3-in-1: Zet and the Egyptian Mystery Cases

by Scott Peters

  "I think I know just the way to do it," Zet said.

  He and Hui commandeered the bakers' cart. They loaded it high with pottery.

  "I could have some men deliver a set, too," Merimose said, when he'd heard the story.

  "And I'll deliver these two serving bowls," Zet's mother said. "It's only two pieces, and the house isn't far from here."

  By mid-morning, the deliveries were complete. All of the women were happy to finally have their special dishes. Even the angry one was impressed when she heard why the pottery hadn't come, and what lengths Zet's family had gone through to get them.

  "Now want to go watch the races?" Zet said.

  "Hey, I'll do anything with you dressed like a demon."

  He hadn't bothered to change; there wasn't time. "I thought the women would be scared, but they all loved it!" Zet said.

  "Go figure," Hui said, grinning. "Next thing you know, they'll be hosting demon dress up parties." They'd reached the edge of the chariot races. "Look, I think the Royal Mother likes it, too," he said, pointing to a golden pavilion whose curtains fluttered in the faint breeze.

  In it, the Royal Mother was indeed staring at Zet. So was Pharaoh himself.

  The ground shook, as a chariot roared past.

  Then came a second, and third.

  Wheels glinted in the light, and the riders looked glorious in their uniforms.

  Hui wore a huge grin. "This is like old times. Except better! We just had an adventure for real!"

  "You're not kidding, talk about adventure. I thought you were dead," Zet said.

  "It's not that easy to kill me. And speaking of which, now that I'm out of work, maybe I can help you with your side business."

  "Side business? What side business."

  "You know, the whole Secret Agent Zet thing."

  "Secret Agent Zet, huh?"

  "It has a catchy ring, doesn't it?"

  "Uh, not really," Zet said, laughing. "I'm not exactly a secret agent."

  Hui ignored him. "And everyone knows a secret agent needs a side-kick." He waggled his eyebrows and elbowed Zet. "How about it? You and me? Solving crimes in the city?"

  Zet groaned and rolled his eyes.

  But Hui's attention was elsewhere. He grabbed Zet's arm and pointed. "Over there! A girl calling for help! Quick, we need to save her!"

  In a panic, Zet turned to look.

  It was Kat. But she wasn't in trouble. She was waving her arms at them, laughing and screaming and jumping up and down.

  Zet groaned. He couldn't believe he fell for it!

  "I'm throwing you in the river," Zet said.

  "You'll have to catch me first," Hui replied.

  Together, they took off into the bright, Theban afternoon.

  Zet and the

  Egyptian Princess

  Mystery

  Case 3

  Scott Peters

  Chapter One

  Strange Visitors

  12-year-old Zet grabbed at the pair of lean arms that tightened around his neck. He tried to yell, but his yell came out as a gasp. He lurched forward, pulling the boy with him. The two of them fell to the ground. They rolled several times across the sun-scorched paving stones.

  With a holler of triumph, Zet yanked himself free.

  "I won!" Zet said.

  "It's not over yet," shouted his best friend, Hui.

  Hui lunged again. The boys were equally matched. Hui usually had some trick up his sleeve, but Zet was fast on his toes. He sprinted to the edge of Hui's rooftop. The gap was several feet wide, and two-stories deep.

  Zet glanced back over his shoulder, and then jumped.

  He cleared the gap and landed on all fours, just a hand's width from the drop. On the opposite roof, Hui charged and took his own flying leap. Zet headed for the next roof, and then another.

  Four rooftops down, he threw a glance backwards. Not watching where he was going, he let out an oof as he slammed into a tall, soft figure. It was old Teni.

  She screeched. The basket of laundry in her arms flew one way, Zet went the other. He landed on his behind and winced.

  "What, by the gods, are you doing up here?" she cried. Her cheeks were bright red and her forehead was sweaty under her braided wool wig. She glanced at the top of the neighboring house and spotted Hui, who looked like a guilty dog.

  "And you, too!" Teni cried. "Your mothers will hear about this!"

