Page 42

A Mummy Makes the Day

L ater that afternoon

When Mahmood mentioned that the Temple of Luxor was very close to the hotel, he was sincere in his claim.

After a light luncheon of kebabs and mashed fava beans, Bradley went off with Mahmood’s daughter to spend the afternoon in the hotel’s parlor.

The rest of the group took their leave of the hotel and made their way along the riverfront, their path taking them past a colonnade.

“This is the Temple of Luxor,” Mahmood announced.

“Unlike other Egyptian temples which are oriented east-west to honor the sun god Ra, this one and the Temple of Karnak are oriented north-south along the east bank of the Nile. We are on the outside of it. You will note that over time, a good bit of rubbish has accumulated here, as have other buildings, including a mosque, Roman barracks, even a pigeon tower,” he explained.

“Someday perhaps it will be cleared out, making it easier to see it as my ancestors would have seen it.”

“What are these columns from?” David asked, stopping to examine a carved column topped with a closed-bud capital. The column didn’t seem particularly tall since a good third of it was underground.

As were all the other columns in the double-rowed colonnade.

“The sun court of the temple,” Mahmood replied.

Sounds of disbelief greeted his comment.

“The wall is missing here,” he explained. “As are the roofs. But I insist we enter at the front, where we can can still find one of the obelisks.”

Knowing the other obelisk had been gifted to the French and moved to Paris a few years earlier, David grumbled a curse, his gaze taking in the debris field around him.

Off to the left, a weathered old man sat cross-legged next to a number of dark items lined up on a tarp.

When he smiled, only a few teeth showed.

Curious, David made his way to the display of strange objects.

“What are these?” he asked, his brows furrowing at seeing the various shapes. Some items were only a foot or two in length while some were much longer. Some were nearly black while other appeared to be wrapped in fabric.

“Mummies,” the man replied. “You want?” The rest of what he said was in Arabic.

David blinked, “Mummies?” he repeated. Upon closer inspection, he realized the smaller items were—or rather had been—baby crocodiles.

Some were wrapped in yellowed linen while others were a blackish green.

Then he realized the larger bodies, also wrapped in linen but much darker in appearance, were human. “Mummies,” he murmured.

He gave a start when he realized his cousin, Tom, was at his elbow. On the other side of him, her arm on Tom’s, stood Helen, her attention on the mummies.

“Don’t look,” he said, his comment directed to Helen.

But it was too late, for the young lady inhaled sharply. Instinctively, Tom wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her so she was facing him. “Don’t faint, don’t faint, don’t faint,” he whispered frantically.

Helen raised her face to stare at him. “I won’t faint,” she assured him. “I was just... unprepared, is all.” She attempted to turn her head to look behind her, but he lifted a gloved hand to her cheek to prevent her from doing so.

For a moment, their gazes locked, and it was as if they were back in the Morganfield’s garden, her in his arms and their lips mere inches from one another. They might have reenacted the kiss they shared, but the moment was broken when Diana appeared next to them.

Her worried gaze first on Helen and then on the display of mummies, Diana asked, “Are you unwell?”

Her attention still on Tom’s eyes, Helen shook her head. “I am quite well,” she replied in a quiet voice.

“All right,” Diana said, although she didn’t sound convinced. By the time she took a good look at the vendor’s display of mummies, Randy was by her side.

“He’s selling these?” he asked in surprise. He made an odd sound in his throat. “Is... is that a cat?” he asked, pointing to a flat mummy wrapped in yellowed linen. The shape was that of a cat’s profile, so it appeared to have only two legs.

“Cat, yes,” the old man replied, grinning enthusiastically. “You buy?”

Randy shook his head, his eyes rounding when he realized what the other mummies were.

The sound of Mahmood’s shout had them turning to see him, the earls, and the countesses quickly approaching.

“Don’t let Mother see,” David said, turning so his back was to the display. Still holding onto Helen, Tom turned around, as did Randy and Diana, as they attempted to form a human shield.

Will was tall enough to see over them, his look of curiosity soon changing to disgust. Harry glanced over David’s shoulder before he dropped the arm Stella was holding and said, “I have to look, my love.”

Stella stayed where she was, her gaze on her daughter and Tom. “Did you suffer a shock, my dear?” she asked.

Helen’s eyes widened when she realized she was still in Tom’s hold. She quickly stepped away from him. “I did, Mother, but I’m much better now,” she said.

