by Pride
“Even so… do you think it could be the tomb of Aahotep’s lovers?” asked Elizabeth.
“It is certainly possible—the tomb is in the area missing on the map—but it is too early to say anything except that a few steps have been found.”
“You have told Edward this?” asked Darcy.
“Of course, but youth…” Sir Matthew shrugged expressively.
“Youth is optimistic,” said Elizabeth.
“I was going to say foolish, but you are kinder than I,” said Sir Matthew. “I would advise you to remain here in the camp until we know more.”
“Good advice,” said Darcy.
“But like all good advice, destined to be ignored!” said Elizabeth. “I have a mind to see the tomb, if it is a tomb, uncovered. I do not suppose I will ever have a chance to participate in such a discovery again.”
“Very well, if you wish,” said Sir Matthew, with a resigned look which said Wealthy patrons must be humoured.
“Oh, yes,” said Mrs Bennet. “What fun it will be.”
“There will be nothing to see for hours or even days,” said Darcy. “Would you not rather wait here until the tomb is revealed?”
“I do not see why I should have to stay behind,” said Mrs Bennet in an aggrieved tone of voice.
Elizabeth, better used to managing her mother, said, “Of course you must come. A little sand in the mouth and nose will not put you off, and when we enter the tomb, I am sure you will not mind the foul air and the desiccated mummies. It is more exciting than staying here in the cool of the camp, with drinks close to hand and nothing to do but gossip until we return with the treasure.”
Mrs Bennet paused, openmouthed, and then said, “But someone must stay behind and look after the children. I think, after all, I am the only person reliable enough to do it.”
Matters thus being settled, Elizabeth and Darcy returned to their tent, where they readied themselves for the excavation. When Elizabeth emerged, she was swathed from head to foot in a long muslin gown. She was wearing a hat to which she had attached a muslin veil. It not only would serve to keep the hot sun off her face but also would act as a useful guard against the sand which would be filling the air. Darcy wore a muslin cravat which could be pulled up and used in a similar fashion when the occasion demanded.
They were just going to join Edward, when they saw that he was with Sophie, but their tact was misplaced, for Edward brushed Sophie aside in his eagerness to continue his exploration. After a moment of looking hurt, Sophie quickly rallied and turned away from him, making a remark to Paul instead. Then, seeing Elizabeth, she said, “Might I speak to you for a moment?”
“But of course,” said Elizabeth, as Darcy excused himself to speak to Sir Matthew.
“I thought I should tell you that Margaret was sleepwalking again last night,” said Sophie. “Luckily, Edward and I saw her, and because we did not like to wake her, we followed her until she lay down and passed into a natural sleep, then we brought her back to the camp. She does not seem to have taken any harm from her experience; in fact, she seems in good spirits today. She is less interested in her doll than usual. I know you took it away from her, but she managed to find it again and I could not pry it out of her fingers last night. But she has put it down several times of her own accord this morning, and in another day or two I think she will forget all about it altogether. She has been far more interested in playing with her brothers and sisters, which I cannot help but think is a good thing.”
“I agree,” said Elizabeth. “It is lucky you saw her. I will make sure her nurse or her governess is with her throughout the night from now on, in case it happens again, but I should not worry about it. Lydia used to walk in her sleep, I remember. Papa declared it was because she was too energetic to lie down for ten hours at a time! Perhaps Margaret is more active at night here because she takes more naps in the day.”
“Yes, I expect that is it,” said Sophie, relieved.
“Are you coming with us to see the tomb?” asked Elizabeth.
“I am not sure…”
“Your reluctance has nothing to do with Edward being brusque, has it?” asked Elizabeth.
“It has nothing to do with Edward at all,” said Sophie, with a pride Elizabeth admired. “I will certainly join you.”
“Well, I am glad. I think it will be interesting.”
Elizabeth joined Darcy and Edward at the head of the procession of donkeys and camels. “I knew we would find the tomb. Did I not say so all along? Oh, I know what Sir Matthew says—it might all lead to nothing—but I am convinced, Darcy. It is the tomb our fathers searched for, and now we are about to enter it and make all their sacrifices worthwhile. Just think what this will mean for all of us!”
The procession made its way across the desert with Edward and Sir Matthew at its head. To begin with, Edward led the way confidently, guided by his compass, but as they progressed his camel went more slowly as he tried to remember exactly where the steps had been found.
They retraced their path several times and then he gave a cry of elation.
“Here!”
He slid down from his camel and ran over to the spot, his feet sinking in the sand as he did so. Sir Matthew followed at a more leisurely pace.
The fellahs, however, slowed their steps and at last came to a halt altogether, a hundred yards away from the site. The donkeys stopped beside them.
“What is it?” asked Elizabeth as a murmuring broke out.
“They say ‘Very bad place,’” translated Saeed. “‘Much magic here. Very, very bad place.’”
