The Ankh of Isis: The Library of Athena, Book 2

by Christine Norris

  “I don’t see anything written on the box,” Claire said. “So where is the clue?”

  “It must be inside,” Megan said. “We’ll have to open it.”

  “Ugh.” Rachel wrinkled her nose. “I don’t really want to look at some dried up old mummy, thank you.”

  “It won’t bite you or anything.” Megan smirked and decided to keep the comment that sprung to mind about the mummy coming back to life to herself. “Fine. You stand back, we’ll open it.” She put her fingertips beneath the lid and pulled. “It’s stuck.”

  “I don’t see how it could be,” Rachel said. “There’s no latch or lock. I would think when Set put Osiris in, he could just lift the lid and hop on out.”

  “Set sealed it with hot lead.” Diedrich squatted beside the coffin and looked closely at the seam where the lid and box came together. “Yes, there’s something in there. We need to pry it out.”

  “Well, I’ll just jog on down to the local hardware store and grab a crowbar,” Rachel quipped.

  “I think we already have something that will work.” He took the lapis collar from his neck, thrust an edge into the seam and wiggled it back and forth.

  “That’s not long enough,” Claire said. “You won’t get enough leverage.”

  “I’m not looking for leverage.” Diedrich pulled the collar out and looked at the seam. “Lead is a fairly soft metal. Gold is too, but if I can make a dent, maybe I can get a finger in there and pull the lead out.”

  “That’s going to take forever,” Rachel said. “We’re on the clock, remember?”

  “Relax, my dad can’t get in the palace.”

  “No, but sooner or later someone downstairs is going to figure out we’re not in our rooms and come looking. I’m sure they have guards that make rounds during the night or some such thing. They’ll see the open pillar and—”

  “Got it.” Diedrich pulled out a long, thin strip of metal. It broke off at the corner. “Quick, Megan you take that corner and I’ll work on this end.”

  The rest of the lead came out easily. Diedrich put his fingers under the lip of the lid.

  “Here we go.” He lifted up. His muscles strained, and the lid raised a quarter of an inch. He relaxed and took a deep breath. “That’s a lot heavier than it looks.”

  “I’ll help.” Megan handed her torch to Claire. “Rachel, relight the other torch and go watch the door. Claire, hold that light steady.”

  “This time let’s lift just a bit, then shove,” Diedrich said. “Slide the lid across. On three.”

  Megan nodded.

  “One, two, three.”

  Megan lifted with all her strength, then pushed. The lid shifted sideways.

  “Turn it or it’ll drop inside when we let go,” Diedrich said. They shifted it so it lay at a forty-five-degree angle.

  “What’s inside?” Claire’s voice was afraid and excited.

  She probably loves all this. Megan hadn’t actually thought about it before, but it was almost as good as being on an archaeological dig. Except for almost being killed all the time, and the magic stuff, of course.

  Megan looked inside the box and lifted out the single item inside. “It’s a big bug.”

  In her hands was a large carved wooden beetle.

  “It’s a scarab,” Diedrich said. “To the Egyptians they were powerful amulets. This one could have been a heart scarab.”

  “What the heck is that?” Megan asked.

  “It was placed over the heart of a mummy. There was usually something written on the back, a spell to protect the dead, so that Osiris would allow the deceased into the underworld.”

  And Diedrich is the docent in this crazy museum. Megan smiled at the thought and flipped the scarab over. “There is something written here, but I can’t see what it is.”

  “Let’s figure it out later,” Rachel said. “This place totally creeps me out.”

  “There’s nothing else in there, so I guess we can go,” Megan said.

  “Guys, does it seem like this room is smaller?” Claire said.

  Megan dusted off her hands. “It’s your imagination. I’m claustrophobic, and I’m fine in here. I think it’s that the ceiling is so high.”

  “No, I think Claire’s right,” Rachel said. “The walls are moving.” She ran out the door and down the stairs.

  Megan heard a noise and looked to her left. There was the grinding of stone on stone. Osiris’ box sunk into the floor so it wouldn’t be crushed by the walls, which had moved almost close enough for her to reach out and touch on both sides.

