Preparations were made, a leave of absence was arranged with Alex's school (and a mountain of homework was received, much to his chagrin), and a few weeks later the O'Connell clan was sailing down the Nile, bound for Cairo. Their diggers would be hired locally before they ventured off into the desert. The ruins were located a day and a half's camel ride from Cairo and while some people these days preferred automobiles, the O'Connells preferred to do things in an older mode of fashion. That being said, Rick of course brought his arsenal of assorted weapons and ammunition and wore a gun on each hip. "You act like we're going to the American West." Kit teased him one night at dinner. He shrugged it off – She didn't know and, hopefully, there would never be an occasion necessary for her to know.
They disembarked one morning, loading up an automobile with the equipment carted from London and their personal effects. As Kit and Alex loaded the last suitcase, a familiar figure emerged from the crowds surrounding the dock. "Evy, Rick!" Jonathan, dressed to the nines in a white suit and wearing a matching fedora, was accompanied by Katrina, more practically clothed in canvas breeches, a linen shirt, and a wide-brimmed hat.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Rick asked Evy through gritted teeth. They had told Jonathan they were going, of course, but he had voiced no interest in joining him.
"Shh." Evy chided as her brother greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. "Jonathan, what are you doing here?" She asked, a hand sliding to her hip. "I thought you had no more interest in mummies."
"Yes, well –" Jonathan looked to Katrina, stumbling over his words a little. "I don't, not really, but I mentioned it to Katrina –"
"It's all my doing." The singer confessed. "I bowled him into it. I've always wanted to visit Egypt and my contract was up, so Jon offered to be a gentleman and escort me – Perhaps even show me around some dig sites."
"So… Surprise!" Jonathan swept his arms outward. "And if you need an extra hand or two on the dig, we can come and do some history like one big happy family!"
"Why not?" Rick asked, taking Jonathan's hand and squeezing. Jonathan's eyes bulged and Evy pulled Katrina to the side.
"Are you sure you're up to the taxing challenge of working in Egypt's sun?" He heard his wife ask the singer, but Rick's focus remained on his brother-in-law.
"You know how much trouble you're in?" Rick asked Jonathan through gritted teeth.
Jonathan winced as several bones in his fingers popped. "Yes, but I didn't know what to say." He laughed uncomfortably.
"No, maybe?" Rick asked.
"Yes, well you can say that with such ease, and I—"
"This isn't a field trip where you can just drop in, Jon." Rick snapped. Jonathan gave a hopeless shrug and Rick released his hand. "You know what? You are riding the finickiest camel we can get our hands on." Rick promised, turning towards the automobile.
"So we're even?" Jonathan asked hopefully.
Rick freed Jonathan's hand and slung his bag of weapons into Jonathan's arms. "Not even close."
"Oof." Jonathan stumbled a little and forced a smile. "Alex! Kit! No water or sugar to fight with down here, is there?" He asked as they began piling into the back of the open-air auto.
Evy turned to her husband from speaking to Katrina, her lips pursed slightly. "Are you alright with this?" She asked her husband.
"Am I ever alright with your brother interfering with our plans?" Rick grumbled.
"He could be of help. And Katrina – Well, she has so much enthusiasm." Evy shrugged. "What's another two?"
"I really hope we don't regret telling Jonathan about this." Rick sighed, opening the door for Evy.
"My diggers are the best diggers in the world –"
"I am the last remnant of the expedition to uncover Tutankhamen's Tomb. A good luck charm, wouldn't you say?"
"My diggers work twice as hard with half the water of these other diggers!"
The Cairo Marketplace hosted not only the fruits of the Nile floodplains and the crafts of Cairo's people but diggers looking for work. They called out for the attention of anyone who looked like they might be heading out to the desert. As Evy and Jonathan strode down the stalls, the diggers were practically foaming at the mouth.
"Perhaps we should have sent you to get the camels after all." Evy suggested to Jonathan. Rick's assertive nature would be better suited for this kind of thing.
"Not unless you want to bring the herd home to England." Jonathan replied, referring to the fact that he had paid for at least twice the amount of camels needed when venturing off to Hamunaptra. Rick had gone to purchase the beasts while Katrina, Kit, and Alex were perusing the wares of the marketplace.
"We are worth every pound!"
"We are double the price but triple the amount of sand that is dug!"
The brother and sister came to rest at the end of the column of diggers hawking their wares. Silent among his neighbors, a bald man sat underneath a canopy, arms crossed. The sun tanned the man's face for many years and his beard was made of white and gray bristles.
"You're not going to try and sell us your wares?" Jonathan asked the man.
The man shrugged. "I don't see why." He replied. "If you want my services, you'll buy them. No amount of boasting will move the sand for me."
"I like him." Jonathan informed Evy.
