Seeing a Large Cat (31 page)

When we had eaten all Emerson deemed sufficient, he bundled us out of the house and up the path. The sun beat down and the air was as hot and dry as a furnace, but I had got my

"Egypt wind" by that time and had no difficulty. When we reached the tomb, we found Abdullah and the other men sprawled on the ground in various positions of exhaustion. They started to scramble to their feet when they saw us, but Emerson waved them back.

"Not going too well?" Emerson inquired of Abdullah, who, stubborn old man that he was, had come rigidly to attention.

Abdullah shook his head. His once immaculate robe and turban were now gray instead of white. "The debris is packed solid, Emerson, and it fills the corridor from top to bottom. We had to stop for a time because the candles were melting."

"No wonder you all look so tired," I said sympathetically.

Abdullah stiffened. "We are accustomed to the heat, Sitt Hakim, but we could not see. Because of the candles melting."

"How far have you got?" Howard asked.

"Forty meters," said Abdullah, who was accustomed to using the standard archaeological measurements. "Now we have rested. We will go back-"

"Sit down, you old fool," said Emerson irritably. Abdullah obeyed, with a sidelong glance at me; he knew Emerson well enough to recognize this as a demonstration of concern and approbation. Emerson fingered the cleft in his chin. "I am going to have a look. Coming, Peabody?"

"Of course," I said, laying my parasol aside.

"I wish you wouldn't," Howard said sincerely.

"Now, Howard, you ought to know by now that I am not deterred by heat or difficulty."

"I am well aware of that. But if you go, I will have to follow, and to be honest, I would rather not. Confound it, Mrs. E., the place is full of bat guano."

It was a reasonable deduction, to judge by the appearance of our men and the unmistakable odor that wafted from them. I smiled at Howard and straightened my belt of tools. "It is not necesary for you to prove your fortitude, Howard, it is well-known. As for Cyrus-"

"Oh, I'm going along," Cyrus declared calmly. "And I'm not going to waste my breath trying to dissuade you, Mrs. Amelia."

"At least remove your coat, Peabody," Emerson ordered, stripping off his own. "I cannot fathom why you insist on retaining it; your trousers are very becoming to you and I am sure neither Carter nor Vandergelt would be ill-bred enough to remark upon-er-them."

The gentlemen hastened to assure me that they had no intention even of glancing at that part of my anatomy. They removed their extraneous garments-and so did Nefret, in silence and with her chin stubbornly set.

Emerson sighed. "No, my dear."

"But, sir-"

"Not this time."

Nefret's chin quivered.

"Stop that," Emerson shouted. "You may not go, that is final. Stay here and-and look after Abdullah."

Abdullah started to protest. Then he caught my eye and sat down with a loud groan. Nefret went to him at once, offering tea and biscuits.

I had not been in the tomb for several days. Although Abdullah had denigrated the amount of work accomplished, I knew enough of the difficulties to appreciate the effort it had taken to get so far. Every basketful of rubble had to be carried up and out of the tomb. The slope was quite steep-close to thirty degrees. Steps had been cut along one side of the passage, but they were so rough and worn, they were as treacherous as the slope itself. Howard and Cyrus did not scruple to hold on to the rope Emerson had caused to be fastened at the mouth of the tomb, but the muscular frame of my spouse was all the support I needed. I rested one hand against his broad shoulder, and when I slipped the instantaneous hardening of those formidable muscles supported and reassured me.

Archaeological fever, too long suppressed, stirred in my breast. Most individuals, I daresay, would have found the place unprepossessing-dark, filthy, odorous, without so much as a hieroglyphic inscription or a fragment of relief to distinguish this passage from an ordinary cave. But I now understood Emerson's enthusiasm. The dimensions of this tomb already exceeded those of the pit tombs designed for commoners. The design, too, was unusual, for the passage curved as it descended. Could this have been intended for a royal sepulchre? Some of the debris the men had removed might have been washed into the tomb by floodwater, but surely not all. If the passage had been deliberately filled, there must be something at its end that warranted protection.

