by Scott Peters
"Yes—you're invisible."
"I thought so."
"Look, forget the clothes," Zet said. "I have an idea."
Hui rubbed his palms together. "Really? A good one?"
"I think the mummy is planning to strike again. Tonight."
Hui's eyes went wide. "Where?"
"Come on," Zet said. "I'll tell you while we run."
Zet led Hui down a familiar route. Yet in the darkness, things looked different. Unfamiliar shadows hung in every corner. They loomed in doorways. A fluttering scrap of papyrus looked like a scrap of mummy bandages. Their sandals slapped along the paving stones making loud, echoing noises. Cool air crawled over Zet's skin. He talked quickly, eyes scanning left and right as they ran.
Hui said, "You think the mummy is going to haunt your market stall?"
"Shh! Not so loud," Zet said.
They'd reached the broad square. Without the daytime bustle, the place looked creepy and forlorn. Tents crouched against the earth. A breeze set the nearest one flapping. Its fastenings came loose. A side panel billowed up in their path.
Startled, Hui shouted. Zet leaped clear. He grabbed it and tied it back down.
"This way," he hissed, pulling Hui by the elbow.
Hui leaned in and murmured so low Zet could barely hear him. "Why are we whispering? Like that would stop a mummy from finding us?"
"Good point."
Still, they crept on tiptoe to Zet's pottery stall.
"Where should we hide?" Hui said.
Zet pointed to the tent front. "In there. We can watch through a gap."
"You first," Hui said with a gulp.
Zet slipped inside. He froze when his toe brushed something soft. Squinting, he spotted a pair of doves. They cooed in annoyance, but only shifted a few inches before going back to sleep.
Zet motioned to Hui. "Grab the tent flap. Let's anchor it under some pots."
They created a strategic hole to watch through. Both boys kept an eye on the spooky square.
"That should do it. I have a couple cushions in back. Hold on. I'll get them."
Hui said, "No way. This place gives me the creeps. I'm coming with you."
Zet couldn't find the cushions. He needed a lamp.
"Quit bumping into me," Zet said.
"There's no room back here."
"You could have waited," Zet said.
"Fat chance! Like I want to meet that mummy alone?"
Hui stepped on Zet's foot. Zet grabbed his toe and leaped around, knocking Hui sideways. They landed in a heap. Right on something soft.
"Hey, look at that," Zet said. "Found the cushions. Let's go."
They stumbled back out, sending pots and plates rattling in their wake. Maybe it was his terror, or the absurd craziness of their situation, but Zet clapped a hand over his mouth as a snort of laughter escaped him.
"This is insane," Hui gasped, cracking up. "I want my mummy. Get it? Mummy?"
"S—stop, that's not even funny," Zet said, holding his belly.
Hui banged into a tent pole. "Ow!"
"Seriously, quit it, I can't stop laughing!"
Finally, they wiped their eyes.
"One question," Hui said.
"What's that?" Zet asked, tossing his cushion down and sitting.
A shaft of moonlight lit Hui's face. His brows were drawn. "What if the mummy does show up?"
"We'll talk to it, I guess. Ask what it wants."
Hui groaned.
"What?"
"I was afraid you'd say that."
Chapter 13
It Comes To Life
The moon god, Khonsu, traveled slowly across the starry sea above.
In the tent, Zet and Hui had long since fallen silent. Ominous shadows shifted across the square. They took on ghoulish forms until Zet was sure he'd seen the mummy a dozen times.
Hui grabbed his elbow. "There! Next to the date vendor's stall!"
"Nope. That's not it." Zet stifled a yawn.
"What time do you think it is?" Hui asked.
"Past midnight."
"It's not coming," Hui said. "It would be here by now."
Zet hated to admit it, but Hui was probably right. This whole idea was a stupid dead end. And he was tired. Really tired. Rowing the raft had taken its toll. He wasn't looking forward to climbing the wall back onto his roof. Let alone trek all the way home. He wanted to shut his eyes for a few minutes. Rest.
"Let's stay a few heartbeats longer," he said.
"You could have at least brought a snack."
