Thanks SO much for the reviews! So, onto chapter 2...
First, the points of view: the story is in third person, but every chapter
from now on'll start with an excerpt from Amelia's Journal, where we get
her thoughts on all this madness. Anyway, just wanted to clear that up!
Also, for those of you who have only read the first one or two Amelia
Peabody books, Ramses (his real name is Walter) is Emerson and Amelia's
son, Nefret is their adopted daughter (in Last Camel Died at Noon). I might
add in David at some point if you guys want (He's Ramses' best friend and
Blood Brother).
Okay, well, I'll shut up now and let you read the story.
Later...
Neffy
Excerpt from the Jounals of Amelia Peabody Emerson 1933
Today was an interesting day to say the very least. If the Reader is as learnt as my Self-Appointed Critic seems to think, they will have heard of the lost city of Hamunaptra. Indeed, it was my belief that no such city existed. The City of the Dead, bah, as Emerson would put it. It is well known that West Thebes was known as the City of the Dead, because all that was made there in ancient times was funarary equipment. Still, silly, uninformed tourists are very pleased with the romance in the Hamunaptra story, I suppose. It wasn't very likely that it actually happened; I haven't heard of any tomb or inscription that aknowledges the existance of any Anak-Su-Namun or Imhotep, for that matter. And I have seen the excavations at Seti's tomb myself!
On a different note, I was quite pleased to meet Nefret's friend Evelyn. She told me so much about young Miss Carnahan, though she never mentioned her brother. Mr. Carnahan is rather... well, let us just say he is a very enthusiastic individual. And that's putting it mildly. He is also a bit of an unscrupulus man, as well, but I don't think it is much more than sevarl ouotragous gambling debts and a penchant for taking things that belong to others. In any case, I believe that Emerson scared him into submission upon their first meeting.
But now I must end, for we are off to Cairo Prison to find the gentleman that Mr. Carnahan stole the box from. Quite a intriuging trinket, unlike anything I have seen before. I hope we can get answers at the prison.
* * *
"Come, come," The short, fat warder waved his hands in a vaugely welcoming gesture,"Step over the threshold. Welcome to Cairo Prison, my humble home."
"Humble, bah," Emerson muttered under his breath. He knew full well that humility was NOT a trait admired by Egyptians.
"Jonathan, you told me you got it on a dig down in Thebes," Evy snapped accusingly.
"Well, I was mistaken," he answered.
"You lied to me!"
"I lie to EVERYONE, Evy, what makes you so special?"
"I am your sister!"
"Yes, well that just makes you more gullible."
"Jonathan, you stole it from a drunk in the local caspa!"
"Picked his pocket, actually, so I don't think it's wise-" They argued as they walked into Cairo Prison, followed by the four Emersons. They had been introduced to the family matriarch a few minutes before. Amelia Peabody Emerson looked more than a little confused, but her son and daughter were filling her in on the way. The Carnahans continued to argue as the entered the fort-like confines of the prison.
"Oh, Jonathan, would you stop being so rediculas?" she turned back to the warder,"Now, what exactly is this man in prison for?"
"This, I do not know," he glanced at the cell he had led them to,"But when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself."
"And what did he say, I wonder?" Emerson growled quietly, a warning for the squat Egyptian not to lie to them.
"That he was just looking for a good time!" he said confidently,"I would not lie to the Father of Curses," he muttered under his breath.
"Of course not," Emerson nodded at the Arab,"Well, we came to see a man, so show us one!" The Arab glared breifly as the guards inside dragged a scragily young man out into the cage-like outer cell. His long, tangled brown hair hung around feirce blue eyes. Nefret's delicate eyebrows rose at the sight of the man, while Evelyn appeared rather entranced.
"This- this is the man that you stole it from?" she grabbed Jonathan.
"Yes, exactly, so why don't we just sniff out a spot of tiffany-"
"Who're you?" the prisoner asked, clearly American from his accent,"And who's the broad?"
"Broad?" Evy asked, confused.
"Oh, i'm just sort of a missionary chap, spreading the good word and all... this is my sister, Evy," Jonathan stammered, shoving Evy in front of him. She smiled politely.
"How do you do?"
