by Scott Peters
Zet's shoulders sagged. "We all feel terrible. We didn't mean to drag you into this. My mother's worried about you."
"We'll get through it," Delilah said. "But please, don't come back."
"Ever?" Kat squeaked.
Delilah relented. She was a big woman and used to handling rowdy boys, not tearful girls like Kat. Still, she swept Kat into her arms.
"I'm only protecting my family," she barked. "You can come back when this is over."
"Are you sure?" Kat sniffed.
"Of course I'm sure."
But what if that was never?
Back home, Zet paused in front of Bastet, the cat-goddess carved of ebony. She watched from her silent eyes.
"I wish that mummy had never come here," he whispered. "I wish we'd never sold that plate to Aziza. Everything is a mess! The stall. And now our friends. And what about the Princess? I don't dare ask her for help. What if the mummy curses the Royal Family?"
Then, a new worry struck.
He touched Bastet's paws. "Is my father cursed, too? Is he in danger? Up there, on the battlefield?"
Merit's warning about the treasury filled his head—she said funds were running dangerously low. If they got any worse, supplies for the troops would be at risk.
He pictured his father's strong, smiling face. Was he all right? Zet's heart squeezed in his chest.
Bastet continued to stare silently from her alabaster eyes. This ancient goddess of the home had guarded their family for generations. Even though her eyes were made of stone, Zet felt sure he read sympathy in them.
"Keep my father safe, Bastet. Please, keep all of us safe."
Chapter 10
An Unexpected Visit
Zet clambered up the ladder to the roof. When he stepped outside, he heard a muffled gasp of alarm. His instincts kicked into high gear.
Looking right, he spied Kat at the far end. She was leaning out over the side. Straining. Someone, or something, was trying to pull her over!
"Kat!" Zet cried, sprinting toward her.
"Hurry," she called. "Help me!"
He was nearly there. Her nightdress glowed in the moonlight. From below came an awful, scrabbling sound. Whatever was pulling her over was thrashing around. Hard.
A boy's voice said, "By the gods, Kat, I'm going to fall."
Hui.
Zet raced forward to see his best friend dangling from the ledge. Hui was forever horsing around—but unlike Zet, he wasn't the most nimble. Zet grabbed Hui's left hand. Kat pulled Hui's right one. Together, they yanked him to safety.
Hui brushed himself off and grinned at Zet. "What took you so long?" he said. "I was about to be jackal dust."
Zet gave him a playful punch. "How was I supposed to know you were coming?"
"I made that bird noise! When you were at my house."
"Bird noise?" Zet said. "I thought that was your brothers choking each other."
"Hmm, yes. Understandable."
Kat flapped her arms. "Will you two quit joking around? What happened with the mummy?"
Hui flopped onto Zet's sleeping pallet. "Just let me catch my breath."
Kat turned sheepish and twisted her braid. "Thanks for coming. Even though now you're cursed because of us. You're the best friend we could ever have."
Hui colored under Kat's gushing praise. Kat colored, too. Zet rolled his eyes.
Hui gave Kat a dopey grin. "I wouldn’t leave you in the lurch."
Zet laughed. "Lurch! That's funny."
Kat crossed her arms.
"Because mummies lurch," Zet said. "You know, when they walk?"
Kat said. "I got it. Thank you very much."
Zet said, "Good, 'cause it sure doesn't look like it, grumpy."
"Aargh!" Kat fisted her hands. "Quit it, beetle-breath. This is serious."
Zet groaned. "I know. You're right. It is."
"Do you want to hear what happened or not?" Hui said.
In unison, Zet and Kat said, "Yes!"
Hui sat up on one elbow. "It was creepy. It was exactly like you described. First, that jackal started howling. Even my eyebrows were standing on end. I went to the front door, and when I opened it—"
"The mummy was standing there?" Zet said.
"Yes." He shuddered. "Mr. Faceless. Eeugh." Hui grimaced. "Then it raised its hand and pointed at me . . . like this . . . and went Oooohhh!"
"Stop that," Kat scolded, her cheeks white.
