Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 Just thinking about seeing the mummy made George happy. He went down five flights of stairs to G deck and practically skipped along the long hallway toward the front of the ship. He ducked into doorways a few times to hide from the night stewards. But he had no trouble finding his way, not like Phoebe, who got lost walking from the dining room to the washroom. "Next time I'll leave a trail of bread crumbs, like Hansel and Gretel," she'd said, their first day on board. "How about lemon drops?" George had suggested. Phoebe had giggled.

The hold was in the very front of the ship, past the mail sorting room and the cabins where the stokers and firemen stayed. Too bad, George thought, that there wasn't time to sneak in and see the escape ladders. Luckily there were two more days at sea. George walked right through the doors of the first class baggage room and down a steep metal staircase that led to the hold. All around him were crates and trunks and bags neatly stacked on shelves and lined up on the floor. It took him a minute to figure out that everything was arranged in alphabetical order, by the owners' names, and a few minutes to find the Bs. And there it was, a plain wooden crate stamped with the words: MR. DAVID BURROWS NEW YORK CITY CONTENTS FRAGILE George smiled to himself. This was going to be easy.

He took out his knife and started to pry off the lid. He worked carefully, prying each nail loose so he'd be able to close the crate tight again when he was finished. He'd made it halfway around when he heard a strange sound. The hair on his arms prickled. It was the same feeling he'd had the night of the panther, that someone — or something — was watching him. George stared at the crate, his heart pounding.

And before he could even take a breath, something leaped out of the shadows and pushed him to the ground. George looked up, half expecting to see a mummy rising out of the crate, her arms reaching for George's throat. What he saw was almost as horrifying. It was a man with glittering blue eyes and a scar running down the side of his face. He grabbed George's knife out of his hand. The man was small, but very strong. "I'll take this," he said, admiring it. Then he looked George up and down. "So," the man said. "Trying to fill your pockets with some first class loot?" George realized he must be a robber. George had caught him in the act! "Uh, no, I'm The man pointed to George's boots. "Which trunk did you steal those from? Cost more than a third class ticket, I'd say." George shook his head. "I got them in London," he said, and too late realized he'd made a mistake.

"Ah, a prince from first class," the man said with a hearty laugh. "Just down here for a little thrill? What's your name?" "George," said George softly. "Prince George," the man said, bowing in a joking way. "A pity those boots wouldn't fit me," he added, standing up. "But you do have something I'd like. Your key. Always wanted to see one of those first class cabins." There was no way George could let this man up to the suite! He'd jump overboard before he let him near Aunt Daisy and Phoebe. "There's a mummy down here!" he blurted out. "It's worth millions! It's in that crate!" The man raised an eyebrow. George kept talking. "I thought I could sneak it off the ship and sell it in New York," George lied. "My father's business is bad. I thought if I could sell it The man looked at the crate. "I like the way you think," he said. He waved the knife at George and told him not to move. And then he quickly worked the knife

around the lid. Obviously he'd done this many times before. He lifted the lid off the crate. But before either of them could look inside, there was a tremendous rumbling noise, and the entire hold began to shake so hard that George almost fell. The shaking got stronger and stronger, the noise louder and louder, like thunder exploding all around them. A trunk tumbled off a shelf and hit the scar-faced man on the head. The knife clattered to the floor, but George didn't try to get it. Here was his chance to escape. He spun around, ran up the stairs, and darted out the door.