The Curse of the Pharaoh #1

by Sir Steve Stevenson

  Without taking his eyes off his prisoners, Dortmunder reached one hand into the freezer, unpacking box after box of ice cream. Finally he got to the bottom, where he had hidden the wax cast.

  “Ouch!” he cried suddenly. “What just pricked me?”

  He grimaced in pain, then froze in place, eyes wide open and gun pointed, paralyzed by the petrificus toxin.

  Freeing her wrists from the rope, Agatha brought it over to tie up the culprit. “Your turn to shut up and stand still!” she said cheerfully, pinching his motionless cheek.

  “What happened to him?” exclaimed an incredulous Professor Maigret. “It looks as if he’s been mummified!”

  Dr. Paretsky slumped into a faint, and Jafar started to pray in a tremulous voice.

  Dash and Chandler ran to Agatha, elated. Without her brilliant idea, they would never have gotten through this alive.

  Agatha grinned at Dash. “You see, Agent DM14?” she said with a twinkle. “We solved the riddle of the pharaoh!”

  In the crisp desert dawn, Agatha and her companions saddled their camels for the return journey. Maigret and Paretsky stood in front of the pavilion, looking relaxed for the very first time.

  The two scholars had stayed up well past midnight, taking detailed photographs of every last hieroglyph on the wax cast.

  “It will take time—might be months, even years—but you can count on us. We’re going to find the hidden entrance to the pharaoh’s tomb!” Once again, the elderly Frenchman’s voice had the energy of a much younger man.

  “I can’t wait to read the headlines!” beamed Agatha.

  Jafar joined them, his cotton robes flowing. He gave each of the investigators a small amulet of the jackal-headed Anubis. “For protection against bad luck,” he explained.

  As the three of them put on their amulets, Chandler thanked him with a solemn nod.

  The only one missing was Dr. Dortmunder. He had been handcuffed before the petrificus toxin wore off, and as soon as he came to, he started complaining that he was starving. The others had taken turns feeding him ice-cream pops, which he could eat with his hands cuffed behind his back. Soon the police would be coming to take him away.

  Agatha wondered if the arresting officer would be the same man Dash had pretended to shoot for the BBC. If so, she hoped they’d take pictures.

  As they were about to leave, Professor Maigret reached out to shake Chandler’s hand. “Thank you again, detective,” he said, his eyes shining. “I’ve reported your excellent work to Eye International. I didn’t quite understand their response, but they seemed very satisfied.”

  “What did they say?” Dash straightened up anxiously.

  “Something about an exam.”

  “Uh-oh!” Dash frowned. “Anything else?”

  “I believe the phrase they used was ‘Aced it.’”

  Dash broke into a grin. “Excellent news, Professor Maigret!”

  The three adventurers bid good-bye to the scientists and started their long journey back.

  This time, Dash was the one boldly taking the reins and urging his camel to gallop. Finding out that he’d “aced” the exam had made him feel like a superhero.

  When they reached the top of the ridge, he stopped to admire a panoramic view: the great green banks of the Nile with its colossal monuments, the cruise ships and graceful feluccas sailing along the great river, the temples of Karnak and Luxor, swarming with tourists.

  Agatha pointed a finger at his chest. “You’ve got a call,” she said.

  “Huh? What?” he replied, coming out of his daydream.

  “Your EyeNet is ringing!” his cousin repeated.

  Dash looked at his EyeNet, which was vibrating, flashing a rainbow of lights. “What do they want now?” he wondered. “I thought the exam was all finished.”

  He brought the device to his ear, speaking in a professional tone. “Agent DM14 at your service.”

  He listened for a few seconds, looking blank-faced, then started to stammer. “Oh no, it’s not a wrong number. It’s Dash…yes, I’m sorry, I thought you were joking!”

  Agatha and Chandler both looked at him, questioning.

  “It’s for you,” said Dash, passing the EyeNet to Agatha. “It’s your mother. She sounds pretty mad!”

  The girl raised an eyebrow and spoke. “Hello, Mommy.”

  “Where on earth are you, Agatha?” demanded Rebecca Mistery in an anxious tone. “We’re on our way back from Peru. Our tramp steamer took a detour to Marseilles. We’re hang gliding over Paris as we speak and we’re taking the Chunnel train back to London tomorrow. We’ve been trying to reach you for hours, but no one is picking up at the house…”

  “I’ve been…shopping,” she lied.

  “Did you take Watson with you?”

  “Yes, Mommy,” she replied. “I wanted to buy him a new collar, something exotic…”

  She turned over the jackal-headed amulet she’d fastened onto the cat’s collar.

  “And Chandler?” Rebecca Mistery said. “Did he drive you? How is he?”

  “In fine form and silent as ever!” laughed Agatha, glancing at the butler. Her camel let out a loud snort, and she stammered quickly, “Okay, got to go. This pet store has everything! See you and Daddy tomorrow, okay?”

  Agatha hung up and put her hands on her hips. “Did you know they’d be back home tomorrow, Chandler?” she demanded.

  The butler rubbed his forehead. “I forgot, Miss Agatha,” he admitted. “Please accept my apologies.”

  It was funny to see a man the size of a fridge look so completely embarrassed.

  “No problem,” Agatha smiled, forgiving him. “You’re an awesome detective!”

  Chandler blushed red as a beet.

  “What are we waiting for, guys?” called out an exuberant Dash. “Let’s beat them to London!” He spurred his camel forward with a slap on its rump, but instead of surging ahead, the animal started to lean to one side, listing farther and farther until it hit the ground with a thud, playing dead.

  Agatha and Chandler’s laughter echoed through the Valley of the Kings.