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“How about we talk it all over once we figure out whether this tunnel really has an ‘out’ hole?” Adam cut in. “You know—before the bad guys dig us out of here or the whole thing comes crashing down on our heads?”

“We had best go… the only way we can, then,” Mr. Al-Ahmed concluded helplessly, then led them forward in a bedraggled, crawling parade.

?

A thankfully short time later, they spilled out into the narrow confines of another burial chamber. The light of the lantern revealed it to be a simple tomb without the rich ornamentation of Horemheb’s complex—a mere box carved from the ground, empty of everything but rubble and scattered bones, most of them animals. Ellie spotted a little Napoleonic graffiti on the walls.

Neil’s eyes widened happily at the sight. He stopped short, gazing around the humble, narrow space with obvious admiration. “This is actually an excellent example of Ramesside administrative tomb building! Note the positioning of the sarcophagus pit, and that cut portion of the wall was almost certainly a funeral stele—”

“The sarcophagus pit is very nice.” Constance hooked a hand through Neil’s elbow. “And I’m sure you can come back and examine it in detail when we are no longer being pursued by people who mean to kill us.”

She hauled him up the steep ramp that led out of the burial chamber. Ellie trailed behind them. It really was a very fine example of Ramesside administrative tomb building, even if it had been entirely cleared out.

At the top of the ramp, she joined the others in a claustrophobic antechamber. Another square black tomb shaft was cut into the ceiling. Ellie peered up at it.

“It looks blocked,” she noted uneasily.

“That’s because I set a pair of pavers over it,” Mr. Al-Ahmed replied. “They ought to be simple enough to push aside—assuming that we can get up there.”

“I can do it,” Adam announced as he tugged on his loose boot. “So long as one of you guys can play ladder.”

Ellie looked to her brother, but he was gazing back down the ramp to the burial chamber. “Some of those pot shards might allow for a more precise dating…” he said forlornly.

With a sigh, Mr. Al-Ahmed handed Ellie the lantern. He pulled his tool case from his waistcoat as though afraid to see what damage it had sustained, but the slender leather box appeared to be intact.

Ellie held out her other hand for it. Mr. Al-Ahmed passed it to her carefully and then planted himself under the mouth of the shaft.

“Oh drat,” Ellie blurted as she realized what Adam intended. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“It’s fine,” Adam assured her as he stepped onto Mr. Al-Ahmed’s knee.

“But that shaft must be—” Ellie began.

Adam cut her off with a quickly raised hand. “—Nice and dark,” he finished for her pointedly. “Which makes it real hard to see how high it is. And that means it’s probably not so high at all. Right, Sayyid?”

“Er…” Mr. Al-Ahmed began awkwardly.

“There you go,” Adam concluded.

He stepped from Mr. Al-Ahmed’s knee to his shoulder and boosted himself into the opening of the shaft—the foreman coughing out a mouthful of Masri as he lurched under Adam’s weight.

The opening was roughly three feet across. Adam wedged himself into it, planting his boots against one wall with his back braced against the opposite side. The coil of rope that he had salvaged from Mutnedjmet’s burial chamber was looped around his neck.

Constance joined Ellie and Mr. Al-Ahmed under the opening as they watched Adam’s ascending form.

“Is your gentleman always this… vigorous?” Mr. Al-Ahmed asked.

“It really is quite impressive,” Constance agreed with obvious and slightly wicked appreciation.

“He’s not my…” Ellie began, and then sighed. “Well—yes. But you might also wish to move, in case he realizes how high up he is.”

“I might not have to realize it at all,” Adam called down with forced cheer, “if you’d stop bringing it up.”

“What happens if he realizes how high up he is?” Constance asked.

The scuffling noises of Adam’s ascent paused. “Hoooh boy,” he said, his voice distinctly queasy.

Mr. Al-Ahmed’s eyes widened with understanding, and he took a quick, substantial step back from the opening in the ceiling, courteously bringing Constance with him.