by Stan Schatt
He left room to enter the passageway opening. Then he parked the trailer directly in front of the opening to the Tomb. He then placed a tarp over the hole and positioned some tools on top the tarp. To most people, it would look like a careless archeologist was just sloppy about putting away his tools.
I pointed out the radar charts to Paul and Taylor and oriented them to our location. He studied a page.
“It looks like it curves back towards the Giza plateau,” he said.
I nodded, feeling stunned that he had so quickly grasped the significance of the dig. Paul had a slight smile on his face. I realized he knew what Dad was doing but wasn’t going to say anything about it in front of Taylor.
I found my traveler’s vest, the one with twelve inside and outside pockets and put it on. I retrieved the radar report from Paul, folded them, and placed them in one pocket along with a large folding knife that Dad always had me carry in case we ran into snakes or other creatures. I took out Dad’s small notebook from my purse and put it in an inside pocket that zipped.
I stuffed other pockets with nutrition bars and a few small bottles of water. Paul offered to carry some things, so I dug out a spare vest that one of the grad students sometimes used and handed it to him and helped him stuff it. Taylor made no offer to carry anything. I felt like a pack mule. I already had hatched a plan to explore the cave after lunch, but I would wait to tell them. I was sure Paul would be eager for an adventure and figured Taylor would be in a far better mood after we ate lunch.
Time passed, and soon we all agreed we were starved. We had eaten a very early breakfast so we could get on the road before traffic became heavy. I felt strange sharing the kitchen with Taylor as we worked together to make sandwiches. Paul busied himself with setting the table. While I had prepared meals with Dad in the small kitchen, working with Taylor was a completely different experience.
The girl studied everything. She read the list of ingredients on the side of the food containers much to my disgust. She asked if they had whole wheat diet bread. I bit my lip while thinking of all kinds of clever answers, but I realized we all had to get along so I just replied as if it were the most natural question in the world to ask.
Part of me felt like showing off. I decided not to take out a beer for myself even though Dad let me drink one when we were on a dig. If I did it to show off, it probably wouldn’t have that effect on Taylor or on Paul. There were rumors that Taylor’s country club social set had drinking parties. Of course, they never had invited me.
As we ate, I checked my phone for news. There hadn’t been any calls from our fathers. I noticed I didn’t have any bars, although my phone worked perfectly an hour ago. Taylor and Paul noticed the same thing.
“What does it mean? Everything worked perfectly a little while ago.” Taylor shook her phone as if that would improve her reception.
“My Dad thought that the Government might cut off service if things got bad,” Paul said.
I remembered Mister Hargrove said the Government would cut off all Internet and cell service to keep the opposition from being able to communicate. Now we really were isolated.
“You mean we’re cut off?”
Taylor voice turned into a wail.
“It’s not the end of the world. It won’t last forever. It’s probably just for today.” I said.
I sounded much calmer than I felt. I didn’t want Taylor to go completely nuts. We could survive a day without our phones or computers.
“It probably will be sporadic for the next day or so,” Paul said.
He acted very calm. I realized he knew Taylor far better than I did and he made a deliberate attempt to soothe her.
Some of the digs I went on were far from any city, without any communications. This location so close to downtown Cairo had spoiled me. I made a decision. Now was the right time to suggest we go to the cave. I had to keep Taylor busy so the girl wouldn’t focus on how she was cut off.
“Let’s do a little exploring. Who knows? We might find something interesting. Besides, it will be fun!”
“Shouldn’t we wait for your father? He might be mad,” Taylor said.
“No. It’s fine. He trusts me. We’re not going to disturb anything we find. He lets me work with him all the time.”
“Cool! Just point the way.”
Paul’s enthusiasm made me happy that he’d come. Taylor could be a real drag.
Taylor still looked dubious.
“Is it really dirty in there?”
“No. There will be some sand, but the site has been closed off for thousands of years, so there won’t be a lot of dust.”
“Why did you put the knife in your vest when you thought I wasn’t looking?” Taylor asked.
I realized Taylor was no fool. Rather than lie, I told her the truth. She frowned and shuddered.
“I hate snakes probably as much as you hate spiders. Why can’t we just wait until your Dad is able to come? He’s probably an expert on snakes.”
“It’s going to get very boring just sitting around. You can’t use your cell phone, and I don’t think you’ll find my Dad’s books on Egypt that interesting. I haven’t seen a snake on any of the digs I’ve gone on. It’s just a precaution.”
Taylor finally agreed. When I told her that it would be a little chilly underground, she grabbed a sweatshirt from her bag and bravely headed toward the door. Paul unpacked a sweater and joined us.
“Not so fast. We need to take the flashlights and a camera. It’s going to be pitch black down there.”
I handed sturdy flashlights to Taylor and Paul and placed another one in one of my vest’s large pockets. Paul and Taylor helped me move the tarp away from the hole. Paul helped move some rocks that obscured the opening.
I realized now that the two of them hadn’t heard about Dad’s contract not being renewed. I wasn’t going to say anything. My heart started beating faster when I had a thought. Maybe, just maybe, we could make a big discovery, something that would make the university change its mind and decide to keep Dad.
