Tomb of the Golden Bird - Elizabeth Peters [53]
“Bah,” exclaimed Emerson. “That is—er—quite right, Peabody. Curse it,” he added morosely.
Accepting the fact that nothing more could be done that day, Carnarvon agreed to go home and was led off by Lady Evelyn. The rest of us followed his example.
“I am surprised at Rex Engelbach’s disinterest,” I said, as Emerson and I left the Valley. “He was rather rude to Howard, I thought.”
“Snobbery,” said Emerson. “He looks down on Carter because of his lower-class origins, and so do many other Egyptologists. He’d rather someone else made a great discovery.” After a moment he added grudgingly, “The excavation couldn’t be in better hands.”
Except yours, I thought. I gave the arm I held an affectionate squeeze, in silent acknowledgment of his nobility of character.
Howard was something of an amateur photographer himself, but on this occasion he was happy to accept the services of Nefret and Selim. We were all on hand early the following morning, and the job was well underway when Lord Carnarvon and Lady Evelyn arrived.
Every square inch of the doorway was photographed and then the blocking stones were taken down one by one, with the greatest possible care. The men at once began removing the stone chips that filled the passage beyond. Its dimensions were obviously those of a passage, not a chamber, but since its length was unknown, it was impossible to determine how long this process would take. As the afternoon wore on, additional disquieting evidences of disturbance appeared—scraps of pottery and of leather (the remnants of bags brought by the thieves to carry away valuable oils) in the lowest levels. At sunset there was no end in sight and Howard decided to stop for the day.
We were all on hand the following morning, and so was Mr. Callender, Howard’s friend. Whence he had acquired the name of Pecky I did not know; absurd nicknames would seem to be a British failing. He was an engineer and architect, not an Egyptologist, and Emerson greeted him with a certain reserve.
“If he is an example of the assistants Carter intends to employ, I do not approve,” my husband muttered to me.
“Howard is not dependent on your approval,” I reminded him. “Do not be premature, Emerson. We do not yet know what sort of assistance may be required.”
Hour after hour the basket men carried up their loads. The corridor lengthened. Fifteen feet, twenty feet, twenty-five…At last, in mid-afternoon, the top of another sealed doorway appeared. The clearance was halted while Ramses and Howard examined what they could see of the door.
“It’s like the outer door,” Ramses reported. “It has been breached at least twice, and the openings refilled and resealed.”
“Never mind,” Howard said, wiping the dust from his perspiring face. “Let’s get the entire door exposed.”
The weary men went back to work. “What’s he so cheerful about?” I asked Emerson.
Hands in his pockets, eyes intent on the cutting, Emerson said, “The contents of an unrobbed tomb belong in their entirety to the Antiquities Department. It took a while for that to dawn on him.”
“Ah, I see. So if this tomb has been entered—”
“The discoverers may expect a division of the remaining contents.”
The next hour dragged interminably. Howard stood by smoking one cigarette after another. At last the entire doorway was exposed. Carter and Carnarvon went down, accompanied by Lady Evelyn and Mr. Callender. No one else was invited, but I felt it my duty to follow; in my opinion Howard was on the verge of nervous collapse and Carnarvon was in even worse case. They might require immediate medical attention.
Beyond the light entering from the stairwell the descending corridor was extremely dark. I crept along, feeling my way with a hand resting on the wall. Ahead I could see the lights of electric torches moving to and fro. Then Howard’s voice, soft, but amplified by echoes, reached me. “There’s empty space beyond, as far as the iron testing rod reaches.”
So he had drilled a hole in the door. I stopped, my hand resting on the wall, my heart beating fast. I hoped Howard would have sense enough to use a candle