"Well," the American shrugged,"At least she's not a total loss..."
"I beg your pardon!" she cried indignantly, understanding him perfectly now. The warder yelled something in Arabic at one of the other cells, before turning back to them,"I'll be back in a moment." As soon as he left, Jonathan began prodding Evy agian.
"Ask him about the box," he whispered.
"Ah, yes... um, hallo, excuse me," Evy waved a hand in front of the man's face to catch his attention.
"Yeah," he turned to her.
"We found... well, we both found your-puzzle box, and well, we've come to ask you about it."
"No," the man shook his head.
"No..." Evy looked disapointed.
"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra," he answered with a certianty that made it sound as if he had been asked this question far too many times.
"How-" Evy glanced around and covered her face with her hat,"How did you know that the box pertains to Hamunaptra?"
"Because that's where I was when I found it," the American shrugged,"I was there."
"Look," Jonathan visiably puffed up,"How do WE know that's not a load of pig swallow?"
"Do I know you?" the other man asked.
"No, no," Jonathan assured him,"I've just got one of those faces-" The Englishman was cut off by a punch to the jaw as the American's eyes went wide with recognation.
"You were actually AT Hamunaptra."
"Yeah," he grinned slightly at her enthusiasum, and complete disregard for her brother laying prostrate on the ground,"I was there."
"You swear!"
"Every damn day..."
"No, no, I didn't mean that-"
"I know what you meant, Seti's place, City of the Dead."
"Could you tell me how to get there?" The American raised his eyebrows.
"I mean," Evy leaned in closer,"The exact location."
"You wanna know?"
"Well, yes."
"You really wanna know?"
"Yes." He motioned her closer until he grabbed her face and kissed her.
"Then get me the hell outta here!" Several guards grabbed him, dragging him away. He began to fight agianst them, yelling at her the whole time.
"Just do it, lady!" Evy stared as they dragged him out of the outer cell.
"W-where are they taking him?"
"To be hanged," the warder was back, looking Evy up and down sardonicly,"Apparently, he had a VERY good time!"
"Well," Emerson crossed his arms where he stood a few yards away,"That went well. Now we'll be bloody lucky to get him out alive..."
"Language, Emerson," Amelia said absently.
Hehe, this is a really fun story to write. I hope I got the spirit of all the characters. Oh, next chapter, the parasol at work (for all y'all who know what the parasol is)! Tune in! Please R&R! ~Neffy
Excerpt from the Jounals of Amelia Peabody Emerson 1933
Today was an interesting day to say the very least. If the Reader is as learnt as my Self-Appointed Critic seems to think, they will have heard of the lost city of Hamunaptra. Indeed, it was my belief that no such city existed. The City of the Dead, bah, as Emerson would put it. It is well known that West Thebes was known as the City of the Dead, because all that was made there in ancient times was funarary equipment. Still, silly, uninformed tourists are very pleased with the romance in the Hamunaptra story, I suppose. It wasn't very likely that it actually happened; I haven't heard of any tomb or inscription that aknowledges the existance of any Anak-Su-Namun or Imhotep, for that matter. And I have seen the excavations at Seti's tomb myself!
On a different note, I was quite pleased to meet Nefret's friend Evelyn. She told me so much about young Miss Carnahan, though she never mentioned her brother. Mr. Carnahan is rather... well, let us just say he is a very enthusiastic individual. And that's putting it mildly. He is also a bit of an unscrupulus man, as well, but I don't think it is much more than sevarl ouotragous gambling debts and a penchant for taking things that belong to others. In any case, I believe that Emerson scared him into submission upon their first meeting.
But now I must end, for we are off to Cairo Prison to find the gentleman that Mr. Carnahan stole the box from. Quite a intriuging trinket, unlike anything I have seen before. I hope we can get answers at the prison.
* * *
"Come, come," The short, fat warder waved his hands in a vaugely welcoming gesture,"Step over the threshold. Welcome to Cairo Prison, my humble home."
"Humble, bah," Emerson muttered under his breath. He knew full well that humility was NOT a trait admired by Egyptians.
"Jonathan, you told me you got it on a dig down in Thebes," Evy snapped accusingly.
"Well, I was mistaken," he answered.
