or so they followed the track alongside the river until they finally reached a point where the river split in two to flow either side of the mountain.

  ‘Here we are,’ said Muburak, ‘the mouth of the snake as depicted on the Azores glyph, and there my dear, is the pyramid within its jaws. All you have to do now, is find the way in.’

  ‘I told you,’ she said, ‘there is no way in, at least, not that’s depicted on the disc. You are wasting your time.’

  ‘Wrong answer,’ said Muburak and nodded toward one of his men. Before India could cry out, the guard punched Brandon as hard as he could across the side of the face, knocking him sprawling into the dust.

  ‘Stop it,’ screamed India.

  ‘I told you, Miss Sommers, not knowing is not an option. Now, where were we? Oh yes, you were going to take me to the entrance.’