by Scott Peters
But the doors stayed firmly shut.
Zet turned to Kat and placed a finger to his lips. He'd spotted a stand bristling with metal-tipped spears nearby. He motioned for Kat to wait while he grabbed one. She nodded.
Adrenaline ripped through him as he tiptoed out into the open.
No one seemed to notice. He kept moving. He neared the stand of spears.
Zet heard a man grunt. Out of the corner of one eye, he spotted a thug with lank greasy hair toss a bag into a narrow cart. Zet reached for the spear. Almost there. He couldn't stop now.
The narrow cart creaked as the thug angled it toward the tunnel entrance.
Zet pulled the spear free and broke into a run.
"Hey!" the man roared.
Like the rest of the thieves, the man was still a good distance away. But if Zet so much as stumbled, it wouldn't take long for the theives to catch up.
Zet reached the entrance. He was relieved to find Kat gone. She must have started running, too. But then he nearly stumbled over her and Ptahmose. Kat was on her knees. She'd found a dagger and was trying to slice through the Overseer's ropes. Suddenly the man's hands were free.
"They're coming!" Zet called, pulling his sister to her feet. "We have to scuttle their boat. It's the only way! We'll never be able to bring the roof down on time."
"Go," the Overseer said, grabbing the dagger and sawing the bonds at his ankles. "It's up to you to save Egypt's treasures!"
Chapter 24
The Mouths of Crocodiles
Zet heard the thugs coming. He had no weapon. He'd been forced to throw down the spear. It was too long and kept catching on the walls and ceiling.
Kat was just ahead. Her silhouette grew brighter as they neared the tunnel's end. Then they burst out into the shack. Together, they flew out the door. There was no way to lock it, so they left it flapping and ran for the boat.
Water splashed around them as they half swam, half dove toward the bobbing vessel. Kat scrambled up the side first, using the anchor rope as leverage. Zet followed. They heard a shout. It wasn't coming from the shack, though.
It was coming from the riverbank.
Kat screamed and pointed. "The mummy! It's after us!"
And she was right.
The mummy, its wrappings more tatty and filthy than ever, loped toward them. It was closing the distance, fast. And at its heels was the jackal. In the light of day, however, the jackal looked more like a domesticated dog than its wild counterpart.
"It's coming, pull up anchor!" Kat screamed.
But it was too late. The mummy reached the vessel's side. With a sailor's ease, it hauled itself on board. Below, the dog barked furiously, prancing this way and that in the shallow water.
The mummy's wrappings had come loose from its face. Beetle black eyes glared from between the bandages. It lurched toward Zet. Tackled him. Threw him to the ground.
They rolled across the deck.
Zet spotted Kat's white face as she danced around them, trying to pull the mummy off.
"The anchor!" Zet gasped. "Pull up anchor!"
The thugs would arrive at any moment.
Kat flitted away.
Zet struggled with the mummy. They tumbled this way and that. Through the dirty wrappings, Zet saw those black eyes glaring. It tried to get its hands around Zet's neck. Zet was quicker. He rolled clear. The boat started to rock. They were moving. Kat had done it!
The mummy lunged for Zet again. This time, Zet grabbed hold of its wrist. His fingers caught in the filthy bandages. Instead of trying to untangle his hand, Zet held fast. And he started to pull.
The mummy roared in dismay.
The boat, caught in the current, swiveled around. The back end was now facing downriver. Except they went no farther. A hard jolt sent Zet, Kat, and the mummy sprawling to the deck. They'd come to a full stop.
"Another anchor!" Zet cried. "Find the other anchor, Kat!"
But the mummy was now lurching toward his sister.
Zet grabbed the loose bandage that trailed behind it. Again, he started to pull. As he did, the mummy began to unwind.
"Help me," Zet shouted.
Kat ran to his side and grabbed hold. They yanked as hard as they could. With a roar of outrage, the mummy began to twirl and twirl. The bare skin of one arm appeared. A very-much-alive human arm. And then a bony shoulder.
Zet and Kat shared a startled look and kept pulling.
This was crazy!
Around and around the mummy went until it was no longer a mummy but a tall bony man dressed in his loincloth undergarments. Finally, the wrappings came free. The man kept spinning a few more times before he sat down hard. He grabbed his head with both hands and moaned. Clearly, he was dizzy beyond all imagining.
There was no time to pull up anchor. Zet realized the second rope attached below deck. And the men had just burst out of the shack!
They needed to do something, but what?
"Those barrels," Kat gasped. "Aren't they food barrels?"
Zet knew exactly what she was thinking. What had the big man said the other day? That crocodiles patrolled this area of the river looking for handouts? He hoped the man hadn't been joking just to scare them away. They yanked off the lids.
"Dried fish," they said in triumphant unison.
The bony mummy-man watched woozily as Zet and Kat started tossing meat over the side. It took mere moments for the first croc to appear. It was huge and brown with a snout as long as Zet's whole body. It snapped up the first mouthful.