  "Sorry," Zet said, and scrambled to his feet. He quickly started gathering Teni's laundry.

  "Leave it! Your hands are filthy! Hui, get over here now. Both of you are going back onto the street where you belong."

  Shamefaced, Hui came across. Teni ordered them down the roof hatch. At the bottom of her ladder, she grabbed the two of them by their ears, dragged them through her house, thrust them outside and slammed her door.

  "Oops," Zet said, unable to suppress a grin.

  "You can say that again," Hui said. "My mother is going to kill me."

  "Well, my mother is baking right now. I say we go to my house and eat cake before she finds out. Because after that, I probably won't be eating cake for weeks."

  Hui's eyes lit up. "Cake! Race you!"

  Together, they sprinted down the narrow streets of Thebes, laughing. Late afternoon sunlight burned down. Hot, bright rays gave way to cool shadows as they turned into a side street.

  It had been weeks since Zet had saved Hui from the whole cursed scarab mystery. The upside was that Zet had his best friend back. Ever since their fathers went to war, life had seemed far too serious. Zet ran the family pottery stall with his younger sister, Kat, while their mother took care of the baby at home. Now, with Hui around, the days the market was closed had become a lot more fun.

  The downside was that Hui was out of work. An incredibly skilled novice jeweler, Hui had been the star apprentice at the Kemet workshop. The other downside was that Hui and Zet's sister Kat had huge crushes on each other, which for some weird reason meant that Hui and Kat spent a lot of time arguing—with Zet stuck in the middle.

  Go figure.

  "Wait till Kat hears about Teni." Hui's grin was a near perfect imitation of his family's household god—Bes—the ancient trickster himself.

  "Kat will not want to hear about Teni," Zet said.

  "What? Kat will think it's hilarious. She'll love it!"

  Zet groaned. He could just picture his younger sister's face. She might only be eleven, but she had a no-nonsense, logical side when it came to anything that might hurt sales at their pottery stall. He could feel a Kat-Hui argument coming on.

  "Kat will not love it," he tried to explain. "She thinks upsetting the neighbors is bad for business."

  "She'll think it's worth it when I tell her about the look on Teni's face—" Hui paused, staring ahead. "What's going on up there?"

  They had just rounded the corner into Zet's street. Two-story, mud brick houses with brightly painted doors lined the well-swept, narrow lane. At the far end, standing in single file before Zet's front steps, stood six uniformed guards.

  At first, Zet thought the men were medjay, the city police. But then he saw the heavy weapons on their hips, and the medals that gleamed at their shoulders. Most carried fiber shields, and several wore helmets. Soldiers.

  "What are they doing at your place?" Hui said.

  Zet walked faster. "I don't know." He broke into a run. Was it possible? Had the thing he wanted most finally come true?

  Hui matched him stride for stride. "What do you think they want?"

  "Father," Zet gasped, running. "My father must be home! Back from fighting the Hyksos invaders!"

  Hui latched onto Zet's arm. He yanked him to a stop. "Wait."

  Zet tried to shake him off. "Let go! What are you doing! I haven't seen my father in over a year."

  "If your father was home, others would be too. Mine would be, and . . . well . . ."

  Zet's expression faltered. A sick feeling grabbed him. He glanced at the soldiers. They stood, arms crossed over thei
r breastplates, and stared stiffly straight ahead.

  No, Hui was right. This was no welcome home party. If Father was back, the war would be over, and the whole town would be celebrating.

  "That's true." Still, he started forward, a lump in his throat.

  "Maybe your father won a medal," Hui said, trying to grin, but his expression was shaky. "And they've come to tell you about it."

  Zet nodded, not saying what they both really thought. Medals that arrived like this were bleak things.

  "Whatever the reason, I have to know. Now." He approached his front steps.

  Please let father still be alive.

  The closest soldier raised a thick arm to bar his way. "Name?"

  "Zet, son of Nefer. This is my friend Hui. Why are you here?"

  "I am not authorized to say. Please, go inside. They're waiting."

  Fearing the worst, Zet stepped through the door. Hui followed and the soldier shut it firmly behind them.

