Theodosia & the Eyes of Horus (12 page)

128

so I could free up my hands. Finally, in desperation, I knocked with the toe of my boot. "Come in," Mother called out.

Gritting my teeth in embarrassment, I called back, "I can't. My hands are full." There was a low murmur of voices, and then Mum was at the door, apologizing. "I'm so sorry, darling! I forgot that you'd be carrying the tea. Here. Set it down on the table there in front of Mr. Bubu."

Carefully avoiding Awi's eyes, I set the tray down and tried my hardest not to feel like a scullery maid. However, if I had to play servant in order to stay and hear what they said, then so be it. I lifted the teapot and turned to ask Awi Bubu if he'd like sugar in his tea when Mother appeared at my side. "I'll pour, dear. You've already been helpful enough. You can run along and play now."

Play! When have I ever played, I'd like to know? My cheeks went hot with embarrassment at being dismissed like a child in front of Awi Bubu, but I ducked my head so Mother wouldn't see my annoyance, bobbed a curtsy, and said, "Yes, ma'am." I walked as slowly as I could in case they started to talk before I left the room.

They didn't, except to discuss how Awi Bubu would like his tea. Then I closed the door, and their voices were reduced to indistinguishable murmurs. Checking quickly to

129

be sure no one was in the hallway, I hurried into the next room, crossed over to the wall, and put my ear to it, hoping I would be able to hear something. "A glass works better."

I jumped at the voice behind me and turned to find Henry sitting on the couch reading a book. He closed it and stood up. "Who is it and why are you listening?"

"It's Mother talking to that strange magician. I wanted to hear what they said."

Henry nodded, went to the cupboard, and got down two glasses, then came to stand next to me. He handed me one of the glasses and put the open end of the other one to the wall. He leaned close so that his ear rested on the bottom part of the glass. "Go on," he said. "Try it. This is how we stay two steps ahead of the bullies at school."

Marveling at Henry's previously unknown skills, I put my ear to the glass on the wall, relieved when I could clearly hear Mum's and Awi's voices. "It works," I whispered to Henry.

"Told you," he whispered back, looking awfully pleased with himself. I ignored his smugness and settled in to listen.

"... said you worked at the Antiquities Service, Mr. Bubu?"

"That is so, madam. I trained under Auguste Mariette, then had occasion to work as an aide to Gaston Maspero when he took over."

130

"Excellent!" Mum said. "We were hoping you might be able to ...enlighten us on how best to persuade Maspero to grant additional firmins in the Valley of the Kings. He's given one fellow an exclusive commission to dig there and shut the rest of us out. Most frustrating."

"What does she want vermin for?" Henry whispered.

"Not vermin,
firmins"
I told him. "It's when permission is granted to excavate an archaeological site. Now, shh! I can't hear."

Awi Bubu murmured something sympathetic, then said, "Well, it has been a long time since he and I have worked together," he demurred.

"Yes, but since you did work for him, surely you have some insight to offer?"

"Perhaps if madam told me more about the work being done there, I could help devise a request that would carry some weight with Monsieur Maspero?"

"But of course." There was a pause, then a faint clink as she set down her teacup. "Very well. Back in 1898, when Monsieur Loretti was in charge of the Antiquities Service, we obtained permission to dig in the Valley. My husband and I discovered the tomb of Thutmose III. Unfortunately, as you no doubt know, Loretti took credit for many digs he never even visited."

"That has been said of him, yes," Awi agreed.

131

"Even so, we did manage to acquire a great deal of knowledge as well as several artifacts. Using that knowledge, Mr. Throckmorton developed a few additional theories, which I had occasion to test last year when I returned to the Valley."

"But didn't Mr. Davis still have the exclusive firmin for the Valley, even last year?"

"My, you do stay current on things, don't you? Yes. He did. But after a series of disappointing seasons, he had begun to feel that there was nothing left to be found and so agreed I could continue the work we'd started years ago."

"And were you successful?"

"Yes, beyond our wildest dreams." There was a pause, as if she were weighing her words. "We even found the Heart of Egypt."

