Виктория Холт - Curse of the Kings

"A meeting place in the tomb! They wouldn't dare."

"I am sure he was not lying, but the point is the girl is dead. She was thrown into the river on the day of the Feast."

Tybalt said: "They throw a doll into the river nowadays." "This time they threw in Yasmin. I thought I recognized her. So did Theodosia. And now we know. Tybalt, what are you going to do about it?"

"My dear Judith, you are getting excited about something which is no concern of yours."

"You mean to say we look on calmly while someone is murdered!"

"This is just a tale someone has told you. Who was it?" "He was one of the workmen. I don't want you to be hard on him. He has suffered enough. He loved Yasmin and now he has lost her."

"I think you have been the victim of a hoax, Judith. Some of these people love a drama. The storyteller in the souk always tells stories which are supposed to be true of lovers who die for love and they make up the stories themselves." "I'm sure he wasn't making this up. What can we do about it?"

"Precisely nothing . . . even if it's true." "You mean we stand by and countenance murder!" He looked at me warily. "We are not these people's judges. The first thing one has to learn is not to interfere. Some of their customs seem strange to us ... even barbaric . . . but we come here as archaeologists and consider ourselves lucky that we are allowed to do so. One of the cardinal laws is No interference."

"In the ordinary way yes . . . but this . . ." "It sounds absurd to me. Even in the old days when a girl was thrown into the river as part of the ceremony it had to be a virgin. It seems to me that your Yasmin was not likely to be that since she had been meeting her lover in such an extraordinary place."

"It was someone who wanted to get rid of her."

"There are many ways of disposing of bodies other than such an elaborately public one."

"I think it was a warning."

He passed his hand wearily over his forehead.

"Tybalt, I don't think you are really paying attention."

He looked at me steadily and said: "We have completed the excavation on which our hopes rested. And it has led us to a chamber which is a blind alley. It goes no farther. It must have been put there to trick robbers. Well, we have been thoroughly tricked."

"Tybalt!"

"Yes, all our work of the last months has led to this. You may say that our efforts and all the money we have put into this have been wasted."

I wanted to comfort him; I wanted to put my arms about him and rock him as though he were a disappointed child. It was then that I realized that we were not really as close as the passion we shared had led me to believe.

He was aloof; there was nothing I could say which would not seem banal. I realized in that moment that this work was more important to him than anything else on earth.

"So," I said coolly, practically, for my emotions were held completely in check, "this is the end."

"This is the ultimate failure," he said.

To say I was sorry seemed foolish. So I just sat silent.

He shrugged his shoulders and that terrible silence continued.

I knew that he had completely forgotten Yasmin, indeed that he had scarcely given her a thought. I knew that he was scarcely aware of me.

There was nothing in his mind but Failure.

All next day everyone was talking about going home. It had been one of the most expensive expeditions ever made and it had led to nothing—a blind alley in an already depleted tomb!

Tybalt had made a great mistake. He had been deluded by his father's words before his death. It all came back to that. Because his father had died mysteriously—and it was mysteriously whatever anyone said about it—Tybalt had believed he was on the verge of a great discovery. So had others. And now they had learned through bitter disillusion, the destruction of hope, and the squandering of a great deal of money that they had been deluded.

Theodosia was unfeignedly delighted. The thought of going home was a tonic to her.

"Of course I'm sorry for Tybalt," she said. "It's a great disappointment to him. But after all it'll be wonderful to be home."

Hadrian said: "Well, so it's all off. We shall soon be home and our great adventure at an end. Has it cured you, Judith? You were so crazy to come out here, weren't you? And it wasn't quite what it seemed. Oh, I know our Judith. You saw yourself leading us all on to victory. Playing the Mother Superior to the party and finally breaking your way through and discovering the undisturbed tomb of a mighty Pharaoh. And this is the reality."

"I have found it fascinating."

"And you haven't minded being an archaeological widow? Do you think I haven't seen you gnashing your teeth! Who wants to take second place to a lot of dead bones?"

"I soon became reconciled to my position and although it has ended like this, a fact which we must all deplore, I can truthfully say it has been a wonderful experience."

"Thus spake the good and loyal wife."

"I knew this was what to expect," I said, "and I have always understood that Tybalt would have to be working most of the time."

He came closer to me and said: "I shouldn't have neglected you like that, Judith. And all for nothing!"

I turned on him angrily. "A loyal supporter of your leader, I see," I said.

He grinned at me. "You and I were always good friends, weren't we?"

"Until this moment," I snapped.

That turned the grin into a laugh. Then he was serious suddenly. "Don't you believe that. We always were and always will be. If ever you needed me . . ."

"Needed you!"

"Yes, my dear cousin. Even the most self-sufficient of us need others at times."

"Are you hinting something?"

He shrugged his shoulders and gave me that crooked smile which I had always found rather endearing. It was there in his serious moments when he was pretending to be lighthearted over something which affected him deeply.

I thought then: He knows something. He is warning me. What about? Tybalt!

I said sharply: "You had better explain yourself."

He seemed then to decide that he had gone too far.

"There's nothing to explain."

