Lord of the Silent - Elizabeth Peters [117]
After this we all set out for Giza. Sennia had apologized very sweetly for her behavior, and we were all in a cheerful frame of mind, except for Horus, who was never in a cheerful frame of mind and who hated riding in his basket. Emerson complained, of course, about Daoud’s absence and a number of other things, but I could tell he was looking forward to investigating the pyramid.
I had given the place only a cursory inspection before. A closer examination indicated that the task before us was not going to be easy. The pyramid itself was the best-preserved of the three that had been built for Khufu’s queens. The names of several such ladies were known from other sources, but the precise ownership of the small pyramids was yet to be determined. Like the other tombs at Giza, all three had been cased with fine limestone, which had been stripped off, leaving the steplike core.
The entrance to the substructure was on the north side. Sand had drifted high around the base, burying the opening and the remains of the funerary chapel on the south side. If, as we had cause to suspect, it was the latest of several similar shrines, disentangling the various levels would be a daunting task. However, that was all to the good. It would keep Emerson busily occupied for some time. So we rolled up our sleeves, metaphorically speaking, and got to work. The first order of business was a meticulous survey of the area. Emerson and I set about this while Selim arranged the photographic equipment. I saw Sennia starting to scramble up a slope of sand and was about to call out a sharp warning when Gargery, close on her heels as always, pulled her away.
“Go and look for bones, Sennia,” I ordered.
Her lower lip protruded. “I am bored with bones. Aunt Nefret is the only one who likes them, and she isn’t here.”
“Potsherds, then. Ramses likes them very much. You can have a collection ready for him when he comes back.”
“He likes things with writing on them better.”
“Look for them, then,” I said in exasperation. “We are all going to be busy for a while, so amuse yourself like a good girl.”
I watched the trio depart. First Sennia, trotting along at a brisk pace, then Horus, then Gargery, remaining a safe distance from the cat, who would not allow anyone to come between him and Sennia. Gargery was still limping a little. I did not waste my sympathy on him, however; it had been his choice to come with us and he would not have relinquished his post as guard for Sennia if he had had to crawl after her.
I cannot help blaming myself for the suggestion that she find something interesting for Ramses, though in the end the result would probably have been the same. They would have found their opportunity sooner or later. It was sooner than they could have hoped, for the child, remembering the inscribed stela, had headed straight for the dump site where that object had been. It was a considerable distance away and the terrain was uneven, with hollows and heaps of sand between.
Her high-pitched scream cut across the distance like a train whistle. Before it stopped, with shocking suddenness, Emerson was off and running. Selim dropped the camera. “Sitt! What—”
“Follow me!” I cried, and went after Emerson.
He had to cast about a bit before he found them, so I was on the scene almost as soon as he. Gargery lay flat on the ground struggling with a man who was dressed like one of the gaffirs. After the first horrified look I realized my unfortunate butler was not really fighting; he was only trying to hold on to the fellow, who was kicking and pounding him with