There was a clunk as someone--Awi Bubu?--set down a teacup in a hurry. "The Heart of Egypt, madam? That was a find, indeed. And Maspero let you take it out of the country?"

"Yes, after some persuading from a very helpful colleague, a Count von Braggenschnott, of Germany. He stepped in and used his considerable influence to persuade Maspero to let me take it."

"May I see this Heart of Egypt?" There was an odd note in Awi Bubu's voice, something I couldn't quite pin down but that made me very uneasy, nevertheless.

132

"I'm afraid not. You see, it was stolen soon after we returned."

There was a long moment of silence before Awi Bubu continued. "That is a true tragedy, madam."

"Yes, well. In January, we made a quick trip back to Egypt when we heard that someone was trying to take over our tomb. However, we didn't have time to pursue the matter, as our son became quite ill and we had to return home at once. Our daughter, however--"

"The one I just met?"

"Yes, Theodosia. She was with us--it's rather a long story. But suffice it to say she was desperate to see where we'd been working and she sneaked into the Valley. Incredibly enough, during her explorations, she discovered a secret annex that we had missed."

"She has the makings of a good archaeologist already, then."

"Yes, she does, doesn't she? Anyway, we wish to go back and explore this annex in more depth, especially now that we've had a chance to decipher some of the tomb's writing. Their revelations are most ...interesting and we'd love to pursue the research further. However, Davis is refusing to let us back in now that we've actually found something worthwhile. I thought perhaps Maspero could be persuaded

133

to step in and allow us to continue our excavations, since we had originally discovered the tomb."

There was another long silence. "This is a most--how do you British say? Sticky wicket? I shall have to think on it and see what approach would be the best for you."

Mother clapped her hands together. "Then you will help us? Oh, lovely; I told Alistair you might be able to," Mother said.

"I shall do all that is in my power to help you, dear madam, not least because of your kindness when the police would have arrested me."

I felt a nudge in my ribs and looked away from the wall to find Henry smiling at me. "So that's what you did when you stowed away!"

"Shh! And yes, I ... I had to see what Mother had been working on." That was the best excuse I could give him, even though it was far from the truth.

I put my ear back to the glass in time to hear Mother and Awi exchanging goodbyes. They were in the hallway now, and I heard Awi say, "I will see myself out, madam."

"Thank you, Mr. Bubu. I cannot wait to tell my husband you've agreed to assist us. He will be most grateful. As am I." There was the faint rapid click of Mother's heels along the hall, then silence.

134

Should I follow the Egyptian? I would so love to know why he'd zeroed in on our museum, but I wasn't sure if it were wise to put myself in his path.

"Little Miss." Awi Bubu's voice at the door had me jumping away from the wall in surprise.

"I-I thought you were going to show yourself out," I stammered.

"I will. Once I have a word with you."

I glanced over at Henry, who was staring at the magician with his mouth agape.

"You would like to go get some fresh air outside," Awi Bubu gently suggested to Henry.

A look of surprise appeared on Henry's face. "Yes. I would, actually." He set his glass down, grabbed his jacket from the back of the couch, and disappeared out the door.

"Stop that!" I hissed in annoyance.

Awi Bubu held his arms out to his sides. "Stop what, Little Miss?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Are you a mesmerist? Is that how you get people to do what you want them to do?"

"Surely Little Miss is just imagining--"

"Little Miss is
not
imagining. Do not play me for a fool. I can tell when you do that trick."

"Really?" Awi cocked his head like a curious bird. "And how can Little Miss tell?"

135

How
could
I tell actually? I wasn't sure. I just ...could. Just as I could tell when an object was cursed. "I-I can feel it. Somehow."

Awi's eyebrows shot up. "Little Miss has the power to detect mesmerism? That is unusual indeed. Do her parents know she has this talent? I wonder."

Blast him! "No. They don't. Not that they'd care," I lied. "And quit talking
about me
instead of tome."