The thugs on shore shouted in fear and scuttled backward.
A second croc rose up, ancient looking and knobby headed. And then a third. The water churned with monsters. On shore, the thieves looked terrified, outraged, and completely dumbfounded.
At that moment, Hui came flying out of the shack.
Merimose was on his heels.
Behind Merimose came Renni.
And behind Renni came the whole of the Royal Guard and countless armed medjay police.
The mummy-man groaned and hung his head.
Zet and Kat cheered and whooped. On shore, Hui did the same. Merimose grinned broadly as he rounded up thieves. Even the water birds took part in the celebration. Ducks and ibis flapped and squawked, flying around the fish-munching crocodiles.
The shack's door opened once again. A man in a fancy headdress stepped out. The Overseer of the Treasury. He limped outside and lit up at the sight of the trussed up thieves. Glancing at the boat, the Overseer waved at Zet and Kat.
"Well done!" he shouted. "Well done, my young friends!"
It took two hours for the hungry crocodiles to clear the waters. When they were gone, the siblings climbed down and ran to Hui. They whooped and cheered all over again. Renni secured the mummy-man by tying him up with his own bandages.
Then Renni curled his lip at Zet and Kat.
"What you did was dangerous," he growled. "You should have informed us."
"They would have gotten away," Kat said, her hands on her hips.
Hui looked offended. "Uh, excuse me, sir? I did inform you!"
With a howl, Renni said, "I meant before you rushed down here!"
Hui looked dismayed. "If I didn't have to get on my knees, and beg and plead you to believe me—"
"All right, all right," Merimose said, watching Renni's face turn boiling red. "It's over." He grinned and added, "Zet, Kat, Hui, once again, you've saved the day."
Ignoring the fact that Renni's head was practically smoking with outrage, Merimose bent to congratulate the children. One-by-one, he shook their hands in his huge leathery grip. Zet shook his hand heartily as Merimose clapped him on the back.
The three children smiled at each other.
It was over. It was really over. There was no curse after all.
They were free.
Chapter 25
A Festive Celebration
There was much rejoicing as the three children ran for home. Zet and Kat said goodbye to Hui and finally tu
rned into their own street. When they reached their front steps, they heard something wonderful.
Apu was laughing!
Their baby brother, who'd been so unhappy of late, was giggling and chortling. About what, they had no idea. They quickly pushed inside.
"Zet, Kat!" their mother cried, all smiles as she ran forward to close them in a warm hug. "The news is all over town. I'm so proud of you."
Zet and Kat grinned and hugged her back. From a blanket on the floor, baby Apu stuck out his tongue, went PLLLFFHHLUT, and broke into peals of laughter.
Zet swung Apu up. "Hello, baby brother!"
"He has something to show you," their mother said. "Right, Apu?"
Recognizing his name, Apu flapped his chubby arms and smiled. And there, poking out of his little pink gums, was a tooth.
Kat's jaw dropped. "That's why he's been so upset?"
"Yes, poor thing." Their mother stroked Apu's head. "Like I said, growing pains."
Kat flushed. "Oh! And here I thought—"
"You thought what?"
Kat shared a glance with Zet, who recalled how they both thought the mummy had cursed Apu. It seemed ridiculous now.
With a grin, Kat waved her hand. "Oh, never mind."
For the next two days, the house was alive with visitors. Customers had come to retrieve their beloved dishes, pots, and plates. All had brought gifts of apology such as food, drink, incense, cloth, and more. They were rich with presents!
But Zet and Kat decided to deliver most of it to those less fortunate—especially struggling single-parent families whose fathers had gone off to fight in the war. Families without a pottery stall to put food on the table, like they had.
Delilah came to bake cakes with their mother. They served the treats to all the people stopping by. Neighbors chatted, apologized, and offered congratulations.
It was late afternoon and Zet, Kat, and Hui decided to escape the chaos and hide out on the roof. Hui's brothers were there, too, playing peek-a-boo with Apu who crowed with delight.
Hui flapped at the fly that had landed on his nose. "I still don't get how those thieves knew where I live. Or how they connected us all together."
"Easy," Zet said. "Merimose explained it. The first haunting, they picked our street at random."
"But what about the whole Aziza business?"
Kat, who'd heard it already, said, "That was a coincidence. The thieves didn't start the rumor. Someone in our street did."
"You're kidding."
"Nope." Kat placed another fold in the paper boat she was making for the Wag Festival.
Zet said, "And then, remember when we got stuck on the river? Kat told the lady that we were cursed. The lady and the other thieves decided to play the curse up. Instead of sending their mummy lurching randomly all over town, using us would make the haunting even scarier. Because almost everyone in Thebes owns our pottery! So people were terrified they'd been cursed, too. After that, it was easy to target your house, the market stall, and of course, the Temple of Isis. And with a curse hanging over Thebes, the authorities were drawn away from the Treasury to keep the Royal Family safe!"