Soon the opening was big enough for us to enter by bending our heads. I took the lead. The taller Taylor had trouble and whimpered as the top of her head grazed the rocky surface of the ceiling.
“What is this place?” Taylor peered down the dark opening.
“An archeologist a hundred and fifty years ago called it the ‘Tomb of the Birds.’”
“Why?”
I turned my flashlight on and shone it against a wall. There was a shelf filled with the mummified remains of birds.
“Yuk!”
I noticed Taylor’s expression and smiled. I had reacted the very same way when Dad had first taken me out on a dig. Now I tried to look at the objects the way a scientist would. I heard Dad’s words in my head lecturing to me about the birds, so I decided that I probably should share some of it.
“Osiris, right?”
Paul said it tentatively, but I had to smile. He always paid attention in Dad’s class. Better than that, he actually seemed interested. I once thought I was the only one who cared.
“Very good! We think people once worshipped Osiris here and came to the tomb with these offerings. There are also mummified other smaller animals further in the cave.”
“That’s the guy who ruled Hell, right?” Taylor said.
I was surprised. I never thought Taylor paid attention in class. She always seemed to be talking to her friends.
“Yeah. He’s god of the underworld. My father thinks that means that this tomb might contain passageways connecting to other caves—even to the pyramids and the Sphinx.”
“Like the Hall of Records,” Paul said.
I could tell he had made the connection immediately and was salivating at the thought of this grand adventure.
Taylor pursed her lips as if she had tasted something that she didn’t like. “Don’t tell me you’re talking about that green tablet stuff. Right? I thought this was supposed to be a regular dig and not some superstitious witch hunt.
”
I bit my lip to stop myself from saying the first thing that came into my head. What did this spoiled girl know about real archeology? How could she criticize someone who had actually discovered stuff? I remembered Taylor’s earlier remark about Dad being a drunk, and I found myself getting really mad. This was a bad idea from the beginning. How could Dad expect me to get along with this ditz?
Taylor looked like she was still waiting for a reply. When I didn’t say anything, she studied me.
“I can tell you’re mad at me. But, come on, you can’t expect me to go along with that stuff. I agreed to go to a dig, but not to waste my time hunting for Atlantis or whatever is supposed to be buried down here.”
“You don’t have to do anything. If you just want to sit in the trailer, that’s fine with me. You’re not really any help to me here anyway. I think it was a mistake for us to come here.”
“Me too. I wish I were home. I’m already here and I’m already dusty, so I’m going to stay, if it’s all right with you.”
“Let her stay,” Paul said.
I looked at him and suddenly thought that it was exactly what I had feared. It would be two against one with the two of them always on the same side. I took a deep breath. I had promised Dad I would try to get along with Taylor.
“Okay. Let’s go a little further.”
The cave divided into four passages. I had already gone down one of the passages with Dad and knew it dead-ended. I thought that a second passage was more interesting. It also dead-ended, but there was a large block of dark stone in the middle of the path.
Beyond it was a blank wall with some hieroglyphs that Dad and I hadn’t had time to study. Dad had moved the stone and widened the passage behind it. The three of us had to step over rocks larger than a man’s head.
At one point, I slipped and Paul caught me. He released my hand without saying a word much to my relief. After all, I was supposed to be the expert. Still, his hand on mine felt good and sent an electrical charge through me. I turned to face the passage again and felt awkward leading the way because my butt’s enormous. I kept waiting for one of them to make a remark, but they didn’t.
Taylor wrinkled her nose and then covered it with her handkerchief.
“What’s that awful smell?”
“Bat guano. There are thousands of bats in these caves.”
“You mean that’s bat shit I smell? It’s the worst thing I’ve ever smelled. Come on, you can’t tell me you don’t think it’s disgusting?”
I knew what to expect. I didn’t like the smell any more than Taylor, but I didn’t want to admit it bothered me.
“You get used to it after awhile.”
Taylor wiped her sweatshirt where she thought she saw a spot.
“I don’t want any of that stuff to land on me.”
“Come on, Taylor; this is supposed to be fun. Don’t worry about your clothes.” Paul said what I was thinking. I saw her glare at him. Maybe the country club alliance wasn’t as solid as I thought.
I pointed my flashlight towards the ceiling. Its entire surface was covered with bats. None of them were moving. Paul took my action as a cue to shine his flashlight on the mass of bats as well.
“There must be millions of them,” Taylor said.
Her voice was mixed with disgust and a little awe.
“They won’t bother us unless we bother them,” I said.
“Do they stay there all the time? Paul asked.
“No. They go out at night and hunt for small animals, but they won’t move now unless something disturbs them.”
I felt the dark colored stone. It was cold to the touch and a bit damp.
“There must be a source of water nearby,” I said.
“You mean the rivers that your father says run under the plateau?” Taylor’s voice had a little bit of the snide quality that always got to me.
“Exactly. Do you have a better explanation why some of the rocks are damp? We’re far too deep into the cave for any rain to land here.”