  “We have to go, now.” Diedrich grabbed her wrist and dragged her across the room, which was now only a corridor. The walls moved faster. Claire leapt the last few feet to the door and onto the stairs with Rachel.

  Megan and Diedrich were only a few yards from the door. They took another step, and a piece of the floor in front of them dropped away. The torch slipped from Megan’s hand and fell into the hole, lighting a brief path into a bottomless abyss.

  “We’re not going to make it,” Megan said. The walls pressed in on them from both sides. The door looked a thousand miles away.

  “Yes you are.” Diedrich picked her up and threw her across the gap. She landed on the other side with a thud, still inside the shrinking room. Claire and Rachel’s hands came through the door and dragged her onto the steps.

  Megan looked back, and her heart jumped to her throat. Diedrich took two long steps back, ran to the edge of the gap and launched himself into the air. His feet touched down on the other side, but his balance was off. He teetered on the edge of the hole, the walls ready to close in on him at any second.

  “No!” Megan screamed. She tried, but she couldn’t reach him.

  Diedrich gripped the closing walls with his fingertips and threw himself forward. He bellyflopped onto the steps next to Megan, his top half outside the door. He rolled to his back and pulled his knees to his chest. His feet just missed being crushed by the walls. They came together with a deep, dull clunk.

  “Are you all right?” Megan sat beside his head as he lay across the steps, head down.

  “Considering the alternative, I’m fabulous.”

  “That was bloody brilliant,” Rachel said.

  The four of them ran down the stairs, Claire and the remaining torch in the lead. They reached the bottom and tumbled into the silent throne room. The panel slid closed behind them. Its edges disappeared into the curved surface of the pillar, as if it had never been.

  Rachel looked around. “No one here, thank goodness. Do we still wait until morning or do we get out of here now before anyone suspects?”

  “I vote for now,” Claire said. “We’re already awake.”

  “We have to go back to the room first,” Megan said. “I left the book there.”

  “I’ll go,” Diedrich said. “You three stay here.” He looked at Megan. “Keep safe, I’ll be right back.” He jogged into the dark.

  “While we’re waiting, let’s have a look at that clue,” Claire said. Rachel and Claire flanked Megan on either side and looked over her shoulders at the scarab.

  Megan turned the carved beetle over in her hands. “We lucked out this time. I can read this one.”

  “What do you mean?” Rachel said.

  “The last one, the one in the book, was in Ancient Egyptian,” Claire said. “Didn’t you see it?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I was too busy trying not to make Hemmlich mad and figure out how to get away. He didn’t read it from the book though. I thought I told you, it was on a scroll that he found in the camel’s bag, I think. He took it with him.”

  “So that’s why we couldn’t find it,” Megan said. “I thought the book would reset it when we came in, but I guess as long as there’s someone in here, the first person to get the English clue takes it. Anybody that follows is out of luck.”

  “Worry about it later,” Claire said. “Read the clue, Megan.”

  “Yes, by all means,” a gruff voice said from the
dark. “Read it.”

  Chapter Fourteen: Eye of the Raptor

  Josef Hemmlich stepped into the circle of moonlight. The blade of the long saber he brandished flashed as the sharp, curved edge caught the light. “I am most anxious to hear what it says.”

  The girls took three large steps backward, and Hemmlich was thrown into shadow. “How did you get in here?” Rachel said. “Diedrich told them not to let you in.”

  Mr. Hemmlich snorted. “Did you really think they could stop me? Two tired guards by the front gate, and a host of shadows I could use to hide from the wall sentries? I went by them easily. Of course, I needed a little diversion—for insurance.”

  “What does that mean?” Megan said, suddenly uneasy. “What did you do?”

  Something was not right. The front doors stood open, and the scent of smoke wafted in. Voices, raised in alarm, accompanied the smell.

  “You set something on fire?” Claire said.

  Josef shrugged. “Just a house.”

  Megan’s heart was in her throat. “With people inside?”

