Egypt Rising

by Stan Schatt

  “It might be easy for you to discredit my friend, here, but I’ll be a lot harder for you,” Mister Thornton said.

  Doctor Muhab nodded. “As you wish. Just remember this. There are some things that should never be found. People have died so that such secrets remain secret.”

  The two bureaucrats stormed out of the room.

  “What’s he saying?”

  Olivia’s thin voice cut through the tension that remained in the room.

  “He’s threatening us. He doesn’t want anyone to learn about the Hall of Records except for him and his cronies. I’m sure they would sell the treasures to the highest bidders while assuring the Government that they were protecting the tourist business,” Matt said.

  “What Hall of Records?” Olivia asked.

  Tom and Matt stared at each other.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Hosni Mubarak finally resigned and handed his power over to the Army. Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak’s appointed Prime Minister, still rules, but only with the permission of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. Everything is up in the air. Who is going to write the new constitution? Who is going to be permitted to run? Will the Army willingly give up power?

  —From the Secret Diary of David Hargrove

  Two weeks later, the girls were discharged under the care of their fathers with express orders to rest at home under a doctor’s care until all their inflammation was gone. Tom had set up two rooms with hospital beds and arranged for Doctor Gomar to visit on a regular basis.

  Matt gave Olivia her necklace back with orders to keep it hidden under her pajamas in case she had visitors. She readily agreed. The gem warmed and glowed again once she returned it to its usual place. The necklace’s return corresponded to the time Olivia began to make rapid improvement.

  She slept better and remembered more about her experiences. While some of her adventure was still a blur, she remembered her scrape with the soldiers at the dig. Unfortunately, she didn’t remember anything of her time in the Tomb of the Birds.

  Taylor also recovered rapidly and remembered bits and pieces of her past. She dreamed that Olivia had operated on her and was shocked to learn it really happened.

  Meanwhile the political crisis hadn’t eased. The Revolutionary Council and the Army still couldn’t agree on the process to follow for creating a new constitution. The Army put off elections again, which resulted in a new wave of demonstrations. The Army was losing popular support rapidly, creating a dangerous power vacuum.

  One day the Thorntons and the Hunters were having dinner at the Thornton estate when the phone rang. Generally Tom ignored calls at dinner time and insisted that Taylor not talk on her phone during family time. Still, when he saw who called, his face became grim as he broke his own rule and hurriedly left the table.

  Taylor was upset because she knew it had to be an emergency for her father to break the rule. He prided himself on applying the rule equally to himself, as well as, to his daughter. The two girls looked at each other without speaking as they waited for what must be very bad news. Mister Thornton returned a few minutes later.

  “We have a serious problem.”

  Matt looked up from his plate of lamb chops.

  “What’s up?”

  It’s my good friend at Division headquarters. Some generals have decided they must have our special weapon. They think it will give them the leverage they need to put down the revolution. They’re sending a unit here, along with a tank.

  “A tank? You’ve got to be kidding!”

  Matt thought it had to be a joke.

  “No. I’m serious. These nuts are willing to blow up the safe if necessary. They think the garment is impervious to harm. Of course, we might get blown up during the process.”

  “What should we do?” Taylor asked her dad.

  “I’m not sure. Matt, what do you think?”

  “If we give them the weapon, they might wind up starting World War III. At the very least, they might blow this country to bits.”

  “If we don’t, they’ll blow us to bits. I wish you could just give it back,” Taylor said.

  “There’s one possible answer,” Matt said.

  He looked at Olivia. She had a strange look in her eyes. She slowly nodded. A few minutes later, there was a very sharp, authoritative knock at the door. Amy El Habash was Mister Thornton’s maid for many years. She carried herself with a certain dignity that most people respected. When she opened the door, however, a man wearing a uniform with ribbons indicating he was a General in the Egyptian army shoved her aside. Behind him, several soldiers with automatic weapons followed. They rushed past the maid and into the dining room. Tom Thornton and Matt Hunter sat there with their chairs against a wall, facing them. Taylor and Olivia sat beside them.

  Olivia wore a white robe which shimmered in the light cast by the dining room overhead light. She wore a metallic crown on her head. Under her robe, her necklace gemstone glowed with growing intensity to match her agitation.

  “That’s far enough,” Matt said.

  “I’m afraid you’re not in any position to tell us what to do. I’m General Mohammad and I am ordering your daughter to hand over the garments she is wearing. If she refuses, I will give the order to have this place destroyed, and I will take all of you into military custody.”

  Matt looked calmly at the man. General Mohammad was surprised that his words hadn’t frightened the small group into instant compliance. He was not used to disobedience.

  “I’m sure you’ve heard stories of horrible deaths that took place recently when people upset my daughter. I wouldn’t recommend it,” Matt said calmly.

  “How dare you threaten me! Sergeant, remove the girl’s crown and robe.”

  The officer walked towards Olivia.

  “Stop! I don’t want to hurt you,” Olivia said. “I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

  The man stopped dead in his tracks. He heard the stories. General Mohammad’s face turned purple. He had never been so angry in his life.

  “You heard your orders, Sergeant. Carry them out!”

