Into the bar the family came. The boy’s bandaged head and arm, combined with the father’s even more heavily bandaged head, caused Alex to say, “I know the ancients only had seventy days to mummify a body, but I didn’t realise that nowadays they started the mummification process before the people had actually died.” That was it, they lost it big time. Three ushered them from the bar. They made it as far as the oversized sofas in reception.
Their laughter was both uncontrollable and infectious. The manager came out to quieten them, he eventually shrugged his shoulders, held his hands up as a sign of defeat, and, laughing himself, returned to his office. Mohammed on reception, as well as the guards by the entrance, all lost it when Alex repeated his mummification comment. Two waiters also came into reception. They were hugging each other as they laughed. Anyone arriving at the hotel now would surely turn around and seek accommodation elsewhere.
On regaining at least some control, Kate failed to work out where the day had gone. She was saying this to Alex and Cairo when Three came out in a flap. “You need to hear this, you really need to hear this. Come back to the bar, shut up and listen.” He had gone before they had time to take in what he had said.
It was Alex who spoke first. “Now, that’s not how Three would normally behave. This must be important.”
“My dad been in funny mood all day,” said Cairo. “I think he not right.”
“I understand, Cairo,” said Kate, not understanding at all. She stood, brushed herself down, then they walked back to the bar. Once the youngsters were settled, Three winked as he took drinks over to the mummies – as they were to be known from now on. “Daddy mummy, mummy mummy and I’m snot a mummy,” thought Kate.
Speaking in his less than perfect sounding hotel English, he continued an already started conversation. “That is terrible. Do you think you will be able to dig?”
“Oh yes,” said the man in English, which was obviously not his first language. There was a strong southern European accent. “It’s a privately funded dig. It will be the highlight of my career, so I must dig.”
“You will be fine, my dear,” said his wife in her privately educated American accent, as English was very much her first, and probably her only language. “If your backers fail to see the merits of granting you this dig, then daddy will finance it.” To which she added after a pause, “He always has done, so he will most certainly finance a dig with so much potential. This will be a greater find than of that English amateur, Howard Carter”.
Kate, Alex and Cairo all involuntarily mouthed the word “Tutankhamun”.
The woman looked directly at Three as she said very proudly, “My husband is a world-renowned archaeologist.” She gave the smallest of coughs as she corrected herself. “My husband is the world’s most renowned archaeologist. His finds are in all of daddy’s museums.” The boy whimpered before saying he wanted to go home. His parents, as one, rather like in one of those films where aliens eat their young, turned towards him. Their smiles dropped as they verbally attacked him with an aggressive, “Well, you are not, so shut up.”
Three came back past the three youngsters. As he did, Kate confirmed that they would like a new pitcher of tamar-hindi, each feeling that they had to nod to assure him that they had got the message. In all honesty, they would have had to be blithering idiots not to. What had remained unsaid, was of far more importance.
Kate left the bar, saying that she would be back before the tamar-hindi arrived, and she was. She beckoned for Alex and Cairo to move in close, before saying in a whisper, “He is, and you will not believe this, because I didn’t until Mohammed on reception showed me his passport, he is Napoleon, yes, Napoleon. I really didn’t believe Mohammed, despite his protests, before he showed me the passport. Who would call their son Napoleon, but his passport is Italian, so that explains a lot.”
“Yes, if they could vote in Berlusconi, then why not call a son Napoleon, it sort of fits, doesn’t it.” Alex said this with a chuckle, but then something dawned on him. “What is his full name?”
“Napoleon Rapaleano, Ropaleano or something like that.”
“It wasn’t Ramolino, was it?” asked Alex with deep concern upon his face, any trace of a smile having well and truly left him. Kate shrugged her shoulders as she pulled out a photocopy of Napoleon’s passport, looked at it and nodded. Alex went white, which for him was no mean feat. His skin was normally half a shade darker than that of the average Egyptian. “Dad is going to go crazy,” he said, drawing out every word. “I most certainly do not want to be anywhere near him when he finds out.”
