The Curse Read Online Free PDF

the strict rules laid down by the Egyptian authorities were created.
    I think it would be more amazing if these men hadn’t succumbed to the temptation to see firsthand what was in the antechamber and beyond.
    Another important factor had to do with whether there was evidence that the tomb had ever been violated by looters in the past.
    The contract between seekers like Carter and Carnarvon and the Egyptian government had recently been changed. In the past, any antiquities found were divided equally between the people who discovered them and the government. However, the contract had been changed to include a clause that if a tomb was found completely intact, all of the antiquities would go to the government with some payment for the work done by the excavators.
    Carter put years of work into the excavations and Lord Carnarvon put the equivalent of millions of dollars into financing the projects, so no doubt they wanted to see if there was evidence of past entry by looters.
    However, the article focused on the fact that some of King Tut’s artifacts ended up in the hands of the men and some museums, inferring that they had been removed that night before they were officially cataloged.
    A number of museums today have items that are alleged to have come from the boy king’s treasures and Carter himself had items in his possession when he passed away in Britain years later.
    As for the museum pieces, although there were rumors that Carter provided some of them, it was also just as likely that pieces made their way out of the Egyptian Museum and into the black market for antiquities through theft. There were even allegations that Egypt’s King Farouk permitted some items to be taken, perhaps as a magnanimous gesture.
    My bottom-line feeling after reading the article was that not everything from the Tut collection rested in the Egyptian Museum.
    I picked up my cell phone and hesitated for a moment, staring at the phone number.
    Did I really want to get involved in a mystery in which a museum piece was stolen—again?
    I took a deep breath and dialed the number.
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    Death will slay with his wings whoever disturbs the peace of the pharaoh.
    â€”WARNING ON CLAY TABLET FOUND IN KING TUT’S ANTECHAMBER

7
    A man’s voice answered almost immediately, as if he had been waiting for my call.
    â€œThank you for calling, Miss Dupre.”
    â€œAnd you are?”
    â€œMy name is Dr. Mounir Kaseem. I was hoping that the picture would arouse your interest. I would very much like to meet with you and discuss utilizing your services.”
    His English sounded slightly British, but with a Middle Eastern inflection. I guessed he was Egyptian, not an unlikely combination considering many well-off Egyptians had been educated in Britain, not to mention that he’d dropped an article on Egyptology on me.
    Saying he wanted to hire me made him solid gold. As long as he paid, I didn’t care if he was a serial killer wanting me to keep tabs on his victims.
    Trying to keep the desperation out of my voice, I asked, “Is this about the Isis necklace? Has it been stolen?”
    â€œI wish to retain you for a related matter.”
    â€œWhat related matter?”
    â€œSomething I’d prefer to discuss in person with you. Would you mind joining me for lunch?”
    I let the request hang in the air for a moment as I pretended to mull over my busy schedule.
    â€œI might be able to do lunch. But I need to know a little more before I rearrange my schedule to meet with a new client. Who referred you to me? And what are we meeting about?”
    I was too proud to ask up-front, What’s in it for me?
    â€œI can’t tell you exactly who recommended you. I called the Egyptian department at the Met and asked for the names of top experts in the Eighteenth Dynasty era. I was given three names and chose to contact you after learning that you have experience in recovering looted artifacts.”
    I had