The Servants of Egypt

Chapter Nine

Olivia and Jim decided to spend the day in the Valley of the Kings, rather than just sit around the hotel waiting for afternoon to arrive. They purchased tickets at the ferry landing by the Old Winter Palace. This was confusing. Tickets were sold separately for each of the different groups of tombs and they were good for that day only. Jim and Olivia were warned that there would be no refunds if the tickets were not used. Tuthankhamen's tomb, to complicate things, required a separate ticket. Jim juggled his Muggle money and the tickets until he thought he had covered every possible eventuality.

The Valley of the Kings was an isolated place surrounded by hills. They arrived with a group of tourists about 8:00 in the morning, Jim was surprised to see so many people braving the high heat, and he was glad that they had brought plenty of water with them. On the ride out to the Valley, Olivia had read to Jim from her guidebook to stave off nervousness.

"That mountain that overlooks the valley is considered the domain of the goddess Meretseger. Her name means 'she-who-loves-the-silence' and during the New Kingdom, she was honored as the one who punished criminals. This valley began as a burial site because the sun sets in the west, and is reborn the next morning. The tombs were built here so that the dead could be buried in the west to prepare for their rebirth. The cult of Meretseger fell out of use after burials stopped here."

"You sound like my mother," Jim said with a sigh.

"Is that bad?" Olivia looked up from her guidebook with a worried expression.

"No, my love." Jim slipped a comforting arm around her shoulder, and stared out over the desert hills.

When they got past the checkpoint, they noted the location of the tomb of Ramses VII, but they did not approach it. They went to one of the more popular tombs, the tomb of Ramses IX, which was the first easily accessible tomb in the valley. It had never been completed, but they looked at the four-pillared false burial chamber.

Next to the tomb of Ramses IX, they passed the mysterious and inaccessible "Tomb 55". Theodore Davis had excavated it in 1907, and Jim had seen some of the contents in the Cairo Museum. The skeleton that had been discovered inside it had been attributed at different times to Akhenaten, Queen Tiye, and to Smenkhare.

Smenkhare had once been believed the brother of Akhenaten, but later scholars had considered the possibility that it had been a false name used by his queen, Nefertiti. The possibility that Akhenaten's co-regent had changed her name to try to become his successor had not been ruled out. The tomb was definitely a reburial, at any rate. One theory that Jim did not accept was the theory that it had been the tomb of Akhenaten's second wife, Kiya. This was something Jim's mother had taken a keen interest in, since Kiya was one of her favorite queens.

Luna had always been convinced that the body of Kiya had been taken away and hidden elsewhere after the failure of Akhenaten's new religion. Perhaps someday Queen Kiya would still be found. Jim was still rather disappointed, though, that this mysterious tomb was not open to the public.

Directly opposite the puzzling Tomb 55 was the entrance to the tomb of Tuthankhamen. This tomb had clearly not been built for a king. At the sudden death of the young king, it seemed clear that some high-ranking official's tomb had been converted in a hurry to serve as a final resting place for the young monarch.

Jim and Olivia were both amazed that all of Tut's burial furniture had ever been crammed into the small chambers. For one thing, the four golden shrines in the burial chamber had been found put in the wrong way round. Jim and Olivia had an amusing time speculating on what the meticulous Egyptian workmen had said upon being ordered, by royal decree, to assemble them in less than half the space they had been designed to occupy. They agreed that the language used by the workmen while sawing the royal chariots in half to get them into the narrow chamber where they had been found must have been quite eloquent in itself.

Tut's tomb had been concealed for many centuries beneath the huts of the workmen who had cut the tomb of Ramses VI. This turned out to be one of the largest tombs in the valley, and was decorated throughout with scenes from the book of the underworld.

They also stopped in at the tomb of Merneptah. His tomb was badly damaged, but the massive corridor and huge burial chamber made it worth visiting. They had wanted to see the tomb of Seti I, another elaborate tomb, but it had been closed because of rock falls and a lack of ventilation. The condensation produced by years of visitors had damaged the decorations, and attempts were underway to conserve it.

