The Seventh Scroll

alo'the knows if we even have time for that."

So they worked in a frenzy in the short time that was left to them. They

could not even think about saving the eapons, the statues and the

murals, the furniture and the  banqueting. utensils and the wardrobes of

costumes. The great golden chariot must stand where it had stood for

four thousand years, They removed the golden death'mask from over

Tanus's head, but they left his mummy in the innermost of the golden

coffins. Then Nicholas sent for Mai Metemma. The old abbot came with

twenty of his monks to receive the lie of the ancient saint that he had

been promised holy re as his reward. Reverentially, chanting deep and

slow, they bore Tanus's coffin away to its new resting place in the

maqdas of the monastery. ect,"

"At least the old hero will be treated with resP Royan said softly. Then

she looked around the tomb. "We cannot leave the site like this, with

the coffins thrown Royan protested. "it looks as about and the lids

discarded, though grave-robbers have been at work here."

"Grave-robbers is exactly what we are." Nicholas smiled at her.

tly, "and we

"No, we are archaeologists," she denied ho must try to act like it." ing

coffins one within So they replaced the six remain the other, laid them

back in the great sarcophagus, and finally replaced the massive stone

lid. Only then did Royan allow them to begin selecting and packing the

treasures they would take with them.

The death'mask was without any doubt the premier item in the entire

tomb. it fitted neatly into one of the the wooden ushabd of Taita laid

alongside it, crates, with until it was firmly secured, Royan packed

with Styrofoarn waterproof wax crayon: "Mask & scribbled on the lid in

Taita Ushabti'.

Their final selection was, perforce, hurried and superof the cedarwood

official. They could not rip open every one chests that were piled high

in the alcoves of the arcade.

The painted and gilded chests themselves were priceless artefacts, and

should be treated with respect. So they allowed themselves to be guided

by the illustrations on the lid of each. They discovered immediately

that these were indeed an accurate inventory and catalogue of the

contents. In the chest which showed Pharaoh decked in the blue war

crown, they found the actual crown laid on gilded leather pillows that

had been moulded to fit it exactly and to protect it.

Even in the short time left to them they became almost surfeited by the

magnificence of the items they uncovered as they selected and opened the

cedarwood chests. Not only the blue crown, but the red and white crown

of the kingdoms united was there, and the splendid Nemes crown, all

three in such a miraculous state of preservation that they might have

been lifted from Pharaoh's brow that morning.

From the very outset it had to be a prerequisite that any artefact must

be small enough to fit into one of the ammunition crates. If it were too

large, no matter what its value or historical significance, then it had

to be rejected and left in the tomb. Fortunately, many of the cedarwood

chests containing the royal jewellery fitted snugly into the metal

crates, so that not only the contents but also the chests themselves

could be saved. However, the larger items, the crowns and the huge

jewelled gold pectoral medallions, had to be repacked.

As the ammunition crates were filled, they carried them down and stacked

them on the landing outside the sealed doorway, ready to be carried out.

Including the.

crates that contained the eight statuettes of the gods from the long

gallery, they had packed and catalogued forty-eight crates when they

heard Sapper's unmistakable accents floating up the staircase.

"Major, where the hell are yOU7 YOU can't bugger about  hairy arse out

in here any longer. Come on, man! Get you of here. The river is in full

spate, and the dam is going to burst at any minute."

Sapper came bounding up the staircase, but even he stopped in wonder and

awe as he looked for the first time pon the splendours of the funeral

arcade of Pharaoh  Mamose. It took some minutes for him to recover from

the shock and to revert to his old prosaic self again.

"I mean it, major! It's a matter of minutes, not hours.

That ruddy dam is going to go. Apart from that, Mek is fighting in the

hills at the head of the chasm. You can hear the gunfire even at the

bottom of the cliff in Taita's pool.

4 Al You and Royan have to get out and fast, I kid you nod'

"Okay, Sapper. We are on our way. Get back to the chamber at the bottom

of those stairs. You saw those ammunition crates down there?" Sapper

nodded, and Nicholas went on quickly, "Have the men lug those crates out

of here. Get them down to the monastery. I want you to supervise that

part of it. We will follow you down the trail with the rest of them."

"Don't mess around, major. Your life isn't worth a pile of old junk like

this. Get moving now."

"Get on with it, Sapper. But don't let Royan hear you call it a pile of

old junk. You could be in really serious trouble."

Sapper shrugged. "Don't say I didn't warn. you." He turned and started

back down the staircase.

"You know where the boats are stashed, Nicholas shouted after him. "If

you get there before me, get them inflated and the crates lashed down.

We will be right behind you."

The moment Sapper was gone, Nicholas raced back

down the arcade to where Royan was still at work in the treasury.

"That's it!" he shouted at her. "No more time. Let's get out."

"Nicky, we can't leave this-'

"Oud' He grabbed her arm. "We are getting out now.

Unless you want to share Tanus's tomb with him on a permanent basis."

"Can't I just-'

"No, you crazy woman! Now! The dam will go at any moment."

She'broke away from him, snatched up some handfuls of left-over

jewellery from the open chest at her feet, and began stuffing them into

her pockets.

"I can't leave these."

He seized her around the waist and swung her over his shoulder. "I told

you I meant it," he said grimly, and ran with her down the arcade.

"Nicky! Put me down." She kicked with outrage, but he continued running

down into the chamber at the foot of the staircase.

Hansith and his men were carrying the last few packed ammunition crates

up the staircase on the far side of the chamber. They balanced the

crates easily on their heads and went up the steps with alacrity.

Here Nicholas set Royan down on her own feet again, "Will you promise to

behave now? We aren't playing games.

This is deadly serious - I mean deadly, if we get trapped down here."

"I know." She looked contrite. "I just couldn't bear to leave the rest

of it."

"Enough of that. Let's go." Nicholas grabbed her hand and dragged her

after him. After the first few steps she shook her hand free and started

to run in earnest, outstripping him and reaching the top of the

staircase a few paces ahead of him.

Even under their burdens the porters were making good time. Caught up in

the long hurrying column, Nicholas and Royan wound their way back

through the maze, grateful for the signposts at each corner, and made it

down the central staircase into the ruined long gallery without taking a

wrong turning. Sapper was waiting for them at the ruins of the sealed

doorway, and grunted with he porters.

relief when he saw them amongst I thought I told you to go on ahead and

get the boats ready,'Nicholas shouted at him.

"Couldn't trust you not to be bloody stupid." Sapper looked miserable.