Four Ways to Pharaoh Khufu (17 page)

Michael took this moment to break the contemplative silence, “Is there anything else you can tell from the pencil rubbing?”

“Unfortunately, that’s all I can tell you at the moment.” David peered at the papyrus once more. “Actually, if you look here along the bottom, it appears that you can almost see the beginning of another diagram. So, if you were to find the other part of the pencil rubbing or, even better, the original surface from which it was made, it would bring more to light.”

“Do you think my father made this?” asked Anna.

David shrugged. “No way to know at this moment, but I can tell you one thing, if this artifact really exists, then it would be the most sacred artifact to ever exist. It shows Pharaoh Khufu’s transition into the afterlife.”

“Could it be a stele?” Michael asked.

David gasped, “Sure, it could be a stele. The size and shape would definitely correspond.”

“What is a stele?” asked Anna, perplexed.

David gave Michael an inquisitive look, “But how did you know?”

“Just an educated guess,” Michael replied calmly.

“Well, if you happen to find it, please show it to me. It would be the find of the millennium!”

“We sure will,” replied Anna, collecting the papyruses.

“Wait,” David said, picking up the papyrus with the etching on the back. “Would you mind if I got a copy of this? I would love to take a longer look at it.”

“Certainly,” Anna agreed.

“Thank you! This is very exciting!” David hastily opened his office door and walked over to a copier, carefully placing the papyrus on the glass.

David’s secretary suddenly appeared from around the corner. When she saw him, her eyes widened, and she started scolding him in German.

“I’m sorry,” he looked apologetically at Anna and Michael, “but I need to run.” He pulled out a business card from a holder on his secretary’s desk, writing something on the back. He handed it to Anna, along with the papyrus. “If you need anything, here’s my cell phone number.”

Grabbing the copy of the papyrus, he strode quickly into his office, hastily scooping up some files from his desk. Putting his arm around Anna in a fatherly manner he said, “Please, again, accept my deepest condolences.”

Anna quietly responded, “Thanks,” giving David a hug. Meanwhile, Michael retrieved the papyrus from the copier, put it with the others inside the bag and tucked it back inside his jacket. “David, who are the Medjay?” Anna asked quickly.

“The Medjay?” David looked at her curiously, “They were a group of elite warriors in ancient Egypt, guardians sworn to protect the pharaoh’s tombs and temples.”

“Do they still exist?”

“I believe so,” David said, slowly walking away from them. “I’ve heard stories that they still exist today,” he paused. “Why do you ask?”

“I believe I met one today.”

David and Michael stared at her in bewilderment.

“I’m sorry, I’m late for this teleconference,” David starting jogging away, “but please call me.” He disappeared around the corner.

“Michael, what’s a stele?” Anna asked again as they walked back to the staircase leading down to the lobby, “Do you happen to have a PhD in Egyptology that I don’t know about?”

“What do you mean, you know a Medjay?”

Anna chuckled. “Well, oddly enough, you know him as well.”

He stopped, looking at her strangely.

“The tribesman.”

Michael’s eyes opened wide. “He’s a Medjay?”

Anna nodded, “I had forgotten that part. Do you know much about them?”

“Oh, man,” he paused heavily, “we’re screwed.”

“Not yet. We’ve got something he wants. As long we keep it with us, we’re guaranteed he won’t touch us,” she said, attempting to be reassuring. “Now, tell me about this stele.”

“Well, it’s a bit like a tombstone. It’s made of stone or wood and has a message carved or painted onto it. In ancient times it was used to give laws or a message.” Michael paused, “There is something you should know.”

“What do you mean?”

Gravely he put his hand on her arm, causing her to stop and look up at him. He leaned toward her, speaking softly, “Your father is accused of stealing something in Egypt. That
something
is an ancient stele.”

Anna stared at him.

“The Police Inspector in Cairo told me.” He sighed deeply, “But I don’t believe it and that’s why I’m here.” Astounded, Anna stood shock still, her mind racing.

Chapter 24

German Archaeological Institute, Berlin, Germany

Thursday, September 21

1:37 p.m.

“H
ow did they find us?” Anna asked, stunned to find herself hiding behind a column
.
Anna and Michael had just left the building and were discussing their lunch plans when Michael shoved her behind a column without warning. He crouched behind her.

“Shush!” he commanded, discreetly pointing at the menacing, black Volvo parked a few lengths down their side of the street. Noticing the car’s open windows, Michael was afraid that any noise would alert the driver.

Anna murmured, “Do you really think it’s them?”

“It looks a lot like the Volvo from this morning.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Anna was squinting her eyes, trying to see into the vehicle. “I see Seth behind the wheel,” she sighed deeply. “So, it means the person in the back seat is the Medjay.” She shook her head, “I can’t believe they found us.”

