“I don’t have a choice,” Stone said.
Hawk smiled. “In that case, you’ve got yourself a guide.”
23 Into the Western Desert
The following morning, they met Hawk on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor. He was mounted on a nervous mule who tended to bite. He had also secured two pack mules of milder disposition and a pair of camels. Alex gaped at the camels, turned to Stone, and cocked his head.
“We’re going to ride those?” he asked.
“Unless you’d prefer to walk,” Stone said.
“Good thing we wore pants,” Trinity said to Constance.
“Be glad I was able to get anything at all,” Hawk said. “None of the reputable businessmen had any to lend. Some rich guy hired them all for a movie he’s producing.”
“Kane,” Trinity said quietly.
“Luckily for you, I have some disreputable contacts.” Hawk flashed a grin, winked at Constance.
He distributed white robes and head wraps of light fabric, which they donned over their clothing. The traditional desert garb, Hawk explained, would prevent sweat from evaporating in the heat.
They mounted up, Stone and Trinity on one camel, Alex and Constance on the other. Constance had wanted to ride in front, which led to a fresh round of bickering between the pair. Hawk put an end to it by wordlessly riding away, leading the pack mules. Chuckling, Stone and Trinity followed while Alex and Constance scrambled to mount up.
The Western Desert of Egypt covered the region west of the Nile. The parched, rock-strewn land was bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Libyan border to the west, and the Sudan, once the kingdom of Great Kush, to the south. The land before them was a barren vista of dark brown dotted with rocks and scrub.
“It is nothing like the movies,” Constance said. “No billowy sand dunes or gracefully waving palm trees.”
“You’ll find that up north in the Great Sand Sea,” Hawk said. “Out here, it’s hills, valleys, slot canyons, gorges, and ravines.”
As they rode through the unrelenting sea of brown, Hawk told them about the sights that could be seen in the desert. To the northwest lay the Black Desert, an area of black volcanic hills and dolerite deposits. Farther north was the White Desert, an area of wind-sculpted chalk rock formations. Far to the southwest, where the borders of Egypt, Libya, and Sudan met, was the Glass Desert. There, the grains of sand had been turned to glass by a meteorite impact at some point in the distant pass.
“All of them are much more interesting than the place we’re going,” Hawk said.
The big Cherokee proved to be a competent guide. He coaxed a reasonable pace from the animals without overworking them. He also kept careful track of their water supply and made everyone drink at regular intervals.
They traveled three days through scorching heat, shivering through the chilly desert nights. Twice Hawk guided them to small freshwater springs hidden beneath eroded sandstone cliffs. The flow was barely a trickle, but it was cool and refreshing and they were able to replenish their water supply.
On the morning of the fourth day they found themselves atop a ridge, looking out across the desert landscape.
“This is the top of the Camel’s Back,” Hawk said. “Few people have any reason to travel this way so it’s not well-known. To the northwest is a canyon with an oasis. I don’t know if it’s your Canyon of the Three-Headed Serpent but it’s worth a look.”
They traveled down a path so steep they felt as if they would fall forward and tumble down the hill. The sure-footed camels and mules picked their way down with ease and they descended quickly. They had almost reached the bottom when a rumbling sound filled their ears. Stone looked back to see boulders tumbling down the hill headed right at them.
“Rockslide!” Stone and Hawk shouted in unison.
They took off down the hill, but their mounts could only go so fast. Hawk glanced back and cursed.
“We can’t reach the bottom in time. Follow me.”
Hawk turned his mule into a side passage where wind and sand had carved a channel in the sandstone plateau. It was just wide enough for the camels to fit. The boulders thundered down on them, but they escaped just in time.
“That was crazy,” Alex said. “I feared I would have to change my shorts.”
“There are ladies present,” Constance chided.
“I wouldn’t do it in front of you.”
“Nevermind.” Constance rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.
“Bad news,” Hawk said. “Our way back is blocked by rubble.”
“Is there another way to the canyon from here?” Stone asked.
“There is, but it won’t be easy going,” Hawk warned.
They led their animals through a narrow, twisting corridor. After a long, tiring trek, they found themselves at the mouth of a cave.
“I know the way through. It will bring us out inside the canyon. Be careful to step where I step,” Hawk warned. “There are pitfalls and weak spots in the floor, but if you stick with me, you’ll be safe.”
He removed a lantern from one of the packs, lit it, and led the way in. Alex produced a flashlight, one of his own design, that could be recharged by cranking a handle on the side, fired it up, and followed.
The network of caves was dark and chilly. The cool air felt downright frigid to their sunbaked skin. After a series of twists and turns, they entered a large chamber where the floor was dotted with holes.
“It looks like Swiss cheese,” Constance said.
“Stay right behind me,” Hawk told them.
Hawk took a slow, meandering path through the cave. Stone felt as if he were walking across the surface of a frozen lake, waiting for the ice to break. They had nearly reached the other side when Constance cried out.
“Get back here, you stubborn creature!” The mule she was guiding had strayed off the path.
“Constance! Let go of the lead!” Stone yelled.
Too late. Cracks formed around the mule’s hooves and then the bottom fell out. Constance shrieked as she was pulled into the hole.
“Constance!” Alex made a dive for her, and she managed to grab ahold of his hook just in time. He pulled her up and she latched onto him. “Are you all right?”
In reply, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. Stone and Trinity politely looked away, but not Hawk, who leered and gave Alex a thumbs-up.
“Nice job with that hook,” Hawk said. “If I ever lose a hand, you’ll be the first person I call.”
Something caught Stone’s attention. A soft, scuffling sound coming from down below. “Do you hear that?” Stone asked. Everyone fell silent.
“I hear it,” Hawk said. “We should keep moving.”
They had only gone a few paces when Trinity let out a yelp. “Look there!”
Emerging from a hole in the floor was something shiny and black with giant claws and a huge stinger. It was a scorpion the size of a horse, and it was coming for them. The floor cracked beneath its weight but it did not give.
“Everybody move!” Hawk shouted.
“I’ll cover you.” Stone handed the lead of his camel to Alex, drew his Webley, and took careful aim. The first shot struck the scorpion on the head and deflected off its hard carapace. Undaunted, it continued to pick its way across the floor.
Stone glanced back. The others were almost out of the chamber. As the scorpion came closer, he could see its chelicerae — the spike-filled mouth that looked like something out of a Boris Karloff film.
Stone focused, became one with his weapon. He squeezed off another round. This time it struck the giant arachnid right in its mouth. The scorpion let out an angry clicking sound and took a few steps back.