Valley of the Kings Read Online Free PDF Page A

English.”
    â€œLet me see the lion again.”
    â€œOh, no.” The lion vanished inside the old man’s loose, sashed gown. “Get the Bey and come with us.”
    I stared at them, warm with excitement. There was something wrong in this, but the lion looked authentic. Irresolute, I tried to make out their features, and they retreated from the swinging light of the lantern.
    Out across the marsh a bird shrieked, and the wind rose, as if answering, a cool tingle along my neck and cheek. I made up my mind.
    â€œWait here.”
    They shifted together in the dark. I went back past my tent to Carnarvon’s.
    The Earl’s tent was large enough for some stout furniture; Carnarvon was sitting in a stuffed armchair, and his wife across from him in a chair without arms. On the table between them was a litter of playing cards. Evelyn sat cross-legged on the floor; the maid was dozing in the back of the tent, beyond the light thrown by the lantern suspended over the table. As I entered, Carnarvon was saying, “ And the ten of diamonds and the two of spades!” He tossed down cards as he spoke. His wife wailed; obviously he had won, although I had no idea what they were playing. Carnarvon looked up at me.
    â€œExcuse me, sir,” I said. “May I talk to you a moment?”
    His eyes sharpened. “Yes, of course.”
    â€œIt is rather late,” said Lady Carnarvon. “Can’t it wait until the morning?”
    â€œPlay solitaire,” Carnarvon said to her.
    â€œBut such a bore!”
    He was already leading me out of the tent. In the dark, we walked off a few strides, out of the hearing of his wife, and I nodded to the old man and his entourage, waiting in the darkness by the head of the marsh.
    â€œThey have something they want to show us. Now. They want money. But it seems off true to me.”
    He gave the little group of Egyptians a searching glance and turned the same keen look on me. “How? What did they say?”
    â€œThey showed me an artifact that has Tutankhamun’s reign name on it. It looks like the goods, but there’s something…” I shook my head. “Of course, there are many reasons why they’d insist on going at night. But it feels off, somehow.”
    â€œMarvelous instincts. I used to feel I’d die young.” He glanced at the Egyptians again. “Are we to go alone, naturally?”
    I nodded. “They want one hundred shillings.”
    â€œWait here a moment,” he said, and went back into his tent.
    I raised my hand to the old man waiting at the marsh, to tell him that we were progressing. Inside his tent, Carnarvon and his wife had a brief discussion ending in a cry of dismay from the Countess. Through the tent canvas their shadows could be seen, and I watched them keenly; Carnarvon might be doing something foolish: for example, having us followed. I hoped he wasn’t having us followed. He reappeared, smiling, his hands in the pockets of his jacket, and Evelyn behind him in the doorway calling, “May I come?”
    â€œNo,” he said, over his shoulder. Without pausing, he walked on by me toward the Egyptians. I followed him, catching up with him as we joined the old man.
    â€œTell them that I have the money,” Carnarvon said calmly, “but I won’t pay them until we see whatever it is they have to show us.”
    The old man agreed to that without a murmur of protest. I could see Lady Carnarvon watching us from the doorway of the tent. We all set off together, going across the marsh.
    The old man led us on a path that skirted a brackish pool rimmed in rushes sharp as daggers. The peeping of frogs sounded ahead of us but ceased at the sound of our approach. Shortly after we left the camp, one of the old man’s followers slipped unobtrusively behind us. I did not glance behind me to see where he was going. He would stay on the path to warn the old man if we were followed. Carnarvon