The woman smiled and turned to the man. "Do you take exception to taking direction from a woman?"
"No."
"How many diggers work with you?"
"Fifteen including myself." The man replied. "If you should hire us, we will be ready to depart within an hour. Our rates are on the board there." Written clearly in Arabic, French, and English were the rates for he and his men, but the man didn't seem too concerned with whether or not he was particularly hired.
Evy glanced over the board and her eyes returned to the digger. "You're hired, Mr…?"
"Aamir Sakr, madame. You may call me Aamir, if you wish."
"Aamir, then. My name is Evelyn, and this is my brother Jonathan. We have more members of our party, but I suppose you'll meet them when we set out."
"Just so, Evelyn." Aamir stood, flipping his board over to signify that he had been hired. "Let us shake on it."
Evelyn and Aamir shook hands, and with the deal done, Aamir left to gather his workers and the brother and sister departed to find the rest of their party.
"I do not know why camels receive such a negative reputation." Katrina commented astride her camel as the greenery of Cairo and the Nile shrank behind the group. The merciless sun beat down on everyone's heads, but if one ignored the ball of fire and focused on the ride, things weren't wholly unpleasant.
"You haven't had one kiss you yet." Jonathan rebutted.
"Even a mangy camel will carry more than a herd of asses." Aamir defended the beasts atop his own.
Jonathan looked to the chief digger. "Is that a quip about me?"
"I only stated a well-known proverb. Apply it as you will." Aamir replied with a nod. Alex sniggered from atop his camel.
"I know where you live, Alex." Jonathan grumbled.
"And I know where you're sleeping Uncle Jon: My tent."
They pitched camp at the foot of a formation of bluffs jutting up from the desert. The camels were all picketed at the mouth of the camp and the tents erected in a U-shape. As the cooking fire was stoked up, Rick and Aamir selected seven of the diggers and pulled them aside. "I want four of you on watch around the perimeter of the camp until we break in the morning." Rick began, Aamir translating for those who didn't speak English. The adventurer wasn't taking any chances. "The first shift stands until after midnight and the rest until before dawn. We'll want to be packed and moving before sunrise, so the shifts should still get you enough sleep."
Aamir finished translating and turned back to Rick. "I understand the importance of security measures, but I am wondering whether Evelyn did not tell me about any risks associated with this dig."
Rick shook his head at the man. "We've just been surprised before." He glanced at where his wife was watering the camels. "I just want to make sure that we keep a lookout for robbers or… Anything. Anything that isn't us."
"Goodness," Katrina laughed from where she was unloading the cookware. "A bit wary aren't you? Frightened a mummy will come get us?" Evy, Alex, Rick, and Jonathan shot Katrina hard looks, surprising the singer. "Only joking… Apologies."
Kit arched an eyebrow at her family. "Let me help you with that, Katrina." She offered, joining her at the packs. She helped unload the cast iron pans and mess kits as the rest set about pulling out bedrolls and discussing what to make for the night.
"I forget the proper name of what we're looking for again." Katrina confessed to Kit as they began stacking the mess kits around the fire pit. "The Necklace of Isis?"
"Belt of Isis." Kit replied. "It was called a necklace by the Romans, so I guess either works."
"Sounds ominous." Katrina commented, "Like something from the back of a dime novel: The Necklace of Isis, you better remember it, for all those going after it have met dismemberment—"
"Don't say such things!" Kit snapped. Katrina looked at her in surprise. "I'm sorry, it's just – Rather rude to say such a thing when we're going after it, isn't it?"
Katrina blushed. "I'm sorry, sometimes I don't think before speaking." She paused for a moment. "The entertainment business does that to you."
"Just… Don't say it again?"
"Of course."
Dinner was cooked and most of the camp turned in for the night. Rick was restless in his bedroll. Despite Evy's sleepy assurances that everything was fine, he couldn't get a wink of sleep. When the watch changed after midnight he finally stopped fighting his body's refusal to sleep. After dressing and shrugging on his double holster, he went outside. He kicked open one of the supply boxes and pulled out two hand-held flares that would be useful on the moonless night for signaling the digger sentries, should anything happen. The coals of the fire had been banked until morning, and Aamir waved at him from his sentry post as Rick stalked off beyond the camels, his bolt-action rifle in hand. The hours passed slowly with nothing but the wind whistling every now and then. The stars began to fade and the diggers on watch began to file back to their tents to get things ready to move out.