But Hui wasn't joking around. He looked almost sick as he dry swallowed. "It gets worse. It started whispering. This fast, muttering whisper."
"A curse," Kat breathed.
"A curse," Zet agreed.
"I ran inside to find something to throw at it. But of course, Mother got there first. She slammed the door before I could do anything. And then—here's where it gets really weird—some lady screamed! From the opposite end of the street. No one could see who she was. She just screamed really loud. Exactly like when the mummy came to your house."
"That is so strange," Zet said.
"Yes. Mother flew off to help. Same with all the other neighbors. People were running away from that mummy and heading toward that scream. And listen to this. I saw someone in the crowd. Someone I never expected to see in my street."
"Who?" Kat said.
"That grouchy fisherman from the river."
"The big, scary one who helped us get our raft unstuck?" Kat asked.
Hui nodded. "That's the one."
"Did you talk to him?" Zet asked.
"No. And I doubt he spotted me. He was standing sideways. Then he took off around a corner. But I know it was him. I'd recognize that big nose anywhere."
"And the mummy?" Zet asked.
"I went after it. By the time I fought through the crowd, it was gone."
Kat stood and wrapped her arms around her middle. She paced a few steps, shivering. A breeze whispered, pulling at Zet's hair. He rose, too. An idea was coming to him. If only he could catch hold of it. He walked back and forth, thinking.
Kat spoke up. "So what was that scary fisherman doing in your street, Hui?"
"Good question," Zet said. He was beginning to think they'd stumbled on a clue. But to what? "Maybe we should go to the river tomorrow and ask him."
"Maybe . . . " Kat said, although she didn't seem too fond of the idea.
Zet said. "Could they be connected? The fisherman, the screaming woman, and the mummy?"
Kat's brow furrowed. "It is a pattern." She bit her lip. "Wait. Is that fisherman a ghost?"
Zet groaned. "No, he's not a ghost."
Hui said, "Thank the gods for that. Who wants to fight a ghost? We already have a mummy on our hands. Yikes."
Kat said, "What are you saying, Zet?"
"What if this is a ruse? A trick?"
"A trick? Impossible." Kat glanced at Hui. "Right, Hui? No way is this a trick."
"Huh?" Hui looked from Zet to Kat and back again. Clearly, he was torn.
Kat said, "Well? Who do you agree with? Me or Zet?"
"Uh . . . you?" he told Kat.
Zet smacked his forehead. "Only because she's glaring at you."
"Maybe."
Zet said, "Did they find the screaming lady? Your mother and your neighbors?"
"Nope."
"Same story in our street," Zet said. "The screams stopped before they found her."
Hui scratched at a scab on his palm.
Zet said, "Maybe it's a trick. Maybe not. But something weird is going on. Unless we find that screaming lady, our only lead is the man from the river. Why was he in your street? We have to investigate."
Hui nodded. "You're right. I'm free tomorrow. I got a note from the palace foundry before I ran over. They gave me the week off. And you know what that means."
Kat said, "They think you're cursed and don't want you bringing bad luck to the royal jewelers' workshop?"
Hui nodded, looking glum.
Zet slumped down beside his best friend. "I don't care what Merimose said. We ha
ve to do something!" he said. "Fast."
Chapter 11
Surprise on the Nile
The morning air felt warm on Zet's bare arms. Welcome coolness rose from the paving stones. Shadows still filled the streets. On the way to the river, Zet and Kat detoured past their closed market stall.
A new pile of abandoned pottery lay before the tent. They sighed in unison.
"We better hide this away," Zet said.
Kat nodded. "Let's hurry. I bet Hui's waiting for us."
At the Nile, however, they found no Hui.
"How much longer will he be?" Kat groaned. "It's getting late. We told mother we'd be back before lunch."
Zet rubbed his short hair. "I don't think he's coming."
"Of course he's coming!" Kat said, hands on her hips and brows furrowed with indignation.
"You know his mother. She probably guessed he was meeting us."
Kat chewed her lip, clearly worried. "Uh oh."
"What?"
"I just thought of something. What if she caught him sneaking home last night?"
