Secret of the Ankhs: A Maggie Edwards Adventure (Maggie Edwards Adventures Book 2)

by Nellie H. Steele

  “Nothing,” Tarik replied. “We have several more locations to inspect.”

  “I told you I didn’t think we’d find anything,” Emma responded in her know-it-all voice.

  Maggie sighed, her irritation mounting despite the break from the tedious work. “If we don’t find anything, we’re at a dead-end,” Maggie lamented. “We HAVE to find something!”

  “Dead-end or not, the tomb isn’t going to just do what you want because it’s easier for you,” Emma retorted.

  “I didn’t say it was going to do what I want. I’m just pointing out if we find nothing here, we may never find the third ankh because we have no leads on it!”

  “That doesn’t mean we WILL find it here because it’s inconvenient for you if we don’t and all signs point to not finding it,” Emma argued.

  Maggie scowled and opened her mouth to counter, but Ollie beat her to it. “Let’s think positive and hope we catch a break somewhere.”

  Maggie nodded. The group finished their lunch in silence for the most part before returning to their afternoon work. Maggie and Henry returned to the ship’s chamber and elected to begin on the side wall, saving the wall with the doorway for last.

  As they neared the center of the wall, Maggie detected an acute change in the stone. She rubbed her fingers over the area. Unlike the rough stone of the other portions, this part was smooth, almost silky to the touch.

  Maggie’s heart skipped a beat. She stooped to examine it closer. She detected the slightest difference in shade from the surrounding stone wall. Her pulse quickened as she slid her hand across the portion of the wall different from the rest. A clear outline existed. Maggie’s fingers traced the shape, a square stone placed in the middle of the wall. She blew around the edges. Her breath revealed a dark line delineating the stones.

  A smile spread across Maggie’s face and she straightened her posture. “I think I found something!” she exclaimed.

  “Really?” Henry inquired. He hurried down the scaffolding, skipping the last few rungs and leaping to the floor. “Where?”

  Maggie pointed to her discovery. “Here. The stone feels different from the other portions of the wall. And look, there’s a clear outline. This stone has been placed here. The wall isn’t solid!”

  Henry crouched to examine the area. “Yeah, I see it,” Henry murmured as he studied the wall.

  Maggie scurried to the doorway. “Uncle Ollie!” she shouted into the antechamber. “Uncle Ollie! Come in here! We found something!”

  Maggie returned to Henry’s side, breathless with excitement. Ollie hastened through the doorway and to the couple. “Where?” he asked, his breathlessness matching Maggie’s.

  “Here!” Maggie exclaimed. “See the outline of the stone set in the wall? This stone is different from the surrounding material.”

  Ollie adjusted his glasses and leaned closer to the wall. He reached out and traced the dark edge of the stone. “Yes! Yes!” he exclaimed. “I see it!”

  Maggie clapped her hands and bounced on her toes. “This HAS to be it!”

  “I must grab a few tools,” Ollie responded. “Henry, will you help me?”

  “Sure thing, Ollie,” Henry answered. The two disappeared from the chamber.

  Maggie focused her attention on the discovery. She bit her lower lip as her smile broadened. They’d soon have the third ankh in their possession, she mused. Her mind spun in a million directions. How did the pieces of the puzzle fit together? Would it become obvious once they had all three pieces?

  Maggie’s mind shot forward beyond the problems to the solution. The Egyptian sands shimmered around a beautiful building. White columns held the roof at bay. They met large stone steps leading to the entrance. Inside, the structure held ancient secrets, hidden from the world’s view for millennia.

  Soon, Maggie mused, soon those secrets would be exposed. She relished in the building excitement. Henry and Ollie returned with the remaining four group members in tow.

  “You found something?” Tarik questioned.

  “Yes!” Maggie exclaimed.

  “Unbelievable,” Emma murmured under her breath. Despite Emma’s best attempt, Maggie overhead the comment. She ignored it. Maggie’s excitement allowed her to overlook the mumbled remark.

  “Great work, chicky,” Charlie said.