"I didn't plan this, remember?" Zet shifted on his cushion. The giant vase supporting his shoulders felt solid. His eyes drifted closed. His head tipped back.
When Hui shook him awake, Zet was surprised to find himself lying down.
"Z-z-z-et?" Hui cried.
Zet's mouth felt fuzzy; his eyelids felt like a pair of stones. "Huh?" he asked, wiping drool from the corner of his mouth.
Hui squeezed his arm in a death grip. The boy's fingers were like rigid claws. They dug into Zet's forearm, all the way to the bone.
"Yowza!" Zet yelped, instantly awake.
"L-look!" Hui gasped, still squeezing.
Zet tried to shake him off. "Calm down, will you?"
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?"
"What's the problem?" Zet said.
"The p-p-p-problem?"
"Yeah. Are you sick or something?" Zet said.
"O-over there!" Hui stammered.
"Over where, Hui—" Zet froze. His gulp was audible.
"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Hui hissed.
Arm forgotten, Zet made a barely noticeable nod. His thudding heart sounded like drumbeats in his ears. His whole body went rigid. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Zet?" Hui said in a high, pinched voice.
Zet made no reply. He was unable to find his tongue.
The mummy stood less than forty paces away.
And its eyeless face stared straight at him.
"Run!" Hui tried to scramble to his feet. He tripped over his sandals and landed on his behind.
Hui tried again. He knocked over a stack of cooking pots. They flew left and right. Crashed down with small explosions. Pieces zinged everywhere. A large one landed in Zet's lap. Another struck him on the shoulder.
The shatter brought Zet to his senses. As the sounds died, he blinked and shook his head. Terrified or not, this is what they'd been waiting for, wasn't it?
"Don't move!" Zet hissed at Hui.
"Are you crazy? Let's go!" Hui backed away as the mummy stepped closer.
"No—this is our chance," Zet said.
The mummy paused. It tilted its head. Listening.
"For what?" Hui cried.
"To find out why it's haunting us. Remember?" Zet persisted.
"Good luck with that. I'm out of here!" Hui backed up on all fours. He didn't go far though. He crouched behind a giant water jug, holding onto it like a shield.
Zet faced the creature of death. It looked awful. Worse than he remembered. Bound head to toe in dirty linen strips. This was nothing like the cute cat mummy he'd seen on the royal grounds. This mummy's bandages were tattered and torn. Covered with brown stains and black blotches. It was a thing of nightmares.
A whisper issued from the mummy's featureless mask. Fast and low. A hissing, otherworldly sound.
"What do you want?" Zet cried. "What do you want from us?"
The creature's right hand rose. It pointed straight at him.
Terror snaked around Zet's ribs; he could barely breathe.
The mummy's whispering rose to a shout. It went on and on. An awful, rhythmic chant.
Awoahaoh huhshhhhh ooohamamima awoahaoh huhshhhhh
The noise gripped the air. Soon, all around them, everything seemed to be vibrating. A wind rose, swirling dust into the air. And still, the mummy continued its awful chant.
Zet swallowed hard and forced his shaking legs to move. Everything inside him shouted run! Unsteadily, he
got to his feet. Then he wrapped one arm around the nearest tent pole as though it was a friend. And perhaps, after sheltering his family for generations, this tent was.
"What do you want?" Zet shouted again. "Are you Aziza? Tell me what you want!"
The mummy's keening chant rose to a wail.
Zet could take it no longer. He would stop this now, or die trying.
"Who are you?" he cried, letting go of the pole and running forward. "Tell me!"
From the darkness, a snarling animal launched through the air.
The jackal.
It dove at him.
Hui screamed.
Zet leaped clear. He rolled beneath the tent's sidewall. Then he jumped to his feet and peered over a stack of wares.
The jackal sniffed this way and that.
Voices rose from the market's fringes. People were coming. Lots of them. The sharp cry of a medjay's papyrus whistle shattered the air. Zet heard the slap of dozens of sandals, along with the clank of weapons. It sounded like both the medjay and the Royal Guards were arriving in full force.
