“When you get up there, throw the papyrus out the window. Okay, are you ready?”

  Abigail wasn’t ready but said, “Yes.”

  Once more, she climbed onto Riley’s shoulders. It was a little less clumsy this time and she held her hands against the stone walls for balance. As she carefully straightened up, she was relieved to see she was looking directly out the window. “It’s the right height,” she said with excitement. “I can see out!”

  “What’s in front of you?” Riley called up to her. “Below you?”

  “I probably won’t be able to see until my shoulders are through the window,” she said.

  “Are you able to hold yourself at that height while I adjust and get ready to push you?”

  “Yes,” Abigail called down. A trickle of apprehension ran up her spine.

  “I’m only going to push you enough to get you part way through the window, but I’ll still hold your feet to balance you. Call if you want me to push you at any time. And Abigail, only throw the papyrus out if it’s too far to jump. Let me know as soon as you can.”

  “I’m ready,” Abigail said. Riley pushed harder than she expected. She scraped her elbow on the stone of the window as she pushed the window open. To her relief, the window flew all the way up, and in one fluid moment she went through the window up to her waist.

  Abigail looked down, and much to her relief, Riley was right. There, stood the ruins of a building, big stone blocks and piles of rubble below. If she was careful, she would land on a platform directly under the window.

  “I can go out,” she said. Abigail wriggled all the way through, but her hips got stuck. She kicked her legs free of Riley’s hands and squirmed through, hoping to get purchase.

  It seemed to work. It took a while, but eventually she maneuvered so that one hip came first, and then without warning she was free falling forward.

  The window banged behind her. Abigail fell forward so fast she was in danger of missing the safe platform and plunging to the bottom of the structure.

  At the last minute, she grabbed onto a piece of galvanised reinforcement and managed to stop her fall. Abigail felt something cold on her arm and looked down to see her elbow was bleeding. Still, it could have been worse.

  She stood to her feet, took a deep breath and then hurried around to the front of the building. She was right—the doorway had a bar across it. She momentarily wondered why anyone would store anything in a storage room that was not secure, but she had no time to ponder on that. She flung the bar aside and opened the door.

  “You’re bleeding,” Riley said by way of greeting.

  “Just a scratch,” Abigail said.

  “And the papyrus?”

  She took it out of the front of her clothing and handed it to him. He put it in his backpack and then slammed the door shut.

  Riley took Abigail by the arm and turned around.

  Someone shouted in Egyptian Arabic.

  Abigail saw two men. “Run,” Riley said. He pulled her around and took hold of her hand. They ran back through the souk, Riley pulling her this way and that, sidestepping enthusiastic sellers and the sea of people.

  Abigail was breathing so hard her throat felt raw. She was sure if the crowds hadn’t been so thick, the men would have caught them. Finally, Riley pulled her around the corner and they ducked back against the wall. Abigail held her breath and saw the two men run past.

  Riley waited for a few moments and then took Abigail’s hand again. They ran through the wide archway and moved in the other direction. This time they walked briskly. “We’ll attract more attention if we run,” Riley said. “We have to get out of here. We need to find somewhere quiet so you can look at the papyrus.”

  As Abigail strode beside Riley, she said, “Why do they want a copy of the papyrus when they have their own? They have the original so why do they want our copy? Or are they trying to stop us from finding it first?”

  “Neither of those,” Riley said.

  Abigail looked up at him. “What do you mean? Are they the only possibilities?”

  “No,” Riley said. “They want you.”

  All of a sudden, he took her arm and pulled her into a building.

  10

  CAIRO

  “I don’t understand,” Abigail whispered. “And why are we in this café?”

  “We’ll find a quiet place upstairs somewhere so you can look at the papyrus,” Riley said. “This place is as good as any. They won’t expect that we’ve stopped at a café, and they’ll keep going.”

  “Why do they want me?” Abigail asked again.