  Maggie beamed at him. Ollie and Henry set their tools out in an array on the floor. Ollie began revealing the stone’s edge with a brush. Sediment and dust spilled to a drop cloth placed on the floor as he carefully swiped the edges with the tool.

  The form of the stone took more shape with each passing moment. Satisfied, Ollie dropped the brush on the floor.

  “Pry ‘er loose?” Henry inquired.

  Ollie nodded. “Let’s give it a try. Gently,” he cautioned as Henry picked up a pry bar. “Don’t force it too much. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

  Henry nodded in response and began to pry the edges. Maggie held her breath as she waited to spot some movement from the stone. Nothing happened.

  Henry tried another spot and a different angle. His muscles flexed as he put pressure on the stone. It did not budge. Henry tried a third time. The results remained the same.

  Maggie sighed as Ollie waved for Henry to halt. “She’s stuck good,” Henry noted.

  “Perhaps sediment is still holding it,” Tarik suggested.

  “That well may be the case,” Ollie agreed.

  He selected several tools from his array. For the next hour, Ollie worked to separate the stone from the surrounding wall. Emma joined in with him after retrieving another set of tools from the antechamber. Maggie paced the floor as she watched them work.

  Ollie set his brush down. “All right, let’s give this another try.”

  Emma stood and backed away, rubbing her dusty hands against her blouse. Henry retrieved his pry bar and inserted it in the groove between the stone and the wall. He jiggled it back and forth gently.

  “Anything?” Ollie queried.

  Henry nudged the bar a few inches further into the crevice. He pivoted and pushed against the tool. A scraping sound emerged.

  “It’s moving!” Maggie exclaimed.

  “Yes!” Ollie concurred. “Carefully now, rock it loose.”

  “Right,” Henry agreed. He yanked the bar from the crevice and moved it to the stone’s opposite side. He tapped it into the slit with a hammer before wresting the pry bar to inch the stone further from its spot.

  Henry continued working side to side until the stone hung halfway out of its spot. He paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow. “This isn’t getting any easier. In fact, it’s getting harder.”

  “I’ll take over, my friend,” Tarik offered.

  “Thanks,” Henry answered and handed the tools to Tarik.

  “If you get it a bit further out, we may be able to remove it by hand,” Ollie suggested.

  “I’ll do my best,” Tarik promised.

  He thrust the tool into the space between the wall and the stone. Tarik tugged on the bar, groaning with effort. He pulled the crowbar out and wedged it in the opposite crevice. The stone refused to budge despite the effort Tarik used.

  Ollie studied the large stone. “Perhaps it’s hanging up because it’s falling as it moves out.”

  “Catching against the top?” Henry inquired.

  “It’s possible,” Ollie conjectured.

  Henry grabbed a second crowbar. “I’ll wedge it from the bottom, you wiggle it loose.”

  Tarik nodded in agreement. “Okay.”

  “You ready?” Henry asked.

  Tarik nodded again. Henry shoved the pry bar under the stone and pushed it toward the floor. Tarik jounced his lever. The stone shifted forward.

  “Switch sides!” Ollie called. “It’s almost there!”

  Tarik raced to the opposite side and drove the crowbar into the gap. One yank on the bar drove the stone forward several inches.

  “Stop!” Ollie instructed. “We’ll have to work t
he rest by hand!”

  “Let’s strap it to the hoist so it’s manageable,” Henry suggested.

  “Good idea,” Ollie responded.

  Henry retrieved the hoist from the antechamber. Tarik tossed the crowbar on the floor and assisted Henry in setting up the lift. They secured the strap around the stone.

  “You take one side, Henry, I will take the other,” Tarik said when they finished.

  “I’ll grab this corner if the ladies can manage the other,” Charlie offered.

  “Got it,” Maggie replied. She positioned herself at the corner. Emma grabbed the middle of the stone’s side. Piper and Ollie gripped the stone’s front.

  “Now, slide the stone. We may need to jiggle it a bit,” Ollie advised.

  They all heaved together, but the stone did not budge.

  “Pull your way, mate,” Henry told Tarik.

  “Right,” Tarik said with a nod.

  Henry pushed as Tarik pulled. “Now back my way,” Henry groaned.