  The soldier reluctantly moved closer to Olivia. She suddenly had a thought. A bolt of lightning exploded at the soldier’s feet. It made an enormous cracking sound like thunder and burned a hole through the floor. A sharp odor of burning wood filled the room as some of the wood smoldered. The soldier made no effort to move any closer to Olivia.

  General Mohammad removed his pistol from his holster. He pointed the gun at his Sergeant.

  “Follow orders or I will shoot!”

  Olivia thought that was terribly unfair. She looked at the General.

  “If he takes one more step, you’re the one who will die.”

  The soldier looked back at his commanding officer and then at Olivia.

  “I mean you no harm, young lady,” he said.

  “I know that. Just move a little to the left so you’re not hurt. General, please put your gun down.”

  Olivia felt remarkably calm for some reason.

  General Mohammad lost all self-control. The situation was intolerable. He pointed his pistol at Olivia and his finger pulled the trigger. Suddenly there was another bolt of light and the General screamed. The weapon removed his entire arm as neatly as though a giant ax had sliced it off. Only, this shoulder break was clean. The heat had sealed the wound. When he realized his arm was no longer attached to his shoulder, he fainted.

  Olivia turned toward the soldiers crowding into the room.

  “I really don’t want to hurt anyone. Please leave and take General Mohammad with you.”

  One of the soldiers reacted by turning his rifle toward Olivia. She reacted instantly with another lightning bolt. He fell to the ground, holding fingers that were singed from Olivia’s bolt striking the gun. The remaining soldiers lifted the two men and retreated. The Sergeant stopped and looked back at Olivia.

  “Thank you. I’m sure he would have shot me. I really meant you no harm. I have a daughter your age at home.”

 
; “Go in peace,” Olivia said.

  The soldiers left and retreated down the driveway. They didn’t go away, however. The sound of bursts of radio communications were heard in the distance. Suddenly Mister Thornton noticed that the tank had sprung into action. It moved down the driveway. Its huge gun turned on its turret until the weapon pointed directly towards the house.

  “The tank is going to fire!” Mister Thornton shouted to Olivia.

  Olivia stood in the doorway and stared at the tank. A bolt of light struck the vehicle. It turned bright red and then melted before their eyes.

  The tank’s destruction was not lost on the soldiers who dropped back to watch the assault. The sound of engines roared to life and the military unit retreated.

  Tom Thornton picked up his phone and began calling in favors. He was furious. Even though Taylor saw the ancient weapon in use several times now, part of her still thought it was just an illusion.

  “It’s like something you’d see in a movie,” she said.

  “Except people really die,” Olivia responded.

  She looked at the hole in the floor and thought about the dead soldiers at the dig. General Mohammad might have deserved his fate, but the soldiers at the dig were just carrying out orders.

  “I wonder if we’ll ever be free again. No one’s going to leave us alone. They’ll all want the weapon,” Matt said.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Just plain dumb! The Egyptian people finally have a new constitution that they approved. So, what does the cabinet do? It passes a law banning all demonstrations and imposing huge fines for anyone protesting. The result is now we have even larger demonstrations. The Army took Mubarak into custody and made sure his family can’t escape the country. Some people have attacked the fuel line running from Egypt into Israel. I warned this might happen.

  —From the Secret Diary of David Hargrove

  The Thorntons invited Paul and his family to a dinner, along with the Hunters. The girls had returned to school, and so the three teenagers had much to discuss. The adults focused their conversation on the continued unraveling of the Government. There now was a constitution, but it wasn’t clear which parties were allowed to field candidates.

  “The Muslim Brotherhood is being just as dictatorial as the old Mubarak Government,” Matt said.

  “The birth of a new country is never smooth or pleasant. It will take a couple of years to sort everything out,” Mister Thornton said.

  “At least the school is open,” Olivia said.

  Suddenly she felt bad because she remembered her father’s contract was just about over. Soon he wouldn’t have a job and they both would be poor. Who knows where they’d have to move?

  After dinner Mister Hargrove asked Olivia if they could talk privately. They went into the den and sank down into soft leather chairs facing each other. After once again, thanking her for saving his life, he turned to the real point of their meeting.

  “You know I work for the Israeli Government?”

  “Sure.”

  “I don’t know if you ever read the Old Testament, but it describes how the early Israelis marched through the desert carrying the Ark of the Covenant. They put it in a magnificent temple that they built.”

  “I don’t go to Sunday school, but I’ve heard the story.”

  “Good. Then you might also know that the Ark was lost or stolen when the country was conquered. The Ark disappeared. Now we know that it somehow made its way back to Egypt and was hidden there. The point is, my Government would like to ask you to please return what is rightfully theirs.”

  Olivia already discussed this possibility with her father. He believed several governments including Israel, Egypt, and the United States would all request that she hand over the priestly garments.

  “I’ve talked it over with my father, and we’ve decided not to hand it over to anyone right now. No matter which Government gets it, there’s no guarantee that they might start using it. I’m sure you couldn’t guarantee to me that Israel would never use it against another country, could you?”

  One thing Olivia learned to like about Mister Hargrove was his honesty. He looked her straight in the eye while replying.

