Tomb of the Mechanical Pharaoh

Chapter 19

Rebecca could not believe that Simonetta had sent her a letter. And in English no less. From her tone, it sounded like Simonetta missed her, the thought of it made Rebecca's heart flutter. Cairo sounded so exciting, and how Rebecca wished she could be there now. It had to be better than listening to her uncle grumble on so. As she entered the common room, he was really in a mood now.

"This letter does not bear the hand or seal of either the Vizier or the Nomarch," Uncle Wallis said. Rebecca snatched the letter from her uncle's hands, despite his protests. She was not as proficient at reading Egyptian as she would have liked, but her uncle was right. There seemed to be no official seals that she recognized. Tori tapped her on the shoulder and gestured for the letter.

"This looks like the work of the Khairataw," she said. The mood in the room suddenly became much more tense. The Medjai policeman in particular looked frightened.

"I'll send word to Shishank and the Imshawshen," Hawk said.

"Tell them that they should stay camped out near the site," Uncle Wallis said.

"They won't leave anyway," Hawk said. "That's where the water is."

"I will speak to this good man for a moment," Mr. Crocodile said, putting his arm over the policeman's shoulders and escorting him out the door. The Medjai made no protest.

"What is the Khairataw?" Rebecca asked.

"The 'Thousand eyes' of the Pharaoh," Tori said. "The Secret Police. They have infiltrated most of the police forces, as well as the army. Only the priesthoods of the old gods have managed to remain closed to them."

"And the Imshawshen as well have remained quite free of them," Professor Wallis added. "That was why I engaged Shishank Ma and his people, you see. His being the amenokal of the tribe, it ought be enough to maintain their loyalty."

"Why should they wish to close down my uncle's dig?" Rebecca asked.

"Spite," Tori said. "He was probably caught in some political dispute between the Khairataw and the Antiquities Service. A pawn between factions."

"Or they could be quite interested in finding the tomb themselves," Professor Wallis said. "Those old spells that Old Ramesses XVIII collected from all over Egypt could still be in there."

"Either way, it's going to be questions that need answered," Hawk said. He stopped. "The workmen killed. It seemed so random. Could they have been Khairataw agents?"

"So those strange mechanical shabtis were able to ferret out the Khairataw agents and kill them...?" Tori said, as she shuddered. "I don't know which is worse..."

Hawk shook his head. "Anyone else find it odd the morning after they attack us and kill several seemingly at random, that the Khairataw steps in?"

The more Rebecca heard of these secret police, the less she liked it. This was not the Egypt anyone had ever told her about. How she wanted to be in Cairo with Simonetta. Then she hit upon the idea. "Uncle, you can let me go. To sort it out with the Antiquities Service."

"You?" Tori asked.

"Rebecca, dear girl, I am touched by your concern..." he started but Rebecca grabbed her uncle by the arm. He put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. Rebecca found it calming. "What am I to do, Rebecca?"

"My father has worked in the Home Office for the Crown. I know all about dealing with bureaucracies," Rebecca said. Her uncle winced.

"I don't know..." Uncle Wallis said.