  For some reason, the windows had all been fastened tightly shut. After the fierce brightness outside, it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. Not only was the front room unbearably hot, it was full of more soldiers.

  Kat appeared, maneuvering her way clear of the adults. Zet's sister grabbed his wrist.

  "Thank Ra you're here. I was going to come looking for you!" Kat's cheeks were bright. "She's back!"

  Zet frowned. "Who's back? Why are the soldiers here?"

  "Come on." She dragged him forward.

  Zet glanced back at Hui, who looked equally mystified. The soldiers parted to let the three of them through.

  Zet spotted his mother first.

  "Zet!" she said, sounding relieved.

  A cloaked figure sat next to his mother on one of their comfortably worn pillows. The hood fell back when the figure glanced up, revealing a wrinkled, familiar face. The old visitor did not meet his eyes. She couldn't. She was blind.

  Hui elbowed Zet hard. "That's the Queen Mother!" he whispered in awe.

  "I know," Zet said, grinning.

  He breathed a shaky sigh of relief. His father was safe. But why had Pharaoh's mother come?

  Chapter Two

  Missing

  This wasn't the first time the Queen Mother had visited Zet's house. Her appearance amazed him nonetheless.

  It was shocking to see a royal figure here, in their front room.

  Meanwhile, certainty that this visit had nothing to do with his father caused his heart to stop hammering. The knot in his stomach loosened. He knelt and bowed low.

  "Hello, Your Highness," Zet said.

  The Queen Mother smiled, focusing her blind gaze where he knelt. "Is that you, my friend?"

  "Yes," he said, beaming.

  "Please, no kneeling," she said.

  How could she tell?

  "We know each other too well for that," she said.

  Zet rose, but Hui stayed plastered to the floor. The Queen Mother cocked her head to one side as if listening.

  "Is someone with you?" she asked.

  "My friend, Hui."

  "Well, Hui, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said.

  Hui jolted as if shocked by the sound of the famous Mother of Egypt's Pharaoh speaking his name. He stuttered out a garbled reply.

  "All of you, come sit beside me. I'd like to hear your news. I hear so little of life outside the palace. It's a treat for an old woman like me."

  "Come on," Zet whispered, pulling Hui to his feet.

  "Sit there?" Hui whispered. "Beside the Queen Mother?"

  "She won't bite," Kat whispered, at Hui's elbow.

  "I might, unless you hurry," the Queen Mother said. She had sharp ears.

  Hui winced. "Sorry, Your Highness."

  It was easy for Zet and Kat to act nonchalant. They'd helped her in the past, and she'd rewarded them with a huge chest of gold deben. Still, Zet's nonchalant attitude was partly an act. He remained in as much awe as Hui, but it was fun watching Hui's reaction.

  The Queen Mother reached forward blindly, found a cushion and patted it. "Here. Come. Tell me how you've been. And then I'll explain why I'm here."

  At first, Zet couldn't help feeling formal. But soon, they were talking and laughing about things that had happened since they'd last seen one another. Zet told her about the pottery he had purchased with her reward to restock his family stall.

  The Queen Mother told him that everyone in the palace was now regularly eating the chickpea salad recipe she'd gotten from Zet's mother.

  "It is wonderful to come here, away from the palace and its busy intrigues," the Queen Mother said. "You are blessed in this home."

  Zet nodded. He knew the time had come for the truth of her visit. "Highness, why are you here? What's happened?"

  In her lap, her bony fingers tightened around an object fastened to a golden chain. The color drained from her frail cheeks. She looked afraid and suddenly fragile. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  "Zet, I'd like to speak to you alone," she said.

  Kat and Hui scrambled to their feet. Meanwhile, she raised her blind eyes to the soldiers in the room. "My good men, please, give us some space."

  "But My Lady!" said the closest soldier, one hand on his gilded sword hilt. "Do you know where we are?"

  "Yes," she said drily. "I know exactly where we are. As I recall, I provided the directions."

  Zet and Hui grinned at each other.

  "Of course you did, what I mean is—well, Madam, the neighborhood, it's not safe for you!"