One of the earliest tombs open to the public was the tomb of Thutmose III, situated at the end of one of the southern wadis. It was the furthest tomb from the main gate. Climbing a modern staircase, and passing through a short ravine, Jim and Olivia entered to find one of the loveliest burial chambers in the valley. The decorations were simple and elegant.

Amenhotep II also had a lovely burial chamber, rectangular in shape. The tomb had not been completed, and it was interesting to see how the drawings had been inked out in anticipation of being painted. Looking carefully, Jim and Olivia even found some of the grid lines used in the layout.

They made one last stop, at the tomb of Sethnakht, a grand ruin, before going back to the café at the entrance to the valley for something to eat before meeting their mysterious contact. When it was time at last to go to the meeting, they were both very nervous. Looking at the tombs had kept them from thinking too much about their true reason for being in the Valley of the Kings, but now they were both bundles of raw nerves.

As they approached the tomb of Ramses VII, they saw his names above the outer door, displayed with a scabbard and disc. A man appeared in the doorway. He had dark eyes, and was wearing a black burnoose.

"Miss Malfoy?"

"Yes?"

"You are on time. Good! Good! My name is Ahmed Al-Awenet." He bowed slightly, then looked at Jim. "Is your companion trustworthy? The statues you are about to see are very valuable, and you must give me your word that you have not been in contact with the authorities."

"Jim is my...boyfriend," Olivia said, anxiety sweeping over her. "I assure you, he is not working for the Egyptian government."

"Very well. Please follow me."

They joined the tourists leaving the Valley, and Olivia and Jim glanced at each other. "The statues are not here in the Valley?" Olivia asked, tentatively.

Their guide looked back at them, startled. He replied in a low voice. "No. I will take you to them. They are somewhere else. It would have been too dangerous to have you come directly to them."

He led Jim and Olivia to a car, black, and Egyptian-built, which was old and covered with dents and scrapes. They got into the back seat together, and the anxiety they had felt approaching the tomb sharpened. They had not planned on being taken away like this, and Jim swore at himself for his stupidity. He had never considered this. They seemed to be driving in the direction of the Valley of the Queens.

* * *

Upon receiving Clark Croaker's message, Harry and Luna had decided to remain in Egypt. They got hold of Clark as soon as they could, and he told them about the message Olivia had received.

"I don't understand," Luna said trying to listen in to the conversation over Harry's shoulder, as he juggled the Muggle telephone. "How can Olivia expect to find Draco simply by finding the smuggling ring?"

"She thinks her father's disappearance is related to the black market," Croaker reminded Harry and Luna. "She's been trying for quite some time to get in on this route. She couldn't pass up a chance to actually meet with some of the people involved."

"I don't like this," Harry said, holding the phone out to his wife, as he reached for a cup of coffee on the table next to his bed. He downed it as if it were some kind of medicine he had to take.

Croaker heard him. "I don't either," Clark admitted, "and as soon as they get back, I'm going to see if I can figure where the statues are from what they are told."

"But you said they went to the Valley of the Kings, to a tomb to see the statues," Luna cried.

"I don't think they are going to see them today. I think they are just going to meet with whoever is controlling the flow of antiquities," Croaker said. "The statues won't be there. That's just not how it's done."

Harry and Luna spent a long, miserable day in Luxor, waiting for their son to get back from the Valley of the Kings. They went to tea in the Victorian Lounge at the Sofitel Winter Palace, but not even the rich, upholstered divans and armchairs or the tea in heavy silver pots could relax Harry. The pastries, sandwiches and fresh-baked scones were excellent, but he couldn't settle down. He kept checking every few minutes to see if Jim and Olivia had returned.

When they did not return, and did not contact Croaker that night as promised, Luna became as worried as Harry was. They had another conversation in the morning, and Croaker told them he was coming to Luxor to discuss the situation. They met at Harry and Luna's hotel.