  “Hmm. I’m not sure. I think so. I did hear someone scream.”

  “You’re a horrible person,” Claire said.

  Josef’s face twisted into a malevolent smile. “No, I’m just a man who knows what he wants, what he needs, and is willing to do what it takes to get it. Besides, we all know that these—people—aren’t real. Yes, ladies, I’ve figured it all out. I’m smarter than you are, remember?”

  “Run,” Megan muttered to her friends.

  “What?” Claire whispered.

  “I said, run. If we split up, he’ll chase me because I’ve got the clue.” She tucked the scarab into her sari, bent her knees slightly and tensed her muscles, as if she were preparing for a race. “Ready, get set—”

  “GO!” Rachel yelled.

  Claire threw the torch at Mr. Hemmlich and ran left. Megan shot off to the right, into the dark. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rachel run toward the back of the room and duck behind the two golden thrones.

  Josef cursed. “I’ll find you sooner or later.”

  From her hiding place, in the shadow of a doorway, Megan saw the torch slide across the floor and sputter out. Now the only light came from moonlight that shone from above and through the front doors. The wind blew faint shouts and a woman’s screams into the room along with light smoke.

  Mr. Hemmlich turned slowly in the light, the saber in front of him. He stopped facing the far end of the room. Three large steps took him out of the light, but to the dais and the thrones. Megan’s hands shook, and her heart jumped into her mouth. If he looked over the top, Rachel wouldn’t see him until it was too late.

  She took a deep breath. “Rachel, watch out!”

  Mr. Hemmlich turned his head toward the sound. Megan saw a Rachel-shaped shadow take advantage of his distraction and bolt from behind the chairs and to another part of the room. Josef climbed from the dais, his face twisted in a snarl.

  He stalked toward where he had heard Megan yell. She was already gone, having sprinted to a corner. Rachel met her there.

  “Give me the scarab,” Rachel said.

  “Why?”

  “Because he’ll think you still have it.”

  Rachel took it and tucked it away. “Now, run. Go find Claire.”

  Megan shot from the corner, but Hemmlich must have heard her, because he turned in her direction immediately. She barely saw Claire in another corner, behind a huge vase that looked remarkably like the one she always stubbed her toe on in the dining room.

  “Where’s Rachel?” she whispered.

  “She’s fine.”

  There wasn’t enough room for both of them behind the vase. Megan took off toward the front door. Josef jumped in front of her and blocked her path.

  “Give me that scarab!” He swung the saber, and she felt the wind from the blade as it blew through her hair.

  Megan took a step back and dove behind a pillar. She saw Rachel toss the scarab to Claire, and Claire run back to the shadows. “Over here, you wanker,” Rachel yelled. “I’ve got it, come and get it.”

  When he spun toward Rachel, Megan shot out from behind the pillar. She wanted to run out the front door but couldn’t abandon her friends. She went right and stumbled through the dark until she came to a wall. There was a door there—if she could get Rachel and Claire they could escape.

  She pressed herself against the wall and hid in the shadows. She scanned the room for any sign of her friends. Her knees buckled. Trembling, she slid down the wall, unable to get up. She tried, but her limbs would not obey.

  I can’t stay here. He’s going to find me. I have to get up. Megan Montgomery, move your butt!

  The door beside her opened, and a dark figure strode into the room with something large in one hand. Megan saw Rachel, crossing the center of the room. To Megan’s horror, Rachel tripped on her dress and fell, landing in the pale circle of moonlight.

  Josef Hemmlich stood over her, saber ready to strike. Megan wanted to run, to scream, to do something to help Rachel, but she couldn’t. She hoped whoever had come in was able to get to her before it was too late.

  Hemmlich sneered at Rachel. “I don’t know how you got away from me before, you little witch, but it won’t happen a second time. I need that scarab, and I need the ankh, and none of you will stop me.”

  Rachel screamed and put her arms over her head. The unidentified person stepped behind Hemmlich and hit him on the head. The saber clattered to the floor, and Josef fell into an undignified heap.

