Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11 "I thought it was Nefertiti," Amy said, trying to stall. Theo shook his head. "Different queen. Queen Nefertari, favorite wife of Ramses the Second. He ruled Egypt for sixty-six years during the Nineteenth Dynasty, New Kingdom, 1279 to 1213 BC." Dan sighed. Everywhere they went, it seemed, he got a lecture. "Nefertari's tomb wasn't discovered until 1904 by the Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli. It was closed for a long time— about thirty years— because the wall paintings are so vulnerable. It was carved out of limestone and the reliefs were damaged by water, humidity, and salt. Then it underwent a massive conservation effort back in

the early nineties. Now it's regarded as the most beautiful tomb in all Egypt." "But I don't understand," Hilary said. "You can't take anything out of the tomb. Why do you have a map of it?" "It's hard to explain," Amy said. "There might be a message there for us." "I see," Hilary said, even though she clearly didn't. "A kind of game?" "Exactly," Amy said. "A sort of scavenger hunt." "Wacky family, huh?" Dan said. "Well, you could have a problem," Theo said. "The paintings are still so fragile that they limit access to the tomb. Very difficult to get in and have a look. I might be able to blag my way in…." "Why don't you let Theo be your guide down to Luxor?" Hilary suggested. "My doctor has forbidden me to travel— he's such a fussbudget, I'm only seventy-nine— but Theo will be a perfect guide. He's led tours down to Luxor many times. He knows every inch of the valley. Let us help you, my dears. For Grace. I could do nothing for her in her final illness. Let me do this. I'll ring

and make the plane reservations right now." Dan nodded. "All right," Amy said. Hilary looked at the Sakhet. "I have a suggestion, dears. Now that you found your note, you might want to put her back in the bank. She's too valuable to tote in your luggage. I'd be happy to do that for you." Amy reached for the Sakhet. She wrapped the statue back in the soft linen. She zipped open her waist pack. The Sakhet fit perfectly inside. "Thanks, anyway. I'll keep her with me." Hilary was probably right, but somehow Amy couldn't let go of the statue Grace had wanted them to have, not even for a day. There was so little she had left. The jade necklace, and now this. Grace had reached out and sent them something. She didn't understand where Grace was leading them or why, but she wasn't about to let it go. The sun had barely risen when Hilary knocked softly at their doors. They ate a hasty breakfast and Hilary gave them another hair-raising ride to the airport. She offered to watch Saladin while

they were gone. "Don't fret a bit, ducks," she said as Saladin hissed at her. "I love felines. We'll get along just fine." The airport terminal was hot and crowded. They stood in line, waiting for their boarding passes. The flight to Luxor was a little over an hour. They would be there mid-morning if it left on time. Amy felt like the crowds were pressing in on her, making it hard to breathe. So many people pushing their way to ticket counters and gates. She clutched Grace's guidebook. She'd looked through it last night before going to sleep. It was clear that Grace had used the book on many trips to Egypt. Amy could tell from the different inks Grace had used. She'd dated her trips on the inside cover, from the 1960s through the 1990s. Most of the entries were about cafés she'd liked, or the names of drivers she'd used. Many of them had been crossed out. Amy wondered why Grace hadn't just bought another guidebook. Anyway, there was no message in the margin like, Here's where you'll find Katherine's Clue!

There had been one ink color that looked fresher. She'd looked inside the cover but it wasn't dated like the others were. Amy had thumbed through the book until the type had blurred, looking for notations in that light blue ink. She'd fallen asleep with the book next to her on the pillow. Theo led them to their gate. They stood to the side, watching passengers disembark from a flight from Rome. Suddenly, they heard a commotion. "Yo, my man. In the usual, I get an escort off the plane. The fans, they have a tendency to adore the Wizard. They spread the love, and it can get just a little too real, you know what I'm saying?" Dan groaned. "Oh, no." Amy pulled him behind a pillar and gestured frantically at Nellie. Theo followed them curiously. They peeked around the pillar. Jonah Wizard stood with his father and a tall woman in a uniform, part of airport personnel. "Check out that mob," Jonah Wizard said.

"Those are the passengers awaiting the next flight," the woman said. They could hear the clank of Jonah's gold chains as he turned back to the attendant. "Solid. We've got some lead time. But as soon as I step foot out there, there's going to be pandemonium a-go-go. Fo' shizzle." "A go… fosh… Excuse me, sir?" "I'll be calling your superior about the lack of crowd control," Mr. Wizard said. "And I can't access my BlackBerry!" "Do you know that young gentleman?" Theo asked in a low voice. "I wouldn't throw the term gentleman around," Dan said. "It might hit him and some manners might stick." "Don't you know him?" Amy asked. "He's a huge star in the US." At Theo's blank look, Nellie said, "You know, 'Get Your Groove Pants On'? 'Turn Back the Feet of Time'? 'You Makes My Funk Go Fresh'?" "Are you speaking English?" Theo asked.