“Finds out what?” asked Kate. Cairo repeated exactly what Kate had said.
“When Dad finds out that his arch rival, Napoleon Ramolino, is more than likely looking at the same dig as he is. He is the archaeologist who has beaten dad to so many digs, and he has brought his wife with him!”
“Anyone can be christened Napoleon if the family is pretentious enough, and anyway, what’s wrong with bringing his wife along?”
“Keep your voice down, Kate, or they’ll hear us.”
“What? Talk quietly, so that the pretentious prat over there doesn’t hear us? Why on earth should I care!”
Alex could not help but expect a stronger rebuke, so he was pleased that the rebuke he received was at low volume. So far this holiday had been good for Kate’s temper, as over the period of the first week it had subsided to a much more reasonable level. “Dad says that Napoleon Ramolino is a womaniser, so he never takes his wife with him unless he really has to.” Kate gave him an I-need-more-than-that look. “Having to bring her means that he needs money, lots of money. Her family has virtually unlimited resources. Dad says that Napoleon only married her to gain access to her money, but that she only married him for his name.”
“Well, he is still a pretentious prat, and if she wants to marry a name rather than a person, then that’s up to her.”
“The Napoleon of history had a mum and dad,” said Alex very sarcastically, which caused Kate to raise her arm to slap him. He motioned for her to wait in such a way as to say, if this does not grab you, then slap away, but let me finish first. Kate was willing to wait. “As I was saying, the Napoleon of history had a mum and dad. His dad was called Carlo Buonaparte, which is where he gets the Bonaparte from, but his mother’s maiden name was Letizia Ramolino.”
Kate’s jaw dropped, though Cairo could not quite get his head around the importance of this, as there were far too many funny names for him to follow the conversation.
“This guy has a direct link to history, or so he would like you to think. Still feel like slapping me, Kate?”
“Oh, you smug whatsit, but why do you say ‘so he would like you to think’?”
“It’s a long story, though it’s one I have heard over and over again. I must admit that much of it failed to sink in. In short, dad says that he just doesn’t add up.”
“Even I can add up,” said Cairo, feeling that he was back in the conversation. “I not good at school, but can add up.” Kate and Alex smiled, nodded and watched, as the mummies left without eating.
“How do we find Nakhtifi, Ramses or any of the ancients,” asked Kate, “as we need their help?” Even though they were well above ancient ground, and they now knew for a fact that ancients could only travel on the land as it was in their time, at Kate’s mention of Nakhtifi they all involuntarily looked around. Even with no sign of Merenptah’s attacking ancient army, it was a good few minutes before their heightened senses finally returned to normal.
“Isn’t that the silliest thing?” said Kate, breaking the silence. “In all the excitement none of us asked at any time how we get in touch with the ancients. They have always come to us.”
“Well, we could break into the tomb of Mo-hat again.” This was Alex’s easier to pronounce name for the tomb of Montuemhat which was on the West Bank of Luxor, just a short distance from the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. It was where, despite other more dramatic events, Cairo first met w
ith, and more importantly talked to, Ropet, an ancient member of his family. It was also where they had located the entrance to Pharaoh Nakhtifi’s banqueting suite at the end of a long underground corridor. As Kate pointed out, not that anyone needed reminding, it was attacked whilst they were there, so there was no certainty that it would still be in use. If it was, how could they now get in through a solid wall, because there was no door? It was a dead end that had, somehow, been opened for them.
With the youngsters deep in thought it was Three’s turn to break the silence, as he stopped at their table for a few moments on his way to clear the mummies’ glasses. He suggested that they all head for bed, as it was now no longer late in the evening, but early in the morning, and they did not want to be tired when they visited Rose tomorrow.
“What an idiot I am,” said Kate, as she searched her pockets for the piece of paper with Rose’s telephone number on it.
Alex shook his head in disbelief at his own stupidity. He sincerely hoped that this week was not going to be as bad as last week, because he had not done very well with assimilating the clues. It was then that they both felt even more stupid.
