'Did you see that? The blighter pushed me? Hey hey open up!' Charles pounded on the closed stone door ineffectually.

'I wouldn't waste your energy old boy.' Johnathan said lazily as he stretched out on the floor. 'We could be here some time.'

'Very clearly you have no regard for the honour of your sister!' Charles said, rounding on him.

'Oh for goodness sake Charles will you give it a rest.' Isobella snapped. 'If O'Connell was going to ravage your precious Evelyn, I very much doubt he would wait until they were in some dark dusty hole in the ground. I know she gets inordinately excited about such things, but really?'

The effect of the scales of truth had not diminished.

'You… you don't know what he might do, he wanted me out of the way!' Charles countered.

'Of course he did, you've been mooning around after that girl like some love sick puppy ever since we arrived and let us face it brother dear, next to O'Connell, she isn't going to give you a second look.'

'She's right you know.' Johnathan chipped in. 'Old Mum may have carried a torch for you once, but you may as well not exist next to him.'

'Anyway, if he was going to take advantage of her he would have already, but somehow I doubt it. She's too straight laced.' Isobella added.

Gaping like a goldfish, Charles sucked in his stomach and attempted to puff out his chest which only caused the two of them to burst out laughing.

'You can talk Isobella, for once your charms haven't exactly worked as you expected them to.' Charles said spitefully.

'How was I to know he liked the little miss virgin type?' Isobella retorted. 'She's not stupid, I'll give her that.'

'So you did attempt to seduce O'Connell?' Johnathan asked.

'Of course I did. I wasn't going to let Evelyn have him was I? She has no idea what to do with a man like that.' Isobella snorted.

'And you do?' Charles scoffed. 'Like Bertie…?'

'I think this has gone far enough.' Isobella said quickly interrupting him. 'Shouldn't you be trying to get that door open before dear Evelyn is deflowered?'

Charles turned his attention back to the symbols on the door frame. 'I think I might be able to remember the sequence or at least some of it.' He said, scratching his head.

Crossing over to stand beside him, Johnathan also studied the hieroglyphs. 'Then lets get started.' He said, rolling up his sleeves.

'Aren't we forgetting something?' Evie said between kisses.

Rick shook his head. 'Nope, don't think so.'

'The box' She said

'Box?' He furrowed his brow. 'Oh THE box?'

She nodded, giggling as he reluctantly released her and once again set to work with the crowbar.

As the lid of the silver box finally gave way, the light caught the glittering contents within. 'The Scales of Thoth.' Evie said reverently before noticing the inscription inside the lid. 'Oh dear.' She said.

'Oh dear? What does oh dear mean?' Rick asked.

Her finger followed the hieroglyphs. 'Whosoever disturbs this sacred chest will feel the pressure of the justice of the desert. Um… I don't think I like the sound of that.'

There was a sudden grumble from the rocks above. 'Um Evie, isn't this about the point where we need see how well you run in those pants?' Rick said urgently.

She nodded. 'Run!'

The walls began to slide forward, followed by the ceiling. Rick threw the box into his bag and grabbed Evie's hand as they ran full pelt the way they'd come.

Reaching the closed door, the space was becoming minimal.

'The lever, where's the lever?' Rick said in panic.

'It must be there, it has to be, look again!' Evie said as they both scrambled in the rapidly reducing area. The lever to open the door had disappeared behind the encroaching walls.

Soon, the two found themselves pressed up against each other and beginning to struggle for breath.

'The worlds shortest engagement.' Rick gasped.

'But the best engagement?' Evie said, grimacing as the walls pressed them even tighter.

Rick managed to smile. 'The very best. And if we get out of here we are getting married the moment we get home.'

The walls squeezed tighter. 'I shall hold you to that.' Evie gasped. 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

'I'm certain that's the last one.' Charles said, staring at the final symbol.

'Are you sure, because the last twelve didn't work and you were certain about those too.' Johnathan said doubtfully.

'Oh just press it already.' Isobella yawned as she fanned herself.

With a shrug, Johnathan depressed the stone button with both hands. Nothing happened.

'Oh well, back to the drawing board.' He said.

Smacking the wall with frustration, Charles groaned. 'How am I supposed to prove to Evelyn that I am as capable as O'Connell?'

'Do you really believe you are?' Johnathan said incredulously.

'Darling, he's the eldest son.' Isobella said, 'He was brought up to believe the sun rose and set just for him. Of course he does.'

Johnathan made a 'blimey' face.

'Why don't you try the lever?' Isobella suggested.

'What lever?' Charles snapped.

Closing her fan, she pointed towards a small stone protuberance set in a groove. 'That lever.'

'Well… why didn't you say something before?' He snapped.

'You didn't ask.' Isobella answered, quite truthfully.

With a final furious look towards his sister, Charles pulled the lever, and the door slid open.

The gap revealed Evie and O'Connell, wedged together in an impossibly tiny space on one side and an irate Charles and curious Johnathan and Isobella on the other. 'Now look here O'Connell!' Charles blustered.

'Just get us out of here.' The American growled with difficulty.

A few moments later, Rick and Evie were stretching.

'Got into a bit of a tight squeeze there?' Johnathan quipped, only to have them all stare blankly.

'We got them.' Evie said, triumphantly holding up the bag. From deep inside the city, Rick noticed a rumbling noise which was coming closer.

'Let's celebrate later hun.' Rick said nervously. 'Now I think we should go.'

'I say if Evelyn wants to celebrate I think she should…' Charles began as the rumbling turned into a definite roar.

Taking Evie by the hand, Rick grabbed Charles' blazer to press home the point.

'Later... trust me… now we run for it!'

As the building collapsed behind them, the group emerged safely into the light. Rick leant forward onto his knees, trying to catch his breath. Also breathing heavily, Evie crooked her finger for him to come to her and laughing they fell into each other's arms.

'Hell of a way to celebrate getting engaged.' He said bumping her nose with his own.