"I am going to ask around the site and see if anyone remembers seeing the kids," said Croaker. "I hate to say it, but I think we should get in touch with Pansy. If she doesn't hear from Olivia, she'll probably be just as worried as we are. Maybe we should go check the room the kids were staying at the Winter Palace."

Depressed, Luna and Harry followed Clark Croaker to the Winter Palace. They found nothing out of the ordinary, but they used Olivia's eagle owl to send Pansy a message updating her on the situation. Harry and Luna spent a tense afternoon waiting for news.

When Clark Croaker returned, he told them that several people at the Valley of the Kings checkpoint remembered seeing Jim and Olivia, but no one knew where they had gone. The eagle owl returned with a message from Pansy, informing them that she was coming to Egypt. She asked if there was anything else she could do, and Croaker wrote back asking her to bring her Ushabti figure with her. She arrived that evening carrying the small box. Harry and Luna recognized her at once, and she them. She had not changed much. Luna immediately hugged her, and Pansy froze for a moment, then tentatively returned the other woman's embrace.

In Harry and Luna's room in the Hilton, they ordered dinner from room service and began to discuss the situation as they ate on the balcony.

"Do you think they found Draco? Could they be with him?" Pansy asked hopefully.

"If they are with him," Clark said, "then they are not at liberty to contact us. I think they would have if they could have. This does not look good."

"If they are together, then they have a better chance of escaping from whoever is holding them," Luna said firmly.

"If they are all still alive," Harry said hollowly, and the others winced as they looked at him.

"Let me see your Ushabti," Croaker said hastily, trying to change the subject. "I've never seen one animated, and they are at the center of all of this, after all."

Pansy opened the small box, and took out the small statue inside. She set it on the balcony floor. "Come, Shabti," Pansy said firmly.

As Harry, Luna and Clark watched ub astonishment, it changed from a statue into a girl about four feet tall, wearing a golden headdress, sandals, and a white linen kilt. The Ushabti had a very wooden look about it, stiff and unblinking, but in its ancient Egyptian dress, it had an oddly dignified air.

"Ee come," the Ushabti said, in an oddly accented voice.

"It speaks English?" Harry asked, astounded.

"Now she does," Pansy answered. "Not at first. It took awhile"

The Ushabti was looking out at the Egyptian landscape. "Ee come home?" It seemed to be very happy.

"You have come home," Pansy said gently. She looked over at Croaker. "I think she came from Egypt. From what she's told us, I don't think she came from a foreign museum."

The Ushabti looked at her. "Ee ahm oor sr'ant," it said bowing low. It looked around at the others. "Oo are theese? Where is m' master and the preencess?"

"They are lost," Pansy said sadly. "They are here somewhere in Egypt, but we don't know where. These are friends, Shabti. They want to help me find Draco and Olivia."

The Ushabti shook her small head. "Theere ees much ee do not oonderstand. May ee asyk of theese things?"

"Of course," Pansy answered. Clark Croaker was almost beside himself with excitement, but he held his tongue.

"How did m'master and m'preencess get lost?"

"They were trying to find the people who took you away from here in the first place," Pansy answered.

The Ushabti looked sad. "Ee do not oonderstand why ee was taken from the tomb of Mer-Nefat, that ee promeesed to serve. Theese people anger the gods. Ee know theese is not the Netherworld. It ees good to be able to speak at layst, but ee woold like to go back to my tomb to work. Yoor chambers are pleen and oogly. Master has no cohton and leenen for ee to wash, and no lapis and gold to protect. Ee am not rekooired here."

"Isis said the gods were angy," Luna said. "They feel this is a great wrong."

The Ushabit looked at Luna. "Oo speak to the Lady?"

"Yes," Luna said. "She is my friend. My son is also missing. He wears a necklace blessed by Isis. I hope she is keeping him safe"

"Then oo are my friend ahlso." The Ushabti paused. "Ee feels the Lady's necklace. Great power ees theere."

