Chapter 4
It was late afternoon in Domino City 's museum so there were only 2 or 3 people who were about to leave.
Except for a white-haired girl who had just arrived. Sara wandered in the big halls of the Egyptian culture section, trying to forget what had happened a few hours ago. Her ribs still hurt.
She noticed one particular exhibit. It was a sarcophagus and from what she could read on the information booklet was a new one that had just arrived in Domino museum. She looked t the face of the man depicted on the sarcophagus.
She came closer to take a better look at the characteristics. That pharaoh had a really cold and austere expression. He mustn't have been smiling a lot in his reigning life. Maybe he was a tyrant.
However, there was something about the symmetry of the dead man's face that looked oddly… familiar?
"Sara?" she turned around quickly and saw Mr. Graham looking at her with a pleasant expression on his face. "I knew you'd come here."
He noticed that despite her smile she was frowning. "Is soething wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. Came to visit the exhibition too, Mr Graham?"
"Actually, I work here."
"Really?"
"I'm a historian, Sara."
"Oh, right."
"Were you admiring the techniques of the ancient Egyptian artists?" He asked smiling.
She nodded.
"The arts at this pharaoh's time were at a very high level indeed. This is a new discovery. Haven't you heard about it? This is the empty sarcophagus of Seto the 1st."
"Where's the mummy?"
"I dunno. Archaeologists are searching the area around the crypt where the sarcophagus was found for months, but nothing yet."
"The pharaoh's resting place has been desecrated. The body is stolen." A female voice said behind Graham and Sara. They turned around to see the person who had spoken.
"We don't know that yet Ishizu." Said the professor.
"Trust me, I know. That old man who found the tomb sold many items to collectors."
Daniel Graham smiled complied. "Let me introduce you. This is one of my brightest students, Sara White. Sara, this is Ishizu Ishtar, the head and supervisor of the Egyptian exhibition."
"Nice to meet you, Ms Ishtar."
Ishizu looked at Sara intensely for a moment while they shook hands. "The pleasure's mine, my dear. Call me Ishizu."
Sara felt awkward under Ishizu's stare. Why was she looking at her like that?
"Sara, I think you have to go. The museum is closing. Would you like me to escort you home?"
"Yes, of course, thank you." Sara smiled and made a step to leave.
"She doesn't have to go. You can stay and take a look."
Ishizu had already moved to another corridor. "Come to see something Sara." She led them in front of a big stone tablet with a carved dragon.
Sara looked at it, wonder in her eyes. "What does it show? A dragon?" Ishizu nodded. "It's a new exhibit as well. It was found in the tomb of pharaoh Seto. Do you like it?"
"It's nice… I guess… I didn't know that ancient Egyptians worshiped dragons."
"This Egyptian king adored this particular dragon." Ishizu said with a smile.
"I've heard about crocodiles, but-"
"Well, crocodiles derive from great reptiles." Professor Graham cut Sara off.
"Fortunately smugglers didn't sell this item too." Ishizu said, suddenly her face going serious.
"Yes, It's an excellent piece of work, representative of this era's art." Started Graham.
"Would you like to see something more, Sara?" asked the Egyptian woman. "Come. Follow me."
Ishizu walked along many corridors to lead Sara and the professor to a big empty hall. Ishizu turned and looked at her partner with a wondering look on her face.
"I didn't know you wanted to show her this. I took it to the lab to study it." Said Graham.
"Let's go to the lab, then."
"Are you sure?" asked Sara's professor cautiously. He received no answer.
Once they got to the lab Ishizu opened the lights and led Sara to the showcase where another stone tablet was kept. She then turned to Sara with a questioning expression.
"It's great," said Sara nodding. "Who are these people?"
"It's a pharaoh and a sorcerer –or rather say priest- dueling."
"Dueling?"
"Yes, it's a long story. This priest is Seto the 1st before he became a pharaoh. He fights with the dragon we saw before."
"Did they believe that their gods assisted them in battle?"
"It's a little more complicated than that." Ishizu smiled. "This goddess' name –yes, the dragon represents a female deity-" Ishizu said to Sara's questioning look- "is Kisara."
Sara flinched at that. "Kisara?" she looked at the carved stone again. "Funny. That's my birth name."
Ishizu was smiling enigmatically. Sara turned her attention to the carving again. She looked at the sorcerer. There was something familiar about him.
She turned around and saw her professor looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face.