Tomb of the Mechanical Pharaoh

Chapter 23

The Shabti laying on the table in front of Hawk unnerved him. Those cold lifeless inset eyes just stared at the ceiling. The Professor had pried its chest cavity open and was going over its metal innards with a magnifying glass. The large gears from the chest lay on the table beside it, which strangely enough did not ease Hawk's mind.

"Are you quite sure you don't want a closer look, Shishank?" the Professor asked as Shishank Ma leaned against the corner.

"I can see it just fine from over here," Shishank grumbled, his hand hovering over the pearl-handled pistol hanging from his belt. "I don't see why I need be here for this. My wives have better things to do than watching my hunting cat..."

"Mrs. Shenouda know this is in here?" Hawk asked.

"No," Shishank said. "And we would like to keep it that way."

"I say, this is truly a wonder," the Professor said. "I am no mechanician, but I have not seen its like. The gearing of the joints was quite impressive enough, but this... I would not think that anyone had the ability to create gearing this precise a thousand years ago." Despite the creepy visage, even Hawk had to admit that the elaborate gearing inside was fascinating.

"Sailors had mechanical calculators for the wandering stars two thousand years ago," Shishank said.

"Yes, yes," the Professor said, pointing at the Shabti. "But some of these gears are smaller than a grain of rice."

Hawk was no mechanician, and turned to leave as Tori walked in. He looked into her eyes and could not help but smile. There was a sparkle in Tori's eyes as well and she opened her mouth to speak, but then thought better of it, looking away from Hawk toward the professor, when her gaze fell upon the Shabti.

"That thing disturbs me," she muttered, as she resisted the temptation not to look at Hawk. "Professor, Mrs. Shenouda says there's someone to see you."

"About my niece?" he asked.

"I don't believe so."

"I was quite hoping to hear from Mr. Crocodile about how matters have been with the Antiquities Service," he said, then muttered under his breath. "Or the Khairataw."

"Perhaps no news is good news," Shishank said.

"That's usually not the case with the Khairataw," Tori muttered, which earned her a glare from the Professor. He threw a cloth over the Shabti and then followed Tori out.

"Right then, let's see what this is about," he said.

As they walked out of the basement, Shishank clapped Hawk on the shoulder. "I hope you weren't burned on the flame last night," he said as they followed behind Tori.

"Some flames worth burning on," Hawk said, still watching Tori ahead of them.

"Some indeed are," Shishank said with a knowing smile.

The four of them stepped into the common room of the inn where several rather shabbily dressed men were waiting.

"Ah, Professor," the man in the center said as he stepped forward. "I am Khamudi and I am honored to meet you." Hawk recognized that voice. That was the man from the Nomarch's meeting that night at the Vizier's palace.

"Do we have business, sir?" The Professor asked.

"Professor, I think..." Hawk started but was ignored.

"I come on behalf of a mutual friend," Khamudi said. "The Nomarch Busiri. He wants to be sure that his investment in the expedition is paying off."