Flashback:
Archaeological Site
Egypt,
Along the Red Sea
1947
Emily is 4 years old
The silhouette of a figure in a fedora hat stretched all the way to the back of the tomb's chamber. The sun's angle masked the dimensions as the adventurer entered.
Indiana Jones turned his head slightly, hearing the skitter of rocks behind him. A grin covered his sweat drenched dirty face. "Hi, Em. I told you not to come in here."
"But Dad! I followed your tracks, stepped exactly where you did, looked for traps and-"
"Em," Indy warned. "This section of the tomb isn't braced yet. That's why I don't want you in here alone."
"But I'm not alone." She tipped her fedora upward and stared at him with big brown eyes. "I'm with you, Dad." She attached herself to his leg in a hug.
Indy's heart melted. Whatever scolding he'd considered was now out of the question.
"Mom sent me," his youngest daughter continued. "She said to tell you that lunch is ready."
"She could have sent Abdullah or Uncle Sallah."
"She said you wouldn't listen to them." Emily looked into the dark pit at Indy's feet. "What's in there...?"
Indy knelt so he could be at Emily's level. "We don't know."
She moved a rock toward the edge and kicked it in. Indy almost stopped her, but realized he'd done the same thing moments ago.
"Are you gonna look?" Emily asked.
"Probably after lunch. If it's been closed up for a long time the air won't be breathable so we'll need to wait even longer."
She kicked another pebble into the shaft and listened to the silence. "Sounds deep."
There was a small splash at the bottom that Indy hadn't heard before.
"An' wet. Thought deserts were supposed to be dry. And mummies were supposed to be dry." Emily looked at her father.
Then she took the rope she had at her waist. Marion had vetoed a whip, but a rope coiled like a lasso was just fine for a five year old girl wanting to be like her daddy. "Could you lower me down? I wanna see."
Adventure and adoration fought in Indy's mind and heart.
"There's some writing there," Em persisted. "I could brush off the dirt since you can't reach it. Then you could read it to me....? And it's kinda small in there. You're not gonna fit... Mom brought cookies again."
Indy paused. Marion's cooking, or the sedentary work as dig coordinator was making it difficult to see his boots. "All right Em, but don't tell your mother."
She made a motion across her mouth, miming locking a door and another over her heart, then tossed the pretend key into the ancient shaft.
Indy almost jumped into the shaft after it. "I'm gonna look for that key when I'm down in the shaft tomorrow." He tapped Emily's nose and kissed her forehead. "Ok?"
"'Kays."