4 The secret code

Chapter Four THE SECRET CODE. Gustavo and Kiki hurried back toward the pyramids. Gustavo gazed up at the largest one and thought of the incredible treasures hidden inside it. He and Kiki were the only ones who could stop Nebet and her gang from stealing them all. It seemed impossible.

"How do we even begin to stop the robbers?" he wondered. "We need help," Kiki said. "Let's ask the Secret Explorers!" They headed toward the Nile. Gustavo caught the scent of honey as they passed a line of donkeys laden with jars. They ran down the riverbank to the Beagle and jumped on board. As their feet hit the deck, the Beagle beeped. BIP-BIP-BIP-BIP! BIP-BIP! Gustavo laughed. "We're pleased to see you, too!"

Kiki opened the box that held the communications equipment. As the screen burst into life, she spoke into the mic. "The Beagle to Exploration Station. Can you hear us?" "Exploration Station to the Beagle. Tamiko here. Sending visual." The screen flickered and all the Secret Explorers appeared on it.

The sight of their friends immediately made Gustavo feel more hopeful. He quickly explained what had happened. "So to save the museum, we must stop the robbers and make sure no one steals Khufu's treasures," he finished. "Leah's calling up some pyramid info on her computer," said Cheng. A moment later, Leah said, "The pyramid has got a few tunnels inside of it. Some of them were possibly built to confuse robbers." Gustavo nodded. "I remember reading about that. When a pyramid is finished being built, the builders block them off with rubble," he said. "That's to stop robbers getting in." "I know!" said Connor. "Could you use rubble to seal up the treasure chamber?" "That would work!" said Gustavo. Kiki broke in. "We could stick the rubble

together with the mortar the builders use," she said. "If we build a wall across the treasure chamber entrance, the tomb will be safe." "Great idea!" said Ollie. "But how are you going to get inside the pyramid? The entrance is secret, isn't it?" Everybody at the Exploration Station turned to their computers, searching for a solution to the problem. "Hold on," Gustavo said slowly. "You know that papyrus the gang stole? The one

with the directions to the secret entrance? I think I remember the hieroglyphs on it. If we can figure out what the code is…" "Describe them," said Tamiko. "We'll look them up and translate." "The first one's easy—that was the Sphinx," said Gustavo. "Then it was a sky with a star hanging from it..." Tamiko's keyboard clacked. "That must mean sunset," she said. "Then a pair of legs," Gustavo continued. "Then a… squiggly thing…" "Like a question mark," Kiki chimed in, "but the wrong way around."