Taylor was standing nearby. She stood against an outcropping of stone with her feet under the ledge. Suddenly her face turned white and she started screaming. The screams echoes and re-echoed through the cave. Paul stood there with a stunned look on his face.
“What’s wrong?” I said.
I looked at Taylor. I couldn’t figure out what her problem was.
Taylor was hyperventilating while she continued to scream. Her face had turned white. She pointed to her legs. I looked down and saw a large white shape wrapped around her legs.
“It’s getting tighter. I can’t feel my legs!”
“Try to be calm. Everything is going to be okay,” I said.
I reached into my vest and pulled out my knife and opened the blade.
“Don’t cut my legs!”
“Don’t worry.”
“Do you have another knife? I can help.”
I knew Paul was trying to be helpful. I shook my head and slashed the snake’s body. It felt hard. I felt the snake’s powerful muscles resisting the knife. I began sawing. Taylor was close to passing out.
“Let me know when I break through,” I told Paul.
I heard my father’s voice in my head. These snakes are not poisonous. Only the black ones are worth worrying about. Just ask Cleopatra. The asp killed her in seconds. This kind will squeeze the life out of you if you let it, so it’s important to cut through the muscle as quickly as possible.
I felt the snake’s muscles tense in its efforts to resist me. I redoubled my sawing and felt the knife finally slide through the muscle.
“Stop!” Paul’s voice startled me.
I stopped sawing. Liquid poured out of the wound. The snake still held on tight. I sawed a bit more until I felt my knife break though the other side of the snake’s body. My hand brushed against Taylor’s leg.
The snake fell off her. Its two pieces continued to wiggle on the floor. Taylor fell, but Paul caught her and gently leaned her against a large rock in the middle of the passageway. Taylor’s hyperventilating gradually slowed.
“Do you have to do that very often?”
Paul’s voice was weak. I decided to tell the truth.
“No. It’s my first time.”
“But you knew just what to do.”
“Dad is pretty good about giving directions. Once he had to stab an asp. That would be too scary for me.”
Paul just studied me and nodded. I pulled out a bottle of water, opened it, and handed it to Taylor. I felt her start to grow calmer. Color began to return to her face. I began rubbing her leg to help return some circulation.
After what felt like an eternity Taylor’s breathing slowed until she looked completely normal. She shuddered when she saw the dead snake a few feet away.
“Thanks. That was awful! I thought I was going to die. My ankle really hurts. I thought you said you never saw any snakes and bringing a knife was only a precaution.”
“I never saw one, but I knew they’re around. One rule is: never put your feet where you can’t see them. I forgot to tell you that one. I’m sorry. It’s always so easy when I do this with my Dad.”
“Maybe we should just go back to the trailer.”
“Shush.”
I thought I heard the sound of a car. Who would bother to come to the dig? Then I thought about the mobs and what Mister Hargrove said about splinter groups. How could anyone know we were here and, what did they want?
Taylor and Paul also heard the car. They stared at the cave opening. The three of us hid behind the large rock. We saw light streaming from the opening. Suddenly we saw the silhouette of a man at the entrance. My blood ran cold when I noticed that he carried a gun and pointing it at the interior of the cave.
“Save all of us some time and come out, kids. If you force me to come in, your deaths will be much slower and much more painful.”
I heard the English spoken with a heavy Egyptian accent. It didn’t sound like anyone I knew. I took inventory and realized we
had no weapons except for my knife. It wouldn’t be much of a match against a gun. I remembered my martial arts instructor’s words. Think. There is always time to think about your options. There are always options. Fear will make you weak. Think like a computer. What are your opponent’s weaknesses? How can you exploit them? If you cannot fight, plot your escape routes.
Great, I thought. How do you plot escape routes when there is no time to move the rock covering the entrance to the network of caves? How do you escape when you have a girl with you who can barely walk because her ankle is swelling up?
“Come now. I have no time to play games.”
The man’s voice was growing more insistent.
Then I had an idea. I figured the man couldn’t see that well into the dark cave. I picked up several large stones and began throwing them as hard as I could towards the ceiling. Paul and Taylor stared at me. I motioned for them to follow my lead.
“Quick. Pick up some large stones and throw them as hard as you can. You want to upset as many bats as you can!”
They began copying me. At first nothing happened. Then the great black mass on the ceiling began to swirl and move. A large mass of bats began heading directly for the opening of the cave. I was already in motion towards the cave’s entrance when the bats struck the man and knocked him down. His gun flew out of hands as he was overwhelmed by the dark living mass of creatures.
I dove for the gun, wrapped my fingers around it, and started to stand up. Suddenly I felt the gun jerked from my hand. The man stood over me. He pointed the gun at my head.
“Stay where you are. Tell your friends to come out now or I’ll blow your head into many pieces.”
Paul came out with his hands up. He looked so small compared to the man holding the gun. He motioned for Paul to stand next to me.
I started to say something but a deep, gruff voice interrupted me. The voice rumbled as if it came from a very large body.