"Not exactly," he said again, then motioned for me to precede him.
After checking to be certain Isis was still behind me, I followed the others to a hatch of some sort near the back of the temple. Khalfani and Major Grindle pried it open to reveal a sunken staircase. I glanced at Hashim, who only smiled and took a lit torch from the fellow handing them out.
Ever curious, Isis slipped in front of me to sniff at the passageway. After a slight pause, she disappeared down the hatch. Comforted by this, I followed the others down the deep, narrow stairs and tried to ignore the light flickering eerily on the walls. As I stepped into the small antechamber at the foot of the steps, the men used their torches to light the oil lamps positioned around the room.
We were in a vast underground chamber that stretched out as far as my eye could see. Dark, shadowy shapes danced along the walls, and I shuddered. Those were not mere shadows, but whether they were mut or akhu or simply remnants of the gods or earlier wedjadeen who had passed this way, I could not tell.
Major Grindle nearly broke his neck trying to see everything at once. His face was alight with wonder. Rumpf's face shone, too. Jadwiga merely looked as if he expected the entire thing to come down on our heads any moment.
"Does this run the entire length of the Great Temple?" I asked Hashim.
"Nearly."
Small rooms opened up off the larger chamber. Some of them held supplies, such as jars of oil, honey, and grain. Others contained a jumble of artifacts and furniture, while still others held roll after roll of scrolls and papyruses.
"Is this where you plan to hide the Emerald Tablet?" I asked Khalfani.
"No." He laughed. "This is much too close to others and much too easy to find. There is a mountain, hidden deep in the desert, that contains many artifacts of the gods."
"It wouldn't do much good to hide a map with the treasure it leads to, would it?" I asked, puzzled by this strategy.
Khalfani gave me a sly glance. "Did I say we would hide the tablet there?"
Come to think of it, he hadn't.
"This place that you see is one of our sanctuaries," Khalfani explained. "A place for us to gather away from prying eyes or to wait out unpleasantness."
"Marvelous," Major Grindle breathed. "You can go to ground here until trouble blows over or pursuers give up the chase."
"It is also an excellent place from which to launch an attack. Come." Khalfani led us to a large table in the back. He retrieved a map from his saddle pouch and unrolled it on the table, anchoring it in place with small stones on each corner.
"Gamal, Rashid, I want you to scout out the black-market area. See if you can find any signs of where they might hide a valuable prisoner. Also try to determine how many men are loyal to the followers of Set." They bowed, then left the room.
Khalfani turned back to the map. "The question is, how do we let them know we have an exchange we'd like to offer? Even if I were to march down their street myself, they would not know me or my face and I would most likely not gain an audience with the man in charge. At least, not alive," he amended. "Do they know your men by sight?" he asked Major Grindle.
The major glanced at Jadwiga and Rumpf. "They do not, and I am loath to have them break their cover. Years have gone into building these identities for them."
"They'd talk to me, wouldn't they?" I asked, my voice sounding very high and thin in the cavernous room.
"I'll go," Major Grindle said, as if he hadn't heard me.
"You?" Fenuku asked, clearly suspicious.
"Me. I'm the only one they've seen, other than Miss Throckmorton, and I'm sure we're all in agreement that she is not marching into their midst."
"Agreed," Khalfani, Jadwiga, and Rumpf all said at the same time. Fenuku was the only one who kept silent.
"But sir," I said. "You've already thwarted them once. Won't they kill you on sight?"
Khalfani studied Major Grindle a long moment. "Not if he carries the Orb of Ra with him."
Major Grindle's face lit up like my brother Henry's on Christmas morning. Honestly, if I didn't know better, I'd think he was just here for the toys.
"You cannot be serious!" Fenuku sputtered. "Hand over one of our most precious artifacts to the Inglaize?"
Baruti laid a hand on Fenuku's arm to calm him. "He must have some means of ensuring their cooperation. Besides, we are brothers now, remember?"
But it was clear from the look on Fenuku's face that he would never call the Inglaize "brother."
"When could you be ready to deliver the message?" Khalfani asked.
"Immediately, of course," Major Grindle said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
A New Wrinkle
THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF DISCUSSION as to what Major Grindle should carry with him into the heart of the enemy. "The Orb of Ra, most definitely," he and Khalfani agreed. It was pistols and knives they were in disagreement over.
"They are not going to let me waltz in there carrying a pistol," the major pointed out.
"We do not know this. It is worth trying to slip one in," Khalfani said.
"Then we risk losing what little trust our white-flag venture might gain us."
Khalfani sighed and I almost stepped in to tell him it was hopeless. I was sure that Major Grindle's skewed sense of sportsmanship had much to do with his decision, and how could one argue with something as odd as that?
In the end, it was decided that he would walk in carrying the orb so they knew he meant business. Of course, this necessitated a whole new debate: carry it concealed or out in plain sight?
Khalfani argued for plain sight. That way, everyone who saw the artifact, even if he didn't understand its power, would know that it was very valuable. It would ensure the major got to the top levels of the organization quickly. Second, Grindle could access it more easily should he need to use it.
"Do you know the proper sequence to tap in order to activate it?" I asked.
Khalfani shot me a glance. "Our Rekhet never ceases to surprise with the vast scope of her knowledge."
"Tell me about it," the major muttered.
"There are many sequences that can be used, but the one to emit a controlled burst is this." Khalfani's fingers twitched out a sequence over the orb's surface, careful never to actually touch the orb itself.
I leaned as far forward as I could without tipping over and watched as he went through the sequence a second time.
Major Grindle nodded. "Got it." He repeated the maneuver three more times (also careful not to let his fingers touch the orb) while Khalfani watched. Then it was time to go.
"Will they bring a horse around for me?" the major asked.
"No," Khalfani said, eyes sparkling. "We have a better way to travel unobserved." He led Major Grindle to one of the far doorways on the south side of the chamber. No one told me not to follow, so I did.
Khalfani stopped in front of the doorway. "This is an underground path that leads directly to the Luxor Temple. It mirrors the Avenue of the Sphinxes."
"By Jove!" Major Grindle was agog at this marvel. "You can come and go between the two temples with no one the wiser."
"Exactly so. It will bring you up just outside the Luxor Temple, and then it is but a short distance to the market area."
I meant to wait up for Major Grindle's return, because honestly, who could sleep at a time like this?
Apparently, I could. I was absolutely knackered after the long march through the desert. The minute I collapsed onto a bedroll, Isis hurried to my side, as if she, too, was wanting a bit of a nap. With her warm presence cuddled next to me, I closed my eyes and slept like the dead.