Note: I am not sure whether there were really traps in the treasure trove, but I thought this would make the whole situation even more dangerous and exciting. Just that you know; I am a huge "The Mummy" fan so I thought to include some references. I mean TBBT is always mentioning "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" so what could be a possible favourite movie of our explorers?
Chapter 7:
"Let's split up and search for her. I'm sure that they haven't left the boat yet. Howard and Raj, you two will take a look downstairs. Look for her in the galley and even in the cabin of the team captain. Don't shy away from anything" Sheldon instructed. Then he addressed Penny and Leonard. "You will search through every single cabin, it doesn't matter if you bother the guests, this is an emergency!"
The journalist seized Leonard by the arm and disappeared in the traveller's area.
Sheldon was aimlessly running around. "What if they bring her to a secret place, a pyramid somewhere between Saqqara and Abu Simbel? We won't ever find Bastets Box without her! She has to lead us. We won't get honoured without her. No, wait for a moment! We will get honoured, after all it's not me they kidnapped" train of thoughts were haunting in his brain. He rushed through the corridors, opened all closest whether he was actually allowed to or not, bashed them and stamped irritated.
Suddenly the linguist heard a splash followed by agitated murmuring. He hurried to the eastern side of the boat and arrived just in time to spot the black covered men distributing themselves into two small canoes. Amy was among the group, they were hiding her under a giant cloth but he could still recognise her. She was hopelessly fighting against their strong handles.
"Amy!" he shouted but the words died away in the dark. A slight panic gripped him; where would they bring Amy? Would they stay on the Nile for a while until they found a suitable port to get off? He thought of the different possibilities: They would pass Beni Hasan, Antinooupolis, Tell el-Amarna, Quasae, Achmim, Dendera, Koptos, Medamud, Theban, Elkab, Kom Ombo and many more on the way to Abu Simbel. Then he was pulled out of his thoughts.
"Sheldon! We found something, it's a note, probably done by Amy" Leonard held out the little piece of paper. "We couldn't decipher it. It has to be Coptic or something" he suggested while turning the note in all directions. The linguist took hare of it and looked at it more precisely.
"We didn't find her" Howard said gasping for breath.
"Of course you didn't! They brought her with them on their canoes!" Sheldon replied.
"This isn't Coptic but what do you expect from a middleclass lector?" he then added, disdaining glancing at Leonard.
"It's Demotic and it means, hold on" the linguist stopped for a moment. "It means cemetery!"
Penny put her hands up to her mouth. "This is terrible! They will kill her! Poor Amy, she was such a nice and sincere woman" the journalist sobbed.
"Don't be silly! I believe that this is evidence she gave us. It's a hint" Sheldon combined.
"There are many cemeteries in Egypt, constructed for the powerful pharaohs and their descendants" Howard said.
"But we all know the most important and best known graveyard of the antiquity" Sheldon began.
"Abydos" they said with one accord.
Two days later they finally reached Abydos. The others were certain that there is no hope for Amy. It was very likely that she had fallen victim to the Medjais. Sheldon didn't want to give up. "I assume she got kidnapped because they knew her. Someone betrayed her and her family" he came up with the weirdest speculations.
"What about the library director? He sure is aware of her wisdom. She can name every Egyptian God with their area of responsibility by heart. It has to be someone who's interested in the Box as well, who knows about its secret and destructive forces. Someone who wants to benefit personally from her lore" Leonard added.
"Where to go next?" Penny asked. She had read of Abydos and its most attractive sights. There was more than one temple plant and innumerable burial places.
"Was cemetery the only word on the paper? Did you miss something out?" Leonard wondered. He didn't even try to come up with an idea himself for Sheldon would immediately turn it down since he considered himself to be the head of this explorer team.
"I remember two numbers and a name. It looked like a quote. Nauri-decree, 27-28" he said hoping for sudden inspiration.
"Nauri-decree? I heard of that. Years ago the question popped up whether Sethos I. had already started the construction of his temple while being a civil servant during the reign of Haremhab or his father Ramses I. In the Nauri-decree he's explaining that the temple has already been used while he was coming to power. He said: I gave servants, whom I purchased, to my temple and I didn't abandon it. I started with it in my youth until I succeeded to the Egyptian throne" Howard revealed, he lifted is eyebrow.
"Very impressive for a man without doctor title. We agree that they hide Amy in the funerary temple of Sethos I., right?" the linguist asked.
"So, before entering the temple we should take all possible hiding-places into consideration" Sheldon suggested. He addressed Leonard. The lector disposed over knowledge regarding different temple complexes. He might have encountered the temple of Sethos I. during his education and could remember its architectural construction.
"A typical characteristic of this temple are doubtlessly the seven chapels, which are located behind the second Room of Columns" was the first thing Leonard came up with. It was very likely that the kidnappers had locked Amy away in one of these chambers.
"Are all seven chapels accessible?" Penny wanted to know while recording this brainstorming.
"Yes, they are. You reach the Osiris – hall, consisting of ten columns, when walking through chamber number five. The four-column room is situated on the left side of it. Three chapels have been built on the right side of it, one for Horus, one for Osiris and one for Isis" Howard completed the description.
