CHAPTER 1
THE GOLDEN SCARAB
Do scarab beetles really eat the flesh of people? Are intruders cursed when they dare trespass in the sacred burial place of a pharaoh? Is Egypt the land of mystery as the movies have described?
Images of pharaohs, mummies, pyramids, and tombs filled Jed Collins's mind. There were so many questions he wanted answers for to remove any misgivings he had about life in ancient Egypt. His parents had always said, "Do not believe everything you see in movies, but yes, Egypt is full of mystery. You will love it as much as we do."
As he settled into his seat of the passenger jet, he knew that he would soon find out for himself what the land of the pharaohs was really like. He was really looking forward to it. Jed hoped he would be regarded as a valuable member of his parents' team, which excavated ancient sites in Egypt. Acceptance at school had always been difficult, so he definitely lacked confidence. His self-esteem was now at an all-time low. Maybe it was his red hair and freckles that made it difficult for him to make friends. Maybe he was considered a geek because he liked books, not sports.
"It's a long flight to Egypt, Jed," his mother said. "Just relax."
Relax? Impossible! Jed fidgeted constantly in the cramped seating of the aircraft. Even the constant drone of the jet's engines could not dull his mind.
Jed Collins's parents, John and Carla, were archaeologists keenly interested in helping to uncover the history of ancient Egypt. Every year they would undertake the exhausting but rewarding task of excavating possible sites in the western desert alongside the Nile River. Egypt's mild winter was the best time for locating a lost tomb. Jed was accompanying his parents on a dig in Egypt for the very first time. Now after he had turned fourteen, he was considered old enough to assist in this very demanding mission. It was an understatement to say that he was feeling eager. Reading his parents' books and listening to them talk about their discoveries in that historic land was fascinating. Now Jed could actually assist in the search for a royal tomb, the tomb of a forgotten Egyptian prince.
Jed finally dropped off to sleep in the last hours of the flight. As the jet approached the Cairo International Airport, his mother gently shook him to prepare for the landing.
"I'm awake. I'm awake." Jed jerked upright in his seat. "I heard you calling me. What did you want?"
"No, Jed, I didn't call you. You must have been dreaming," his mother replied.
"But, Mom, I heard my name over and over! I heard it clearly."
Curiosity about his unusual experience instantly disappeared as the jet approached the runway. With his face as close to the window as he could get, Jed tried to locate the only existing wonder from the ancient world, the Great Pyramid. Unfortunately the jet's approach path to the airport's runway prevented any view from where he was sitting. He was very disappointed to not see the man-made mountain of stone looming above the sand of the Giza Plateau. However, goose bumps spread over his skin just by the very thought that his adventure was about to begin.
Jed, his parents, and Peter Andrews, another member of the exploration team, gathered their belongings from the luggage area of the airport terminal. Peter was a student from the university where Jed's parents worked. He was assisting the team as part of his fieldwork for his studies in Egyptology. They impatiently passed through customs and quickly arranged with waiting government officials to continue their trip.
Ahmed Shafar, a native Egyptian and internationally respected master Egyptologist, had been waiting at the airport. He had been responsible for organizing the transport and provisions for the expedition. Ahmed greeted the group and welcomed Jed to Egypt. The rest of the trip would now be via four-wheel-drive vehicles venturing south along the Nile River. Then they would head west to their destination in the desert.
Filled with hope for a successful mission, the team set off on their long journey along the palm tree–lined roads near the Nile River, first passing the towering pyramids. Jed could not keep his eyes off those grand structures, causing a painful cramp in his neck. He watched them until they disappeared in the distance.
Their trip led them alongside patchwork pastures of onions, carrots, cotton, wheat, sugarcane, corn, and potatoes crisscrossed with irrigation canals from the Nile. As the vehicles crawled through dusty, mud-brick villages, the drivers were careful to avoid hitting the chickens and goats roaming the narrow streets, and especially the children playing. The traffic itself had changed from the unbelievable chaos of horn-honking vehicles in Cairo to bicycles and donkey-drawn carts. Sometimes the bulky bodies of water buffalo would block the vehicles' passage on narrow bends of the road.
As the small convoy drove deeper to the south, the ever-increasing simple lifestyle of the friendly villagers gave Jed the impression that he was moving through a time tunnel and into an era of long ago.
Before they headed for the isolation of the western desert, it was necessary for the team to stock up with extra fuel and fresh food. Fortunately their travel plan coincided with a local market day at one of the larger villages. Hundreds of people had come to sell and buy vegetables, fruits, grains, meat, crafts, and live animals.
Jed jumped from the four-wheel-drive vehicle to stretch his legs and look around. He was eager to explore. He wandered through the crowd of jostling people, looking with curiosity at the vast range of goods for sale at the market. The noisy scene seemed like a movie set featuring an old-time bazaar. Jed was amused to witness the buyers and merchants loudly haggling over the price of goods, the custom for Egyptian traders.
"Boy! Red hair! Over here!"
Jed looked around.
A trader sitting amongst brass ornaments in his market stall beckoned Jed towards him. "Come! Buy souvenir."
"No, thanks," Jed replied as he slowly turned in all directions to decide which way to go. I hate it when people refer to my red hair, he thought.
"Red hair, buy gift for mother!" the trader yelled loudly in an effort to be heard above the noisy crowd.
Jed waved a no-thank-you sign, tucked his red hair out of sight under his cap, and walked on.
Flashes of light drew Jed's attention to a small stall at the end of a quieter lane in the marketplace. Hanging chains of crystals were sparkling in the sunshine, creating a dazzling display. Brightly coloured, striped rugs slung over the top of the stall provided just enough protection from the sun for any potential buyer to have some shade. Instantly curious, Jed turned down the narrow walkway, which seemed so peaceful in comparison to the main market area.
Featured at the stall was a range of jewellery with colourful gemstones, rings, bracelets, and pendants neatly arranged on purple cloth. Jed was tempted to buy something for his mother's birthday in two weeks. He had been saving for his Egyptian adventure for months and could certainly afford to buy a...
