Egyptian Curse

by Chris Blake

  “Climb in!” Isis shrieked.

  The soldier swiped at Tut, but Isis pulled the pharaoh out of harm’s way and on to the chariot floor just in time.

  “Take that!” Tom cried, slashing at the Hittite with his own sword in a deafening clang of metal.

  Isis let sail arrow after arrow, which pinged off the soldier’s armour.

  Together, Tom and Isis fought tirelessly until, at last, the giant Hittite retreated.

  “Come on!” Tom said. “Let’s get Tut out of here!”

  King Tut’s army pounded the Hittites with wave after wave of chariot attacks, coming from all directions, thanks to Tom’s plan. After hours of fighting under the blazing sun, the Egyptians started to push the exhausted Hittites back towards the Red Sea.

  “Retreat!” the Hittite leader finally shouted to his army.

  “Yes, go on!” Isis yelled. “And don’t come back! Egypt is our land, and it’s not up for grabs.”

  With that, the Hittites turned their chariots and fled north.

  Tut grinned at Tom and Isis. “I don’t believe it!” he cried. “We’ve done it. We won!”

  The entire Egyptian army cheered and tossed their helmets into the air. General Horemheb and Vizier Ay rode up to King Tut. They dismounted and bowed low.

  “You did it, Your Royal Highness,” the general said. He held his hand over his heart. “I thought you were just a boy, but you are, in fact …” He started to cough, as though he was choking on the words, “… a great leader.”

  “Thanks be to the gods, for this incredible victory!” the vizier said, his eyes watering.

  When the army had prayed to the gods, King Tut pulled Tom and Isis to one side.

  “You know, my friends,” he began. “I really couldn’t have defeated the Hittites without you two. You helped me to believe in myself! And you saved my life again.”

  Isis blushed modestly. Tom bowed and grinned.

  “Oh, it was nothing,” Tom said. “You’re our friend. You would have done the same for us.”

  Tut started to finger a thick golden chain that hung round his neck. “But your battle plans, Tom, were the work of a genius. And, Isis, you took a helpless boy and turned him into a warrior king.”

  Isis started to chuckle. “Well, if you want to bring out the best in someone, you have to lead by example, don’t you?” But turning serious, she added, “You already had what it takes to be a great leader.”

  Cleo, who had been curled up on the floor of the chariot, suddenly jumped up into Isis’s arms. She nuzzled her mistress’s cheek with her long whiskers and then offered Tut her paw.

  “See, Fluffpot knows a true king when she sees one!” Isis said.

  Tut beamed. Then he rummaged under his tunic’s collar and pulled out something shiny that hung at the end of his gold chain. It was a large ankh. And in the centre of it was a giant purple amulet, which glittered in the afternoon sun.

  Tom gasped – they’d been close to the sixth amulet all this time.

  “I wore this ankh to protect me in battle,” Tut said, picking the amulet out of its setting with careful fingers. “I want you to have this jewel. It’s my way of saying thank you.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Isis said in wonder as she took the precious stone. She looked up at Tut. “Thank you. You really don’t know how much this means to me.”

  “We have to go now,” Tom said. “But we’ll never forget you, King Tut. You’ll always be remembered as one of Egypt’s most famous pharaohs. Believe me.”

  Tut smiled. “Do you know? I do believe you, Tom.”

  As Tom, Isis and Cleo joined hands and paws, the amulet in Isis’s palm glowed brightly. A gust of wind started to whip round their legs, sucking them up into the tunnels of time.

  “Goodbye, King Tut!” Tom shouted over the wind to a waving, confused-looking Tut.

  “See you in the Afterlife, Tutty Boy!” Isis called out.

  The desert and the Egyptian army started to fade from view, as Tom, Isis and Cleo were whisked away through space and time.

  Tom, Isis and Cleo shot through time into the bowling alley and found themselves back at Tom’s party. They landed gently. Nobody gave them so much as a sideways glance. It was as if they had never been away.

  “Would you like some more lemonade?” Tom’s mum asked him.

  Tom nodded and held out his glass. As Mum poured, Isis and Cleo – who were both back in their mummies’ wrappings – sat down on the end of the bench. Isis was staring in silence at the amulet in her hand.