  “I’d say they want you to look at the papyrus. Maybe they don’t have anyone working for them who can authenticate it or translate it.”

  Abigail thought that over. “I see. This papyrus has only just come to light, so they wouldn’t have had much time to organize an Egyptologist. Still, they don’t need an Egyptologist, just a competent student, to translate hieroglyphics.”

  Riley arched one eyebrow. “I’m sure they’d have trouble rustling one of those up on the spot. Besides, they know you’re clever. They know what you did in Sardis.”

  Riley took her by the arm and guided her through the crowded café. She kept her head down and didn’t make eye contact with anyone. They walked up the stairs and took a seat at the back of the wall, amidst people smoking shishas.

  Riley sat with his back to the wall as usual. The small window looked out onto the Al-Hussein Mosque.

  “Look at the papyrus copy now,” Riley said. He pulled it out of his backpack and slid it across the table to her.

  “Is it safe to look at it here?” Abigail asked.

  “No one knows what it is,” Riley pointed out. “And even if they could see it, they’d simply think it was one of the tourist papyruses.”

  Riley ordered hibiscus tea for the two of them. The waiter asked if they would like a shisha, but Riley declined.

  Abigail stared at the papyrus copy. She was at once puzzled to see mention of a much earlier pharaoh, Amenemhat III. Below his cartouches were scenes on two rows. The upper row depicted what looked to Abigail to be David slaying Goliath. The lower scene showed Pharaoh Shoshenq I taking the spear as well as plenty of gold. An adjoining scene showed the spear and the gold in an Egyptian chamber.

  Abigail looked up from the document. “It mentions the Pharaoh Shoshenq I,” she said. “He’s mentioned in the Bible as Shishak. He was the founder of the Twenty Second Dynasty of Egypt.”

  Riley leaned over. “You said he’s mentioned in the Bible? What did he do?”

  “It’s in the book of Chronicles. It says he attacked Jerusalem. I’ll have to google it.” She pulled out her phone and flipped through a few websites. “Yes, it’s in 2 Chronicles 10-12. It says Shishak attacked Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen.”

  “Can you quote it?”

  Abigail nodded. “I don’t have the original Hebrew on my phone, but this is what an English translation says:

  ‘He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.’”

  Riley nodded slowly. “If Shoshenq took away Solomon’s golden shield and all the treasures, it stands to reason he took away Goliath’s spear as well.”

  Abigail readily agreed. “It does make sense.” She looked at a website on her phone before looking back up. “1 Samuel 17:54 states that after David slew Goliath, he took his weapons and put them in his tent. That would have included the spear. So, we know David kept Goliath’s spear.”

  “Do we know what happened to them after that?”

  Abigail sipped some tea before replying. “The book of Samuel tells us that when David was fleeing from King Saul, he went to the priests at Nob for food. After he ate, he requested they give him a sword. The High Priest, Ahimelech, had only one sword, Goliath’s. He took it from behind the ephod, wrapped in cloth.”

  Riley stroked his chin. “So are you saying they treated Goliath’s sword with great honor, so it’s likely they valued the spear just as highly?”

  “Exactly,” Abigail said.

  “And does the papyrus tell you the location of the spear?”

  Abigail shook her head. “It doesn’t. It’s confusing. It shows the cartouches of a much earlier pharaoh, Amenemhat III, who lived around one thousand years earlier than Shoshenq.”

  “There’s no connection between the two pharaohs?”

  “None whatsoever.”

  Riley sighed. “What do we do now?”

  Abigail shrugged. “It’s a long shot, but Shoshenq recorded information on the Bubastite Portal at Karnak. It’s the south entrance to the First Court between the Second Pylon and the Temple of Ramses III. One facade shows Shoshenq striking captives, and there are rows of Canaanite town names.”

  “Are you saying we should look at the Bubastite Portal?”

