Harriet Potter in: The Mummy

Chapter 3

We were all in the Curator's office now and Eve is talking about a mile a minute, "See the cartouche there, it's the official royal seal of Seti the First, I'm sure of it."

The Curator just looks unimpressed and says blandly, "Perhaps."

Jonathan just leans on the desk in the Curators face and says, "Two questions. Who the hell is Seti the First? And was he rich?"

Eve smiles excitedly and says, "He was the last Pharaoh of the Old Kingdom, said to be the wealthiest Pharaoh of them all."

Jonathan practically drools and Luna laughs. He says, "Alright, good, that's good. I like this fellow, I like him very much."

The Curator picks up the map and holds it close to the flame. I notice that he seems intent on burning it, but I say nothing.

Eve just keeps talking, "I've already dated it, this map is almost four thousand years old. And the hieratics over here..." She then points to a section of the map and inhales deeply, "It's Hamunaptra."

I could tell that the curator freezes, but quickly shrugs it off. I narrow my eyes, and watch him as he says, "My dear girl, don't be ridiculous, we are scholars, not treasure hunters. Hamunaptra is a myth."

Jonathan is just as shocked and says, "Are we talking about the Hamunaptra?"

Eve gives a sly smile and says, "Yes. The City of The Dead. Where the early Pharaohs were said to have hidden the wealth of Egypt."

Jonathan then almost mumbles in thought saying, "Right, right, in a big underground treasure chamber. Everybody knows the story. The entire necropolis was rigged to sink into the sand. On Pharaoh's command, a flick of the switch! And the whole place could disappear beneath the dunes."

Eve hums and says, "All we know is that the city mysteriously vanished around 2,134 B.C."

I watch as the Curator puts the map directly over the candle while mumbling, "As the Americans would say: it's all fairy tales and hokum."

Then the map catches on fire and everyone is screaming. Eve immediately puts it out and notices what was burned, "Oh no..."

Jonathan yells at the Curator, "You burned it! You burned off the part with the lost city!"

The Curator shrugs and said, "It's for the best, I'm sure. Many men have wasted their lives in the foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra, no one has ever found it. Most have never returned."

I could tell a warning when I saw one, and Luna and I looked at each other in silent communication. What was he hiding?

Jonathan just whined, "You killed my map..."

The Curator huffed and said, "I'm sure it was a fake, anyway, I'm surprised at you, Miss Carnahan, to be so fooled." He then tried to take the trinket but Eve, with a glare, snatched it first. She stormed out of the office, followed by Jonathan, still whining about the map, and the Luna.

I stayed and said, "I know you're hiding something." The Curator looked shocked and I continued, "I don't really care what you're hiding. It's probably important, and I won't say anything to Eve. But you also know her. She won't rest now that she found this."

The Curator sighed and looked years older, "You are right Miss Potter. I cannot say, but I can only hope she won't go after anything."

I snorted and said, "We're talking about Evelyn here. She'll find a way." He just nodded and I said, "I will go with them."

He looked shocked and said, "You mustn't! You could get killed."

I laughed. I was the Mistress of Death. I would never die. I said, "I might, yes, but I won't let Eve suffer alone, and neither will Luna. We know how to take care of ourselves."

The Curator looked at me carefully and said, "Yes... I imagine so... I hope to see you in the future at some point, Miss Potter."

I smiled and said, "Same, Sir."