  “Pizza!” Dad shouted. “Come and get it!”

  A waitress appeared, carrying a large silver tray full of delicious pizzas.

  “Bowling and pizza is good,” Isis said, “but it doesn’t quite match up to King Tut’s party, does it?”

  “Not really,” Tom said, taking a bite out of his pizza. “But I still like it.” He took a hearty swig of his lemonade. “And this stuff tastes much better than that lumpy Egyptian beer!”

  Isis sighed deeply. She pushed Cleo off her lap. She didn’t even try to steal a slice of Tom’s pizza.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Tom asked. “You should be happy.”

  Isis’s fingers were tightly closed round the amulet. “What if Anubis doesn’t come?” she asked. “What if the whole thing was just a game to punish me for being cheeky?”

  Tom could hear a nervous wobble in her voice. This wasn’t like the confident, brave princess he knew.

  “Hey! Come on,” he said. “It will all be fine. You’ll see.” He searched his brain for comforting words. “If you’ve got the proper payment, even the god of the Underworld can’t keep you out of the Afterlife, can he?”

  Isis nodded and sat up straighter. “You’re right,” she said. Cleo leapt back on to her lap. “Even Anubis has to stick to the rules.”

  As she spoke, the red and blue neon lights in the bowling alley started to flash. Then there was a deafening crash! Every single bowling pin in the building toppled over.

  “Yessssss!” Dad cried, completely unaware that an Ancient Egyptian god had just arrived at the party. “Strike!” He did a little victory dance.

  Tom saw the towering figure of Anubis appear at the end of the bowling lane.

  The jackal-headed god of the Underworld strode towards Tom and Isis, unseen by the other party guests. Anubis stepped nimbly over a fluorescent yellow ball that Tom’s friend James had just bowled.

  “Here you are,” Isis said, meekly holding out the sixth amulet.

  Anubis snatched it from her and held it up to the neon light. “Wouldn’t it have been easier to give me all the amulets in the first place?” he demanded. His bushy eyebrows bunched together over his glowing red eyes. The nostrils in his doggy snout flared.

  “Maybe,” Isis said, nodding her head. “But it wouldn’t have been as interesting.”

  “What’s that?” Anubis barked. His pointy ears twitched. “Do my ears deceive me?”

  Isis shrugged. “It might have been easier, but then I wouldn’t have met Tom.” She put her arm round Tom’s shoulder. “He’s the best friend a princess could ever want.”

  Tom grinned and looked at his feet.

  “We had the most amazing adventures with him, didn’t we, Fluffpot?” Isis continued.

  Cleo rubbed her head against Tom’s legs and meowed in agreement.

  “We sure did,” Tom said, suddenly feeling a bit lost for words.

  Anubis folded his arms and licked his muzzle. “You have proven your bravery, little Isis Amun-Ra,” he said. “And so has your friend. I suppose that means you have finally earned your place in the Afterlife!” The great god clapped his hands. “Isis and Cleo, prepare yourselves for a journey!” he bellowed. “It is time to leave the earthly world behind.”

  Isis started towards Anubis and then looked back at Tom.

  “Wait a minute!” she said. She slipped off the magic scarab ring that had belonged to the goddess Isis herself. “Something to remember me by,” she sai
d, holding out the ring to Tom.

  “But, Isis!” Tom gasped. “I couldn’t possibly—”

  “Keep it!” Isis said. “So you’ll never forget me.”

  Tom clasped Isis into a hug. “I’d never do that,” he said. “You’re unforgettable.”

  Cleo meowed loudly.

  “And so are you,” he added, tickling the cat’s bandaged ears. “I hope you enjoy the Afterlife.”

  A warm, gentle wind started to blow. Isis waved to Tom.

  “Goodbye, Tom!” she called.

  Gradually, Isis’s bandaged arm turned into a living girl’s arm. Tom watched in wonder, as Isis transformed back into a princess again. Then Cleo’s bandages disappeared and she became a tabby cat once more, with tiger-like stripes and a fluffy tail.

