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Instalment Seven - Instalment
Seven
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Chapter Nine
The first thing that Atkins noticed was the noise. The second was how clean and clear the air was. He walked along the Embankment in something of a daze. It was the world he knew, and yet it was not.
The trees had grown tall and strong; the buildings he recognized in the distance, like the Palace of Westminster were gleaming clean as if encased in limestone. Only Cleopatra\x92s Needle and its attendant sphinxes stood unchanged from the last time he had walked this route. They walked by the front of the Savoy, which the Doctor remarked was now the back, and they passed the warehouse which in 1896 had been the Necropolis Funeral Company. Atkins watched in amazement as boats sped past on the river, and gaped openly as horseless carriages noisily crossed the bridges over the Thames. The Doctor did his best to explain everything, and Tegan smiled and laughed.
When they reached Kenilworth House, the feeling of upheaval remained. He had hoped that the familiar architecture, set apart from the rest of the disjoint city would offer a still point of continuity in the turned world.
It did not.
They made their way round to the busy road at the front of the house, and
found the driveway gates open. The jackals watched them with stony eyes, their
upright ears chipped and their claws blunted by the elements. The wall bulged
outwards where a tree was growing into it. The trunk was forcing its way through
the brickwork in a way the architects and landscapers had neither intended nor
anticipated. The house at the top of the drive, rising out of the ground like
some huge ancient structure, was recognizable. Just.
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The roof had been entirely replaced, the new one rising higher with a dormer window suggesting the addition of attic rooms. The ground floor had been extended outwards from the original house, the porch stretching the width of the frontage, and an annex added to the side. The upstairs bay windows had been replaced with more streamlined double-glazing, so that with the extensions at ground level, the whole house seemed to taper inwards from the base.
\x91That\x92s the trouble with Time,\x92 the Doctor said catching sight of Atkins\x92 expression.
\x91What is, Doctor?\x92
\x91Things are never the same again.\x92
\x91Well, I think it\x92s a definite improvement,\x92 Tegan said. She led the way up the drive, feet crunching on the gravel.
Across the street from Kenilworth House, a blue Ford Mondeo stood shadowed by a beech tree. The car was in every way average, an unremarkable model in a standard colour scheme. The owner had selected the car for these very reasons.
He watched the Doctor, Tegan and Atkins make their way up the drive, then checked his timepiece.
\x91Right on time, Doctor. As always.\x92
He smiled, and returned the hourglass to his jacket pocket. The upper bowl
was almost empty of sand. Then Sadan Rassul started the engine, checked his wing
mirror and pulled out into the traffic.
Page 3
Aubrey Prior was alone in the library when he heard the doorbell. He frowned, glanced at the wall clock, and put down the heavy leather-bound volume he had been reading. Reaching for his stick, he pulled himself to his feet. His palm closed easily around the familiar smoothness of the carved handle of his walking stick as he pushed aside his chair and headed off towards the door.
\x91I\x92ll get it,\x92 he called up the staircase as he crossed the hall. There was no answer from above, probably his daughter had not heard either the bell or his shout. Prior was not expecting visitors, so it was probably Norris calling for Vanessa anyway. He shook his head and opened the door.
Outside, clustered round the doorstep, were three people. None of them was dressed in what Prior would have described as \x91normal\x92 attire. The woman was small and slim with close-cut dark hair. She was probably in her mid twenties, and she appeared to be wearing either her night-clothes or her underwear. A short white linen jacket seemed to have been added as an afterthought in case she got cold.
The other two were men. One was tall and blond, his age difficult to estimate. His eyes focused on Prior with an inner intelligence. His hair was parted at the side and he was dressed like an Edwardian cricketer. The other man was tall with dark greased back hair and a thin face. He seemed to be in his late thirties, and he was wearing evening dress complete with wing-collared shirt and black bow tie.
\x91Ah, hello there,\x92 said the cricketer extending a hand. Then he saw Prior\x92s hand resting on his walking stick. He quickly pulled back his hand and offered the other one. \x91I\x92m the Doctor,\x92 he said. \x91I wonder if we might have a word.\x92
\x91I wasn\x92t aware that anyone was ill,\x92 Prior told him, ignoring the offered hand.
