city/temple complex,” Jake said, nodding.
Chauncy looked up, surprised. “You know that?”
“Let’s just say I’m familiar with the area. Why do you think the capstone would be in there?”
“I don’t,” Chauncy said. A conspiratorial grin spread across his face. “But this area has been home to tombs and temple complexes since before the first dynasty. The ruins we can visit right now are a remake of the original temple sites, and they were done in the sixth dynasty. I’m convinced that an earlier area, further north and closer to the Nile, is home to Khufu and his capstone.”
“And ‘further north’ is, of course, buried under the town.”
“Exactly.”
Jake leaned back with a sigh. “I’m going to need more than conjecture on this one. Why do you think it’s going to be in a specific spot?”
“I’ve spent most my academic career studying ancient cultures,” Chauncy answered. “And especially the Egyptians. There are patterns, even mathematic norms, to the way they built things. There are also certain similarities between Abydos and later constructs, especially Thebes and the Valley of the Kings. If the capstone isn’t exactly where I think it is...it’s probably not anywhere. I wouldn’t be wasting my time and money if I wasn’t absolutely convinced.”
“Speaking of money, let’s talk finances.”
They negotiated for a couple more hours before coming to a mutually acceptable agreement. Jake told Chauncy to make himself at home and disappeared outside, running some kind of errand. Chauncy walked to the guestroom and flopped down in the bed as his mind swirled slowly. He tossed and turned in the unfamiliar bunk, halfway across the world from where he normally slept, and wondered if this trip was going to be worth it. The outrageous price of Jake Thrasher’s services would only be paid off if his theory was correct and they managed to sell the capstone. But what if he was wrong? What if the capstone was never in Abydos and he was wasting his last Spring Break before graduation? He’d spent all of his cash and two golden rings he’d planned to give to Anita, just getting Jake to agree to this deal. If things went poorly he would be stuck in Cairo without a way out. Heck, he might be stuck all the way south in Abydos without a way out. He’d have to get word to his parents and they’d have to foot the bill and bring him back, and he’d have to tell them why he’d really come to Egypt and that wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to. And he wouldn’t have a finished doctoral thesis nor a way to impress Anita.
A million questions played through his mind but he didn’t know the answers to any of them. Doubt coursed through him but he had to try and shut his brain off and go to sleep. Sufficient unto each day, he quoted silently to himself. Maybe tomorrow would bring some answers. Or maybe it would just bring more troubles.
∆ ∆ ∆
“Wake up!” a voice bellowed in his ear.
He rolled off the bed and was standing before he even realized what was going on. “What time is it?” he asked Jake.
“It’s 1 pm and time to get moving. Breakfast is ready; I suggest you eat whether you’re hungry or not. We’re not going to be getting food for a long time after we leave.”
Chauncy stumbled through the hallways to the dining room and sat down at the table. He somehow managed to eat, get showered and dressed, grab his luggage and follow Jake through the streets of Cairo while still partially asleep. When they reached their destination he snapped awake really fast.
“Oh no,” he said, shaking his head and putting up his hands. “Oh no you don’t. I’m not flying in that thing again.”
Jake grinned as he carried his luggage up to the red bi-plane. “Relax, Chauncy, I didn’t waste my morning like you did. Three separate mechanics checked her out and she’s in better shape than when I bought her.”
“I don’t want to go in that plane again,” Chauncy said, sleepiness making him more stubborn than usual.
Jake sighed. “It’s three hours flight to Abydos in this plane. Driving would take us seven hours or longer. Walking will take you a week. Have fun.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I’ve already got your money, Chauncy. Doesn’t matter to me how I spend it.”
Chauncy sprinted to the plane and made sure he was strapped in before Jake was. He glowered at the pilot, who ignored him and got the plane started up. Chauncy was listening closely and he had to admit that the engine sounded more vibrant and steady than it had yesterday. It lifted gracefully into the air and headed due south. He was saddened that they weren’t going to fly by the pyramids again, but he was still ecstatic that he’d been able to see them in the first place.