  Diedrich stepped into the light and stood over his father’s prostate form, a heavy bronze statue in his hand. Megan recognized it—it had been on a pedestal in the hallway outside their suite. He tossed it away and bent over his father.

  Megan felt horrible for him. How easy was it to knock out your own father, even if you knew he was about to hurt someone else? She couldn’t imagine. At all.

  Diedrich turned to Rachel. “Are you all right? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  Rachel’s voice sounded small and far away. “No, I’m okay, I think.” She gave Diedrich a look that said how genuinely grateful she was. “You saved my life. Thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Diedrich called out, “Megan? Claire? Where are you?”

  The strength returned to Megan’s limbs. She ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. “He wanted the clue. He was going to—”

  “I know what he was going to do.” Diedrich patted Megan’s back gently and stroked her hair. Tears welled in her eyes.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered. “You’re safe now.”

  “Hey, Diedrich,” Rachel said. “I’m really sorry about all that…stuff…I said. And…the stuff I thought that you didn’t know about.”

  “Forget it. It’s all right. If I were you I probably wouldn’t have trusted me either.”

  Rachel nudged Josef with a toe. “Is he…dead?”

  Diedrich knelt beside his father and put two fingers to his neck. Megan held her breath—what would happen if Diedrich had…

  “No, he’s alive. But he’s going to have an enormous headache when he wakes up. Not that he doesn’t deserve it. I can’t believe my father would even think of doing such a thing.”

  “Sorry, Diedrich. I know it wasn’t easy.” Megan slipped her hand in his and squeezed.

  Diedrich stared at his father. “I don’t even think I know him anymore. I wonder if I ever really did.” He looked around. “Where’s Claire?”

  “I’m here.” Claire was beside the front door. She ran to her friends.

  “Do you have the clue?” Rachel asked.

  Claire nodded and held it up. “If we’re going to get away, we should do it now. I peeked outside—there’s still plenty of confusion from the fire. We can slip away and nobody will see us.”

  “I’ve got the book.” Diedrich held up the cloth bag. “Give me the scarab.” Claire handed it to him and he slipped it into the bag. He clasped Megan�
�s hand. “Let’s go.”

  “We could take him with us.” Rachel pointed to the prostate form on the floor.

  Diedrich hesitated, but shook his head. “No, he’s on his own. Father or no, what he’s done… There’s no excuse. I want to see you girls home safe. He’ll be along eventually, I’m sure.”

  Out in the courtyard, an orange glow rose from behind the palace’s outer wall. Servants and guards ran in all directions. Men fighting the fire scooped water from the fountain with wooden buckets and ran out the gate. The women rushed in and out of the palace, their arms loaded with bandages, blankets and pots of burn salve. People lay on pallets on the front yard, some badly burned.

  “We should help.” Megan looked at one man, his leg red, shiny and covered in blisters. He moaned in pain.

  “This is our fault.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Rachel said gently. “It’s Josef’s. These people aren’t even real, remember?”

  Megan gave her a hurt, accusing look. “How can you say that?”

  “Because it’s the truth. I know it sounds horrid, but once we’re out of the book they’ll be right as rain.” She pulled on Megan’s dress. “The best way we can help them is to get out of here as soon as possible.”

  They ran around the side of the palace and into the long stone building with the thatched roof that was the stable. Camels and horses, spooked by the confusion outside, stomped nervously in their stalls.

  “Horses,” Rachel said emphatically. “I’m not riding another bloody camel.” The camel in the stall nearest her let out a snort. Rachel looked at him and shrugged. “No offense, but all of you stink.”

  Claire and Rachel collected four of the crude saddles and bridles from the rack on the wall, while Diedrich and Megan picked the horses. Megan opened one stall and found a golden mare with soft blue eyes.

  “Hey there, beautiful. Want to come with me?”

  The horse nuzzled her outstretched hand with a velvet nose.

  A few minutes later they led the horses out an unguarded side gate. Beyond the noise of the palace, the city was dark and deserted—the only sound was the clomping of horses’ hooves on the cobbled streets. They walked to the city limits and stopped.