“Well, the stakes are high. We are talking about a missing, priceless ancient stele,” he glanced at Anna. “They’re getting desperate and think we know where to find their stele.”

“But we don’t know or have anything. All we have is a cheap, imitation papyrus with a pencil rubbing,” she replied despairingly.

“Well, there may be more to that pencil rubbing than we know. I think the best thing is to not to let them get their hands on it.”

“Good. So, how do we get away from here without them seeing us?”

“As long as they think we are still inside this building, I don’t think they will move from their spot.”

“Are you proposing we wait here until the end of the day?” she looked at Michael, sincerely hoping this was not his plan.

“Well,” Michael had been pondering this thought. They needed to evade the enemy in an urban setting. “If we can’t get past them in the open, then we need to make a visual shield in order to evade them.”

Anna looked at him, stunned. “What? How?”

“Do you know the phone number for the fire department?”

“One-one-two.”

“Excellent!” Michael exclaimed.

“Hey! I’ve got a better idea,” she said, an evil grin suddenly appearing on her beautiful face.

“What are you doing?” he whispered as Anna crept back inside the DAI. Moments later he jumped as a thundering alarm blasted from the inside the building. He had his answer
.
He watched from his hiding place as Seth’s head moved back and forth, looking around. Within moments DAI employees were swarming through the front door, scurrying through the columned walkway and flooding the adjoining streets. Sure enough, Berlin’s fire trucks and ambulances were quickly approaching the building with their distinctive, two tone signal.

A police car screeched to a stop in front of the building, the officers jumping out to direct the employees and street traffic. Michael could not help laughing as the police officers ordered Seth to move his Volvo out of the way. As the fire trucks and ambulances filled the street, the Volvo crawled away from the scene. Anna appeared at his side. “They made them leave!” he whispered with a grin. They eagerly joined the crowd and started briskly walking down the street in the opposite direction. Merging with the crowd, they walked along the street while trying to inconspicuously look around from time to time. There was no sign of the black Volvo.

The clouds gathered again in the grey sky, and soon the first drops of rain started sprinkling. Umbrellas started popping up, and in that sea of umbrellas, Michael and Anna felt as if they were virtually invisible.

Or so they thought.

The street suddenly ended, so they turned left onto Königin-Luise-Straβe. As they passed by an Italian restaurant, Michael turned slightly and whispered to Anna, “We need to eat, but I think we should put more space between us and Seth.” Anna nodded in agreement. They kept walking as the rain formed puddles on the wide sidewalk. They came up to a larger road where Michael pulled on Anna to hurry and cross the street with him. As they turned onto Englealee, the crowd and cars seemed to grow in strength, much to his relief. He knew their anonymity in the crowds was the key to their safety.

Their rain jacket hoods were up, so conversation, at least a private one, was simply out of the question. As they continued walking, Michael enjoyed the beautiful greenery found throughout Berlin. The trees glistened in the rain, making it hard to believe they were in the middle of a large city.

Michael soon realized the cleverness of walking away from the scene, rather than driving. They could turn at any corner, duck into any store and simply hide in entryways. Still, he could not help but marvel at Seth’s prowess in finding them. As soon as it seemed like they were lost in the city like two proverbial needles in a haystack, he showed up. Obviously, Seth and the Medjay were not alone in this quest for the stele.
There has to be a number of people involved in this,
he mused.

Soon the sidewalk narrowed and there seemed to be less people around them. Looking from side to side, Michael knew they needed to get to a more crowded area. At first he was tempted to escape into a small park nearby and walk amongst the trees and bushes. Then he realized the park was deserted in the rainstorm. There was no other choice but to keep walking.

After about five more minutes of walking, they reached a larger street intersection. Cars were zipping back and forth as they approached. The cars suddenly came to a stop in front of them, and he made a quick decision. Looking back at Anna, “Let’s go over there,” he urged. “There seem to be more people.” She responded by stepping up her pace and crossing the intersection well ahead of him. He followed her as she strode purposefully.

They fell in with another crowd of people. Soon the street split into two parts. Immediately, Michael felt safer as the traffic was now coming toward them. He knew they could duck into any store and make an escape if needed.

“We need to find a place to eat.”

He turned his head slightly and smiled at her, “The next place we see,” he promised. As it turned out, Santa Café was the next restaurant. As soon as he saw the word “café,” Michael started to head for the door. He took one last look behind him.
Nothing unusual
, he thought to himself.