“Apologies, my lady,” Tom said to Stella. “I didn’t think she should see the mummified cats.”

Stella angled her head to one side, her gaze sweeping the line of bodies behind Tom. “And the humans?” she asked, the edges of her lips turned up as if she was teasing him.

“Humans, my lady?” he repeated, his brows rising nearly to his hairline. He turned around and gulped. “I... I hadn’t noticed them, my lady,” he said, his face displaying a grimace when he turned to face her.

“Are those mummies?” Barbara asked in awe. She had moved to the end of their line and simply walked around Randy to stand at the end of the display, her hands going to her hips.

“Aunt Barbara,” he gently scolded.

“It’s not my first time seeing a mummy,” she said, not taking her eyes from the morbid display.

“It’s not?”

“Of course not. There was an entire line of them on the dock at Cairo. I think they were loading them into some crates to ship them somewhere.”

“Ew,” David replied.

“I rather imagine they were intended for museums,” Diana murmured. “But they should have been left where they were found.”

Randy regarded her with worry. “Why did you say it like that?”

She arched a blonde brow. “Desecrating the dead like this?” she countered. “Never a good idea.”

“I didn’t think you were superstitious,” he chided.

“I am not. But others are, and that’s all it takes for someone to think they’ve been cursed.”

“Ah, you have heard of mummy curses?” Mahmood asked.

She lifted a shoulder. “I have read a number of books,” she replied.

“I have spoken with Ahmet,” he said, waving to the vendor. “If you wish to purchase one of his mummies, I can interpret for you.” From his manner, it was apparent he hoped they wouldn’t partake. He lowered his voice. “However, I can tell you they cost much less in Cairo.”

Chuckling but not in a humorous way, Randy made a sound of disgust.

“How are these crocodiles mummified?” Harry asked from where he was crouching next to the line of baby crocodiles, his manner entirely serious.

Mahmood sighed. “They are buried in the sand and left to...” He seemed to struggle for the right word.

“Desiccate?” Harry offered.

“Yes. Very different from how the pharaohs were mummified.”

“How were they mummified?” Helen asked.

“Mr. Salman explained it to us when were were at the pyramids at Giza,” Tom whispered.

“Another dragoman gave us an explanation, but it was entirely too brief,” Helen added, as if she hadn’t heard Tom’s comment. “He provided no detail at all.”

Everyone turned to look at her with surprise. “Ew,” David said again.

Mahmood cleared his throat, directing his attention to Will. “Should I tell them?”

Will lifted a shoulder. “They already know the worst.”

Dipping his head, their guide held out one hand, his fingers extended. He used his other hand to count off each step. “First, the body is washed in water from the Nile. Next, the brain is removed followed by the other internal organs and placed into canopic jars for preservation.”

“Ew.”

Ignoring David’s comment, Mahmood continued. “They cover the body with natron for forty days.”

“What is natron?” Helen asked.

“A sort of mineral salt,” her father replied. “They would have found it in dried out lake beds. Then used it to help dry out the body,” he explained.

Mahmood nodded in agreement. “The dried body would be anointed with oils and resins and then wrapped in linen.”

“With jewels,” Diana interjected.

“Amulets, yes,” Mahmood agreed. “Then a final layer of resin...” He pointed to one of the human mummies. “Which makes it dark after a time, and then they would be placed in a sarcophagus.”

“Sounds quite involved,” Barbara remarked. “How long until the funeral?”

Mahmood chuckled. “The entire process took seventy days, so... then it would be placed in a tomb and sealed for the journey to the afterlife.”

“Well, I think we’ve seen enough,” Will said, his comment directed to their guide. “Might we go into the temple now?”

“Of course,” their guide replied as he headed toward the single obelisk in front of the pylon.

“I insist you take care as you navigate the ruins here,” he said.

“There is a good deal of rubble. Much debris.” He pointed to what appeared to be a hill to the south.

“It has built up over the centuries from those who lived here.”

Harry hung back with the vendor, and he pointed at one of the crocodile mummies. “I wish to buy that one,” he said, pointing to one without a linen wrap.

The old man held up a few fingers, and Harry pulled some coins from his waistcoat pocket.

When the vendor waved for him to choose one, he extracted his handkerchief and wrapped it around the back of one of the crocodiles before lifting it.

“It’s very light,” he remarked before straightening.

“ Shukran .” He slid the mummy into his top coat pocket so only its tail poked out before he hurried off to join the others as they faced the first pylon.