  "I trust you will protect me should any harm arise," she said with an amused smile.

  "She's been in worse places," Zet couldn't help adding.

  At this, the Queen Mother laughed out loud. "Indeed I have."

  After the soldiers left, and Kat and Hui had retreated to the kitchen, she turned to Zet.

  "What I'm about to share, you must not tell anyone," she said.

  "I understand."

  Worry lines creased her face. "You're familiar with my oldest granddaughter?"

  He nodded. "Princess Meritamon."

  "And you know her birthday is coming up?"

  "Yes," Zet said, wondering where this was leading. "Definitely. I hear it's going to be amazing. The whole city is looking forward to the celebration."

  "There may not be one," the Queen Mother said.

  "What? Why not?"

  "Princess Meritamon is missing."

  Chapter Three

  A Royal Spy

  Zet stared at the Queen Mother in shock.

  Missing? He'd never met the Princess, despite his friendship with Pharaoh's famous mother. Like the rest of Thebes, he'd only glimpsed her from a distance. His mind flew back to the last time he'd seen her—at the Opet Festival, just over three weeks ago. There had been a chariot race, with crowds lining the Boulevard of the Sphinx.

  Princess Meritamon sat in the large royal booth; like Hui had pointed out, it was hard not to notice her. She was thirteen, going on fourteen. One year older than Zet. She'd been seated next to her half-sister, Sitamun.

  The half-sisters were the same age, but nothing alike.

  Sitamun was pale and quiet, like her nickname—daughter of the moon.

  When Zet thought of Meritamon, he pictured a girl who practically sparkled when she laughed. She had this bubbling energy that drew your attention. When a chariot rider nearly crashed during a daring play to pass his opponent, instead of shrinking back, she'd actually shouted with delight.

  Kat said Princess Meritamon was the prettiest girl in Egypt. The Princess seemed almost unconscious of the fact. Mostly she seemed interested in people. She'd tilt her head to listen when someone spoke to her, and her eyes would light up when she was talking. Zet couldn't help wondering what it would be like to meet face to face.

  Apparently, he wasn't alone. Pharaoh's guests had seemed more interested in having the Princess include them in her circle than watching the chariot race. As did the people in the streets. They'd shout her name, which would make he
r laugh in apparent surprise, and then she'd wave.

  Zet came back to the present, his mind spinning.

  Missing?

  But she must have been guarded; the royal family was under constant protection!

  "How can she be missing?" he asked.

  "It's the same question I've been asking myself. And it's the reason I'm here." The Queen Mother squared her shoulders to face him. "I need you to help me find out what happened. I need you to help bring my granddaughter home."

  Zet stared at her in disbelief. "Me?"

  "Oh, we have medjay police working on the case, but you have something unique. You can get into places others can't. Many adults don't believe children know much." She smiled, looking rueful. "They're willing to let their guard down, and say things they wouldn't dare tell a man in uniform."

  "That's true," Zet said with a laugh. "You wouldn't believe some of the things people discuss in front of us at the stall. Like we're not even there."

  "They were children once. You'd think they'd remember how it was."

  Footsteps moved across the upper floor. His mother was busy doing some chores.

  Zet shifted on his cushion, wanting to ask something but worried about offending her. "This might sound crazy, but—"

  "Tell me."

  "Well, is it possible she went off on her own? For a day or two?"

  "Meritamon is certainly capable of such mischief. She enjoys raising a little trouble now and then—not that I didn't at her age! But no. First, she wasn't in Thebes. And second, we have proof she was kidnapped."

  "Kidnapped." Shock ran through him. "Where was she?"

  "At Abydos. Pharaoh's building a new temple there. Merit went seven days ago by boat for a small vacation," the Queen Mother said, using the princess's shortened name. "She was to tour the project, and then meet with her father as he came south from the battlefront." Her voice became quiet. "They planned to travel back here together for her birthday celebration."

  Zet swallowed. The darkness and heat of the room felt suffocating. "If Princess Merit was kidnapped, is there a ransom?"