Three spoke quietly, as he returned to their table holding a tray full of dirty glasses. “Only yesterday,” he started, but then corrected himself. With nobody else now in the bar he could use his better English. “Only the day before yesterday you won a battle, a major battle. You did not win the war. Yet today you all seem to have forgotten everything that you have learnt in the last week.
“You, Alex,” Three pointed an accusing finger, though continued to talk softly, “have worked out from the photos that Rose advised you to take, who the assassin is that is working for your attackers. Have you safeguarded Kate or Cairo by sharing this information?” Three did not allow Alex any time to justify his stupidity. He continued in a much firmer tone. “No, you have not. You have not thought it through at all. Think about what you were told by Rose. Work it out before it is too late.”
Three paused. No one wanted to speak or even look his way. Only now did Cairo realise, as he stared at the floor, why his father had been so strange today. His anger was not with them at all, his anger was because the family, his ancient family, were all caught off guard by such a sudden and seemingly well planned attack. Some of the pieces suddenly fell into place in Cairo’s mind, but with this realisation came the knowledge that there was more to his father’s annoyance than he was letting on.
Kate was having similar thoughts to Cairo. She considered that it had probably been Three himself, who had told everyone that today was not a day for concern but a day for celebration. He most likely told them that for once they could relax, as after such a resounding defeat Merenptah would be powerless to mount any attack. Kate mulled this over for a few seconds. She felt that her conclusions were leading her in the right direction. Quickly glancing to her left, she saw that Cairo remained deep in thought, as he continued to look down at the floor. Briefly flicking her eyes towards Alex, she was amazed to see him also looking down, but with a grin on his face which seemed inappropriate.
Kate went back to her own thoughts. Tipping her head back, she stared at a small patch of flaking paint on the ceiling, as she went over what she knew. So many of Merenptah’s soldiers had had their names removed during the battle in the Valley of the Bees. Because their names were no longer known, they and their immediate family were no longer in the afterlife. They were gone for good, and as such could pose no threat now or at any time in the future. His remaining soldiers, those who could still enjoy the afterlife, had fled. They were in hiding, scattered throughout the Theban Hills.
His power base had gone, and what was worse for Merenptah, was, that his father, Ramses II, would at this very moment in time like to inflict real pain upon him. Pain was possible, but the final death, Kate realised, was impossible. Even a lowly pharaoh such as Merenptah had a name which was far too well known for it to be removed from history. Anyway, she also understood that it was not Merenptah who they had to worry about now … it was his warlock. Kate sat up straight. Looking fully at Alex, he was still grinning, so she just had to ask. “After today, what have you got to be so happy about?”
“Last week you said that you loved me … you even kissed me.”
“That was last week,” said Kate as she rose in anger, left the bar, and went off to bed without saying another word.
Chapter 4
-
We All Need Friends
Kate arrived in the breakfast room at almost a run, whilst wearing a grin that was easily as big as Alex’s of the night before. It was, however, a grin for a completely different reason, a grin of success, a grin of understanding. Kate knew exactly what she was going to do, but she would have to explain to Alex and Cairo later. She could tell neither of them right now.
She scanned the room which, unlike the morning before, was jam-packed with holidaymakers. It was vital for Kate’s plan that she joined Alex, Quentin and Babs for breakfast. “There must be a planned trip which is leaving very soon,” she thought. Everyone appeared to have cameras and bottled water with them. There was also every style of sun hat imaginable, and possibly some that were not. One tourist appeared to be wearing a stuffed toy giraffe. These looked ridiculously out of place, as they were being worn as the guests ate. They had to, as there was no place to put them where they would not be trodden on.
Kate’s grin started to subside somewhat at the thought that she may have missed them, as this would ruin her plans. Alex called from across the room. Kate heard the voice, though she could not immediately make out where it had come from. Looking in what she thought was the correct direction, she saw no sign of either Alex, his mum or his dad. Two waiters, having stacked their trays with dirty crockery, moved towards the kitchen and there was Alex, standing and waving. She did love him, as much as any thirteen-year-old could love anyone. Her heart skipped a beat every time she saw him, but there was also something so very annoying about him, which was not just the fact that he was a boy.
