Cursed Times - Only Yesterday! Sequel to Wattys 2015 winner!

Chapter 27 - Seisi: Tomb Raiders

Once in a while his beloved tended to be a bit crude, on the other hand, Metjen had indeed donned those tight-fitting shiny garments that left nothing to the imagination. Looking at his friend made Seisi's groin hurt just as if it had been bitten by a Nile predator.

'Sweetheart, that would get the demons on our backsides quicker than you could say witch,' Metjen said and slid one of the keys into the hole. Needless to say, it did not fit.

He tried the others. None of them worked. This was not good at all.

'If I use two words and say 'ass dung' instead, will that distract the minions of Seth long enough for you to get through that wall?' Seisi asked.

Trueth sniggered. Lightning flickered across Metjen's brow.

You are all most vexing, children, Iseret's voice pierced their minds. Metjen will create an entry for you all while I call for a veil of Wadjet. This should be sufficient to hide your escapades from the dark side.

More lightning flickered across Metjen's brow; still he stretched out his hand and extended his ka. With a soft whooshing noise, a piece of wall caved in on itself and yielded an opening they all rushed through. Behind them, the wall set again.

'This really is a neat trick, how do you do that?' Trueth asked. 'And how did the circle ensure that all this stuff still worked when we explored the excavation?'

'Trade secrets,' Metjen responded. 'Get the Blessing, and we might tell you.'

Trueth's expression turned murderous, so Seisi grabbed her elbow and led her on. 'Where do we start our search?' he asked.

'Follow me,' Metjen said.

Trueth stared at him.

'Please,' he conceded.

They turned around a corner and went down a staircase only illuminated by the rays of the flashlight in Metjen's hands. It threw a piercing beam of white light over the steps and encasing walls, enough for them not to stumble on the steps.

'It's safer than magic and has the same effect,' he explained.

The wavering gloom at the bottom of the staircase gave way to a whitewashed corridor with a brick floor. Containers in all shapes and sizes lined the walls. An oppressive silence shrouded the underground spaces, interrupted only by ticking noises from the pipes running overhead.

'This is the room father described,' Metjen stopped and poked his flashlight inside a cavity looming on the left. More dusty crates were crammed even into every available space, even the one that did not exist.

'And now?' Trueth asked. 'Did you bring some explosives apart from yourself, or at the very least, some crowbars?'

'I brought you,' Metjen said with a wide smile.

Trueth waggled her middle finger, a strange gesture his friends employed quite often. By now, Seisi had a fair idea of what it might mean.

Metjen addressed Seisi. 'All right, I will go upstairs, I need to have another look at what is on display. I don't expect much, but I have to know rather than guess. Find the boxes from the Carter exhibition. Iseret says she will set up another veil, but do me a favour and use as little magic as possible when locating those crates. And don't open them, I will do that. And try to avoid noise. Soon, there will be some night guards on duty. They'll be asleep, they always are, but we should never trust our luck, should we?'

Metjen smiled once more and left the room that fell pitch black in an instant. 'Ooops.' He returned and flipped a switch next to the entrance. With a wink, Metjen left again, the sounds of his footfall receding along the corridor and up the stairs.