نفرین آرامگاه مومیایی فصل 16

The Curse Of The Mummy’s Tomb - Chapter 16

I swallowed hard.

Sari and I stared at each other. I saw her features tighten in fear.

Ahmed.

He had tried to kidnap us. And now he had us all alone down here.

He stepped forward, a flaming torch held high in one hand. His black hair glowed in the flickering flames. His eyes narrowed at us in menace.

“Ahmed, what are you doing here?” Sari called, grasping my arm so hard, I winced.

“What are you doing here?” he asked softly, his voice as cold as his eyes.

Holding the torch in front of him, he stepped into the chamber. His eyes went around the room, as if inspecting it, making sure that nothing had been moved.

“My dad will be here in a second,” Sari warned him. “I just beeped him.”

“I tried to warn your father,” Ahmed said, staring hard at Sari. The flickering orange light from the torch made him grow bright, then fade into shadow.

“Warn him?” Sari asked.

“About the curse,” Ahmed said without emotion.

“Uncle Ben mentioned some kind of curse to me,” I said, glancing nervously at Sari. “I don’t think he takes that kind of thing seriously.” “He should!” Ahmed replied, screaming the words, his eyes glowing with anger in the torch light.

Sari and I stared back at him in silence.

Where is Uncle Ben? I wondered.

What’s keeping him?

Hurry, I urged silently. Please—hurry!

“The curse must be carried out,” Ahmed said softly again, almost sadly. “I have no choice. You have violated the priestess’ chamber.” “Priestess?” I stammered.

Sari was still squeezing my arm. I tugged it away. She crossed her arms resolutely over her chest.

“This chamber belongs to the Priestess Khala,” Ahmed said, lowering the torch. “This is the sacred Preparation Chamber of the Priestess Khala, and you have violated it.” “Well, we didn’t know,” Sari snapped. “I really don’t see what’s the big deal, Ahmed.” “She’s right,” I said quickly. “We didn’t touch anything. We didn’t move anything. I don’t think—” “Shut up, you fools!” Ahmed screamed. He swung the torch angrily as if trying to hit us.

“Ahmed, my dad will be here any second,” Sari repeated, her voice trembling.

We both turned our eyes to the tunnel. It was dark and silent.

No sign of Uncle Ben.

“Your father is a smart man,” Ahmed said. “It is too bad he wasn’t smart enough to heed my warnings.” “Warnings?” Sari asked.

I realized she was stalling for time, trying to keep Ahmed talking until Uncle Ben arrived.

“I frightened the two workers,” Ahmed confessed to Sari. “I frightened them to show your father that the curse was alive, that I was prepared to carry out Khala’s wishes.” “How did you frighten them?” Sari demanded.

He smiled. “I gave them a little demonstration. I showed them what it might feel like to be boiled alive.” He turned his eyes to the tar pit. “They didn’t like it,” he added quietly.

“But, Ahmed—” Sari started.

He cut her off. “Your father should have known better than to return here. He should have believed me. He should have believed in the Priestess’ curse. The Priestess cursed all who would violate her chamber.” “But, come on, you don’t really believe—” I started.

He raised the torch menacingly. “It was decreed by Khala more than four thousand years ago that this sacred chamber would not be violated,” he cried, gesturing with the torch, leaving a trail of orange light against the darkness. “Since that time, from generation to generation, descendants of Khala have made sure that the Priestess’ command was obeyed.” “But, Ahmed—” Sari cried.

“It has come to me,” he continued, ignoring her, ignoring us both, staring at the ceiling as he spoke, as if speaking directly to the Priestess up in the heavens. “It has come to me as a descendant of Khala to make sure the curse is carried out.” I stared past Ahmed to the tunnel. Still no sign of Uncle Ben.

Was he coming? Had Sari’s beeper worked?

What was keeping him?

“I volunteered to work for your father to make sure that Khala’s sacred sanctuary was not violated,” Ahmed continued, shadows flickering over his menacing face. “When he would not heed my warnings, I had to take action. I frightened the two workers. Then I planned to take you away, to hide you until he agreed to stop his work.” He lowered the torch. His face filled with sadness. “Now, I have no choice. I must carry out my sacred duties. I must keep the ancient promise to Khala.” “But what does that mean?” Sari cried. The orange torchlight revealed her frightened expression.

“What does it mean?” Ahmed repeated. He gestured with the torch. “Look around you.” We both turned and glanced quickly around the chamber. But we didn’t understand.

“The mummies,” he explained.

We still didn’t understand. “What about the mummies?” I managed to stammer.

“They were all violators of the Priestess’ chamber,” Ahmed revealed. The thin smile that formed on his face could only be described as a proud smile.

“You mean—they’re not from ancient Egypt?” Sari cried, raising her hands in horror to her face.

“A few of them,” Ahmed replied, still smiling that frightening, cold smile. “A few of them were ancient intruders. Some are quite recent. But they all have one thing in common. They all became victims of the curse. And they all were mummified alive!” “No!” I screamed without realizing it.

Ahmed ignored my terrified outburst. “I did that one myself,” he said, pointing to a mummy standing stiffly at attention at the edge of the tar pit.

“Oh, how awful!” Sari cried, her voice trembling.

I stared hopefully at the tunnel opening behind Ahmed. But there was still no sign of Uncle Ben.

“Today, I must go to work again,” Ahmed announced. “Today there will be new mummies. New trophies for Khala.” “You can’t do that!” Sari shrieked.

I grabbed her hand.

To my horror, I understood perfectly now. I understood why some of the mummies were in such good condition.

They were new.

All of the tools, the tar, the linen—they had been used by descendants of Khala, descendants like Ahmed. Since the time of Khala, anyone who had entered the chamber—the chamber we were now standing in—had been mummified.

Alive.

And now Sari and I were about to become mummies, too.

“Ahmed, you can’t!” Sari cried. She let go of my hand and balled her hands into angry fists at her side.

“It is the will of Khala,” he replied softly, his dark eyes glowing in the light of the torch.

I saw a long-bladed dagger appear in his free hand. The blade caught the light from the torch.

Sari and I both took a step back as Ahmed began moving toward us with quick, determined strides.