A hot, sticky, Egyptian wind blew through the market place pushing sand and dirt into every crack and crevice of anything in its way. A rickety bus filled with people and animals screeched to a halt in front of the entrance to the market. Amy stumbled off heaving a sigh of relief as she brushed the trip fro her clothing. Her father, professor Harold Johnston of the Smithsonian, tripped off the buss, landing face first into the desert sand. Amy turned to help him up.
"Dad?" she shrieked, "Are you Ok?"
Professor Johnston was loaded with all sorts of equipment and suitcases.
"Wuick, my dear," he said in his usual perky voice as he lifted himself from the groun. he swung his packages around trying to rearrange his belonging. "We must hurry. The team of professors and archeologists will be here tomorrow and we need to reach the Valley of the Kings in order to get a head start onf inding the mummy and his treasure.
Amy was young when her father told her the story of the famous mummy and his treasure. Hatshepsut was a great Egyptian queen but, what many people do not know is the queen's brother, Amahd, was a very infuential man. he supposedly stole a great treasure form her that was worth millions. Even more interesting to Amy was this love that Amahd had for one of Hatshepsut's handmaids, a young Jew named Rebecca. Queen Hatshepsut discovered their secret and, because of ehr distain for Amahd, she had Rebecca killed. The intrigue excited Amy.
Amy soon found herself in the very ehart of the Valley of the Kings. her father quickly set about to unload their belongings. Soon their camp was set up and the professor grabbed his excavation equipment and headed to the tomb site. Amy followed close behind. inside the tomb it was hot and clammy from years fo being sealed. The smell was strange and somewhat over-powering. Amy put her mask down over her face and followed her father into the tomb.
"no one has been here since Amahd dided." Her father whispered. Amy held onto the back of her father's shirt trying to stay close.
"We never would have known where this tomb was located if it wasn't for the maps that were unearthed las tyear just north of Cairo."
"They said Amahd loved Rebecca and that all the treasure he stole fromt he Queen was for them to excape to Rome to live forever," added Amy.
Her father reached back and patted her hand, dimissing the myth. They walked a distance down passages and corridors through long halls and twisted walkways. Finally, they came to another sealed entrance. The professor pulled out his hand pick and began to dig at the hardened clay. Two or three hours passed when he finally created a large enough hole for Amy to crawl through.
"Are you ready to seet he treasure?" her father said.
Amy's eyes grew wide with anticipation as she whispered excitedly, "Yes!" She leaned forward and stuck her head through the hole. It was dark except for the light from ehr little flashlight. She squeezed in the opening and asked her father for his flashlight so she could see better. As the light flickered she could hardly believe her eyes.
"Dad!" she screamed. "I can't believe what I am seeing!"
"Do tell," her father yelled.
"I see his sarcophagus, but no treasure!"
The Professor began to pick away at the hole and before long was standing beside Amy in the ornately painted tomb. he glanced around at the beautifully carved Sarcophagus and started to translate the inscriptions covering the walls.
"what does it say?" Amy asked excitedly.
Her father's frowns turned into a sweet smile as he began to tell her what the walls were saying.
"It says, in the year 2041 BC Amahd, Brother of the great Queen Hatshepsut passed form this life into the next. having never taken a wife and having bore not children. The only treasure he took to dwell with in the next life was his love for Rebecca, a jewish slave and handmaid to Queen Hatshepsut." Amy ran her fingers over the carvings and smiled. "I guess the only treasure more beauiful and mysterious than gold is love."
