the door of their house holding a small package wrapped in cloth.
“What’s wrong?” Nephoris asked.
Her mother held out the parcel. “Last night the cat caught a rat and left it in the middle of the floor – a nice present for us. I didn’t want Pere picking it up and chewing at it. You know what he’s like …”
“Rat,” Pere said and licked his lips.
“This morning your father set off for the pyramid to work and I packed him some bread and onion like I always do,” her mother went on.
“Yes,” Nephoris said.
“Well … when I went to throw the rat away I opened the parcel and found the bread and onion!” she moaned.
“So,” Nephoris grinned, “when Dad opens his lunch parcel he’ll find …”
“Rat!” Pere said.
“Exactly! He’ll be furious! He’s in a bad temper all the time these days. That Antef bullies the workers all day long from sunrise to sunset. Your dad comes home and he’s full of fury. If he goes without food all day he will be as horrible as … as … ”
“Rat,” Pere said.
“Exactly,” Mother agreed. A big, bad-tempered rat. She looked up at the clear sky. The sun was not far from its highest point. “They’ll be stopping soon for a break,” she said. “You have to get this food to him before they stop!”
“Don’t worry, Mum,” Nephoris said. “I can run faster than anyone in this village. Give me the food.”
She put her brother on the ground, took the parcel and sped towards the site of the pyramid.
The sun ran on. Nephoris ran on. Her black hair flowed behind her and her long legs raised clouds of dust. “I’m winning, Sun, I’m winning,” she cried.
At last she reached the wall around the site and ran up to the first gang leader she could find. “Boat Gang,” she panted. “Where will I find the Boat Gang?”
The man pointed towards the top of the huge pyramid. “Working up there today – rather them than me!” he grunted.
Nephoris groaned. The sun raced on and this time it was winning.
As Nephoris reached the foot of the pyramid she saw her father and the Boat Gang stomping down with heavy feet and grim faces. “Just in time,” she muttered. “He looks in a rotten temper. If he’d opened his lunch pack and found a rat … he might have eaten it in anger!”
Yenini glared at Nephoris. “What are you doing here? It’s a dangerous place for a child. What is your mother thinking of? Wait until I get home.”
“But I came to bring …” Nephoris began.
Then there was a rumble and the men of the Boat Gang turned and looked up at the pyramid.
At the top of the pyramid …
Chapter 4
Peril at the Pyramid
The Boat Gang had left their stone at the edge of the hole. The old wooden sledge grew hotter and drier in the midday sun. It creaked a little then it cracked.
The stone sank into the sledge and turned it to splinters and dust. Finally the stone began to slip. It slipped steadily into the hole that was waiting for it. The stone landed with a “whumph” and settled.
It was a perfect fit. It would stay there until long after the Boat Gang had finished their work, long after Amenemhat was buried inside, long after the grave robbers had stolen his wealth. It would stay there until the end of time.
Yenini raced up the steep ramp. He was the fastest of the Lisht men – smooth and swift as his daughter. Nephoris ran behind him. She caught him up at the top of the pyramid. She could see clear across Lisht, over her village and over the mud-brown flowing Nile.
Her father’s redness shrank to a spot on each cheek. The rest of his face and body was pale and sweating. “What’s wrong?” Nephoris asked. “It fell where it was supposed to. It saved you the work!”
“We’ll never get it out,” her father whispered as the men of the Boat Gang panted and wheezed up to their side.
“Why would you want to get it out?” Nephoris asked, puzzled.
Yenini looked at her with haunted eyes. “Because little Antef is
“What’s wrong?” Nephoris asked.
Her mother held out the parcel. “Last night the cat caught a rat and left it in the middle of the floor – a nice present for us. I didn’t want Pere picking it up and chewing at it. You know what he’s like …”
“Rat,” Pere said and licked his lips.
“This morning your father set off for the pyramid to work and I packed him some bread and onion like I always do,” her mother went on.
“Yes,” Nephoris said.
“Well … when I went to throw the rat away I opened the parcel and found the bread and onion!” she moaned.
“So,” Nephoris grinned, “when Dad opens his lunch parcel he’ll find …”
“Rat!” Pere said.
“Exactly! He’ll be furious! He’s in a bad temper all the time these days. That Antef bullies the workers all day long from sunrise to sunset. Your dad comes home and he’s full of fury. If he goes without food all day he will be as horrible as … as … ”
“Rat,” Pere said.
“Exactly,” Mother agreed. A big, bad-tempered rat. She looked up at the clear sky. The sun was not far from its highest point. “They’ll be stopping soon for a break,” she said. “You have to get this food to him before they stop!”
“Don’t worry, Mum,” Nephoris said. “I can run faster than anyone in this village. Give me the food.”
She put her brother on the ground, took the parcel and sped towards the site of the pyramid.
The sun ran on. Nephoris ran on. Her black hair flowed behind her and her long legs raised clouds of dust. “I’m winning, Sun, I’m winning,” she cried.
At last she reached the wall around the site and ran up to the first gang leader she could find. “Boat Gang,” she panted. “Where will I find the Boat Gang?”
The man pointed towards the top of the huge pyramid. “Working up there today – rather them than me!” he grunted.
Nephoris groaned. The sun raced on and this time it was winning.
As Nephoris reached the foot of the pyramid she saw her father and the Boat Gang stomping down with heavy feet and grim faces. “Just in time,” she muttered. “He looks in a rotten temper. If he’d opened his lunch pack and found a rat … he might have eaten it in anger!”
Yenini glared at Nephoris. “What are you doing here? It’s a dangerous place for a child. What is your mother thinking of? Wait until I get home.”
“But I came to bring …” Nephoris began.
Then there was a rumble and the men of the Boat Gang turned and looked up at the pyramid.
At the top of the pyramid …
Chapter 4
Peril at the Pyramid
The Boat Gang had left their stone at the edge of the hole. The old wooden sledge grew hotter and drier in the midday sun. It creaked a little then it cracked.
The stone sank into the sledge and turned it to splinters and dust. Finally the stone began to slip. It slipped steadily into the hole that was waiting for it. The stone landed with a “whumph” and settled.
It was a perfect fit. It would stay there until long after the Boat Gang had finished their work, long after Amenemhat was buried inside, long after the grave robbers had stolen his wealth. It would stay there until the end of time.
Yenini raced up the steep ramp. He was the fastest of the Lisht men – smooth and swift as his daughter. Nephoris ran behind him. She caught him up at the top of the pyramid. She could see clear across Lisht, over her village and over the mud-brown flowing Nile.
Her father’s redness shrank to a spot on each cheek. The rest of his face and body was pale and sweating. “What’s wrong?” Nephoris asked. “It fell where it was supposed to. It saved you the work!”
“We’ll never get it out,” her father whispered as the men of the Boat Gang panted and wheezed up to their side.
“Why would you want to get it out?” Nephoris asked, puzzled.
Yenini looked at her with haunted eyes. “Because little Antef is
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