Raj whispered something into the mathematician's ear. "Of course there are non-accessible rooms. They constructed a tiny chamber which cannot be entered" Howard replied.
"Maybe that's where they hide Amy?" Penny suggested.
"Which part of cannot be entered don't you understand?" Sheldon snapped. He was in a rage and hardly had clear thoughts anymore. This had never happened to him before. He wanted to rescue their companion, whatever the cost.
"Are there any small rooms? I mean like passages, slaughterhouses or…" Howard cut the linguist off.
"If I remember it right, then we'll find an abattoir close to the treasure trove", he tried to focus on his last subject matter and on what he had read about the temple but his mind upset his plans. "Sorry guys. It might be that my memory comes back as soon as we have entered the temple" he apologised.
Together they climbed up the stairs. Hesitation overcame them for an instant. It was as if they were on a journey through time. The impressions were deeply affecting them. Especially Howard had wet eyes when brushing against the wall. Some limestone crumbled away. Penny wanted him to ask about his feelings but it was a special moment for him, something he had dreamed of since he was a child.
"I always imagined that I have lived before and that I was jointly responsible for this historic milestone" he said more to himself than to his friends.
Leonard felt a little bit queasy. He knew of the innumerable traps and dangers to keep grave robbers away. What if they would accidentally blunder into a trap?
"Isn't it remarkable how enormous this place is? Edified manually" Sheldon was overwhelmed. Even in his wildest dreams he would not have imagined to land here. But there was something more important to do first before inspecting Sethos' legacy. He had to find Amy Farrah Fowler.
"Leonard! You'll search for her in the great hall of Osiris. Howard, you'll give your best at searching her in the area of the First Room of Columns, which means you're staying here. Raj, as you're the man of treasures, you're aim is to find evidence of Bastets Box" Sheldon instructed. "Penny, I don't know where to send you. Maybe you should just accompany one of the explorers" he said without bothering too much.
"Would you like to learn about the battle of Qadesh between Egyptians and Hittites?" Howard held out his hand but Leonard pushed him away.
"It would be better if we'd stayed together. We don't want to risk anything" he smiled shyly.
"Yes, I think that is the best idea, Dr. Hofstadter" she answered in the loveliest tone.
"It's Leonard."
"Okay, Leonard. Let's look for Amy in the great hall of Osiris" they left the others direction fifth chapel.
As soon as they were out of sight Penny grabbed Leonard and kissed him. He returned the gesture albeit being insecure.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that. We should search Amy instead" she blushed and avoided eye-contact with him.
"No need to apologise. Hehe, maybe we should postpone your intention until a future, less brutal and less deadly situation" he answered.
Raj had walked around the temple until he had found the entrance to the treasure trove. Hills of gold, diamonds, caskets and mountains of pearl necklaces were waiting for him. He had a grin all over his face and considered to make some of the jewellery disappear in his pockets. But the Ancient Egyptians weren't stupid. They knew that sooner or later a man greedy for money would appear with ulterior motives. He hadn't even touched the gold when a trap door opened under his feet and he fell into it.
"Hello!" Raj yelled hoping that someone would hear him. He had hurt his left leg and was unable to stand up. Something was rustling in the darkness. It came closer and closer. A scarab forced its way through sticks and bones. Another one followed him. Raj remembered the disgusting scene from "The Mummy" when the insects pounced on high priest Imhotep and ate him still alive. Had the old pharaohs provided the same destiny for him? He already regretted his avarice.
Meanwhile Sheldon had accessed the slaughterhouse not noticing that one of the Medjais was following him at every turn.
He was touching the uneven walls, trying to find a secret passage. The man was more and more catching up on him, he pulled out his sabre, ready to attack Sheldon and ram it into his back when Howard dragged him down to the ground.
Sheldon turned around.
"Run, Sheldon! Run!" the mathematician shouted. He struggled with the kidnapper, rolling around and whipping him with cruelty. The man gained the upper hand and was now strangling Howard.
The linguist fled the site, disoriented running towards an inscribed wall. He leaned against it which activated a mechanism. The wall turned on its own axis, transporting Sheldon into a louring room.
"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked. Amy was sitting totally distraught in an edge of the unlit chamber.
"It's me, Sheldon. I'm here to rescue you. Your duty isn't done yet" he was groping in the dark until he touched her hair.
"I'm glad to hear your voice" she admitted, stretching her arms out.
"It's way too dusty in here" the linguist coughed slightly, not even thinking of helping her up.
He stumbled over an earthenware dish.
"How long have you been locked up in here?" he wanted to know.
"Two days and two endless nights. I was alone but something told me that it's not over yet and that my hero is on the way to me" she stood up with shaky knees finding a hold on Sheldon.
"Will you carry me outside?" she wondered without seeing the expression on the linguist's face.
"Miss Amy. I thought you were an archaeological oriented academic and not a kitschy romantic envisioning a smooch happy ending" he replied.
Amy remained quite.
"We have to find a way out" Sheldon said again touching the wall.
"There is only one entrance which cannot be opened from inside."
Are Sheldon and Amy gonna find their way out? Will Leonard revive the kiss? Will Raj end up like Imhotep? How is the battle of Qadesh related to my FF?
What do you think of this chapter? Let me know!