  The group shimmied the stone side to side. It inched from its hole. Even on the hoist, its weight stretched everyone’s muscles to the limit. After a painstaking twenty minutes of work, the stone gave way.

  “Let’s lower it to the floor,” Ollie grunted as they tried to keep it steady. Henry lowered the stone down to the floor.

  Maggie wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. “Whew!” Maggie exclaimed. “Glad that’s over. Now it’s time to find the ankh!” Maggie grinned, her hands on her hips. “Who’s got a flashlight?”

  Ollie grabbed a large flashlight from the array of tools spread on the floor. He toggled it on, shining it into the gaping hole in the wall.

  “Well?” Maggie inquired. She peeked over Ollie’s shoulder.

  “Nothing,” Ollie stated. He continued panning the flashlight into the hole.

  “What?!” Maggie said. “What do you mean nothing? Let me see.” Maggie pushed in front of Ollie. He handed her the flashlight.

  She swept the beam around the empty space. The pocket in the wall held nothing but dust. The two-foot-thick space ended with a stone back. Maggie checked the sides, top, bottom and back. She stepped back, irked. “There’s nothing there!”

  Tarik and Henry glanced into the space. “Maybe we’re missing something,” Maggie conjectured. “It can’t be just a stone stuck against the back wall!”

  “It can be,” Emma retorted. “There’s no reason to think there would be a hidden chamber off THIS room.”

  “Then why would they bother putting a fake stone in the middle of this wall if it led to nowhere?” Maggie argued.

  Emma shrugged. “Maybe the original stone broke or cracked during construction. Perhaps a mistake was made carving the hieroglyphs, or a change to the script was made. There could be any number of reasons why that stone didn’t match the surrounding ones.”

  “Or it could be a clue leading us to the ankh,” Maggie insisted.

  “Either way, Maggie’s right. It does require further investigation to ensure we’ve missed nothing,” Ollie chimed in.

  Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m heading back to finish the other chamber while you investigate this.”

  “Good,” Ollie said. “Yes, we should all finish our tasks.”

  The group disbanded after a few moments, each pair heading back to their respective chamber to finish their investigation. Henry returned to his inspection of the remaining portions of the walls.

  Maggie stayed with Ollie. “I just can’t believe this is meaningless,” she murmured to him.

  “It’s okay, Maggie. Even if it is, you did a wonderful job of detecting it! I told you you’d be a wonderful addition to the team!”

  Maggie smiled at him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Uncle Ollie. But I wasn’t looking for a pat on the back. I was hoping for some encouragement that this wasn’t an exercise in futility.”

  “Let’s find out for sure,” Ollie said, squeezing her arm.

  Maggie nodded, deflated but determined. Together, she and Ollie spent the next hour inspecting every inch of the opening. They searched the back, sides, top and bottom surfaces as well as the area around the stone for any trace of a compartment or trigger to open another chamber. They found nothing.

  “Ugh!” Maggie said as she collapsed onto the floor. “I can’t believe this.”

  “Don’t let it get you down, Maggie,” Ollie responded.

  Maggie sighed and shook her head. “Should we try drilling into the back wall to see if there’s another chamber beyond that? Maybe we just haven’t found the trigger.”

  Ollie smiled at her. “If we find nothing else, we’ll consider it. For now, I’d rather not destroy any portion of the tomb unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  Maggie sighed but otherwise remained silent. “Maggie…” Ollie began.

  “No, it’s okay,” Maggie interrupted. “I understand.” She paused a moment as Henry joined them.

  “Nothing on my end,” Henry said. He pulled Maggie to her feet.

  “Looks like we’re back at it tomorrow in the main burial chamber,” Maggie said, dusting herself off.

  “There’s the spirit,” Ollie said with a grin. “Yes, it’s too late to begin now.”

  “Let’s see if anyone else had better luck,” Maggie suggested.

  “Don’t get your hopes up, princess,” Henry answered.

  “I know, I know. If they had, we’d have already heard about it, but a girl can hope!”

  The trio crossed the antechamber and checked with Tarik and Emma. “Nothing,” Tarik announced. “We have just finished.”

