Curse of the Pharaoh: A Brock Stone Adventure

“Only a rose I give you.

Only a song dying away,

Only a smile to keep in memory…”

There had to be some mistake. Perhaps he was wrong and this wasn’t the same D. Rose he was scheduled to meet. Or maybe this lovely creature was another Mata Hari — a spy working for the enemy. Stone took a deep breath and walled away his emotions. He was on a mission and Rose was an enemy combatant. Her gender and her beauty did not change that. He would do what he had to. It was the only way to get back home at the end of his enlistment.

A few minutes later Rose emerged from backstage. She exchanged greetings with a few patrons before ordering a drink at the bar. Stone moved to stand beside her.

“Have we met before?” Stone said. “Your face looks familiar.” It was the standard opening line when meeting a contact.

“You look like a man I met in Covent Garden,” Rose said automatically. “He was buying apples.”

“Must not have been me. I prefer oranges.”

Rose gave the tiniest of nods. “Meet me at Place de la Concorde in twenty minutes.”

“Sorry to have interrupted.” Stone made a quick bob of the head and strode out into the Paris night.

12 Cairo

The sun shone down from a high, clear sky, baking the streets of Cairo. In the distance, the minarets of the Al-Azhar Mosque towered over the city. They were magnificent to behold, but Stone wasn’t in the mood for sightseeing. He tugged at his collar and rued his coat and tie. He couldn’t wait until he could change into something more comfortable.

“Are you missing Tibet right about now?” Alex asked.

“Stop that,” Stone said absently.

“Somebody’s grumpy today.” Alex took off his derby cap and fanned himself.

“I hate wearing a suit. It’s hot, constricting, and feels too much like a uniform,” Stone said.

“At least you get to wear pants,” Trinity grumbled. She and Constance wore white cotton dresses and carried parasols. “Fool men telling women what to wear.”

“I think you both look lovely,” Alex said.

“We would prefer it if you valued us for something other than our appearance,” Constance said.

“Can’t a man pay a lady a compliment?” Alex complained. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

The pair had been snapping at one another like pair of junkyard dogs since they left Washington. On the voyage over, it had gotten so bad that Constance had refused to be in the same room as Alex for the last two days of their trip. Trinity did not want her friend to be alone, which meant she and Stone had spent little time together.

“If the two of you don’t stop, I’m going to bundle you up, put you in crate, and ship you home as cargo.”

“Nonsense,” Constance said. “No gentleman would ever do such a thing.”

“Exactly.” Stone turned and flashed an icy grin that made her blanch.

“Don’t listen to him,” Trinity said. “We won’t stuff you in a crate, but we will leave the two of you behind if you don’t stop acting like children.”

Constance bit back a retort and looked away. Alex kept his eyes on a distant point on the horizon — the ziggurat that marked the tomb and mosque of Sultan el-Asraf. Trinity flicked a side-eyed glance at Stone and winked.

“I love you,” he said.

“Why, Brock Stone! What a thing to say in public.” She tipped her parasol so he couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was smiling.

After a short walk, they arrived at Sahara University and were shown to the office of Professor Abraxas Ratliff. The son of an Egyptian mother and English father, Ratliff was considered an expert in the growing field of Egyptology.

“I was pleased to receive your letter,” Ratliff said. “Your grandfather and I corresponded for many years. He was a brilliant man with unmatched curiosity. His interests were diverse, and he had a hunger for knowledge.”

“I fear I have been cursed with the same affliction.” Stone smiled. “We are searching for an ancient city. I haven’t been able to find it on any map.”

“I will help if I can. What is the name of the city?”

“Kauketos.”

Ratliff’s smile faded. “Kauket is the feminine version of the Egyptian god of night and darkness,” Ratliff said. “Kauketos, if it exists, is reputed to be a place of great evil. Why do you want to go there?”

“I read about it in my grandfather’s journals,” Stone lied. “He believed there was an undiscovered tomb there. My friend is a journalist and will be documenting our expedition.”

“Excellent.” Ratliff nodded at Alex, who shook his head and pointed at Trinity. “My mistake. Please forgive me.” He made a small bow which she returned with a bob of her head.

“You’re familiar with the name, then?” Stone said.

“I have come across it in my research, but I can only give you a general idea of where it is rumored to be.”

“That would be a good start.”