Page 15

A Mournful Sound Incites Concern

M eanwhile, outside at the southwest corner of the pyramid

Rather enjoying the opportunity to be escorted not just by one young man, but two—even if the older Forster was married—Helen stared up at the Pyramid of Khafre and sighed.

“Can you imagine what it must have been like for a man to spend his entire life watching as people were building his final resting place?”

“If they did, they must have been in disguise,” Randy replied. “From what Diana told me, only the high priests were allowed to see the king.”

Helen scoffed. “How could they have any power if they weren’t even seen by their people?” she asked in surprise.

“Probably because the priests were the ones with the true power,” Tom murmured. A strange howling sounded from nearby, as if his words had upset the Egyptian gods.

“Did you hear that?” Helen asked, pausing mid-step.

“You’ve done it now, brother,” Randy whispered. He, too, had stopped, cocking his head as if to determine the source of the faint but haunting sound.

He wasn’t the only one. Up ahead, Salman’s attention was suddenly directed on Khufu’s pyramid. Randy followed his line of sight, frowning when he considered who might have made it. “Was that?—?

“David?” Tom finished for him.

“Diana,” Randy breathed, his concern evident.

The two exchanged quick glances and both set off at a run along the west wall of the Great Pyramid toward the north.

About to follow, Helen realized there was no way she could have kept pace with the two men. Instead, she joined the others to discover Salman displaying a look of amusement while everyone else appeared confused.

“Sir, why is it are you smiling?” she asked, tempted to hit him on his head with her parasol. “Do you take pleasure in the misfortune of others?”

Salman chuckled. “I should not, I know. But I am fairly sure there is a reason for the shout we heard.”

“A snake?” she guessed, her eyes wide with fright.

“No. A pest to be sure, but not a snake,” he said, shaking his head.

Helen’s attention went to where the cousins had been running alongside the western base of the Great Pyramid, but they had already disappeared around the corner.