brushing sand off her jeans. “I’m going to start writing my story for the paper.”
She said good night and walked quickly away, her sandals making a slapping sound against the sand.
Sari and I sat staring into the crackling fire. The half-moon had floated high in the sky. Its pale light reflected off the top of the pyramid in the distance.
“Nila is right,” I told Sari. “It really did look like a movie set in there.”
Sari didn’t reply. She stared into the fire without blinking, thinking hard. Something in the fire popped again. The sound seemed to snap her out of her thoughts.
“Do you think Nila likes Daddy?” she asked me, her dark eyes locking on mine.
“Yeah, I guess,” I replied. “She’s always giving him this smile.” I imitated Nila’s smile. “And she’s always kind of teasing him.”
Sari thought about my reply. “And do you think Daddy likes her?”
I grinned. “For sure.” I stood up. I was eager to get back to the tent. I wanted to scare Sari.
We walked toward the tents in silence. I guessed that Sari was still thinking about her dad and Nila.
The night air was cool, but it was warm inside the tent. Moonlight filtered through the canvas. Sari pulled her trunk out from under her cot and got down on her knees to search through her clothes.
“Sari,” I whispered. “Dare me to recite the ancient words five times?”
“Huh?” She gazed up from the trunk.
“I’m going to chant the words five times,” I told her. “You know. See if anything happens.”
I expected her to beg me not to. I expected her to get scared and plead: “Please, Gabe — don’t do it! Don’t! It’s too dangerous!”
But instead, Sari turned back to her clothes trunk. “Hey. Give it a try,” she told me.
“You sure?” I asked her.
“Yeah. Why not?” she replied, pulling out a pair of denim shorts.
I stared across the tent at her. Was that fear I saw in her eyes? Was she just pretending to be so casual about it?
Yes. I think Sari was a little scared. And trying hard not to show it.
I took a few steps closer and chanted the ancient words in the same low voice Uncle Ben had used:
“Teki Kahru Teki Kahra Teki Khari!”
Sari dropped the shorts and turned to watch me.
I repeated the chant a second time:
“Teki Kahru Teki Kahra Teki Khari!”
A third time.
A fourth time.
I hesitated. I felt a cold breeze tingle the back of my neck.
Should I chant the words again? Should I go for number five?
16
I stared down at Sari.
She had closed the trunk lid and was leaning on it tensely, staring back at me. I could see that she was frightened. She chewed her bottom lip.
Should I chant the words for a fifth time?
I felt another chill at the back of my neck.
It’s just a superstition
, I told myself.
A three-thousand-year-old superstition.
There’s no way that moldy old mummified prince is going to come back to life just because I recite six words I don’t even know the meaning of!
No way.
I suddenly thought of all the old movies I had rented about mummies in ancient Egypt. In the movies, the scientists always ignored ancient curses warning them not to disturb the mummies’ tombs. Then the mummies always came to life to get their revenge. They staggered around,grabbed the scientists by the throat, and strangled them.
Dumb movies. But I loved them.
Now, staring down at Sari, I saw that she was really scared.
I took a deep breath. I suddenly realized that I felt scared, too.
But it was too late. I had gone too far. I couldn’t chicken out now.
“Teki Kahru Teki Kahra Teki Khari!”
I shouted. The fifth time.
I froze — and waited. I don’t know what I expected. A flash of lightning, maybe.
Sari climbed to her feet. She tugged at a strand of dark hair.
“Admit it. You’re totally freaked,” I said, unable to keep a grin from spreading across my face.
“No way!” she insisted. “Go ahead, Gabe. Chant the words again. Chant them a hundred times! You’re not going to
She said good night and walked quickly away, her sandals making a slapping sound against the sand.
Sari and I sat staring into the crackling fire. The half-moon had floated high in the sky. Its pale light reflected off the top of the pyramid in the distance.
“Nila is right,” I told Sari. “It really did look like a movie set in there.”
Sari didn’t reply. She stared into the fire without blinking, thinking hard. Something in the fire popped again. The sound seemed to snap her out of her thoughts.
“Do you think Nila likes Daddy?” she asked me, her dark eyes locking on mine.
“Yeah, I guess,” I replied. “She’s always giving him this smile.” I imitated Nila’s smile. “And she’s always kind of teasing him.”
Sari thought about my reply. “And do you think Daddy likes her?”
I grinned. “For sure.” I stood up. I was eager to get back to the tent. I wanted to scare Sari.
We walked toward the tents in silence. I guessed that Sari was still thinking about her dad and Nila.
The night air was cool, but it was warm inside the tent. Moonlight filtered through the canvas. Sari pulled her trunk out from under her cot and got down on her knees to search through her clothes.
“Sari,” I whispered. “Dare me to recite the ancient words five times?”
“Huh?” She gazed up from the trunk.
“I’m going to chant the words five times,” I told her. “You know. See if anything happens.”
I expected her to beg me not to. I expected her to get scared and plead: “Please, Gabe — don’t do it! Don’t! It’s too dangerous!”
But instead, Sari turned back to her clothes trunk. “Hey. Give it a try,” she told me.
“You sure?” I asked her.
“Yeah. Why not?” she replied, pulling out a pair of denim shorts.
I stared across the tent at her. Was that fear I saw in her eyes? Was she just pretending to be so casual about it?
Yes. I think Sari was a little scared. And trying hard not to show it.
I took a few steps closer and chanted the ancient words in the same low voice Uncle Ben had used:
“Teki Kahru Teki Kahra Teki Khari!”
Sari dropped the shorts and turned to watch me.
I repeated the chant a second time:
“Teki Kahru Teki Kahra Teki Khari!”
A third time.
A fourth time.
I hesitated. I felt a cold breeze tingle the back of my neck.
Should I chant the words again? Should I go for number five?
16
I stared down at Sari.
She had closed the trunk lid and was leaning on it tensely, staring back at me. I could see that she was frightened. She chewed her bottom lip.
Should I chant the words for a fifth time?
I felt another chill at the back of my neck.
It’s just a superstition
, I told myself.
A three-thousand-year-old superstition.
There’s no way that moldy old mummified prince is going to come back to life just because I recite six words I don’t even know the meaning of!
No way.
I suddenly thought of all the old movies I had rented about mummies in ancient Egypt. In the movies, the scientists always ignored ancient curses warning them not to disturb the mummies’ tombs. Then the mummies always came to life to get their revenge. They staggered around,grabbed the scientists by the throat, and strangled them.
Dumb movies. But I loved them.
Now, staring down at Sari, I saw that she was really scared.
I took a deep breath. I suddenly realized that I felt scared, too.
But it was too late. I had gone too far. I couldn’t chicken out now.
“Teki Kahru Teki Kahra Teki Khari!”
I shouted. The fifth time.
I froze — and waited. I don’t know what I expected. A flash of lightning, maybe.
Sari climbed to her feet. She tugged at a strand of dark hair.
“Admit it. You’re totally freaked,” I said, unable to keep a grin from spreading across my face.
“No way!” she insisted. “Go ahead, Gabe. Chant the words again. Chant them a hundred times! You’re not going to
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