“Of course. What else do you talk about when a colleague is ridiculously green? He’ll be a mastaba expert before the excavation is over.” She was glad he couldn’t see the smile tugging at one corner of her mouth. To keep herself from having to talk, she opened her bottle of water and put the rim to her lips. At that moment, Xander flicked the reins and the camel jolted forward, causing the water to splash onto her face.
“You jerk! You did that on purpose!” Leila cried as the camel bounced them along. She wiped the liquid from her face as Xander’s shoulders shook.
“Now we’re even.” He laughed.
She resisted the temptation to empty the canister over his head.
Chapter Thirteen
Soliman led them to a crevice between two ridges near the tomb. There the camels could rest unseen while they worked. They dismounted and, after making sure the camels were secure, headed for the tomb. Soliman took out a key and opened the gate then retrieved the hard hats from behind the entrance.
“The overhead lights don’t work,” Soliman said as they buckled the helmet straps under their chins. “I will see to getting them repaired in the next few days. Our flashlights will have to do.”
Leila didn’t mind, although it would make it harder to read the inscriptions and see any crawling beast coming their way. Once inside the tomb, they clicked on their flashlights and filed through the tunnels. Nothing had changed since their first visit. Thutnekhbet rested peacefully in his burial chamber.
“At first glance, there’s no sign of another tunnel,” Soliman contemplated, eyeing the ceiling. “Not even markings in the wall that would indicate there could be a doorway hidden anywhere.”
The three of them examined the walls and ceilings, the flashlight beams crisscrossing. Where to start? Leila stopped to examine a painting of two figures facing each other, their arms spread at an angle. To the side of the figures was a lengthy description, so she took a pocket camera from her bag and took a picture.
Then she interpreted any symbol she could recognize. Many were faded and worn down, but the readable ones were clear in their meaning. She produced a small notepad from her bag and scribbled notes to get a rough idea of the meaning, looking up other symbols in one of the hieroglyph books she had packed.
These hieroglyphics told of Thutnekhbet’s later years, his wife, and his children. She read further along, catching sight of the hieroglyphics used for the word sister. Her heart fluttered happily knowing these must refer to Neferkheri. She took another picture and studied the symbols, trying to put meaning to them.
After a few minutes of reading and contemplation, she concluded that as soon as Neferkheri became one of the pharaoh’s wives, Thutnekhbet was honored with the task of building her tomb, despite hoping she would live a long life. Preparing for death and the afterlife was something kings and queens started in their youth, wanting the grandest tomb to rest in. Believing each person had three spirits, this was important to them. One spirit remained on earth and would use the tomb and objects placed inside.
Satisfied with her translation, Leila rose and dusted off her legs. The information was insightful, but not entirely helpful in searching for a hidden tunnel. She started for the sarcophagus, but her gaze fell on Xander studying another scene with a frown.
It was strange how at ease she felt watching him. For once, she didn’t feel anything. No disgust. No resentment. As if down here their problems didn’t exist. All that mattered was the history surrounding them. And for a moment, she wondered what it would be like if they could put their own past and suspicions behind them. Not just inside a tomb but above ground too. Sharing the joy of uncovering more artifacts together. The long talks about archaeology they could have.
Like… friends.
Not to mention the way he would smile at her. He did have a dreamy smile.
Along with an involuntary flutter in her stomach, Neal’s warning came back to her mind. She shook her head. It was a ridiculous thought. They couldn’t be friends. Whether Neal’s suspicions were true or not, there was no coming back from the damage that had been done.
“Did you find anything?” she asked, stopping to examine the wall paintings in front of him.
“No, just trying to learn about our departed friends here.”
Leila shined her flashlight over the hieroglyphs. “What’s this one about?”
“Well.” Xander took a deep breath. “Thutnekhbet was apparently quite close to his sister. These hieroglyphs depict scenes from his childhood. A girl is in nearly all of them. She’s not named but the way they basically grow together is a big hint. They must have been inseparable. I almost wonder if they were twins.”
“That’s interesting.” Leila examined the colorful figures of the young Egyptians, doing various activities such as drawing water from the Nile and playing with dogs.
Xander continued along the wall. “And here is another scene, the last one featuring his sister. She’s lying in bed due to illness. And he’s kneeling next to her, offering vitals.”
Leila smiled. “That’s sweet. He nursed her back to health.”
“Actually,” Xander’s voice cracked and he stared at the scene for a few seconds before continuing, “she died.”
Leila watched him, curious of the sudden emotion. But he had already gone on to the next scene to study.
She glanced back at the wall painting and chewed her bottom lip when it hit her like a jab in the chest. Xander’s thoughts weren’t in the tomb, but with the girl she had seen in the photo on his desk. Who was she? His sister? Did something happen…?
She shook her head again. She needed to get back to work.
Xander examined the walls and floors for any loose stonework and Leila took more pictures of the hieroglyphics. Soliman scribbled in a notepad, working through translations. When Leila finished taking pictures, she went down the smaller tunnel to the burial chamber to take pictures of the sarcophagus. She took a soft brush, cleared the top of a layer of dust, then snapped a few photos. She traced her fingers gently along the carvings, wishing she knew what all of them said.
“What secrets are you hiding?” she whispered. “What do you know that we don’t?”
Although scholars had come a long way since the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, there were many things historians didn’t understand. She studied the part where it mentioned Thutnekhbet being the guardian of his sister, even in the afterlife, and she smiled, imagining him to be the typical protective older brother. She would have liked to have grown up with siblings. Although her cousins were nearly that, it wasn’t the same.
When she had taken enough pictures, she scanned the chamber. If they didn’t find anything tonight, they would need the help of technology. They had already searched everywhere in the tomb and yet they still didn’t have any better ideas.
Except…
Leila glanced back at the sarcophagus. When was the last time someone looked inside? She slid her fingers along the rim, trying to find a place where she could grip it. Her fingers found a small crevice, too narrow for her to get a good enough hold to be able to lift the lid. She was about to go ask Soliman for help when Xander appeared.
“Anything new?” he asked, stepping out of the tunnel.
“I was wondering if we could lift this off,” she said, backing away from the sarcophagus.
Xander positioned himself on the other side and placed his hands against the edge. They steadily inched the cover to the side until they could get a better grasp, and together, they carried the stone slab and set it down carefully. Then they peeked inside the sarcophagus. A wooden coffin, elegantly carved in the shape of a man, lay inside. The wood was plain, without any of the decorations one would see on a king’s coffin. Nothing unusual, since Thutnekhbet hadn’t been royalty himself.
“Should we take him out?” Leila asked.
“Well, if you want a good look, we’ll have to.” Xander put his hands on either side of the head of the coffin. Leila took hold of the feet. They lifted the coffin slowly and set it near the stone lid.