"Who goes there?" shouted a man. "Show yourself!"
Zet recognized that voice: Renni. The Royal Guard who'd tried to shoo him away from Aziza's house.
"Show yourself!" Renni shouted again.
Their lamplight pooled across the square. They'd arrive any moment.
The mummy turned and started lurching off.
With a low growl, the jackal bared its teeth. Then it spun, claws scraping the ground, and loped off in its wake.
Chapter 14
Beetle-Dung and Bread-worms!
By the gods," Hui said. "If those men find me, they'll tell my mother! I'm done for."
"They won't. Let's go. This way," Zet said.
"Phew! Who knows what she'd do. Probably keep me from eating honey cakes for a month. Maybe longer."
"That's horrible!" Zet said. "Quick. Through the tent, under the back flap."
Zet ran for it. Hui followed and ducked under.
"Which way?" Hui said.
Behind them, the light of dozens of lanterns bounced off the walls and market tents. Shadows grew and shrank, wavering like living creatures. Men shouted and fanned out across the square. They beat the canvas with sticks and yelled, show yourself!
Zet took off at a sprint. Hui flung himself alongside. Shadows closed around them. Only a wan moon lit their way.
"Head for that alley. That's where the mummy went."
"The mummy?" Hui gasped. "Who cares? Let's go home."
Zet veered left. "We have to go after it."
"Beetle-dung and bread-worms!" Hui cried, but followed anyway.
They reached the alley. It was filling with people. Thebans poured out of their houses. Whispering. Clutching one another. As for the mummy, it was gone.
Zet smacked his forehead. "How could we lose them? We were so close! How did they escape so fast?"
Hui grabbed Zet's arm. "Uh—Zet?"
"Hold on, I have an idea."
"Zet?" Hui yanked again.
"Not now—I'm thinking."
"Look! Over there!" Hui cried.
Zet looked. All he saw were more crowds. Swelling like the tide. "Look at what?" he demanded. "Did you see the mummy?"
"No—but I saw—"
"Forget it, later. I have an idea. Quick, this way." Zet dragged Hui down a narrow alley. A dozen enormous baskets filled the far end. Zet tried to pull one out. "Help me. Let's bring it to that door with the lintel on top."
Hui latched onto the basket. "Peeew!" He clamped his nose shut with his thumb and forefinger. "What's in this thing?"
"Trash."
"Smells like a giant dead fish," Hui said.
"I'll turn you into a dead fish if you don't pull harder."
Hui laughed.
Zet fought a rising grin. "Just pull!" But what a stench! His eyes were practically bugging out.
"Hey, what's a dead fish good for?" Hui said.
"What?"
"Scaling a wall! Get it? Because fish have scales?"
Zet laughed as he clambered up onto the sturdy basket, pulled himself onto the lintel, and then climbed the rest of the way to the roof. Hui scaled up after him.
They reached a small terrace. It was empty. They crossed to the far side. Climbed over the partition onto the neighboring house. Everyone was down in the street. The boys kept going.
Finally, they reached the tallest house. It stood a story higher than those around it.
Below, the town of Thebes spread out around them.
The moon turned everything an eerie shade of gray. In the distance, the Nile glinted silver. Mist rose from its shores. Thin foggy wisps drifted up the streets nearest the water.
And then he saw it.
The mummy.
It was moving at a fast pace. Mist curled around its legs. It looked as though it was floating. Flying even. Zooming along at a rapid speed. And it was headed for the edge of town.
"There! Let's go," Zet said.
Hui groaned. "Look how far that is."
"We'll make it."
"It will be gone before we get there," Hui said.
"Not if we're fast." Zet crossed another three rooftops with Hui on his heels. "Besides, I have a feeling I know where it's going."
"You do? How?" Hui demanded.
Zet pointed at the path the mummy was taking. "You know where that leads, don't you?"
Hui frowned. Then his brows flew up.
"No," Hui gasped. "Noooo! Not there!"
"Makes sense, doesn't it?" Zet asked, trying to shove him forward. "Move."
Hui clutched his head with both hands and moaned. "We're dead."