The Doctor leaned forward. \x91You don\x92t know who I am?\x92
\x91Certainly not. Should I?\x92
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The stranger\x92s mouth twisted up on one side, as if he was biting the inside of his lip. \x91Maybe not,\x92 he said after a moment. Then he broke into a grin. \x91I know, perhaps this will help.\x92 He reached into his jacket pocket, frowned, then tried the other pocket. He pulled out a piece of white card, tapped it proudly against his thumbnail, and offered it to Prior.
Prior took the card suspiciously. He did not let his eyes stray from the Doctor\x92s face until he had the card held up in front of him. It was half of an invitation card, printed on plain white stock with a gilt edge. It had been torn across the middle.
\x91I think you had better come inside,\x92 Prior said quietly.
\x91I\x92m terribly sorry,\x92 the Doctor said as they were shown into the library, \x91but I\x92m afraid we don\x92t know your name.\x92
\x91Prior,\x92 the man said. \x91Aubrey Prior.\x92 He limped his way across the room to a large oval reading table. Several chairs stood round the table, and the top was littered with papers and books.
\x91Thank you. Well, as I said, I\x92m the Doctor, and this is Tegan and Mr Atkins.\x92
Prior waved them to the chairs round the table. \x91Please bear with me a moment, Doctor.\x92 Prior was counting along the books in one of the shelves. He found the one he was after, and took it down. From inside the cover he took a faded brown envelope, which he brought back to the table.
Tegan watched Prior make his unsteady way back to the table. He seemed to be
in his mid fifties, grey and distinguished. A little overweight perhaps, but he
was evidently still fit, apart from his leg. He sat down heavily on the chair at
the head of the table, and laid his walking stick down on the cluttered surface.
Tegan caught one of the papers as it skidded out of the way, and replaced it.
Prior smiled at her, a warm, genuine smile. Tegan smiled back, and looked away.
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On the table in front of her, the handle of the walking stick was level with Tegan. The stick itself was light wood, highly polished. The handle was made from the same piece of wood, not added on to the main body. It was carved into the shape of a sphinx.
Prior opened the envelope carefully. The edges were worn with age. From within he drew a piece of card and laid it on the table. It was old and yellowed. Beside it he placed the card the Doctor had given him outside the front door. Then he gently teased the two halves together. They fitted perfectly. Except that where Prior\x92s card was discoloured and crumpled, the gilt faded and the printed letters chipped and worn. The Doctor\x92s half was pristine and new.
\x91I\x92ve looked after it,\x92 the Doctor offered as Prior stared down at the completed invitation. \x91Evidently.\x92 Prior looked up. \x91I did not expect you would ever come. I didn\x92t think - I didn\x92t know what to think.\x92 He shrugged, and picked up the two halves of card, holding them together and comparing them.
\x91Is she here?\x92 Tegan leaned across the table, eager to find out where Nyssa was. \x91The mummy? Oh yes, she\x92s here.\x92 Prior lifted his stick from the table, gripping the sphinx as he pushed himself to his feet.
\x91Sir?\x92 Atkins spoke quietly to Prior as he passed him.
\x91Yes, Mr Atkins?\x92
\x91May I ask a question?\x92
\x91Of course. I think there may be several questions.\x92
\x91I used to know this house extremely well, many years ago. It has changed.\x92
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Prior nodded slowly. \x91It must have been many years ago. I\x92ve been here for nearly twenty-eight years, and it was my uncle\x92s before that. It\x92s been in the family since it was built by Lord Kenilworth in the last century.\x92
Atkins waited patiently, hands behind his back.
\x91There was a fire, several years back,\x92 Prior explained. \x91The house was gutted and needed extensive rebuilding. All finished now, I\x92m pleased to say.\x92
\x91A fire?\x92 The Doctor was quickly at Prior\x92s side. \x91What about the mummy?\x92
\x91Oh don\x92t worry, the basement was unaffected.\x92 Prior nodded again, and looked round his three visitors. \x91Come on, I\x92ll show you.\x92
\x91Who is it, father?\x92
They were crossing the hall when the girl called down to Prior. She paused on the half landing, looking over the banisters. Her long dark hair fell forward so that her face was shadowed. She swept it back with a hand to reveal the immaculate features of her face, classical and slightly aquiline. Her green eyes were large and wide, the pupils slightly oval like a cat\x92s.
Prior gestured for her to join them, introducing his guests as she made her way down the stairs.
As she reached the bottom, Prior took her hand. \x91This is my daughter,
Vanessa.\x92
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\x91How do you do.\x92 The Doctor dusted his hand on his lapel and offered it.