“Which means they want more money to go on,” said Sir Matthew. “It is always the way.”
“No, no, effendi; they say it is not money,” said Saeed, translating the babbling of the fellahs, who were huddled together as if for protection. “This place is under the sway of a magician, a very powerful magician; he has put a curse on the tomb so that no one may enter it. If they do, something terrible will happen.”
“What kind of terrible thing?” asked Sir Matthew, with a twinkle in his eye.
“Something terrible,” said one of the fellahs, who spoke a little English.
“Come, come, now, if you know so much, you must know more. Tell us what will befall us if we enter the tomb. Will we be struck down by a plague? Or will we meet with a terrible accident perhaps? Or will some afrit of the air whirl us away, or some water demon deluge us with a flood?”
Saeed translated, then translated the man’s reply: “These things are not a fit subject for laughing. The magician will take his revenge.”
“And how much money would persuade the men that it is worth braving the magician’s wrath?” asked Sir Matthew.
Saeed consulted with them.
“They would need much money, they say. They will be risking their lives and leaving their families destitute if the curse falls upon them. This is a very bad place, they say.”
As the haggling continued, Edward impatiently sprang from his camel and unfastened a spade.
“If you wish to see anything before sunset, or indeed before next week’s sunset, you might care to come with me,” he said to his cousins, then waded through the sand to the top of the exposed steps.
Elizabeth and Darcy followed him, curious to see what had been found. There were five steps uncovered, with piles of sand beside them.
Edward began to dig, and Darcy, returning to the camel for another spade, joined him.
Edward gave a lopsided grin.
“I knew you had the family obsession inside you somewhere,” he said. “Admit it; it is exciting.”
“It might be exciting, depending on what we uncover,” said Darcy.
“Well, that is a start,” said Edward.
As Elizabeth watched them, she felt her own excitement stirring. The steps
were beautifully preserved, and as the two men dug deeper, more were uncovered, until at last Edward gave a cry.
“A door!”
Elizabeth ran down the steps and saw what had given rise to the cry. Climbing up from the bottommost step were two stone columns: doorposts.
Edward began to dig again and then, suddenly throwing down his spade, he hurried over to the workmen, who were still arguing and haggling for more money.
“Decide,” he said curtly, speaking to the men in their own language. “Either start digging, or start walking. I have no use for men who will not work.”
“The magician—”
“I know all about the magician and his curse,” said Edward. “Either take my money and brave the curse, or go home empty-handed. I will not have idle men on my dig.”
“Effendi—”
“Choose,” said Edward, in a tone that brooked no dissent.
There were a few more protests that the magician would appear and curse them all with a plague, but they were no more than halfhearted gestures, and before long it had all been resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. The fellahs had almost doubled their pay, and Edward had a small army to dig for him.
Work proceeded quickly. Sand was carried away in large baskets by the donkeys, and a palisade of palm wood was erected to prevent the sides falling back into the hole. As the doorway was gradually revealed, the sand around it was drenched with water from the Nile so that the sand would remain firm. The doorposts were decorated with hieroglyphs—“Powerful spells, effendi”—and between them stood an unbroken door.
“The seal is intact,” said Edward reverently. “We have found it.”
“There speaks the voice of inexperience,” said Sir Matthew dryly. “All the evidence points to this being a false entrance. There are only eight steps leading down to the door, and it would be more usual to find fifteen or sixteen steps, placing the tomb much deeper underground.”
But Edward was obstinate, saying, “This is Aahotep’s tomb; I know it.”
“If the stories are correct—and I will admit there is no reason why they should be—but if they are, then the tomb you are searching for is not the tomb of Aahotep but the tomb of the lovers she murdered,” Sir Matthew corrected him.
One of the men murmured and Saeed translated, “A tomb protected by a mighty magician, hired by the lovers’ families to guard them in death. Its desecration will bring down the wrath of the magician on our heads.”
“We are not going to desecrate it,” said Edward. “We are going to give Aahotep a chance to make amends.”
They looked at him in surprise, and Edward looked surprised himself, then said, “By showing us the treasures, of course!”
“And what, might I ask, do you intend to do with the treasures?” Sir Matthew asked.
“Display them, so that the world at large might see them,” said Edward.
“The world at large, or private collectors who are willing to pay handsomely for them?” enquired Sir Matthew.
But Edward was not listening. He was examining the hieroglyphs on the doors, brushing off the clinging sand with his fingers and revealing the intensity of the bright blues and reds and yellows. The beautiful and exotic markings were so brilliantly coloured that they might have been painted the previous day, not thousands of years before.
“Look!” he said. “The lovers are here! Their names are in the cartouches.”
Elizabeth saw that Sir Matthew was not convinced, despite the presence of the names. Nevertheless, he waved Edward aside and set about making a small hole in the top corner of the door.
“Is it not easier to break the seal?” asked Darcy.
“I want to discover if the passage beyond is blocked. It will help me decide how we should open the door,” Sir Matthew explained.
