Mummy Madness Read Free

is.’
    ‘Here you go again,’ sighed
     Mr Big. ‘It’s written in the stars. You’re a bit like a broken
     record. Now don’t get me wrong, old boy, you’re a nice fella and all
     that – remind me a bit of my own pa. He was a bit confused too. The Nile Ruby?
     Egypt?’ Mr Big shook his head. ‘Look around you. Check out the view
from your window. It ain’t Egypt
     out there. It’s a maximum-security prison. And I hate to be the bearer of bad
     news, but the truth is that you’re stuck in here till the day you
     die.’
EGYPT, JULY 1953
    The gale howled outside. The old man
     consulted his black book once more. ‘Booby traps,’ he hissed. ‘Be
     very careful.’ He pointed to a small rock set into the cave ceiling.
    His son moved into position and handed
     the candle to his father. He reached up and pushed at the jutting rock.
     ‘Nothing!’
    ‘Push harder,’ urged the old
     man. ‘After three thousand years it’s going to be stiff.’
    The young man shifted position to get a
     better grip. He reached upwards and grabbed the rock. He grimaced as he heaved his
     shoulders upwards. The rock disappeared into the cave ceiling and there was a
     rumbling to their right. A small hole appeared. The old man was rejuvenated, almost
     skipping towards the hole. He reached his hand in and felt for the lever. He pulled.
     The back of the cave slid open, revealing a dark tunnel.
    ‘Just as
     the book says,’ he grinned.
    They doubled their candle power. The
     younger man swigged the last of his water and they entered the tunnel.
    They edged along, cupping the flames
     with one hand and feeling in the semi-darkness with the other. Eventually the
     passage widened out and they were relieved to be able to stand up. ‘This must
     be Qua’a’s cave,’ gasped the old man, shining his candle at the
     parchment. He pressed his candle to a torch on the wall and a larger flame was lit.
     Both men gawped. They were in a much bigger cave. A large tomb took centre stage,
     the skeleton of Qua’a’s servant sitting in a chair nearby. The cave was
     full of treasures. The flames reflected off golden goblets and silver headdresses.
     Gold coins were hanging from the ceiling, glinting like the night-time stars. All of
     Qua’a’s worldly possessions had been stored here, in readiness for the
     afterlife.
     

     
    The young man couldn’t control his
     excitement. ‘Just as it says in the book,’ he yelled, his enthusiasm
     bouncing off the walls. ‘Riches beyond anyone’s wildest imagination! But
     the Nile Ruby, the biggest treasure of them all, is in the tomb with
     Qua’a.’ He rushed towards the tomb.
    ‘No!’
     shouted his father, running after him. But it was too late. The young man’s
     foot caught on the tripwire. He fell to the floor and the arrow fired over his head
     and thudded into his father. The young man crawled over and rolled him on to his
     back. The old man managed a smile and a nod. ‘The Nile Ruby … my
     life’s work is now your life’s work,’ he whispered with his last
     breath.
    The young man wiped away a tear and a
     yell
of despair echoed round
     Qua’a’s cave. His father had come so far and yet was not going to see
     his dream fulfilled. Qua’a’s treasures had meant very little: the only
     thing that mattered was the Nile Ruby and now he would never get to see it. The
     young man looked down at his shaking hands and vowed that he would find the ruby and
     make sure the world knew that his father had solved the mystery. Everything in the
     book had been true. The pyramids were a clever trick. Qua’a, the richest and
     most powerful pharaoh, was buried right here in this long-lost tomb. And, according
     to the black book, the Nile Ruby was buried with him.
    The skeleton appeared to be grinning.
     The young man edged round the cave, making sure there were no more wires. He
     carefully removed the grinning skeleton from its chair and sent his foot crashing
     through the seat.