“Taxi!” Anna exclaimed suddenly, grabbing Michael’s arm and leaping inside a taxi that had pulled over. Astonished by the unprecedented turn of the events, Michael understood the meaning of it the moment Anna pointed out a certain black Volvo passing by on the other side of the street. As the taxi took off, Anna directed the driver to quickly turn down an alley and go in the opposite direction.

As the taxi exited the alley, they slouched deep into their seats. They lifted their heads a little bit and observed some kids on their bicycles hurrying home to escape the raindrops, and two moms urgently trying to cover up their babies in their strollers. Everything seemed normal. Anna directed the cab driver to drive across the city so they could “see the sights.”

A little while later they relaxed and started enjoying their ride. They were laughing about the whole ordeal when the cab driver suddenly addressed them. “The driver says that vehicle is tailgating us,” announced Anna. Michael turned his head discretely and saw the black Volvo behind them. The face of a Middle Eastern man with distinctive, bushy Afro hair was most definitely looking back at him from the front passenger’s seat.

“I’m calling the police,” Anna said, looking through her purse for her cell phone.

Michael placed his hand on the top of hers, “We have nothing on them.”

“We can tell the police they are following us. Come on, it’s got to be something. We’re here in the civilized world, not in some tribal-land-wilderness-place,” she cried, losing her temper.

“Anna,” Michael tried to keep his cool, “if you call the police, the only crime those two would be guilty of right now is following too close.”

“Well, that’s good enough,” Anna approved. “This way, we can get away from them by the time the police finish issuing them a citation.”

“Unfortunately, they will not get a citation.”

“Ok, they’ll get arrested,” she said, her face brightening with enthusiasm. “Even better.”

“They will not get arrested,” Michael said, smirking.

Anna sighed deeply. “OK, so what do you suggest we do?”

He thought for a moment, “Tell the driver you are in the middle of a divorce and that your ex-husband is pursuing you.”

Anna frowned skeptically.

“Trust me,” he said firmly. “It will work.”

Anna shook her head but started speaking emphatically with the driver. The driver got a big grin on his face and started laughing. “He bought it,” she turned to Michael, trying hard to hold back her laughter as well.

The driver called out, “
Festha
lten
!”

Anna quickly interpreted by calling out, “Hang on!” as the cab suddenly lurched forward and accelerated, weaving through several lanes. Even though the driver expertly maneuvered between occupied lanes and sped through lights at the last possible moment, the black Volvo always appeared in the rear window. It seemed to always catch up, lurking behind them like a black panther tracking its prey. The cab driver sped the cab down alleyways and even over sidewalks in a valiant attempt to shake the black Volvo.

As the cab rapidly approached a busy intersection, Michael and Anna glanced at each other with visible horror. Anna screamed, “He’s not going to stop!”

“Brace yourself!” Michael bent his body forward, ducking his head low against the front seat. Anna followed his example. The roar of the engine filled their ears as the cab, now at a full speed, entered the intersection just as the light turned green. The driver laughed with bravado.

“The driver says the Volvo is a good distance away,” said Anna, sitting up.

Michael sighed deeply and groaned when he looked out the back window. “They can still see us! We aren’t out of danger yet!”

It was dusk outside. The cab driver looked back and started speaking again. After a short dialogue with the driver, Anna looked over at Michael and grinned, “Hey, it doesn’t matter at this point.”

“Why?” asked Michael.

“The cab driver grew up in this neighborhood,” she explained. Racing down the street at over a hundred kilometers per hour, the taxi stopped short in a T-intersection marked by the stop sign. Tires squealing, he made a sharp right onto a local street. Turning off his headlights, the driver drove in the semi-darkness through the neighborhood, solely relying on his childhood memories. When they passed a school, he turned into the schoolyard.

“This is his old school,” explained Anna as the driver raced through the schoolyard, turned left, drove between two buildings and then turned left again into a dark, inconspicuous nook next to the first building and a volleyball court. He parked his taxi, turned around and gave high five’s to Anna and Michael as they whooped and hollered. Besides a few spontaneous thunders and a bright lightning flash, everything was quiet in the vicinity.

They decided to wait before moving out of their hiding spot. As it turned out, the driver’s ex-wife had pulled the same stunt when they were getting divorced. It seemed as if divorce was like an invisible power, giving him an unusual burst of adrenaline. There was no other explanation as to how a sleepy cab driver could almost instantaneously become a Formula One auto racer. With a grin, Michael privately thought it would be a good idea to offer that notion to the Formula One committee. But then, in reality, it probably would not work out: before each race, the drivers would have to go through a bitter divorce.

They waited about thirty minutes and then asked their hero driver to drop them off at a good, local restaurant. They were sure to reward him generously for his brave and speedy driving.