  Abigail rubbed her eyes. “I don’t have a clue, to be honest. I thought this papyrus would hold an obvious clue, but it really doesn’t say anything. It only shows Pharaoh Shoshenq. Maybe, there’s a further clue there. I know it’s clutching at straws, but I don’t have any other ideas.”

  11

  LUXOR

  Riley frowned hard and stared out the window. Abigail took the opportunity to look at the distance to Karnak on her phone. “It’s over a seven-hour drive!” she exclaimed.

  “What is?” Riley said.

  “The drive to the Bubastite Portal. It’s in Karnak.”

  Riley smiled. “At least it’s in the same country.”

  Abigail didn’t fancy driving for so long when people wanted to capture her. “What if Vortex agents are looking for me on the way?”

  “It’s a busy road to Karnak,” Riley pointed out. “I’m sure you will be safe.”

  “We will get a rental car, won’t we?” She heaved a sigh of relief when Riley nodded.

  “I don’t like this,” he said. “I’d like to wait for reinforcements, but we don’t have time. We’re against the clock.”

  Abigail readily agreed. “We’re racing against Vortex to find the spear.”

  “We had best leave now,” Riley said. “Before we leave, are there any other monuments you can think of?”

  Abigail shook her head. “No, but give me a moment to google it.” After a while, she looked up. “No, that’s the only one I can think of, but it’s a long way to go if I’m wrong.”

  “But what other options do we have?” Riley said. “We have to pursue all avenues. Besides, something might occur to you on the way.”

  Abigail rubbed her eyes again. She had expected the papyrus to hold a clue and was bitterly disappointed it didn’t. “Be on your guard, but keep your head down and avoid eye contact,” Riley said. “We need to look as inconspicuous as possible.”

  By the time they rented a car and made their way to Karnak, the sun was setting in the sky, casting a red glow over the sandy landscape.

  “It’s no use seeing the place at night, so we’ll stop at a hotel somewhere for the night and get an early start,” Riley said. “I’ll pay cash.” He cast a look over at Abigail. “We’ll be safe. Nobody will follow us. Try not to worry.”

  Abigail offered a weak smile.

  Despite her concerns, she fell asleep and woke up only when the car came to a stop.

  “You’re awake,” Riley said, stating the obvious. “I had a call. RHTF has sent an agent to help us. He’ll meet us tomorrow at the Bubastite Portal.”

  “How is he getting here so fast?” Abigail remembered the long flight from New York.

  “Maybe he was in London, or somewhere in the vicinity,” Riley replied with a shrug. “Are you hungry?”

  Abigail looked at the white hotel building looming over them and shook her head. “I just need to sleep.” Jet lag had taken its toll on her.

  “All right, I’ll wake you up early for breakfast and then we’ll make a start.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Abigail said, struggling to keep awake. She didn’t know why she was so tired after sleeping for seven hours.

  “Wait here while I pay. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.”

  With that, he was gone. Abigail roused herself and watched to see if anyone pulled into the hotel behind them, but no one did.

  Riley soon returned. He handed her a key and escorted her into the lobby. To Abigail, everything, the walls, the floors, seemed pale pink. Even the ceiling was a shade of pink. The columns either side of the door were likewise a pale pink. There was a large red couch to one side, on which were dotted purple cushions, and a red rug on the floor.

  Abigail followed Riley up the stairs, staring at the large prints of ancient Egyptian paintings. Riley stopped at her door. “This is your room. I’ll wait until you go inside and lock it.”

  Abigail barely had the energy to reply. She slipped inside, locking the door behind her. She at once noticed the air-conditioning, which thankfully was already on. The floors appeared to be of a highly reflective linoleum. A white iron bed stood against the pink wall, and a purple sparkling duvet lay on top of it. Next to it was a highly polished white nightstand. Abigail wondered at the plastic flowers which were stuck all over the walls.

  She crossed to the window to shut the curtains. They were pale orange and sparkling, and purple tassels hung from them. She was surprised to see that the little en-suite bathroom appeared far more modern than the bedroom.