So absorbed was I in professional speculation, I scarcely noticed the increasing heat and stifling darkness. The flames of the candles held by Cyrus and Emerson burned dim. When Emerson stopped, with a low-voiced warning to me and the men who followed me, the candles gave so little light that it was difficult to see what lay ahead. There was not, in fact, much to see-only a seeming wall of rock that closed the passage like a door. I could barely make out the marks of the pickaxes the men had used. *

Cyrus had not uttered a word of complaint, though the descent had been harder for him than any of us. He was Emerson's height, or a little taller; both of them had to proceed with bowed heads, since the passage was barely two meters high and the ceiling was uneven. Now that we had stopped moving, I could hear his hard breathing.

"Start back, Cyrus," I said. "We will follow. Emerson?"

"Hmph," said Emerson. He had turned to examine the side walls.

"Emerson," I said more emphatically. "I want to get out of here."

"Oh?" Emerson glanced at the sagging candle. Wax covered his fingers and dripped from them; the temperature was so high, even that thin skin had not hardened. "Oh. Yes, I suppose we may as well."

I will admit, in the pages of my private journal, that I might have had some little difficulty ascending that hellish slope if Emerson had not maintained a constant pressure on me from behind. Howard, younger and in better condition than Cyrus, gave the latter a helpful push now and then. We had to stop several times to catch our breath, or try to.

When we emerged, Abdullah and Selim were waiting. The lad's strong arms pulled a wheezing Cyrus up the final stairs and deposited him solicitously on a convenient rock. Nefret hurried to him with water and cold tea. As for me, I was not too proud to take Abdullah's outstretched hand.

We presented an unsightly spectacle, coated with the gray slime resulting from a mixture of perspiration and guano-filled dust. It had not been as difficult for us as for the men, though, and I nodded appreciatively at Abdullah.

"Well!" said Howard between gasps. "You have something quite interesting there, Professor. It is beginning to bear a certain resemblance to Hatshepsut's tomb, though of course we have gone a good deal farther than you. Have you looked for foundation deposits?"

"Not yet." Emerson wiped his sweating face on his sleeve. "Does your tomb have-"

"For pity's sake, Emerson, don't smear that stuff into your eyes," I interrupted. "Here, let me-"

"Wipe your own face," Emerson said, pushing my hand away and reaching for one of the water jars. "Carter, how far along was the first-"

He interrupted himself this time, pouring water over his dishevelled head and grimy face and spitting out a mouthful of mud.

"I observed one difference," said Howard, still short of breath, but as enthusiastic as Emerson. "There is a smoothed section, probably the slide for a sarcophagus, along one side of the passage in Hatshepsut's tomb."

"Ah," said Emerson. "Interesting. I had better go and have a look."

He would have done it too, then and there, had not Howard managed to distract him.

"We had the same difficulty with the candles melting, Professor, so we installed hand wires for electric lamps. I can arrange that, if you like."

Emerson nodded. "Yes, good. I foresee another problem. The passage is now below the limestone stratum and entering the tafl. You know how bad the rock is there; we may need to brace the walls and roof as we go on."

Cyrus had recovered enough to join in the discussion. It was he who answered Nefret's question. "TafI? It is a layer of softer rock like shale, underlying the limestone in which most of the tombs are cut. The stone in this area is not as good as the limestone around Giza and Sakkara...."

They went on talking for some little time; Howard and Emerson discussed the possibility of an exhaust motor to freshen the air, while Nefret continued to ask questions of all and sundry. Finally I managed to interrupt long enough to point out that we might as well continue the discussion in more comfortable surroundings. It was late, and I was beginning to find even my own company unpleasantly odorous.

Emerson nodded. "Yes, the men may as well go home, Abdullah. It has been tiring work, and I don't want to proceed until we have braced that left wall."

Emerson drives his men hard, but no harder than himself, and he never allows them to take unnecessary risks.

Scarcely had we got our gear together, however, than we saw Ramses and David coming toward us. I deduced that they had stopped by the house to change, since they were wearing riding costumes.

"Goodness, is it so late as that?" I exclaimed. "I trust you are satisfied that Enid is ready for this evening, Ramses?"

"She seemed satisfied," said Ramses. "We brought the horses, Mother; would you and Nefret care to ride back to the house instead of walking?"

