Gary Gygax - Dangerous Journeys 1 - Anubis Murders Read Online Free PDF Page A

The wizard-priest was addicted to solving mysteries, especially puzzles which involved crime.
    Thus, each place he and the girl went was one which offered some unusual bit of lore. Inhetep's reputation as an arch-dweomercraefter who solved crimes, uncovered spies, and brought criminals to justice, always preceded him. That was sufficient to guarantee that the /Egyptian was called upon to serve in such capacity wherever he and the girl happened to go. Five years of traveling from city to city, twice that number of detection commissions, and now at last a real holiday. Here in Valencia there was neither serious arcane knowledge to be found nor latent mystery. This was fun, relaxation, escape. ... In a short time, they would take a ship for Cadiz where certain ancient parchments were rumored to be held in a secret collection. Then it was on to Atlantl, a place of renown which Inhetep and all ^Egyptians held in honor, despite the degeneracy and dissolution which had overtaken the once-great kingdom. Whatever came thereafter was up in the air, so to speak.
    Perhaps it would be portentous to go on to the western continents; perhaps the time would be ripe for a visit to Hind and the far Orient. . . .
    Lemuria? No, he had no desire to see that great island in the Titanic Ocean, for the ways of its people and their magickal pursuits were totally alien to even the cosmopolitan priest-mage. Setne caught himself there. Only a week of idleness on the seashore in southeastern Iberia, a time of relaxation with his trusted friend and confidante, someone almost his daughter—no, more— but better not to dwell on that! How refreshing to be housed in a charming villa, to see the mountains, orange groves, the sea, the quaint town of Valentia, to receive invitations from all the nobility and wealthy citizens of the area. What more could he ask?
    "A whole lot," Setne said aloud, as he turned and strolled toward the nearby garden. "I must admit it. I am bored silly."
    „ Just then Carlos emerged from the villa. He spied Inhetep and flapped his arms as he ran up to the Egyptian. "Save us, save us, lord! You know magicks. Save us!" the tubby little fellow gasped.
    "Whatever are you dithering about?" Inhetep snapped, irritated at being disturbed from his reverie. "Speak more distinctly," he ordered, for despite a fair grasp of Iberian, Carlos was chattering in a nearly unintelligible fashion. He repeated his words, and Setne reassured him, "I am passing able to direct the unseen powers, but just what is it you want to be saved from?"
    "My cousin, Paulao, the one who is the coral
    dealer in Valentia, a very prosperous and honorable man," the flustered servant explained carefully. "It is he who warned me, and I, in turn, now alert you to the danger!"
    Inhetep exercised his will and remained calmly patient. "Just what danger?"
    "The three men, lordship. The three men!"
    "You must have some more specific information than that, Carlos."
    "Ah, but of course. My cousin described them as great, tall—almost as tall as you from the way he described them."
    "And?"
    "And these three tall men, men as gaunt as death itself, Paulao told me, were just in Valentia inquiring about you!"
    Setne was mildly interested now. "They asked for me by name?"
    "Well, that I do not know, because my cousin said only that they were directed to this villa by an old busybody, who overheard them asking about a shaven-headed priest and offered them information as to where such a person could be found for their money. She is certainly a witch," Carlos reported with satisfaction.
    "She did what?"
    "Why, she took their coins, surely, then told them how to find this villa!"
    "This is intriguing," Inhetep said, pondering the question of who might be seeking him out here in this backwater. "What threats did they make?"
    The small man's eyes grew large at that. "Ah, venerable Magister, who knows what horrible things lurk in the hearts of foreigners—yourself excluded, naturally, magickal