  Abigail was certain she had only been asleep for a few minutes when she was awoken by a knock on the door. “It’s me,” Riley’s voice called. “I will collect you in ten?”

  “That’s fine, sure,” Abigail called back. It didn’t take long to shower and dress. “Is this my life now?” she asked her reflection as she applied some sunscreen.

  Riley was outside her door when she opened it. Had he been standing there the whole time? He smiled at her when he saw her. “Breakfast on the roof?”

  “Sounds good,” Abigail said after she stretched and yawned.

  Abigail gasped with delight when she saw the views from the rooftop. “They’re amazing! I’d love to come back here at some point when I have more time to appreciate the views.”

  Riley shot her a smile that made her heart melt. “That could be arranged.”

  She returned his smile before turning her attention back to the views. The views over Karnak were expansive: whitewashed houses in front of green, palm-lined fields. She could see over the palm trees flanking the Nile to the mountains beyond.

  “This hotel’s close to the Nile on the West Bank,” Riley said, somewhat unnecessarily. “The views of the local countryside are amazing.”

  Abigail agreed enthusiastically. Even the concern about what the rest of the day might bring did not upset her in any way. She was excited to see the Temple of Amun at Karnak. She knew about it, of course, in a scholarly fashion, but to see it in real life—that was another matter entirely.

  Abigail clutched her throat and said, “Karnak’s on the site of ancient Thebes. The Temple to Amun is one of the finest examples of New Kingdom architecture. There are also several Middle Kingdom remains there. Karnak was dedicated to the god Amun, his consort Mut, known as the Lady of Heaven, and their son Khonsu, the god of the moon.”

  “I can see you’re quite excited about it,” Riley said with a laugh.

  “You have no idea!” She cast a surreptitious glance around her. “Have you heard from, um, your friend?”

  “Nothing’s changed in that regard,” Riley told her as he poured her some coffee.

  She sipped the thick brew with contentment. This was the life, drinking coffee with a gorgeous man in Karnak while overlooking the Nile. What could be better than that? She could scarcely believe her life might be in danger, not now, not looking at the peaceful views in front of her. She realized Riley was speaking to her and looked up. “Sorry?”

  “Would you like a bagel?”

  “Oh yes, please,” she said.

  Abigail was excited to be in the region of the Valley of the Queens, the Valley of the Kings, and the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. Abigail had always been fascinated by Hatshepsut, the woman pharaoh who expanded Egypt’s trade and was responsible for architectural wonders.

  Riley’s voice startled her from her reverie. “This hotel is only two miles from Karnak.”

  A small cloud descended upon her, dispelling her feelings of happiness. What if there were no clues on the Bubastite Portal? What if there was something she had overlooked on the papyrus? Then Vortex would get their hands on Goliath’s spear, and the consequences of that were unimaginable. No, Abigail simply had to work harder.

  “You seem quite refreshed today,” Riley said when they reached the Karnak Temple complex.

  “I’m a different person today,” Abigail admitted. “For the life of me, I couldn’t stay awake last evening.”

  Riley nodded. “It’s likely the jet lag.”

  Abigail stood still, struck silent by the magnificence of the complex. She knew it stood over two hundred acres, and contained many famous buildings, the great Hypostyle Hall featuring one hundred and thirty-four massive columns, the Palace of Ma’at built by the female Pharaoh, Hatshepsut, and the Temple of Khonsu, whose gateway stood at the end of a row of sphinxes.

  Riley gestured around the site. “Plenty of tourists are already here.”

  “That won’t matter, though,” Abigail said. “I’m sure we’ll still get a good look at the portal.”

  Riley stopped walking. “Let’s not head straight there, though. Let’s walk around and look at everything else first.”

  Abigail was confused. “But aren’t we in a hurry?”

  Riley nodded. “Yes, we are, but I don’t know if we were followed. I’d like to have a look at the place first, to look for exits and places to hide—you know, scope it out.”