Murder Most Egyptological (A Mrs. Xavier Stayton Mystery Book 3) by Robert Colton
Authors: Robert Colton
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satisfied.
Sandy chuckled after the last child scampered along, and he said, “American money, ah. I think I’d rather be paid in your pennies than by the Egyptian pound.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I remarked as we walked alongside the man toward the Nile’s bank.
Sandy gave a great laugh and shook his head.
Upon our approach toward a number of little skiffs along the river’s edge, a chorus of shouts began. I understood very little, other than some broken English insisting the other boats to be unsafe. Sandy ignored them all, and we went straightaway to a nice-sized river boat, whose owner had remained silent and rather smug.
I tapped Sandy’s shoulder and said, “This man wasn’t eager for our business, why not another?”
Sandy’s perpetual smile wavered, and he replied, “Professor Kinkaid keeps this boat on a sort of retainer, you might say; it is always available for the expedition’s use.”
So it seemed, my money was being well spent by Professor Kinkaid on a great many things beyond unearthing Pharaoh Kamose’s tomb.
“I see,” was my only reply.
Unlike the Mighty Mississippi River that flows to the south alongside my native Saint Louis, the Nile flows north. Our boatman, therefore, had to paddle against the steady current as we crossed the great river at an angle.
This was done quickly, and we were deposited on the West Bank with great ease. Here, I thought we would instantly be surrounded by desert sand, but instead, there was a long span of lush green crops of some sort. However, above the patch of green rose a series of lifeless, parched mountains. Sandy had pointed them out before— the Theban Hills, but they seemed far taller than hills to me.
My assumption that camels would be waiting to carry us toward the desert valley was incorrect. Another large black sedan, which was perfectly spotless, awaited us.
Sandy said some greeting to the driver, and then Lucy and I were politely ushered into the spacious backseat.
“Does Professor Kinkaid keep this automobile handy as well?”
Settling himself in the front seat beside the driver, Sandy replied in such a chipper tone that it was obvious he had not registered my displeasure. “Oh no, the expedition has an automobile of their own, but it is such a dinky thing. I arranged for this.”
“I thought we would have made the journey by camel, perhaps even donkey…” I started to say.
Sandy chuckled. “I suppose we could, but why?”
I could not bring myself to reply, Because that is how I imagined we would.
As the sedan motored westward, the stark mountain range grew more ominous. Sandy saw the expression of awe that had registered both on mine and Lucy’s faces, and earning his keep, he began, “There, see the largest of the hills, the one shaped like a pyramid? That’s called al-Qurn, the ancients called it, The Peak. During the Eighteenth Dynasty, when the Egyptians took back control of the north from invaders, Thebes became the seat of their government, which meant no more pyramids in Cairo! The new kings wanted to hide their magnificent tombs, after seeing how the long-dead rulers’ tombs had been robbed, and even defaced.
“It was normal for a pharaoh to start the construction of his tomb when he became the ruler. This gave him, or so he hoped, enough time to build a magnificent tomb. Some of these tombs will have a long shaft and then an open chamber, then another long shaft and another chamber; you see, they did that because the tomb wasn’t finished until the old king was dead and ready to be sealed in.”
“How decadent,” said Lucy.
“How decadent indeed,” I remarked.
“A pharaoh’s life!” Sandy exclaimed. “Ah, but the purpose for these had nothing to do with his life, no, his concern was his afterlife. You see, they believed that their souls, or as they called it, their ka, would
Sandy chuckled after the last child scampered along, and he said, “American money, ah. I think I’d rather be paid in your pennies than by the Egyptian pound.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I remarked as we walked alongside the man toward the Nile’s bank.
Sandy gave a great laugh and shook his head.
Upon our approach toward a number of little skiffs along the river’s edge, a chorus of shouts began. I understood very little, other than some broken English insisting the other boats to be unsafe. Sandy ignored them all, and we went straightaway to a nice-sized river boat, whose owner had remained silent and rather smug.
I tapped Sandy’s shoulder and said, “This man wasn’t eager for our business, why not another?”
Sandy’s perpetual smile wavered, and he replied, “Professor Kinkaid keeps this boat on a sort of retainer, you might say; it is always available for the expedition’s use.”
So it seemed, my money was being well spent by Professor Kinkaid on a great many things beyond unearthing Pharaoh Kamose’s tomb.
“I see,” was my only reply.
Unlike the Mighty Mississippi River that flows to the south alongside my native Saint Louis, the Nile flows north. Our boatman, therefore, had to paddle against the steady current as we crossed the great river at an angle.
This was done quickly, and we were deposited on the West Bank with great ease. Here, I thought we would instantly be surrounded by desert sand, but instead, there was a long span of lush green crops of some sort. However, above the patch of green rose a series of lifeless, parched mountains. Sandy had pointed them out before— the Theban Hills, but they seemed far taller than hills to me.
My assumption that camels would be waiting to carry us toward the desert valley was incorrect. Another large black sedan, which was perfectly spotless, awaited us.
Sandy said some greeting to the driver, and then Lucy and I were politely ushered into the spacious backseat.
“Does Professor Kinkaid keep this automobile handy as well?”
Settling himself in the front seat beside the driver, Sandy replied in such a chipper tone that it was obvious he had not registered my displeasure. “Oh no, the expedition has an automobile of their own, but it is such a dinky thing. I arranged for this.”
“I thought we would have made the journey by camel, perhaps even donkey…” I started to say.
Sandy chuckled. “I suppose we could, but why?”
I could not bring myself to reply, Because that is how I imagined we would.
As the sedan motored westward, the stark mountain range grew more ominous. Sandy saw the expression of awe that had registered both on mine and Lucy’s faces, and earning his keep, he began, “There, see the largest of the hills, the one shaped like a pyramid? That’s called al-Qurn, the ancients called it, The Peak. During the Eighteenth Dynasty, when the Egyptians took back control of the north from invaders, Thebes became the seat of their government, which meant no more pyramids in Cairo! The new kings wanted to hide their magnificent tombs, after seeing how the long-dead rulers’ tombs had been robbed, and even defaced.
“It was normal for a pharaoh to start the construction of his tomb when he became the ruler. This gave him, or so he hoped, enough time to build a magnificent tomb. Some of these tombs will have a long shaft and then an open chamber, then another long shaft and another chamber; you see, they did that because the tomb wasn’t finished until the old king was dead and ready to be sealed in.”
“How decadent,” said Lucy.
“How decadent indeed,” I remarked.
“A pharaoh’s life!” Sandy exclaimed. “Ah, but the purpose for these had nothing to do with his life, no, his concern was his afterlife. You see, they believed that their souls, or as they called it, their ka, would
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