As the camp began to wake up, Rick heard the treble of voices from a narrow gorge that the wind had cut into the bluffs. He looked back to the camp, counting Aamir and the diggers that were beginning to take down tents. There were only four. If anyone else had left the camp, they would have had to slip past the camels and Rick to make it into the gorge. Shouldering his rifle as a precaution, Rick slowly approached the gorge's mouth, spying a set of tracks in the sand just as the wind wiped them clean. The treble of voices continued, but as to what they were saying, Rick couldn't understand a word. The gorge was pitch-black, but that didn't bother whomever was talking. Rick paused as the words bounced off the gorge walls, almost deafening in their volume. Letting his rifle hang from his shoulder for a moment, Rick grabbed one of the flares he brought. As quickly as it could be done without burning him, Rick lit the flare, threw it deep into the gorge, and jerked his rifle to his shoulder. The flare burned red, illuminating… nothing.
The rock face of a dead end stared back at Rick. The sand swirled as the wind whistled against the rock, face showing no tracks or evidence that anyone had been there. The adventurer continued to hug his gun to his shoulder, circling around to make sure he wasn't about to be ambushed from behind. The flare began to wane, and Rick lit the other one to make sure he didn't miss anything. The rock of the gorge was too smooth to be climbed up easily. Rick knew if he told Evy about this incident, she'd say it was just the wind. But the wind would have only whistled. And what about the tracks leading into the gorge?
Troubled, Rick lowered his rifle and headed back towards the camp. As he approached the picketed camels the whinny of horses raced across the sands from the east. Turning, the man spied four figures on horseback emerging from the night as they thundered toward the half-circle of tents. The camels lowed in concern and worried their pickets. Rick shouldered his rifle, but as the horsemen drew near, he recognized their leader.
"Ardeth?" Rick kept his rifle trained on the men, but called hoping they heard him over their mounts. "Is that you?"
The leader held up his hand, halting himself and the other riders about twenty feet away from O'Connell. Pulling black fabric from the lower half of his face, the man did indeed reveal himself to be Ardeth Bay. "O'Connell. What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same. Theoretically." Rick replied, replacing his rifle into the holster across his back.
"The Medjai are forever keeping watch." Ardeth turned to the others, speaking in Arabic. His three companions turned their horses and cantered away as Ardeth dismounted, leading his horse with him. He offered his hand to Rick. "It is good to see you my friend. But the question still stands: What are you doing here?"
Rick watched the riders fade off into the night and he sighed. "What else would we be doing back in Egypt? Evy's trying to find something."
The pair walked back to the camp where half of the tents had already been put away. Evy had already woken and was dressed in her usual dig fare of tan trousers, high boots, and a white linen shirt. She was stoking the cooking fire back to life as she spied her husband and friend. Abandoning the fire, Evy crossed to them as Ardeth tied his horse's reins to the mess tent's support poles. "Ardeth! Lovely to see you!"
"And you," Ardeth replied with a nod. "Rick tells me you're looking for something? What did you find?"
"Well, his sister is actually the one who found it –" Evy began.
Ardeth raised a dark eyebrow and looked to Evy's husband. "I didn't know you had a sister."
"I've been getting that a lot." Rick replied, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Here, join us for breakfast and we'll tell you all about it.
Evy, Rick, and Ardeth had just settled in around the fire when Katrina exited her tent, holding one of her shoes out in front of her. "Oh, good morning all!" She greeted, despite the fact the sun had yet to rise. She didn't know who Ardeth was, but nevertheless gave him a nod. "Found a scorpion in my shoe. I should start wearing them to bed like Kit to avoid any more bug problems!"
"Actually, it's an arachnid." Alex informed the brunette as he exited the tent he shared with his uncle. Upon seeing the Medjai, however, his face broke into a smile and he scampered over to the man. "Ardeth! What are you doing here?"
Smiling a little, the man eyed Rick. "I have been getting that question a lot." He turned back to Alex and said, "Medjai business. Have you been practicing your fighting?"
"Fighting is not something an eight year-old should do." Evelyn broke in, her brows furrowing sternly.
Ardeth's own brows mimicked Evelyn as he looked to Alex. "I thought you said you were eight last year?"
"He tends to round up." Rick informed the Medjai.
Alex rolled his eyes and took a seat next to Ardeth. When his parents were preoccupied with the kettle he leaned close to the Medjai, whispering, "Mum doesn't approve, but when I get the time I use one of the large branches in our back garden as a sword. I might be getting better, but trees don't fight back." Ardeth laughed and nodded at the boy.
"Now, what is it you're here for?" Ardeth asked, turning his attention back to Evy as Katrina, both shoes fixed firmly on her feet, returned to the circle around the fire and sat.
"Kit, Rick's sister, translated a scroll in Latin detailing a place called – Oh, what is its proper name?" Evy asked, the phrase escaping her.
"The Romans called it the Temple of Minerva." Kit said, emerging from the tent she shared with Katrina. Unlike the other women of the expedition, Kit had a fondness for gowns and wore one in the Bedouin fashion for the dig, complete with matching mantle to protect her from the sun.
