The Deadly Curse
Authors: Tony Evans
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Historical, #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Thrillers, #Historical Fiction
© Tony Evans 2014
Tony Evans has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
First published in 2014 by Endeavour Press Ltd.
Prequel:
Valley of the Kings, Ancient Egypt, 1,326 BC
Grand
Vizier
Actaroth
had
served
his
master
,
Pharaoh
Karnos
II
,
for
over
two
decades
and
was
about
to
conduct
his
last
solemn
duty
:
overseeing
the
burial
of
the
god
-
king
and
his
consort
Queen
Merhote
.
Actaroth
stood
some
distance
from
the
entrance
to
the
long
tunnel
that
had
been
dug
deep
into
the
hillside
,
and
which
led
to
the
tomb
chamber
that
had
been
prepared
many
years
earlier
.
The
great
age
of
pyramid
building
had
long
passed
,
and
the
arid
valley
alongside
the
west
bank
of
the
Nile
was
now
the
chosen
resting
place
for
Egypt’s
rulers
.
The
tomb
had
already
been
furnished
with
its
valuable
grave
goods
and
holy
scrolls
,
and
all
that
remained
to
be
added
were
the
two
sarcophagi
that
contained
the
mummified
bodies
of
the
pharaoh
and
his
queen
.
As
Actaroth
looked
towards
the
entrance
of
the
deep
valley
,
he
could
see
the
gathering
cloud
of
red
dust
signalling
the
approach
of
the
funeral
party
.
Two
wooden
sledges
pulled
by
a
team
of
oxen
each
carried
a
stone
sarcophagus
,
surrounded
by
a
large
group
of
mourners
:
these
included
the
pharaoh’s
favourite
concubines
and
courtiers
,
and
two
priestesses
representing
Nephthys
and
Isis
,
the
goddesses
of
death
and
rebirth
.
There
was
one
notable
omission
from
the
funeral
procession
,
Actaroth
thought
.
The
High
Priest
of
Egypt
,
Nebet
,
should
have
been
present
,
but
he
had
unaccountably
vanished
on
the
day
that
Karnos
breathed
his
last
.
Actaroth
had
heard
rumours
that
the
new
pharaoh
was
jealous
of
the
priest
and
had
sent
Nebet
to
a
secret
grave
.
Others
believed
that
Nebet
had
feared
for
his
life
when
Karnos
died
and
had
gone
into
hiding
.
The
procession
halted
outside
the
entrance
to
the
tomb
,
whilst
the
two
sarcophagi
were
taken
one
at
a
time
into
the
bowels
of
the
mountain
,
hauled
by
a
team
of
slaves
and
followed
by
a
select
group
of
mourners
carrying
oil
lamps
.
After
more
than
an
hour
the
party
re
-
emerged
blinking
into
the
harsh
sunlight
.
Months
earlier
,
a
huge
stone
had
been
dragged
up
a
man
-
made
slope
of
packed
sand
so
that
it
stood
poised
above
the
entrance
of
the
tomb
.
It
had
taken
six
weeks
to
position
it
in
exactly
the
right
place
.
Great
baulks
of
timber
–
a
precious
commodity
in
Ancient
Egypt
–
had
been
wedged
under
the
stone
and
the
sand
dug
away
from
around
it
.
Now
the
final
act
of
interment
was
to
take
place
.
The
Grand
Vizier
approached
the
entrance
and
gave
the
order
.
Slaves
heaved
at
the
coils
of
rope
which
had
been
looped
around
the
base
of
the
timbers
and
the
massive
stone
slab
,
now
unsupported
,
dropped
into
place
with
a
ground
-
shaking
thud
,
sealing
the
tomb
of
Karnos
and
his
queen
for
all
eternity
.
The
next
day
,
a
party
of
slaves
and
workmen
would
return
and
conceal
the
huge
stone
with
a
mound
of
rock
and
rubble
.
As
the
procession
and
the
two
empty
sledges
left
the
Valley
of
the
Kings
behind
them
,
Actaroth
turned
round
to
take
one
final
look
at
the
pharaoh’s
last
resting
place
.
A
pair
of
squawking
vultures
,
perhaps
propelled
by
some
instinctive
empathy
with
death
,
were
circling
impotently
around
the
barrier
which
concealed
the
entrance
to
the
tomb
.
An
enigmatic
smile
played
briefly
upon
the
Vizier’s
lips
,
impossible
to
interpret
,
but
suggestive
of
a
man
in
possession
of
a
great
secret
.