  “No, dear. That’s something I don’t think any Government could truthfully guarantee. If the country’s life were in danger, I’m sure the weapon would be used.”

  “I was afraid you’d say that.”

  “Well, think about it some more and let me know if you change your mind. I promised my boss I would ask you. Personally, I think you’re doing the right thing. I want the best for you. All of us, Paul, Margaret, and I owe you more than we can ever repay.”

  “Remember how you stopped to help me and then took me to the hospital? We’re fine. You don’t owe me anything. I’m just happy I was able to help.”

  “I am worried about you and your father, though. I don’t think you’ll have any peace as long as you have the weapon. Some people will do anything to get it. That means you have to always look over your shoulder, no matter where you are. What if someone kidnaps your father and demands you trade the weapon for his life? I wish I knew a way for you to get out of this mess, but I don’t.”

  Olivia and her father had a very long talk that night. Olivia made it clear that she didn’t want to keep a constant eye over her shoulder to see if someone followed. She didn’t want to worry that the next phone call would be from someone who had kidnapped him and threatened to kill him if she didn’t hand over the robe and crown. There had to be an answer that would keep them and the world safe from a madman using the weapon the wrong way.

  Olivia’s memory had returned. She told her father where she left her vest, and the two took a ride to the Citadel and retrieved it, including the camera and her father’s notebook and radar report. After hours of discussion, father and daughter came up with a plan. Although it was highly dangerous, it might be the only chance they had to be free and also keep someone from destroying the world with the weapon.

  Matt took several pictures of his daughter in the robe and crown, and then drove deep into an isolated part of the desert where he used the camera’s movie function to take several pictures of her blowing holes in very thick walls of solid stone. They then went shopping together for the equipment they would need if their plan were to succeed.

  The two waited for a moonless night, one which would keep prying eyes from spying on them. They set an alarm clock for shortly after midnight. They awoke reluctantly, dressed quickly, and then drove to the Tomb of the Birds. Matt kept looking into his rear view mirror to make sure they weren’t followed.

  The site looked deserted, but Matt noticed a heavy gate in place in front of the opening. Metal bars covered the entrance along with a sign in Arabic signed by Doctor Fayez declaring the site off limits for any archeological dig because ‘seismic conditions made the area unsafe.

  Olivia wore her robes over her clothes, and a beam of light struck and destroyed the gate when she focused her thoughts. Olivia and her father hurried inside.

  “We’re not going through that spider nest. I’m going to use the shortcut,” Olivia said.

  She shuddered as she remembered the white spiders all over her. When they reached the shortcut, Matt pulled two oxygen masks out of his backpack and handed one to Olivia who followed the directions he gave her earlier. Then Olivia placed her hand on a piece of the rocky wall and watched as it swiveled open and they entered. She touched the area again and it closed. Olivia walked rapidly, remembering every turn she had taken before.

  They came to the stone steps that led down to the Sphinx. Matt looked down with wonder. His legs were shaky as he followed his daughter down the stairs until they stood in front of the Sphinx.

  The gemstone on Olivia’s necklace glowed, and she felt the robe and crown tingle. She caused the enormous rock guarding the entrance to swivel aside, and then entered the hall. Olivia followed the same process she had followed in her previous trip. Soon both rooms she had previously entered were glowing
brightly from the gemstones embedded in their walls. She exited and stood by her father.

  “It’s your turn now,” she said.

  Olivia focused her mind on releasing the robe and the crown. She found she could remove both easily. After her father put on the robe and crown, Olivia took pictures of him in front of the Sphinx. He then put on Olivia’s necklace and entered.

  It seemed to take forever. Olivia knew their oxygen tanks were limited. She prayed her father was okay. What if he had a heart attack inside? What if the Hall of Records were simply too much for him? What if connecting with the Ark was too painful for him? She imagined a hundred different scenarios—all resulting in disaster. She checked her watch. Time was growing short.

  Then Olivia saw her father walking slowly, as if he were dazed. As he stepped out of the Sphinx, he no longer wore the robe or crown. He placed his hand on the enormous rock, and watched as it once again swiveled to close the entrance.

  “Let’s go. We don’t have much time,” he said as he removed the necklace and put it back on his daughter.

  They moved quickly since both knew the route now. When they reached the connecting entrance to the Tomb of the Birds, Olivia sighed in relief when the stone turned aside so they could exit. They watched as the stone swiveled back in place. Now the wall was flawless without any cracks so no one would ever be able to find this secret passage.

  They left the tomb and walked gingerly past pieces of melted metal, the only reminders that a fence was once there. The two had plenty to discuss on the way back to the Thornton estate.

  Matt and Olivia scheduled a press conference two days later in which the Thorntons and the Hargroves would join them. From the moment Matt announced the press conference, students at Olivia’s school talked of nothing else.

  The Egyptian students were unanimous in their belief that the story was a hoax while the Western students’ reactions were mixed. Taylor’s friends felt compelled to believe her. Matt scheduled the press conference for the ballroom at the Cairo Hilton. The enormous room’s dark walls reflected light from the massive glittering chandeliers that hung low.