"Wait a minute," Croaker said excitedly. "If you can feel the power of Isis here, can you lead us to the boy that is wearing that necklace? He was last seen with your princess in the Valley of the Kings."

The Ushabti considered this for a few minutes, then nodded. "Ee is in the town conseecrated to Queen Ahmose-Nefertari. Oo take ee, and ee shows oo."

"Who the hell is Queen Ahmose-Nefertari?" Harry asked, frustrated. The Ushabti looked insulted but turned to look at Croaker when he replied.

"Queen Ahmose-Nefertari and her son, Amenhotep I were honored by the villagers of Deir-el-Medina. It's in a small valley beyond the Qurnet Murai hill. It's one of the few places where you can see houses that belonged to the ancient workmen who carved and decorated tombs. The cemetery is on the hill that surrounds the village. Only two of the tombs are usually accessible, but there are lots more. It would be a great place to keep something hidden." Croaker looked out off the balcony into the coming night. "I wouldn't recommend trying to go there tonight, though. We should try first thing in the morning."

Pansy nodded. "I will go stay in the kid's room, in case they come back. Otherwise I'll meet you here in the morning." She looked at the Ushabti. "Shabti, you'd better go away now. We need to think."

It nodded, and then it was once more a small doll sitting on the floor of the balcony.

"Well, that was weird," said Harry to Luna. She merely shrugged.

* * *

When the car finally stopped at the foot of a hill, Ahmed turned to them. "You will please leave your wands in the car."

"What?" They were both shocked.

"I know what you are," Ahmed said flatly, "but how do I know you will not curse me and take the Ushabti by force? It has happened before, to others. The wands will be quite safe here while we go to see the statues. I know you do not trust me, but how can you expect me to trust you?

Jim and Olivia looked at each other and shrugged. They could understand this muggle's reluctance to have them go to the Ushabti armed, but they did not want to leave their wands behind.

"This is the only condition I ask of this situation," Ahmed said coolly. "If you would prefer that I return you to Luxor now, please say so."

Jim and Olivia could not let this chance go by and reluctantly they set their wands on the seat of the car and left them. They began to follow a trail that led up into the hillside. They reached an iron gate, which Ahmed unlocked with a heavy set of keys. They passed the openings to several tombs. Ahmed finally led them inside one. It had a narrow corridor, and an antechamber painted with delightful scenes of ancient Egypt. Sitting on the floor of the antechamber, they saw a group of Ushabti figures.

"These are all glazed," Ahmed said. "I have some more in the next room. They are made of wood. Do you have a preference?"

"No," Olivia said, looking at the statues in awe. "Would you consider selling us the whole lot?"

Ahmed shrugged. "That would depend on the price. I can't take less than two hundred pounds apiece."

"I think the people I represent would be willing to go as high as one hundred and eighty," Olivia said, suspecting that Ahmed, like most dealers, did not really expect to get his initial price. "If that is acceptable, I can have the money on account within twenty-four hours. May I see the others?"

"Of course. This way, please." Ahmed pointed to a doorway, and Olivia went through it, with Jim following close behind her, holding onto her elbow. As she went through the doorway into a darkened gallery, Olivia's delicate features twisted in pain and confusion as Jim was suddenly thrust forward knocking her sideways. Not comprehending what was happening, she began to fall into darkness.

When the darkness receded, she was lying on a sandy floor, and a pale face was floating above her.

"Daddy?"

"Princess, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you." Olivia rubbed her shoulder, which ached,.

"Who's that?" Draco pointed, and Olivia looked across the room to see a dark-haired figure lying face down on the ground.

"Jim! Oh, no! Jim!" Olivia crawled across the floor and struggled to flip him over.

"Wait," her father commanded, and taking the unconscious man by the shoulder, he turned him over easily. Seeing the younger man's face, Draco gasped in shock. "What the hell?"