Upon sitting down, Kate placed her small notebook on the table. After the usual morning pleasantries she turned to Alex and said in a whisper, as she tapped on its cover, “It’s all in there, I have worked it out.” Alex wanted to know more, though with his mum and dad so close, now was not the time, in fact today was not the time. Kate was only at breakfast because she needed to be, as this was the first step in her plan. Knowing that she could not take Alex or Cairo with her, it would have been easier if she could have not seen either of them this morning, but here she was, sitting right next to Alex. Cairo would not be far away.
Thankfully, Three arrived at their table, so she could avoid Alex for the moment. Asking what she would like for breakfast, he gave her a reassuring smile. A smile which said something along the lines of ‘I am sorry that I was hard on you last night, but now you are focussed, and that is what you need to be’, or at least those were the words which Kate read into it. Then she thought that it could have been a smile of ‘I have just passed wind, though with this many people in the room, nobody will know it was me’. She decided that it was the former, however, she failed to order her pancakes and chocolate sauce without a chuckle.
Quentin, Alex’s father, was eating slowly, as if he had all the time in the world. He was at that very moment asking the waiter for yet more coffee. Kate was worried that he may not be going to his potential dig today. He showed no signs of having anything else on his mind except breakfast, so she had to ask, though before she could utter a word, Babs asked how Aggie was.
“Oh God!” thought Kate, as she had not given Aggie a thought. Being so excited about her plan, she had washed, dressed and come down to breakfast as if she was on her own. Her reply was rather stuttered, “Oh, Aggie is sleeping.” Seeing the rejected look on Babs’ face, she added, “But she will be going to The Gardens later today.” Kate had added the piece about The Gardens, not knowing if Aggie would even be awake today, though thanks to Babs, she now knew for certain th
at Quentin would be off to his dig shortly. The look on Babs’ face for that moment, when Kate had said that Aggie was sleeping, when she thought that she was going to be totally alone today, confirmed beyond any doubt that Quentin was off to his dig.
Aggie was not the company that Babs wanted, that she needed, but Aggie was better than no company at all. Her look was one of resignation that Quentin would be off enjoying himself without her. Babs, not knowing of Kate’s plan to be on her own today, thought that Alex would also be off enjoying himself, so without Aggie she would be totally alone. Kate felt really sorry for her as this had obviously been no holiday, though she was not sorry enough to change her plans and offer to spend the day together.
“Why don’t you and Alex go and buy some souvenirs this morning, as Aggie will not be in The Gardens until much later,” to which Kate added, “if at all” in her mind. She had absolutely no idea when Aggie would come around after the blow on the head last night or, more importantly, what she would remember. Surely she could not be as lucky as with the boat incident, where Aggie remembered nothing afterwards. “No,” thought Kate, “that would be asking too much, I’ll be grounded by the old …” Her thoughts were interrupted by Alex tugging at her arm.
“What the hell are you playing at?”
Kate whispered back, though with plenty of attitude, that today she needed to be on her own, and that if he had put some effort into working out the clues, he would know why. A potential argument was averted, as a waiter placed the breakfast pancakes down in front of her.
Quentin rose, gave Babs a peck on the cheek, then walked out of the breakfast room just as quick as that.
Kate turned to Alex, gave him a peck on the cheek, told him very quietly that she did still love him, and whilst he was floating on cloud nine, she left, almost as quickly as Quentin.
From the top of the curved stone staircase she watched Quentin step into his taxi, and he was gone. Going back into reception via the revolving doors, she asked Mohammed if the ‘mummies’ had left yet. He looked blankly at her. Considering herself to be a fool, she rephrased the question by asking if Napoleon had left the hotel yet. Apparently, he had left about an hour ago without his wife and son, who were still in the hotel somewhere. This was all Kate needed to know.
Death in Luxor Page 4