Zet groaned. On the river, a duck tipped its head under water. Its tail feathers waggled as it foraged on the bottom. When it came back up, however, its beak was empty. The duck quacked loudly and flew off.
"Maybe we should scrap this until tomorrow," Zet said.
Kat crossed her arms. "Why?"
"You want to go? Us?"
Kat looked mad. "What are you saying? I'm not afraid of those river people."
Zet felt they should be. "What about the current? Remember how hard it was to paddle upstream?"
She blew out a breath. "Oh. Right. Still, that man is our only clue."
Had she grown braver? The old Kat would have refused to question some big scary fisherman. If nothing else, she did look stronger from carting those mountains of pottery home. Perhaps she was right, they could manage the trip alone.
"Are you sure?" he said.
She nodded. "Let's go, before I change my mind."
Traveling downstream went quickly. The Nile carried their little raft swiftly past the bustling watersteps of Thebes. The city gave way to high walls. Here and there, buildings and shady homes peeked out above them. The banks grew thicker with reeds and trees as the river wound its way along. Bees buzzed lazily in the gentle winds.
"We're almost there," Zet warned. "Look, there's that sandbank. Coming up on the left."
"I see it," Kat said.
This time, they'd come better prepared. They'd fashioned two anchors out of big rocks. "Get ready to weigh anchor. I don't want to get stuck again."
She lay down her paddle. "It's really shallow. Now!"
Together, they tossed the rocks overboard. Greats splashes sparkled in the sunlight. Ropes attached to each rock disappeared beneath the surface. The raft came to a halt.
"We did it," Zet said.
Kat grinned.
"Perfect positioning. We won't get stuck."
They could see the hut. Near the front lay the ancient building block covered in hieroglyphics. Except this time Zet noticed two blocks. Had there always been two? Where had those blocks come from?
The overgrowth between the hut and the river was flattened. Footsteps had beaten a wide track. Dozens of empty reed baskets lay scattered on the ground. Some were half submerged along the sandbank. In the river, the sandbar had spread.
Zet and Kat waded toward shore. They never reached it.
"Hey!" came an angry shout.
The big fisherman stood in the doorway to the hut. Dirt and sweat covered his bare shoulders. He looked even bigger than Zet remembered.
Zet waved. "Hi there."
"Get away, you!"
Water rushed past Zet's knees as he stood rooted in the silty river. Time to pluck up his courage. They'd come all this way. "We wanted to ask you something."
"I told you before, we don't want to be bothered. Now get away."
Kat's high voice startled Zet. "This is public land. You can't order us away."
"She's right," Zet said.
"Oh yeah?" the man snarled, advancing into the water. "Says who?"
Zet stepped back a foot. This had been a crazy idea. They should get out of there. He and Kat couldn't fight that man!
"We'll call for the medjay and have you investigated," Kat said, raising her chin.
Zet knew by the way she knotted her fingers that she was terrified. But the man couldn't know that. Taking a cue from her, Zet puffed out his own chest.
"Yeah!" Zet shouted.
The man's lip curled. "And how you going to call for them, eh? Not like we're in town."
"I scream really loud." Kat pointed at the partially hidden wall that lay deeper in the overgrowth. "And the Royal Treasury is just on the other side. Believe me, someone will come."
Zet tried to keep his jaw from dropping. Who was this person? Not his sister. He stood taller. "My sister's right. Anyway, we're leaving. We're coming back with the medjay."
The man hesitated. His whole face flushed red. The flush spread to his neck. His fists balled at his sides. He looked ready to explode.
Zet pulled Kat back a step. He could sense her preparing to scream.
Then, the man's shoulders sank. His leathery face twisted into an apologetic smile. He spoke in a loud, oily voice. "Look, now kiddies. Our poor daughter's in that hut. We ain't got no home right now, and she's awfy sick," the man announced. "We don't want no trouble."
Kat hesitated. Zet felt uncertain.
A faint voice called out, "Who are you talking to, father?"
"Don't you worry yourself, pet," he called. "It's just some passers-by."