He gave a last chip with the chisel and broke a small hole in the plaster.
A murmur went up from the fellahs, who stumbled back as if expecting a djinn to appear through the hole and whirl them away on a cyclone or burn them in a geyser of flame. But when nothing happened they took courage and pressed forward again.
Sir Matthew lit a flambeau and by its light he peered through the hole.
“Well?” demanded Edward.
“The passage behind the door is not blocked,” said Sir Matthew.
“Then we will soon be inside,” said Edward.
“You misunderstand,” said Sir Matthew.
But Edward was not listening. He was already moving his hands toward the seal. Sir Matthew intervened, breaking it with care, and before long they were through. The stale air emanating from the gaping maw was enough to convince them that the door had not been opened recently, and indeed it smelled as if it had been there since the tomb was built.
Sir Matthew put a hand on Edward’s arm and advised caution, saying, “The supposedly magical plagues which affect archaeologists are often no more than natural illnesses brought about by the foul air inside these places. I suggest we withdraw to a convenient distance and take some food while the fellahs make the entrance safe, then rest over the heat of the day and return when the air grows cooler. We will post a guard to see that nothing is disturbed.”
“And will you trust your guard?” asked Elizabeth curiously.
“I will trust my own eyes, for I will not be so far away that I cannot see what goes on,” said Sir Matthew.
This plan was agreed upon. Edward could hardly eat for excitement and three times suggested that the time had come for them to return, only giving way to the opinion of others with the greatest reluctance. He paced about, full of restless energy, while the others rested.
“You do not seem very excited,” said Elizabeth to Sir Matthew, who ate without haste and with an air of calm. “Do you not think we have discovered the tomb?”
“No. As I tried to explain to your young cousin, the corridor behind the door is empty. If the tomb was of any importance then I would have expected it to be blocked with stones and rubble, in an effort to keep intruders out. I think what we have here is a false tomb, a small underground chamber designed to confuse grave robbers and make them give up in disgust.”
“Edward will be very disappointed,” said Elizabeth.
“Disappointment is the most common feeling when searching for buried treasure,” said Sir Matthew philosophically.
When the sun had passed its zenith and the air began to cool, Sir Matthew said they should proceed. Edward was greatly excited and sprang to the steps, descending them eagerly. On reaching the bottom, he covered his face with his handkerchief, for although the air was far sweeter than it had been, still it was not pleasant. Taking up a flambeau, he disappeared from view.
“Are you sure you want to go inside?” said Darcy to Elizabeth.
“I am,” she said, and she followed Edward through the doorway.
By the flickering light of the torch, she saw that she was in a small chamber and that the walls were covered with paintings of strangely flat-looking people whose bodies faced forward but whose heads and legs faced to the right. The men wore simple skirts, and their bronzed torsos gleamed nakedly in the red torchlight. The women wore white gowns. Their black hair reached to their shoulders and was cut square at the ends. There were hunting scenes and various depictions of gods and goddesses, among whom Elizabeth recognised a painting of the sun god Ra, with his head like that of a falcon and the disk of the sun above his head. Paul sketched them all with a quick, sure hand.
Edward did not stop to look at the marvellous paintings, however, but proceeded to the back of the room and then walked slowly around the walls until he came again to the door.
“I must have missed something,” he said.
“You have missed nothing,” said Sir Matthew. “As I suspected, this is a false tomb.”
“No!” said Edward.<
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“Alas, yes,” said Sir Matthew. “These discoveries are not infrequent; it does not do to be too disappointed.”
“But I was so sure,” said Edward. “I am still sure the tomb is here somewhere; I can feel it.”
“I think you are right,” said Sir Matthew. “You have missed the point entirely, young man. The existence of the false tomb shows us that we are on the right track. It was built in order to demoralise would-be grave robbers. If I do not miss my guess, the real tomb will be close by.”
Newly energised, Edward and Sir Matthew stayed in the desert with the fellahs, but the rest of the party announced their intention of returning to the camp.
“Are you going to come back with us, or are you going to stay a while longer?” Elizabeth asked Sophie.
Sophie was looking at Edward, but his back was turned to her and he took no notice of her, or of the question.
If he asked her to stay, she would, thought Elizabeth, seeing the expression on Sophie’s face. She would rather have Edward, but she is not the spiritless young woman who joined us in London and she will not allow another man to hurt her as Mr Rotherham did. Paul may win her yet.
“I have seen all I need to see,” said Sophie.
“Then might I give you my arm?” asked Paul.
As the two young people set off together, Elizabeth said in exasperation, “Edward is a young fool. He sees nothing but his tomb. It has been there for thousands of years and it will still be there tomorrow.”
“Whereas Sophie will not?” asked Darcy.
“No, she will not. And who can blame her?” asked Elizabeth. “Especially when a personable young man is doing his best to make himself agreeable to her.”