Nefret declined the offer-I supposed she had taken it as a misplaced concession to female frailty-but she urged me to ride. "I did not make that exhausting descent into the tomb, Aunt Amelia, so I am feeling quite fresh, and you are still favoring the ankle you hurt yesterday. Do you go on with David."

I had been anxious to try Risha. I accepted, therefore, and after the stirrups had been adjusted Emerson lifted me into the saddle and the others set out along the path to the plateau. Ramses began questioning Emerson about the tomb, and before they passed out of earshot I heard Nefret demand that she be allowed to enter it next day.

As soon as the lovely animal started forward, I understood his name. Risha means "feather," and that was how he moved-as lightly as if he walked on air. I let him pick his own way across the uneven floor of the Valley, and many were the admiring glances and comments that followed our progress.

"He is a wonder, isn't he?" said David. "Your English style of riding, with bit and spur, is quite unnecessary; he seems to sense your wishes and respond to them instantly."

"Your Asfur goes as easily. The name means 'flying bird,' I believe. I hope you and Ramses appreciate how fortunate you are to enjoy the sheikh's friendship. We must think of some way of repaying him for his hospitality and for his generous gifts."

David assured me that he and Ramses had already discussed the subject.

"How did you get on with Mrs. Fraser?" was my next question.

"I only stayed for a moment," David replied. "After all, Aunt Amelia, she scarcely knows me; she would have felt uncomfortable-er-"

"Rehearsing," I said helpfully. "Yes, of course. You have the instincts of a gentleman, David. She has known Ramses since he was a child, and is perfectly at ease with him."

We had traversed the narrow entrance to the Valley and reached the open desert. "Shall we let them out now?" David suggested.

As a rule I prefer not to ride at a full gallop unless I am pursuing criminals or being pursued by them. But this was unlike anything I had ever experienced. So smooth was our progress, so even the fine creature's gait, that I felt as if I were flying. I laughed aloud from sheer delight.

We had not gone far, however, when David called to me- or more probably, since he spoke in Arabic, to Risha-to stop. He too halted and bent a piercing look upon the riders who were approaching us, and whom, in my exuberance, I had not observed until then. One was female; the skirts of her long habit hung down to the stirrup, and she was bouncing up and down in approved style.

"Dolly," I said. "Aha. Is that why Ramses was so generous in lending me Risha?"

David smiled and frowned at the same time. "We saw them when we were on our way, yes. But at that time-"

He broke off, for Dolly and her escort had reached us. The latter was the young man I had met at the postfuneral gathering. He was wearing a preposterously large pith helmet with a veil hanging down in back to protect his neck. He removed this article of apparel and bowed.

I had forgot his name, but before I could ask him to repeat it in order that I might introduce my companion, David spoke.

"Where is Saiyid?"

He had addressed Dolly. It was the first time, I believe, he had spoken to her directly, and the abruptness of the question surprised her into an answer. "I sent him back to the dahabeeyah."

"That was very foolish," I said. "He was hired to look after you."

"He was a nuisance," said the young lady with a pretty shrug. "Sir Arthur is looking after me very nicely."

Sir Arthur blushed and looked foolish. Poor Mr. Tollington, it appeared, had been supplanted. He had not struck me as an effective guard, but this fellow looked even more ineffectual.

However, it was broad daylight and there were other people abroad-tourists on their way to and from the monuments, fellahin working in the fields. I was about to direct the young man to take Dolly back to her father when David spoke again.

"Perhaps Miss Bellingham and Sir Arthur should come to the house with us, Aunt Amelia. One of the men can escort them back to the Valley of the Kings."

Clearly he shared my forebodings, or he would not have welcomed the company of an individual who treated him so rudely. I therefore repeated the invitation, and if my manner was less than gracious, I doubt Dolly noticed. She was, of course, delighted to agree. Sir Arthur's sputtering protestations, to the effect that they needed no escort, were coolly ignored.

The delay and the slower pace we were forced to set resulted in our finding that the others had arrived before us. Cyrus had gone back to the Castle and Howard had left the party to proceed to his own house near Deir el Medina; the only ones waiting on the terrace were Nefret and Ramses. They informed me that Emerson was changing, and I announced I would do the same.