  The two glowed brightly and Isis gave him a dazzling smile. Tom swallowed hard as, led by Anubis, his friends disappeared into the Afterlife.

  Tom stared at the space where his friends had been standing only a moment before.

  “She’s gone,” he whispered to himself. “She’s really gone. I don’t believe it. All these weeks I’ve wanted to get rid of her, and now …”

  In the pit of his belly, Tom had a strange, empty feeling. He frowned. Then he realised what it was.

  I miss her, he thought. And I’m going to miss our time-travelling adventures!

  Together they’d battled Roman gladiators, met the legendary King Arthur, shared a longship with Vikings, helped the Greek army break into Troy, sailed the high seas with the pirate Blackbeard, and fought the Hittites alongside King Tutankhamun.

  Tom looked down at the scarab ring Isis had given him. It was a valuable antique, probably worth thousands. But I’ll never part with it, he promised himself, tucking it into his pocket. And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, it will lead to more time-travelling adventures …

  Suddenly, Tom felt an elbow in his ribs.

  “Your go, birthday boy!” his friend Veejay said, thrusting the bowling ball at him.

  Tom looked down the lane at the triangle of pins that were waiting for him. Carefully, he took aim and released the ball. It thundered to the end. BAM! All ten pins went flying.

  “You got a strike!” his friends shouted. “Hooray!”

  Tom beamed with delight. His dad put an arm round him and ruffled his hair.

  “Well done, son,” he said. “I didn’t know you were such a crack shot.”

  Tom looked up at Dad and saw his blue eyes twinkling behind his tortoiseshell glasses.

  “Oh, I’ve been taught by the best,” he said, thinking of Isis and grinning.

  WHO WERE THE MIGHTIEST EGYPTIANS?

  King Tutankhamun was a real Egyptian Pharoah. Find out more about him and the fearsome Egyptian god, Anubis.

  ANUBIS, was the Ancient Egyptian god of the Underworld. He had the head of a jackal and the body of a man. His job was to protect the dead on their journey to the Afterlife, and he was also the god responsible for mummification. He was said to weigh a dead person’s heart, to decide whether they had been good enough to enter the Afterlife. A light heart meant that a person was good.

  KING TUTANKHAMUN became Pharaoh He was about 9 years old. Because he was young, he had two powerful advisors – General Horemheb and the Vizier Ay. Tutankhamun was about 18 when he died. In 1922, the archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Most pharaohs’ tombs had been raided by thieves, but Tutankhamun’s tomb was full of treasures, such as a gold death mask. These treasures have travelled around the world in exhibitions seen by millions of people, making King Tutankhamun the most famous pharaoh of Ancient Egypt!

  ISIS AMUN RA was an Egyptian princess, born around 3,000 BC. Her name was inspired by the Ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis. When she was ten, she fell to her death when visiting a new pyramid. Isis is very cheeky and loves to make jokes. Unfortunately, Anubis doesn’t find her funny and he trapped her in a statue as punishment for being disrespectful, until Tom freed her. Isis is an excellent archer – a skill she’s used many times during her adventures! Although she’s a bossy boots, Isis is a loyal friend and she never, ever gives up.

  TOM isn’t Egyptian but it is in Ancient Egypt that he completes his first quest. Tom was just a normal school boy until he released Isis from the statue and began his adventures travelling through time. Tom’s favourite subject is history and he spends lots of time at the museum where his dad works, so he knows lots about past times. But Tom’s not just a history fan – he’s also brave on the battlefield and uses his courage and strategies to defeat mighty warriors much bigger and stronger than him.

  WEAPONS

  Tom and Isis help King Tut to fight against the Hittites, to drive them out of Egypt. Find out what weapons Ancient Egyptian warriors used in battle.

  Egyptian chariot: used in battle to charge towards the enemy footsoldiers. The Egyptian soldiers driving the chariot were called charioteers and were usually armed with a bow and arrow or a spear.

  Javelin: a sharp metal point attached to a long wooden pole. Javelins would be thrown over long distances to spear the enemy. Javelin points would often be poison-tipped to make them extra deadly.