Ardeth stood. "Rick's sister, I take it?" She nodded. "I am Ardeth Bey."
"He's a friend." Rick added.
"Kit. A pleasure." Kit took a seat next to the fire, rubbing the back of her neck. Ardeth sat once she had. "I don't know if it had a proper Egyptian name – We're not quite sure whether it's of Roman architecture or Egyptian." Kit looked to Evy. "The scroll didn't say, did it?"
"No." Evy agreed. "We should get there today."
"I'm unfamiliar with any temples in this area." Ardeth informed the others, eyebrow arching. "Are you sure your sources are correct?"
Evy shrugged and Kit stoked the fire as the kettle was put on. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?"
"Would you mind if I accompanied you?" Ardeth asked. "I – Medjai like to keep an eye on things. And if there are ruins we've missed –"
"That's a great idea." Rick said, looking to his wife. "Make sure we don't do anything stupid like before, hmm?"
"What are you talking about?" Kit asked.
"Oh." Rick forgot for the moment that both Kit and Katrina knew nothing of Hamunaptra, Ahm Shere, the Bracelet of Anubis – Any of it. "We've had some troubles on digs before – Booby traps, stuff like that. Ardeth's an expert."
The Medjai arched a brow. He looked warily to both Katrina and Kit and simply nodded. "Yes. Expert."
Aamir trudged over, carrying a folded and tied tent on his back complete with folded poles. "An expert?" He eyed the man swathed in black and looked to Evy. "You're very lucky to have mediocre me." And with that, he continued on to the camels to unload his quarry.
"And what's Medjai?" Kit queried.
"Is it your company or something like that?" Katrina followed.
"They're my people – Er, we live in this place. We like to keep an eye on sacred burial grounds."
"Make sure that there's no disrespect or defacing, I take it?" Katrina replied.
Ardeth was uncomfortable not telling the whole truth. It was uncommon to him as England and two-story busses had once been. "Something like that." He replied.
After breakfast was eaten, the others worked on packing up the rest of camp and Ardeth approached Rick. "Those two women – Your sister and the other – They don't know about the Creature?"
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I didn't think before I spoke." Rick turned to watch as Jon gave Katrina a boost onto the back of a camel to secure her pack. The camel started ambling off with Katrina splayed across backwards, laughing as Jon ran after to grab the camel's lead.
"This… makes me very uncomfortable." Ardeth confided in Rick. "The Medjai have patrolled these lands for over three thousand years – At places where cities once stood and only sands remain, we know. There cannot be a temple that we have overlooked."
Rick chewed his lip. "I haven't been feeling easy about it either." He admitted. "This isn't our first rodeo – we should know what not to do if it comes to that."
"The Medjai knew what must not be done to awaken the Creature." Ardeth rebutted. "And yet we failed."
Rick rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well… I'm a cantankerous son of a bitch, aren't I?"
"I am grateful that you agreed to have me come along." The Medjai looked to where his horse was tethered while Alex and Kit took down the canvas of the tent she was tied to. "I'll come with you and if I find anything suspicious, I'll have to let my brothers and know."
"Damn straight." Rick said, nodding. "If anything sketchy appears, I am ready to throw Evy onto a camel and head back to Cairo."
"I think your wife would have to be tied kicking and screaming for such a thing to be easy."
Rick looked to where Evy was mounting her camel. "Yeah," He sighed, "I know."
The morning sun was already beating down heavily upon the travelers by the time they approached a formation of cliffs to the southwest. Kit pulled her notes from her pack and kept pace next to Evelyn to confer upon them.
"We should be coming upon the temple at any time – Given that the ruins haven't been covered with sand." Evelyn announced, looking at the location she had plotted using the scroll and her own knowledge of the place.
"I would not look forward to digging it out." Kit replied.
"That's part of the fun!" Katrina called from a couple camels behind. "I always did fancy the sandbox as a child…" Evy laughed.
"If I may," Aamir called, spurring his camel forward to gait beside the two women, "I am somewhat of an expert in this area." He threw a dirty look at Ardeth and continued. "We approach the cliffs and since there is no other rock formation apart from it, sand should not necessarily be sloping anywhere else, yes?"
"I suppose so." Evy replied, following his reasoning.
"Now," Aamir pulled his camel to a stop and the others followed suit. "Survey your surroundings."
Evy's hazel eyes squinted against the sun as she surveyed where they came from and where they were heading. The sand was more or less level – there were some rises here and there, but nothing significant. Her eyes slowly cased over the cliffs to her left and then across from the base – "There!"
The sand humped up significantly several hundred feet from the edge of the cliffs. As the afternoon progressed, the hump would be shielded from the sun by the shadows of the cliffs, making an opportune site not only for a structure, but a dig site. Aamir smiled at Evelyn and nodded. "I would suggest we start there and see if we find anything."