The Amulet of Power - Mike Resnick [24]
“Lara Croft,” began Hassam formally, “you have a history of finding that which everyone says cannot be found. Will you help us find the Amulet of Mareish?”
“You’re joking, right?”
The two men glanced at each other, puzzled.
Lara gestured. “You’re asking me to help you . . . at gunpoint?”
Puzzlement changed to embarrassment. “A thousand pardons, Lara Croft!” cried Gaafar.
Hassam, meanwhile, handed the Luger to her butt first. “Here, take it.”
She did. And pointed it at Gaafar. “That knife of yours is still making me nervous.”
Gaafar slid the offending blade back into his robes. “Now we stand before you empty-handed,” he said. “We ask you humbly: Will you help us find the Amulet and destroy it?”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You hold our lives in your hand. We have given you this power. Does this not prove our sincerity?”
Lara considered for a moment. Whatever they were up to, killing her wasn’t a part of it, or she’d be dead already. She decided to play along for now. If they were trustworthy, fine. If not, she’d make them wish they had killed her. She returned the Luger to Hassam, again butt first. “All right, I’ll help you find it,” she said. “But I can’t promise to destroy it.”
“But you must!” said Hassam. “Its power is too great, too dangerous. . . .”
“You’ll just have to trust me to do the right thing when the time comes. I trusted you, didn’t I?”
The two men looked at each other, then back at Lara, and nodded.
“Good,” she said. “Let me go wake up my friend. He’ll want to help as well.”
“No,” said Gaafar. “We know of Lara Croft’s reputation. We know nothing of your friend.” He paused. “You are in danger as long as you remain on the Amenhotep. Too many people know you are here. Soon we will leave the boat and be met by our confederates. You will come with us, and we will travel across the desert to Khartoum. Your friend will stay here on the boat.”
“You’re making a big mistake,” said Lara. “My friend is Kevin Mason Junior, the son of an archaeologist who is more famous than I’ll ever be. He’s not only followed his father’s footsteps, but he can probably draw upon his father’s knowledge and wisdom.”
“No!” repeated Gaafar harshly. “There will be many hardships and dangers ahead. You may be up to them; we don’t know that he will be.”
“He saved my life and has shared all the dangers with me,” protested Lara adamantly. “He is my friend. How can I leave him behind?”
“If you care for him at all, let him remain on the Amenhotep. Surely you agree that he will be in far less danger if he is not at your side. You can meet him once we reach Khartoum, where we can provide better security.”
“All right,” she said. “I’ll go with you, but I must at least be allowed to leave a note telling Kevin that I left willingly, that I haven’t been abducted, and letting him know where I’ll meet him in Khartoum.”
“That is acceptable.”
“When do we leave?” she asked.
Gaafar briefly studied the shore. “In another ten miles,” he said. “Hopefully it will be before sunrise.”
“We must leave the boat before it reaches the Temple of Abu Simbel,” added Hassam. “We have information that a group of Mahdists have gathered there. They will of course assume that you are aboard the Amenhotep.”
“All right,” said Lara. “I’ll go write that note to Kevin now.” She paused thoughtfully. “I’ll tell him to meet me at the Khartoum Hilton.”
Gaafar shook his head. “No. That is the first place they will be watching.”
“The only other hotel I know is the Aeropole,” suggested Lara. “How about that?”
“Our leader says no,” said Gaafar. “There are too many English there. When you do not show up at the Hilton, the Mahdists will look at the Aeropole next.”
“Okay, I give up,” said Lara. “You choose one.”
“I will ask our leader,” said Gaafar.
“He’s aboard the Amenhotep?”
“Yes. I will get him.”
Gaafar walked down the deck and returned a moment later. “He suggests that you meet your friend at the Bortai Hotel. We can provide security for you there.”
“All right,” she said. Then, curiously: “Have I seen your leader?”
“Oh, yes,