  Bow and arrow: a crucial weapon during battle. Footsoldiers had a lethal aim and would shoot many arrows into the enemy soldiers as they advanced.

  Khopesh: a sword with a curved end. Soldiers used it like an axe, slashing at the enemy. The hooked tip was also used to pull shields away from opponents.

  ANCIENT EGYPTIAN TIMELINE

  In EGYPTIAN CURSE Tom and Isis travel to Ancient Egypt and meet the famous pharaoh, King Tutankhamun. Discover more about Ancient Egypt in this brilliant timeline!

  TIME HUNTERS TIMELINE

  Tom and Isis never know where in history they’ll go to next! Check out in what order their adventures actually happen.

  FANTASTIC FACTS

  Impress your friends with these facts about Ancient Egypt.

  Pharaohs didn’t wipe their own bottoms. Instead they had a royal bottom wiper to do it for them. That job stinks!

  An Ancient Egyptian cure for blindness was to mash up a pig’s eye, mix it with red ochre and then pour it into the patient’s ear. Good job they couldn’t see what was coming …

  Children in Egypt didn’t wear any clothes until they were teenagers as it was so hot. Ooo-err!

  Ancient Egyptians would mummify their dead. To make sure the body didn’t rot they would take out all of the internal organs, before wrapping the body in cloth. To remove the brain they used a hook to pull it out through the nose. That’s a big bogey!

  THE HUNT CONTINUES …

  Travel through time with Tom and Isis as they battle the mightiest warriors of the past, searching for the other five hidden amulets.

  Tick off the books as you collect them!

  DISCOVER A NEW THRILLING TIME HUNTERS ADVENTURE!

  Travel through time with Tom and Zuma as they search for six gold coins … Will they find the treasure and win Zuma’s freedom? Find out in:

  Who was Marshal Wyatt Earp?

  How wild was the Wild West?

  And where could you find gold?

  Join Tom and his new friend Zuma on another action-packed Time Hunters adventure!

  “Where are we?” asked Zuma. “And what are you wearing?” She looked down at her own outfit. “What am I wearing?”

  “They’re dungarees,” said Tom, brushing off the knees of his sturdy denim trousers. “And I think these checked shirts are made of cotton.”

  “What about these strange sandals?” Zuma lifted one foot, then the other.

  “Not sandals …” Tom corrected her with a grin. “Boots. Cowboy boots!” He reached up and tipped the hat on his head. “And cowboy hats. We’ve landed in the Wild West!”

  “Hmm,” said Zuma, looking worried. “Exactly how wild is it?”

  “I’m not sure,” Tom admitted. “All I know is that in the late 1800s, gold was discovered in America’s West. Thousands of people
hurried there to try and get rich. That’s why they called it the Gold Rush—”

  “Babbling!” Zuma cupped her hand to her ear. “I hear babbling.”

  Tom looked hurt. “Well you did ask …”

  “No,” said Zuma, patting his shoulder. “I didn’t mean you were babbling. I meant I hear running water.”

  “Let’s follow it,” said Tom, feeling hopeful. “Maybe it will lead us to a river that rushes with gold, like the riddle says.”

  With Chilli trotting along beside them, Tom and Zuma found their way to a creek. Then they followed its winding bank through the trees and scrub.

  The further they walked, the more the woods thinned. Soon they arrived at the edge of a clearing, where the creek broadened into a wide pool. Standing knee-deep in the rippling water were two boys. The taller one looked like he was in his late teens while the smaller boy was only a bit older than Tom and Zuma.

  “What are they doing?” Tom whispered.

  “I think they’re searching for gold,” Zuma explained. They watched the boys dunk shallow pans into the water. Every so often, one of them would let out a joyful ‘Woo hoo!’.

  “Maybe my gold coin is in that pool!” said Zuma. “Let’s go and look, before those boys find it.”

  She was about to dart into the water when Tom saw something that made him grab Zuma’s shirt and pull her back.

  From the opposite bank, two men with red handkerchiefs tied over their faces came bounding out of the woods. Before Tom could shout a warning, the men took the boys by surprise. With a sharp blow, they knocked them over and snatched up their entire haul of gold!