"Quit moaning, hurry!"
"My life is over. And my mother is baking date buns tomorrow. Now I'll never get any."
Zet rolled his eyes. "Date buns would taste better if you were a hero. Right? And Kat would be impressed."
Hui pursed his lips. "You have a valid point there." He motioned Zet forward. "Don't just stand around, lead on!"
Soon they were tearing along, legs moving at top speed. They caught a last glimpse of the mummy. Then the rooftops ended. The boys dropped into the street. Mist swirled around their legs. The briny scent of the Nile perfumed the air. They kept running.
Buildings began to thin out. Palm trees stretched skyward, leafy tops rocking like the shaggy heads of giants.
Ahead, the Nile appeared. An ancient-looking boat drifted on its misty surface. The boat glowed with a ghostly white light. It was headed for the West Bank. To the Nile's eternal side. The burial home of the dead. The mysterious place where mummies became immortal.
And at the boat's helm, shining brightly, stood the mummy.
"Our raft, it's not much further," Zet gasped.
Sure enough, their little raft lay safely where Zet and Kat had left it. The boys jumped on. They paddled their way out into the moving current. The fog thickened, blinding their way. By luck alone, they found the far bank. Together, they secured the raft and ran up the gradual rise.
Here the ground was dry and rocky. A rough road led up the sloping hillside. Stones scattered underfoot. Soon they reached a pair of iron gates.
"This is it," Zet whispered.
"Do we have to go in there?"
Zet nodded, mouth dry. On the far side, shadowy tombs and statues rose from the ground. The boys eyed the famous graveyard: home of the mastabas, or burial chambers, of Egypt's powerful and wealthy citizens.
The Theban Necropolis.
Fear tickled Zet's scalp. Gooseflesh rose along his neck.
"I've never been inside a cemetery," Hui whispered.
"Me neither."
Gripping each other's arms, they pushed through the gate. The iron hinges creaked. In the distance, someone or something was murmuring. A low, hissing, rhythmic chant.
Awoahaoh huhshhhhh ooohamamima awoahaoh huhshhhhh
The boys stared at each other. Then the gate slammed shut with a bang.
Chap
ter 15
Avenues of the Dead
The boys stood frozen, hands glued to one another's arms. Finally, the whispering died. A soft breeze crept over Zet's feet and ankles. The air felt cold.
He peeled his fingers from Hui's wrist; his hand had gone almost numb. He swallowed, hard. "I think it went that way."
Hui rubbed his arm. "I think you might be right."
They snuck forward, both hunched as if trying to become invisible. Something rustled to their left. The boys yelped.
"Just a mouse," Zet breathed.
"This place is like some creepy town," Hui whispered. "It's all laid out in streets."
"Look, someone left food there, bread and fruit," Zet said.
"It's all rotten. Eeeeew."
Some graves were small and simple. Others were marked by statues and steles inscribed with hieroglyphics. The largest were the mastabas, the tombs said to house whole rooms of treasures. Objects the deceased might want in the afterlife: furniture, jewelry, mirrors, vases, incense, jars of rich ointments, beer, and grains, and all manner of things.
Hui pointed out a mastaba. "That one has a door. But it's blocked up."
"Maybe to keep grave robbers out?"
"I don't see the mummy, do you?" Hui whispered.
As he spoke, a white figure stepped from behind a stone slab in the distance.
"There!" Zet cried.
The mummy melted into the shadows. But Zet had honed in on its position. The mummy wouldn't escape now. Their luck was improving. The jackal was nowhere in sight.
Swallowing his terror, Zet flung himself after the monster. Hui, breathing hard, stayed with him. The air smelled of dirt and decaying flowers. Zet wiped his face. He couldn't rid his nose of the sweet, cloying odor.
Hui cried, "There, that must be the tomb!"
Zet followed Hui's outstretched finger.
The stone mastaba looked like all the others.
Apart from one detail.
The door was gone. Powerful hands had smashed it wide open. Stones lay crumbled at the gaping entrance. The ink-black hole beckoned. A place of secrets. A room of eternity. A sleeping room of the dead.