5 A risky plan

Chapter Five A RISKY PLAN Nebet scowled. "Why would you two want to help us? We know you're friends with the mummifier's grandson." She glanced down at the sack of mortar. "And what's that?" "Er…" said Gustavo. This isn't going well, he thought. To his relief, Kiki stepped in. "Remember

when you stole the papyrus?" asked Kiki. "Well, we were trying to steal it, too." "Yes, that's right!" said Gustavo. "And this sack of mortar is to… er… seal up the tomb. After we've stolen the treasures, of course." Kiki nodded. "Then no one will know they're gone. So that means no one will be looking for us robbers, right?" Nebet's cold eyes flickered from Gustavo to Kiki. Gustavo could see that she still hadn't made up her mind about them. His heart was pounding. We've got to convince her she

needs our help! "That guard was right," he said. "You and your gang could never squeeze past the rubble. But Kiki and I are much smaller. We can do it! All we want in return is a bit of the treasure. Deal?" Nebet frowned—and then a greedy grin spread over her face. "All right," she agreed. "Deal." Yuf and Bunefer cheered. "Yeah, yeah, yeah!" "But just a tiny bit of treasure—that's all you'll get," said Nebet. "And I'll be watching you. Make one wrong move…" "We won't," Gustavo said firmly. Yuf and Bunefer danced around each other. "Now we don't have to go into the scary pyramid," said Yuf. "These two kids can do it!"

"Silence!" ordered Nebet with a stare. They immediately fell quiet. Nebet reached into the folds of her shawl and drew out the stolen papyrus. She unrolled it. "Now we must find the entrance…" Nebet stared at the hieroglyph code, muttering to herself. Finally she said, "Stupid thing! It doesn't make any sense." Bunefer peered at it over her shoulder.

"You've probably got it upside down." Nebet turned the papyrus the other way up, then glared at Bunefer. "Silly fool! Whoever heard of a pyramid with the pointy part at the bottom!" "H-have you tried it sideways?" Yuf asked. Nebet closed her eyes. She looked as if she was about to bite Yuf's head off. "Let us try," Gustavo said quickly. Maybe Nebet and her gang can't read, he thought. He knew that only a small number of ancient Egyptians could. Nebet passed the papyrus to him. She crossed her arms and tapped her feet on the dusty ground while Gustavo and Kiki examined the hieroglyphs. Kiki whispered, "Can you remember what Tamiko said they meant?"

"I think so," said Gustavo. "Sphinx, sunset, walk one hundred paces, hippopotamus, crossed-out sunbeams, a person looking up, twenty." Kiki looked around. "Well, the Sphinx is behind us now. And it's sunset. Let's try walking a hundred paces." With the robber gang following, Gustavo and Kiki walked, counting as they went. "Ninety-eight… ninety-nine… onehundred," said Gustavo, stepping on to a low rock that was in his way. He glanced down at the