Ch5-Valley of the Queens

CHAPTER FIVE Valley of the Queens "Miss Nightingale, your donkey!" Ali called out. The small boy stood with a donkey and a larger packhorse. "How lovely to see you, Ali," said Florence.

Mustafa stepped into the shallow water and pulled the rowboat onto the bank. He then helped everyone out of the boat. Jack and Annie stood with Koku and watched Florence mount the donkey. Mustafa climbed onto his packhorse. Jack felt helpless. He didn't know how to stop Florence from leaving them. "Have a nice afternoon," said Annie. Florence looked back at them. "I hope you have a nice afternoon, too," she said. "I would ask you to join me, but I am… well, I'm afraid I need a bit of quiet and solitude right now." "We understand," said Annie. "Thank you," said Florence. She turned back to the guide. "Lead the way, Mustafa." Mustafa and his horse headed away from the river. Florence followed on her donkey. Jack, Annie, and Koku watched as they headed up the dirt road toward the distant mountains. Soon they disappeared from view. "Darn," breathed Annie. "Yeah," said Jack. "Donkeys for you, too?" Ali asked, coming up behind them. "You can travel to the ruins without

a guide, you know." Annie looked at Jack. "Want to?" she asked. "How do we get to the Valley of the Queens?" Jack asked Ali. "Very easy." The boy pointed to the road. "Travel the same way they went," he said. "Follow that road and never turn." "That sounds simple," said Annie. "Let's go." "Wait," said Jack. He took all of his Egyptian coins from his pouch and showed them to Ali. "Do we have enough to rent two donkeys?" "Oh, yes!" Ali took only one coin. "Good for two donkeys all afternoon," he said. "Okay, we'll do it," said Jack. "Yay!" said Annie. "Good. I will get them for you," said Ali. He headed to the donkeys standing under the trees. "I wonder if there's anything we need to know about riding donkeys," said Jack. He opened their travelers' handbook again and looked up donkey. He read aloud: Donkeys were first trained to carry travelers over 6,000 years ago in Egypt.

The animals are easy to ride. But the traveler must approach them slowly and treat them with kindness and affection. "Easy!" said Annie. "That's the way I always treat animals." HEE-HAW! "Here they are!" said Ali, leading two donkeys toward Jack and Annie. Both donkeys were sandy brown with sweet faces. Their saddles were blankets made of heavy cloth. Their long, furry ears twitched to keep the flies away. "Hello there!" Annie said to one of the donkeys. "You have ears like a rabbit. Can I call you Bunny?" "Oh, brother," said Jack. "Talk to yours, too," Annie coached Jack. "Call her a sweet name. Kindness and affection, remember?" Jack rolled his eyes and scratched the ears of the other donkey. "Hi… um… Honey. Want to go for a ride?" he said. The donkey nuzzled her head against Jack's hand.

Ali laughed. "I think my donkeys like you very much," he said. Holding Koku, Annie climbed onto the back of Bunny, while Jack climbed onto Honey. "You must take water," said Ali. He tied tin canteens to the donkeys' saddles. "Come back by sundown. There is danger in the hills after dark." "Like what kind of danger?" asked Jack. "Wild jackals, tomb raiders," said Ali. "Got it," said Jack. "We'll be back before dark," said Annie. "Way before dark," said Jack. "Good-bye, Ali. Thank you!" said Annie. "Giddyup, Bunny!" She led the way with Koku on her shoulder. "Follow them, Honey, please," said Jack. The two donkeys left the lush riverbank and trotted up the same road that Mustafa and Florence had traveled. "Our donkeys remind me of the camels we rode to Baghdad!" Annie called back to Jack. "Remember Beauty and Cutie?" "Oh, brother," said Jack. The camels had nearly ruined their mission.

Bunny and Honey trotted past cornfields, palm trees, sheep, goats, mud huts, and children playing in the dirt. When the children saw Jack and Annie, they laughed and pointed at the baboon riding on Annie's shoulder. Soon the dirt road opened onto a wider, rougher road that crossed a flat plain. The plain was bordered by the sand-colored mountains. Hot breezes blew clouds of dust as the donkeys clomped side by side over the dry, cracked earth. Through the gritty haze, Jack could see ruins scattered about the plain—broken columns and chunks of ancient walls half buried in sand. "Look!" said Annie.