Hui frowned. "But what about in the cemetery? Those horrible black hands?"
"Lamp soot," Zet said.
"Amazing," Hui said.
Kat held up her paper boat. "What do you think?"
"Impressive," Hui told her. "That'll be the best one there!"
Kat grinned under Hui's praise. Zet rolled his eyes. Those two were seriously goofy. But he loved them anyway.
Kat was still holding her boat the next day as they stood on a set of freshly polished watersteps next to the Nile. Zet and Hui had boats, too, and so did Princess Meritamen, who stood at their sides.
Today, she looked nothing like the regular girl they knew—the one who snuck over walls and paddled downriver on a handmade raft. But even though she was dressed in gold and turquoise, their good friend had the same laugh and dancing eyes.
Citizens of Thebes lined the waterway, crowding as far as they could see. Everyone held their paper boats, waiting for the signal to launch them. Zet, Kat, Hui, and their families stood under the shade of the Royal tent. They were excited to be right at the center of the whole festival.
Merit said, "I have a surprise for you. Well, actually, it was my father's idea."
They turned to look at Pharaoh, who nodded solemnly.
"A surprise?" Zet said.
"If I'm not mistaken," Pharaoh said in his low rumbling voice, "It should be here at any moment."
At that second, the crowd parted to allow a breathless runner through. He was deeply tanned, glowing with sweat, and dressed only in a light kilt and sandals. A royal messenger. And it was clear he'd come far.
Instead of approaching Pharaoh, however, the messenger knelt before Zet, Kat, and Hui.
In his hands, he held two scrolls. One for each.
"Where did you run from?" Kat asked the man.
"Open the letter and you'll see."
Kat unrolled theirs and gasped.
"It's from father!" She looked at Merit and Pharaoh, who were both smiling.
Merit said, "We sent a runner north and back because I know how awful it is to worry about your family."
Their mother crowded close, Apu in her arms.
"What does it say?" Zet said.
Kat's breath caught on a happy sob. "Father's safe. He heard how we saved the treasury. He says, I always knew I could count on you. I'm so proud of you both. Give your mother and baby brother a kiss for me. I miss you very much. Your loving father."
Kat brushed away a tear and their mother did the same. Zet swallowed hard, doing his best not to choke up.
Meanwhile, Hui was mopping his eyes with joy as he and his family read the message from his father.
It was a happy day for all.
Music began to play as Pharaoh stepped down to the water's edge. The Living God knelt and spoke quietly as he placed a small paper boat on the Nile's surface. Zet wondered who Pharaoh had dedicated his Wag boat to. A relative that had gone on to the afterlife, perhaps?
All along the Nile, a cheer went up. The water soon filled with gleaming white paper boats.
Kat, Merit, Hui, and Zet all knelt together to launch theirs.
"I know who I'm dedicating mine to," Kat announced. "Someone who I really want to be happy in the afterlife."
"Who?" the others demanded.
"Aziza."
Hui laughed and said, "Good idea."
Merit said, "I'm going to do the same."
Zet said, "Me too." Then he grinned. "Just in case." And set his boat free.
Historical Note
This story is a work of fiction. While none of the characters mentioned actually existed, many of the mummification and burial details are based on actual fact. While anyone could be mummified in ancient Egypt, it took a long time to make a mummy and the process was expensive. Only the wealthiest could afford it. Egyptians also sometimes mummified pets and other animals, from cats to bulls to crocodiles.
Want to know more about mummies? The Mummy Book: A Companion Fact-Checker To Mystery of the Egyptian Mummy makes an excellent reading companion to this book. It contains over a hundred bizarre, fascinating, spooky facts.
Find a treasure trove of amazing ancient Egypt trivia, along with games and activities, at my blog: www.egyptabout.com
Acknowledgments
So much goes into writing a book, and I could never have done it without the help and encouragement of the following amazing people. First, I must thank my parents, who have always gone above and beyond to champion my efforts. My thanks goes out to Peter and Judy Wyshynski, to my sisters Jill and Sarah, to Scott Lisetor, Sharon Brown, Amanda Budde-Sung, Ellie Crowe, and Adria Estribou. And to everyone who had a hand in this novel, and who helped me along the way, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scott Peters has always had a fascination for all things ancient Egyptian. Scott�
��s email address is [email protected] and his blog is www.egyptabout.com where you can find tons of fun, free activities and ancient Egypt trivia.
MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR
Thanks for reading Zet, Kat and Hui’s latest mystery. Would you like to help my stories find their way into the hands of more kids?
With your parents’ permission, I’d be grateful if you’d write a review telling other kids about this book. Unfortunately reviews and referrals are the only real ways for an author like me to compete with the big name writers, and it sure would be great to make it out of the dusty aisles of Amazon.
If you do write a review, please send an email to:
[email protected]
And I will forward you this door plaque that you can print, color, and personalize, along with a hieroglyphics decoder. I thought it would be a fun way to say thank you.