Awi Bubu folded his hands together and bowed, then he came more fully into the room, closed the door, and waved his hand over the knob in a strange gesture. "I will make Little Miss--you--a deal. If you will tell me why you ran away to visit your parents' excavation in the Valley of the Kings and how you came to find the new annex your mother spoke of, then I will
not
tell them you are having hallucinations about my powers, and yours."

I couldn't tell him that! Wigmere had sworn me to secrecy, and rightfully so. I would have to make something up. "I-I just wanted to see where my mother spent so much of her time." I threw a grain of truth his way to make my lie more believable. "Wh-what was so wretchedly interesting that it took her away from us for months on end."

Awi Bubu studied me, his face impassive. "Or could it be because Little Miss was returning the Heart of Egypt?"

I gasped. I shouldn't have, because it let him know he'd

136

guessed the truth, but I couldn't help it. "How--no! I was just--what makes you think the Heart of Egypt has been returned to the Valley of the Kings? Mum just said it had been stolen." The more time I spent with this Egyptian magician, the more confused I became. Who was he, and how did he know so beastly much?

"Even exiles have their ways of staying current on events in their native land."

"Yes, but it's not as if this sort of thing is reported in the newspaper, for heaven's sake."

"So you did return the heart to its tomb. Very commendable, Little Miss. But how, I wonder, did you know to do that?"

This man was dangerous. Oh, it wasn't his mesmerist tricks but the fact that he kept me so thoroughly off balance that I was unintentionally giving away vital secrets. "I have to go. I have lessons I must attend to."

"No one pays attention to your comings and goings, miss. No one is watching to see whether or not you do your lessons or wash your face or have proper supervision."

I gaped at him.

"Or else you wouldn't have been allowed to see my show with your companions," he said in answer to my unasked question.

I pressed my lips tightly together, vowing that no other

137

words would slip out and confirm or deny his eerily accurate guesses. I lifted my arm and pointed to the door, indicating that he should leave. Now.

"Oh, no. Not yet." He shook his big bald head at me. "Not until I've gotten what I came for."

"And what is that?" I asked, curious in spite of my best intentions.

He met my eyes with his own depthless black ones. "The Emerald Tablet."

138

CHAPTER TWELVE AWI BUBU SHOWS HIS HAND

***

"TH-THE WHAT ?" I repeated, stalling for time. How had he even
known
about that?

"Do not play stupid with me, Little Miss. I know you to be quite smart indeed."

"But what makes you think it's here? Have you seen it in a display that I've missed?"

Awi Bubu stepped closer, and in spite of being such a small man, he looked quite menacing. "That tablet does not belong to you. It belongs in Egypt, and it shall be returned."

"Why not take all the artifacts back to Egypt then?"

Awi shrugged. "Because some things we are willing to lose through the stupidity of our administrators, and others are

139

too precious and must be returned at all costs." His eyes glittered feverishly. "Like the Heart of Egypt."

What was he saying? Was the tablet cursed like the heart had been? But it had passed the first two tests with flying colors. "And this tablet is too precious?"

"Yes, among other things. Now. Hand it over, please." I felt his will bumping along my skin, urging me to do exactly as he asked. Fortunately, I was too angry to pay it any heed.

"I'm sorry, but I think you are sorely mistaken. And off your nut if you think we'd hand any artifact over to you, let alone something as valuable as an emerald tablet. If we had one." I frowned as a thought occurred to me. "Are you working with Trawley and the Arcane Order of the Black Sun, by any chance?"

"Who?" The Egyptian looked truly puzzled at the name.

"But Theo, we
do
have the Emerald Tablet," I heard someone say. I whirled around to find Henry had returned and stood just behind me, his glazed eyes fixed on Awi Bubu.

"Hush!" I said, clamping my hand over his lips.

Awi Bubu laughed softly. "Out of the mouths of babes ..."

I took my hand away from Henry's face and glared at him. "Do not say another word, do you hear me? Not. One. Word." I turned back to face Awi Bubu. "And just because we do have the tablet does not mean we'll give it to you, so you can just be off now, thank you very much."