"You lied to me!"
"I lie to EVERYONE, Evy, what makes you so special?"
"I am your sister!"
"Yes, well that just makes you more gullible."
"Jonathan, you stole it from a drunk in the local caspa!"
"Picked his pocket, actually, so I don't think it's wise-" They argued as they walked into Cairo Prison, followed by the four Emersons. They had been introduced to the family matriarch a few minutes before. Amelia Peabody Emerson looked more than a little confused, but her son and daughter were filling her in on the way. The Carnahans continued to argue as the entered the fort-like confines of the prison.
"Oh, Jonathan, would you stop being so rediculas?" she turned back to the warder,"Now, what exactly is this man in prison for?"
"This, I do not know," he glanced at the cell he had led them to,"But when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself."
"And what did he say, I wonder?" Emerson growled quietly, a warning for the squat Egyptian not to lie to them.
"That he was just looking for a good time!" he said confidently,"I would not lie to the Father of Curses," he muttered under his breath.
"Of course not," Emerson nodded at the Arab,"Well, we came to see a man, so show us one!" The Arab glared breifly as the guards inside dragged a scragily young man out into the cage-like outer cell. His long, tangled brown hair hung around feirce blue eyes. Nefret's delicate eyebrows rose at the sight of the man, while Evelyn appeared rather entranced.
"This- this is the man that you stole it from?" she grabbed Jonathan.
"Yes, exactly, so why don't we just sniff out a spot of tiffany-"
"Who're you?" the prisoner asked, clearly American from his accent,"And who's the broad?"
"Broad?" Evy asked, confused.
"Oh, i'm just sort of a missionary chap, spreading the good word and all... this is my sister, Evy," Jonathan stammered, shoving Evy in front of him. She smiled politely.
"How do you do?"
"Well," the American shrugged,"At least she's not a total loss..."
"I beg your pardon!" she cried indignantly, understanding him perfectly now. The warder yelled something in Arabic at one of the other cells, before turning back to them,"I'll be back in a moment." As soon as he left, Jonathan began prodding Evy agian.
"Ask him about the box," he whispered.
"Ah, yes... um, hallo, excuse me," Evy waved a hand in front of the man's face to catch his attention.
"Yeah," he turned to her.
"We found... well, we both found your-puzzle box, and well, we've come to ask you about it."
"No," the man shook his head.
"No..." Evy looked disapointed.
"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra," he answered with a certianty that made it sound as if he had been asked this question far too many times.
"How-" Evy glanced around and covered her face with her hat,"How did you know that the box pertains to Hamunaptra?"
"Because that's where I was when I found it," the American shrugged,"I was there."
"Look," Jonathan visiably puffed up,"How do WE know that's not a load of pig swallow?"
"Do I know you?" the other man asked.
"No, no," Jonathan assured him,"I've just got one of those faces-" The Englishman was cut off by a punch to the jaw as the American's eyes went wide with recognation.
"You were actually AT Hamunaptra."
"Yeah," he grinned slightly at her enthusiasum, and complete disregard for her brother laying prostrate on the ground,"I was there."
"You swear!"
"Every damn day..."
"No, no, I didn't mean that-"
"I know what you meant, Seti's place, City of the Dead."
"Could you tell me how to get there?" The American raised his eyebrows.
"I mean," Evy leaned in closer,"The exact location."
"You wanna know?"
"Well, yes."
"You really wanna know?"
"Yes." He motioned her closer until he grabbed her face and kissed her.
"Then get me the hell outta here!" Several guards grabbed him, dragging him away. He began to fight agianst them, yelling at her the whole time.
"Just do it, lady!" Evy stared as they dragged him out of the outer cell.
"W-where are they taking him?"
"To be hanged," the warder was back, looking Evy up and down sardonicly,"Apparently, he had a VERY good time!"
"Well," Emerson crossed his arms where he stood a few yards away,"That went well. Now we'll be bloody lucky to get him out alive..."
"Language, Emerson," Amelia said absently.
Hehe, this is a really fun story to write. I hope I got the spirit of all the characters. Oh, next chapter, the parasol at work (for all y'all who know what the parasol is)! Tune in! Please R&R! ~Neffy