Slowly the edges of the city came into view. To his right was the Nile River and its associated greenery, but everywhere else was the bright sand and dirt of the desert. He settled in as comfortably as he could, adjusted his goggles, and traced the Nile River Valley as it snaked its way through the dusty land.
It was close to twenty minutes later when he finally realized his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him. The Nile was definitely moving farther and farther away on the horizon.
“Where are we going?” he shouted over the noise of the engine.
“Abydos, like we agreed,” Jake responded.
“Wouldn’t it be safer to follow the Nile?”
“Ha! You’re afraid we’re going to crash, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am!”
“Well, sit back and try to relax. Following the Nile would take longer than a straight shot. You’re on a tight schedule, right?”
Chauncy grumbled to himself and watched with increasing horror as the Nile became nothing more than a shimmering mirage at the edge of the horizon. If the plane crashed they would end up in the middle of a desert halfway between the Red Sea and the Nile River, equally far from any good water sources.
He closed his eyes and tried to not think about that. Before too long the droning of the engine coupled with his jet lag put him right to sleep.
The changing pitch of the engine snapped him back awake. He looked around in horror, not remembering where he was or how he’d gotten there. The ground was rushing up to meet him and he only barely managed to stifle a scream. It was a dirt runway in the middle of a green field. They were landing. Jake’s plane had actually managed to make the trip in one piece.
They touched down safely and within a few minutes Jake was talking to a local man standing next to a rickshaw. Chauncy was still too woozy to try and translate but he caught a few words here and there. The tone got darker and the volume increased, and with it Chauncy’s heart rate went up. Were things not going well?
The conversation continued for another minute before the other man nodded and disappeared. Jake turned around, his expression halfway between relief and agitation.
“Is everything okay?” Chauncy asked.
“The situation is both better and worse than I was fearing,” Jake replied. “Hesso is down in Luxor as usual, but Ian will be in town in five days and we’ll have to meet with him.”
“Who’s Ian?”
Jake took a deep breath as he began loading up his luggage into the small vehicle. “Ian Moore is leader of the strongest gang that currently vies for control of the Sohag Governorate. Don’t let his suave British manners fool you. I’d rather be dealing with Hesso.”
Chauncy climbed into the rickshaw after loading his own luggage. “And who’s Hesso?”
“Hesso Khalid Mustafa Al-Kanaan is the undisputed underground leader of the New Valley. He’s a brutal little Arab who wields considerable power, but at least with him you always know exactly where you stand. Ian is the kind of man who’ll smile and wave as he plots to nuke your house.”
Chauncy swallowed. “And how is any part of this situation better than you expected?”
Jake started the rickshaw after several tries and began negotiating the narrow streets of Abydos. “It could have been worse. They could both have been in town, fighting one of their little border wars. I just wish neither one of them was here.
We’ve only got about two hours of sunlight left and I’m hoping to get into our target abode and make some merchant contacts before then. Now please be quiet and let me concentrate.”
The sun sank inexorably to the west as they snaked through the tiny, confusing streets of the town. At a certain point Jake pulled onto a street that dead-ended right at the desert. Chauncy could see the ancient ruins of the Osiris temple complex in the distance and he felt his heart skip a few beats. This place was even more ancient than the Giza pyramids. Jake stopped the Rickshaw in front of one of the ubiquitous multi-story adobe-style buildings on the street. “Welcome to your new home,” he said as he climbed out.
Chauncy didn’t waste time staring at his surroundings. He was overheated, tired, and felt all-too-conspicuous. The air inside was stale and dusty and Chauncy tried to limit his breathing. “This doesn’t look like a home,” he said, careful to use as little oxygen as possible.
“It’s not. It used to be a textile shop. The top floor is the dwelling. Get settled in wherever you want, but I would suggest sleeping on a higher floor. If we’re going to be digging this up, we’ll want someplace to go to get away from the dirt. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
“Where are you going?” Chauncy asked nervously.
“I’ve got to arrange some work crews for tomorrow and buy us some supplies. You didn’t expect to just start digging by yourself, did you?” he asked with a