"But you implied . . ."

"I'm just being my nonsensical self once again."

But he had succeeded in planting seeds of uneasiness in my mind.

A few days later there was great excitement throughout the palace. Tybalt was jubilant. He had been following a false clue for months but he had picked up another trail.

He talked to me excitedly about it.

"I have this notion that we have been working in the wrong place. There's something behind the wall which we have yet to probe."

"What if it's another blind alley?"

"I don't think there could be two."

"Why not?"

"Oh for Heaven's sake, Judith, why should there be?"

"I don't know, but there was this one."

"I've got to try it," he said. "I won't give up until I've tried it."

"And that means that we shall stay here for how long?"

"Who can say? But we're going to try."

The effect on everyone was startling.

People like Terence Gelding and the senior members of the party were delighted. So was Tabitha. Poor Theodosia! She was so disappointed. So was Evan I believed, but solely on Theodosia's account. He was so kind and tender to her —a husband first, I thought, archaeologist second.

And I knew that in my secret thoughts I was making comparisons.

Theodosia was melancholy. Her hopes of going home were dashed.

Tabitha said: "She's upsetting Evan. Tybalt is quite concerned. He says Evan is not concentrating on his work because he is continually worrying about his wife."

I felt resentful. Why should Tybalt talk to Tabitha about Evan? I suspected he talked to her about a great deal. I had come upon them more than once in earnest conversation. I remembered that scene with Hadrian and wondered whether others had noticed these things as I did.

Tabitha was always energetic in smoothing the way for Tybalt. It was she who had the idea that since Theodosia was fretting about a prolonged stay she ought to take more interest in what was going on. She thought it would be a good idea to make up a little party and go for a tour of inspection. Theodosia should be a member of it. Leopold Harding, who called now and then at the palace and never lost an opportunity of talking to any of us when we met by chance, had asked if he might have an opportunity some time of being taken on a tour of the dig.

"Let Theodosia see for herself how interesting it is," said Tabitha. "I'm sure that would help her overcome her nervous fears."

Tabitha spoke to Tybalt who gave his permission and then she arranged the party. To my surprise Theodosia agreed to join it. She genuinely wished not to worry Evan and was determined to put on a bold face in spite of her fears.

Leopold Harding was very interested in what was happening at the site. Hadrian told me that he had met him once or twice and he always asked how things were going. He had been very sympathetic when we had believed the expedition had failed and had told Hadrian how pleased he was that hopes had been revived.

"He is longing to have a real look round," said Hadrian, "and has asked me if there is a hope of his joining this tour. He was delighted when Tybalt gave his permission. He invited me to go along to that storehouse of his. Would you like to come?"

I said I would so Hadrian and I went together.

It was a small shop on the edge of the souk, heavily padlocked, and I gathered that some of the pieces he had there were very valuable.

The small space inside was full of the most fascinating things. Leopold Harding glowed with enthusiasm as he pointed out various objects.

"Look at this folding stool. It's carved with interlaced foliage. You see the lions' heads on the upper terminals and the claws on the lower ends. I found it here but it might well be Scandinavian. But one never knows what one is going to pick up where. This could be twelfth century."

Hadrian had picked up a plaque. "Why look at this. I could swear this was genuine." I saw the profiled figures— a Pharaoh presenting gifts to Horus.

"A lovely piece," said Leopold Harding, "and it would fool most people. Wouldn't you think it had been plucked from the walls of a tomb? Not so. It is old—though not old enough. Three hundred years, I'd say. You can imagine how excited I was when that came into my hands."

Hadrian allowed Leopold Harding to take it from him very reluctantly, I thought.

"Look at this," went on Mr. Harding, picking up a box. "It's for jewels. See the ivory inlay and the small checkered panels on the lid. This is one of my most valuable pieces."

We admired the box and went from one object to another. He told us about the difficulties of getting the goods shipped to England and how glad he was when he was able to acquire jewelry or small pieces which he could carry himself.

He showed us some collar-necklets and earrings of lapis and turquoise cut and set in the Egyptian manner. I was fascinated by them. There was one statue which intrigued me. It was of the god Horus with his hawk-like face and at the feet of the god was a small and beautifully carved figure of a Pharaoh. Over this small figure the hawk-god towered protectively. It seemed to take on life; it was some five feet in height but as I looked, as though hypnotized, it appeared to grow to enormous proportions. I could not take my eyes from it. There was about it a quality which made me want to escape from it and yet held me there.

When I felt a touch on my shoulder I started. It was Leopold Harding and he was smiling at me.

"Fine, is it not?" he said. "A wonderful copy."

"What was the original?" I asked.

"That I never saw, but it was clearly meant to decorate some long dead Pharaoh's tomb. The sort of image which was put there to ward off tomb robbers." He turned to Hadrian. "But you would know more of that than I."

"I doubt it," said Hadrian. "I have never seen the inside of an undisturbed tomb."

"That image is certainly a little chilling, don't you agree? Now I want your opinion of this alabaster ornament. The Sphinx, no less. It's rather good. Quite valuable too. It's very cleverly carved."