Frank Thomas - Sherlock Holmes and the Sacred Sword

Holmes shook his head.

"You wouldn't know of him, sir. Minor eighteenth dynasty pharaoh. But he was very young when he became ruler of Egypt and died at an early age as well. Ruled for a mere nine years as I recall. I'm not so good on dates and numbers."

"I'd say you were doing quite well," commented Holmes with approval. He continued: "All right, where are we? The message refers to a tomb. What would be important about that?"

"A tomb unknown to grave robbers, Mr. Holmes. That would be a rare bird indeed, for the pharaoh's possessions would be in it. The German expedition uncovered thirty graves of pharaohs and not a one of them that hadn't been looted."

"Then this Tutankhamen tomb would be valuable?"

"Unbelievably," was Gray's immediate response.

"And the reference to doom?"

"That can be read two ways. In a religious sense, the whole idea of the elaborate burials was to allow the pharaohs to make their trip to eternity in peace. Don't quote me, sir, but I've a thought that the despoiling of their graves would interrupt their progress to the hereafter."

"Seems logical," I commented.

"And the other meaning?" inquired Holmes.

"Political. After his death, Akhenaten the heretic was expunged from Egyptian history since his one-god theory was not accepted. Tutankhamen rejected the one-god idea, thereby avoiding the risk or doom of being removed."

"Well, the tomb seems to be of Tutankhamen, but where would it be? You mentioned the German expedition."

"That was Karl Richard Lepsius and his people."

"Where did he find so many graves?"

"Same place that was such a happy hunting ground for Balzoni. Wady Biban al-Maluk, the Arabs call it. The Valley of the Kings."

"Might not the boy pharaoh be there?"

Gray shook his head. "Lepsius's reputation as an archaeologist is enormous, and he felt that nothing was left in the valley. There's been no serious excavation work there since his time."

Holmes's eyes had that opaque look I recognized. "I read that book of Balzoni's you mentioned. As I recall, he stated more or less the same thing."

"That's right, Mr. Holmes."

"But that's it, you see. Puzza, an obscure follower of the Italian adventurer is dying. He cannot return to the Valley of the Kings, and he has no heirs. His possessions were disposed of at a public sale. He leaves an obscure rhyme. It was a jest, a bit of irony from a dying man, for he knew something that the great Balzoni did not, nor Lepsius either. He knew there was an undiscovered tomb."

Holmes's eyes sharpened, and he regarded Gray with that faint smile of triumph. "Might I guess that the tomb of Rameses Sixth is in the Valley of the Kings?"

There was a startled look on the Colonel's face. "Dead on, sir!"

"At the feet of Rameses could mean beneath his crypt, I think."

Before Holmes even looked at him, Orloff was on his way out of the room.

As Gray and I exchanged a puzzled glance, Holmes chuckled.

"Mr. Orloff is a great believer in anticipation, a quality cherished by my brother."

Gray took a breath. "That would be Mr. Mycroft Holmes, sir?"

Holmes nodded.

"And the Rapp you mentioned is Sir Randolph Rapp?"

Since the Colonel was looking at me, I agreed.

"If you'll pardon the thought, there're some heavyweights involved in this matter."

Holmes was caught completely by surprise and chortled. "I follow your thought, Colonel, and you are more right than you know. However, the gentlemen in question are in London whereas you are here, and I am grateful that you are."

Colonel Gray's features grew redder yet, and he looked as though he had just received the Victoria Cross from Her Majesty. I'm sure he was thinking that it had all been worth it, even wet-nursing a seasick general practitioner who seemed fated to have unusual experiences.

Chapter Fifteen

The Sheik Reappears

Things happened fast after that. Orloff, with that uncanny ability to anticipate the plans of Sherlock Holmes, put official wheels in motion. I began to suspect that Mycroft had dispatched a covey of his operatives to Egypt to act as backup for his top agent in the field. It was arranged in short order that we were to leave Cairo and head up the Nile to Luxor by rail. Orloff was to remain in Cairo to keep his finger on the pulse of the people, but he informed my friend that a contingent of the Sutherland-Argyle Regiment were on maneuvers around Luxor prior to being shipped to India. I rather gathered that a detachment of the Scottish infantry would be available to Holmes if needed, and such proved to be the case.

It was obvious what had prompted Holmes's move. I had not forgotten the departed Cruthers or the fact that he had been investigating an archeological party in the Valley of the Kings prior to his return to England and death. Then there was that dagger he had concealed on his person, which my friend had identified as property of royalty. With the information that Loo Chan's cipher provided, it seemed realistic to assume that Chu San Fu had located an undiscovered tomb, though how this fitted in with his exciting Mohammedan unrest throughout the Middle East eluded me. Holmes wished to certify the possibility of a new discovery in the Valley of the Kings prior to the great Mohammedan conclave in Cairo. I found it somewhat alarming that there had been mention of members of the Sutherland-Argyle Regiment in connection with this matter and wondered just what Holmes expected to find in the Valley of the Kings.

When we finally did reach Luxor, site of the ancient Thebes, it was evident that Orloff had made ample use of the cable. In the government buildings we were informed that the Scottish troopers were already over the river on the west bank awaiting Holmes's arrival. I was again wan and indisposed, for the swaying train had not benefited my touchy stomach. Though nauseous, I was fascinated by the lush green of the fertile Nile plain, more evident because of the stark grimness and desolation beyond it rising gradually to towering cliffs. Small wonder that the Egyptians have through the centuries loved and cherished their narrow belt of incredibly fertile land, surrounded as it is by a nothingness of rock and sand. It was at the foot of the distant cliffs, the Theban hills, that the historic valley lay in which were entombed so many of the Nile's greatest rulers. There was a look of sadness, almost apprehension, on Holmes's face as he conferred with me after Gray attended to details regarding the crossing of the river and the troops placed at the disposal of the detective.

"Now, ol' clap, we must come to a brief parting of the ways. I know our sea voyage did not sit well with you, nor the train trip ether. Gray tells me this valley is a desolate and forbidding place indeed. Best you remain here until we reconnoiter the area and find out what's going on."

My mouth automatically began to form protests at the mere thought of being left behind when the case was coming to a head, but strangely it was Colonel Gray who weighed down the scales.

"Doctor Watson, you must come to my aid. I'm well aware that Mr. Holmes can take care of himself, but no matter how you cut it, I'm responsible. Not only for him but for those soldiers who are a bit new to this area and only have a vague idea of where they are save that this is a training area on the road to India. Let's put it this way: if every man isn't tip-top, we're at a disadvantage."

What could I say? As a medical man I well knew I was ill-equipped to fudge over rocky and hilly terrain trying to match steps with vigorous young Highlanders. Holmes's whipcord body and fencer's legs could manage it, but I saw in my mind's eye a middle-aged general practitioner gasping for breath and falling behind as the column surged forward. I nodded in agreement with Gray's words and tried to summon some esprit de corps to suit the situation.