From the hut there came the sound of violent coughing. "They won't try to make us leave, will they, papa?"
"No, pet, don't you worry." Turning to Zet and Kat, he said, "Sorry I got mad. It's just I'm worried about my girl. We don't want to get pushed out of our home, even if it is only a poor hut. We're moving on, soon. We ain't lucky like you with your fancy royal friend."
Zet's face grew hot. "You knew who she was?" he stammered.
"'Course. I got eyes. I been to a public ceremony or two. And a hood don't do a lot to hide a girl's face when the sun god is shining her up like a lamp."
"But why didn't you say anything?" Kat said.
"Didn't want no trouble. And I figured she wanted to be hidden-like, so I played along. Didn't I?"
Kat said, "We're sorry about your daughter. We want to help. Right, Zet?" She elbowed him.
"Yes! Definitely. What can we do?"
The coughing came again.
The man grimaced. "Nothing. Priest came and went. It's up to the gods, now. We just want to be left in peace."
"Is there something we can bring you?" Kat begged as the coughing fit grew louder.
"No. Let us alone. Just like we let your royal friend alone."
Zet had nearly forgotten the reason they'd come.
"One question," Zet called.
The fisherman scowled.
"What were you doing in Kanup Street last night?" Zet said.
"Kanup Street?" spluttered the man. With a snort, he said, "I was nowhere near Kanup Street."
"But my friend saw you."
"He saw someone else, boy." The angry red color had returned to his cheeks. "Now let us alone," he howled. "Get away and leave us poor folk in peace!"
Chapter 12
Night Fright!
The sun god, Ra, beat down mercilessly as Zet and Kat rowed upstream. By the time they pulled the raft on shore, they were both sweat-soaked.
"That man was hiding something," Zet said, flopping down beside Kat to catch his breath.
"What are you talking about?" Kat said. "His daughter is sick."
"Maybe," Zet said.
"You heard her coughing."
Zet dragged his forearm over his damp face. "He looked weird when I asked about Kanup Street. He looked guilty."
"He wanted to get rid of us, that's all."
"Hui's good
with faces. He's an artist. I think that man was lying."
"Why would he lie? Honestly, Zet. Even if he was in Kanup Street—what does it matter? He can't have anything to do with the mummy. A fisherman and a sick daughter?"
Zet sat up. "Where was his wife? That woman?"
"Who knows? Market, buying vegetables? Anyway it's almost lunchtime. I'm starving. Let's go."
That night Zet lay awake, unable to shake his suspicions that the man was connected to all this. But maybe Kat was right. He was grasping at reeds, hoping for answers.
Kat's snores drifted through the darkness. Now and then she murmured in her sleep. On the opposite side of the roof, Zet rubbed his arms and yawned. He felt sore after their hard row up the Nile. Still, his thoughts jabbered on.
He wished this mummy business was a trick. Some awful prank to scare everyone in Thebes.
That was wishful thinking.
Aziza was haunting them. He was haunting Hui now, too. Zet had to do something! What? Confront the mummy? Beg it to stop? Ask it what it wanted?
He rested his chin on his knees. If only he knew where it planned to strike next.
An idea came to him.
At that moment, a strange, bird-like whistle drifted from the street below. Zet bolted upright. He ran to the edge of the roof and peered down.
"Hui?" he whisper-shouted, squinting at a shadowy form.
"It's me," Hui whisper-shouted back. "Come down."
"Hold on."
Zet grabbed his sandals and tossed them over. Then he clambered after them. His fingers and toes found foot holes in the mud brick wall. He made quick work of it and soon landed beside his best friend.
"What happened to you today?" Zet asked.
"Mother."
"That's what we figured," Zet said.
"Where's Kat?" Hui asked.
"Sleeping."
"Oh." Hui gazed toward the roof.
Zet said, "I'm not climbing back up there to get her."
"I never said you should."
"Then stop making that hangdog face. It's awful," Zet said with a groan.
"What's awful is that tunic," Hui said. "It's so white you're glowing. I, meanwhile wore brown. Which, as you see, blends in with the night."
