The Mummy: The Tomb Robbers' Secret

Sifting the Sands of Time

Evelyn admired the apparent ease with which Roma was able to organize the dig, wondering if she had learned from years spent working with her father. To her, the logistics seemed almost overwhelming, but preparations were going well, diggers had been recruited from Luxor, water trucks were being ferried to the west banks of the Nile to provide fresh water for the workers for drinking and cooking. Camels had been acquired for short trips and a Land Rover chosen for her, Rick, and Ardeth to travel in.

"You don't seem intimidated by this," she told Roma, "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

"I've done it so many times. Father thought me such a good organizer that he depended on me to get the digs set up. We've worked with the same diggers for years; I know I can depend on Mohammed to keep things organized. I couldn't do this without him. I learned so much from Father but I never thought I would have to do this on my own."

A bus had been acquired for the transport of the workers in addition to the Land Rover. "I ought to travel with the workers," Roma fretted but Ardeth insisted that she ride with him and the O'Connell's. They would travel faster going by automobile, and the Land Rover performed well in the desert. They would reach the tomb before the others and decide how the camp would be set up, finding locations for the kitchens, the workers' tents, and the myriad little things that went with an archaeological dig.

The great ferries made deep rumbling noises as they transported the expedition's vehicles over the Nile. The buses, lorries, and Land Rover drove out of the bowels of the ship when they landed at the Valley of the Kings then began the journey northwards towards Radari near where Ardeth and Roma had discovered the entrance to the tomb.

Rick wanted to drive, but Roma had taken the wheel, not just looking for the location of the tomb, but feeling for it. The going was much faster in the vehicles but she still remembered every inch of the way that she and Ardeth had traveled by camel.

Around noon she brought her vehicle to a halt. "There," she pointed out, "You cannot see it at first, but once you spot it, you'll not miss it again." She put on her sunglasses and stepped out of the vehicle, and began to walk towards the cliff, Rick, Evelyn, and Ardeth following in her footsteps.

"There," she said and pointed to an opening in the red sandstone cliffs. Ardeth came and stood behind her, his strong arms encircling her slender waist. "I thought I'd never see this place again," Roma breathed.

Evelyn walked towards the opening, fascinated. "Evelyn, wait," said Rick, but his wife ignored him.

"Evelyn, come back," called Roma but she ignored her too and continued until she stood in front of the opening to the tomb. Just as she would put a foot inside, Roma hurried to her side and pulled her back.

"Not yet, Evelyn," she said and turned her away from the tomb, "Wait until the sun begins to set, there will be something you will want to see."

Reluctantly, Evelyn allowed Roma to lead her away from the tomb, but not without a look of longing at the black hole in the cliffs. This was what she had come to see, after all, and waiting now seemed agony.

She admired the way Roma and Mohammed set up the camp, seeming to find few obstacles. With Rick's help, the workman's tents were assembled, as was a cooking tent and a station to sieve the sand and debris that would be dug. Rick and Ardeth chose a few men with strong arms and temperaments and assigned them to act as security for the camp.

Their tents were placed where the least amount of sun would strike them during the day. There was no place in this desert free from exposure to the sun, but at different times one place might be freer from its rays.

A pavilion was set up, open to anyone who wished to take shelter under its roof. The two couples sat and drank gin and tonic, except for Ardeth who would drink only tea or water. It had been a tiring day, but the sun was starting to set, and the workers could be heard singing in front of their tents, enjoying these last hours of freedom before the work of excavation began.