  “I suppose you found nothing?” Emma questioned.

  “No, nothing,” Ollie confirmed.

  “I suspected as much,” Emma responded.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Maggie retorted.

  “Well…” Emma began before Ollie cut her off.

  “Perhaps we’ll have better luck tomorrow. Let’s collect Charlie and Piper on our way out. We could all use a break, some dinner and some rest.”

  “I agree,” Maggie answered. “I’m starved and sore!”

  They collected Piper and Charlie, who had no luck unearthing anything of interest. The group exited the tomb. They spent the remainder of the day resting and discussing a plan for tackling the remaining chambers in the tomb. Ollie advocated if any discoveries led to hidden chambers, they were most likely to find them in the burial chambers.

  Chapter 17

  Maggie sat on the edge of her cot. Her eyes remained bleary. Despite sleeping soundly, fatigue still hung over her.

  “What’s the matter, boss lady? You sick?” Piper inquired.

  “She is NOT a morning person,” Emma disclosed as she pulled her blonde hair into a low ponytail.

  “Ugh. For once, she’s right,” Maggie groaned. “I am NOT a morning person. I hate mornings. I hate everything about mornings. I need coffee.”

  Maggie rose from the cot and pulled a t-shirt over her camisole. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail before she shoved her feet into her shoes. She slogged from the tent with Piper and Emma. The group headed to the dining tent.

  As Maggie stepped into the space, Henry waved a cup of coffee at her from a nearby table. “Oh, thank heavens!” Maggie raced toward him and grabbed the cup. She collapsed into the chair next to him and sipped the coffee.

  “Breakfast, princess?”

  “Yes, please,” she answered, taking another sip of coffee. She moved to stand, but Henry waved her down.

  “I’ll get it.” He kissed her cheek and headed toward the food to retrieve a plate for Maggie.

  The coffee and breakfast improved Maggie’s mood. When they finished, Maggie felt ready to tackle the task ahead. “Let’s go!” she said as she jumped to her feet.

  “How strong did you make that coffee?” Piper asked Henry.

  “Apparently strong enough,” Henry answered.

  “If we’re all ready,” Ollie said, “let’s head to the tomb and begin. We have a lot
of ground to cover today.”

  The group crossed the hot sands and descended into the coolness of the tomb. They made their way through the antechamber. Across from the entrance, they accessed the corridor leading to Cleopatra’s burial chambers.

  Maggie admired the walls as they entered the passageway. Beautiful painted images and carved hieroglyphics decorated the walls.

  “Perhaps there’s some clue here about where the other burial chamber may be,” Maggie suggested. “We found the instructions for entering Cleopatra’s chamber here. Maybe the directions for locating or opening Antony’s tomb are here, too!”

  “There’s no indication of any concealed openings in this area,” Emma said. “Nor any guidance for locating other burial chambers.”

  “Oh, has this all been translated?” Maggie inquired.

  “Not all of it,” Ollie answered. “Though the clue to Cleopatra’s chamber was apparent. There is nothing so apparent here that would refer to another burial chamber. But we should confirm that through a careful investigation.”

  “Let’s get started,” Henry suggested.

  “Everyone spread out and take a section of wall,” Ollie instructed.

  The group dispersed throughout the chamber. With all seven people concentrating on the passage, they finished their inspection in under an hour. Not only did they find no hidden chambers, but they also found no hint of one either.

  After a brief refreshment break, Ollie led the way into the main burial chambers. Maggie’s eyes slid upward as they entered the gargantuan space.

  “WOW!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing off the walls.

  “Just as impressive empty as it was filled, isn’t it?” Ollie answered with a smile.

  “It is!” Maggie agreed. “The last time we were here, this place overflowed with treasure! But even without all its bounty, it’s just as impressive!

  “You never saw the actual burial chamber,” Ollie said to her. “It’s something too!”

  “I can’t wait to see it! The pictures of it looked amazing!”

  “There’s your motivation to finish checking this chamber, princess,” Henry said to her.

  Maggie smiled at him. “Let’s get started! I’m feeling lucky today! I KNOW we’re going to find something!”