\x91Are you more Egyptian people?\x92
\x91Well, that rather depends on what you mean. We\x92re not actually Egyptian by birth.\x92
\x91They\x92re here for the mummy,\x92 Prior said simply.
Vanessa looked at the Doctor, Tegan and Atkins. \x91You\x92re welcome to it,\x92 she said. \x91I think the whole thing\x92s creepy.\x92 She smiled, her face instantly alive with humour. \x91Would you like some tea? I\x92m sure dad didn\x92t think to offer.\x92
\x91Er yes, thank you,\x92 the Doctor looked round at his friends. \x91That would be very nice.\x92
\x91I\x92ll put the kettle on. Call me when you\x92re back.\x92 She turned sharply, her hair thrown outwards in a semi-circle of strands. As she reached the end of the hall, she looked back. \x91You will stay for the party, won\x92t you?\x92 She did not wait for an answer.
Prior coughed. \x91Tomorrow is her twenty-first birthday. We\x92re having a bit of a bash tomorrow night. Mainly my friends, I\x92m afraid, though she has invited a couple of people from her old school. Along with James Norris of course, Vanessa\x92s fianc\xE9. It\x92s something of a double celebration now they\x92ve finally made their minds up.\x92
Prior unlocked the door under the stairs, opened it and gesturing for the Doctor to go first. \x91Vanessa won\x92t come down here now,\x92 Prior said. \x91Makes her feel funny seeing someone so dead, she says.\x92
\x91We may soon be able to allay her fears,\x92 the Doctor said as he started down
the stairs.
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\x91Too right,\x92 said Tegan as she followed him. \x91She\x92s not as dead as you think.\x92Prior said nothing, but followed Atkins down the stairs.
The room was surprisingly large, it probably extended under a good part of the house above. The floor was flagged with stone, and the walls were covered with heavy velvet curtains. Angled spotlights set into the ceiling made the room seem stark and bare, despite the various low tables and shelves around it. On each stood several relics, so that the whole place looked like a small museum.
\x91I\x92ve moved things round a bit,\x92 Prior said. \x91After the fire we put a proper staircase in when we restructured the house. Easier than the old trap door that used to be there. I use this as a sort of relic room now for my collection.\x92
At the far end of the room, on a raised dais, stood the sarcophagus. It was darkened with age and exposure to the moist English air, but was recognisably the same coffin. Tegan ran across to it.
\x91Are these genuine?\x92 the Doctor asked, pausing by a display case. It contained an alabaster goblet, hieroglyphics on the rim picked out in blue pigment. The light inside the case shone through the cup making it seem to glow. Two handles projected from opposite sides, shaped like lotus flowers growing up and out from the base of the goblet. Beside it lay a dagger together with its embossed gold sheath. The blade was silver, the handle an intricate lacing of cloisonn\xE9.
Prior joined the Doctor. \x91Magnificent, aren\x92t they? And yes, they are genuine. The lotus wishing cup, and Queen Ahhotpe\x92s dagger.\x92
\x91Why is it called a wishing cup?\x92 asked Atkins.
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\x91I imagine because of the inscription,\x92 the Doctor indicated the coloured rim. \x91The hieroglyphs probably wish for long life and happiness, or some such thing.\x92
Prior nodded. \x91\x93May the Ka live, and mayest thou spend millions of years, thou who lovest Thebes, sitting with thy face to the north wind, thy two eyes beholding happiness,\x94\x92 he quoted. \x91Or so Tobias St. John translated it.\x92
The Doctor nodded. \x91Not at all bad, actually.\x92
\x91Doctor,\x92 called Tegan impatiently from the coffin.
\x91All right, Tegan, all right. She\x92s waited for a long time, a couple more minutes won\x92t make much difference.\x92
\x91They will to me.\x92
The Doctor ignored her and examined the relics again. \x91You obviously know and love the subject,\x92 he told Prior.
\x91That\x92s your fault.\x92
\x91Oh?\x92
\x91Oh yes. Well, indirectly. I knew nothing about Egypt, even where it was,
until my uncle showed me the mummy soon before he died. It fascinated me. When
he passed away, I could afford to devote more time to the hobby. Now it\x92s an
obsession.\x92 He smiled. \x91Or so Vanessa tells me. She has little interest in the
past. The future holds everything for the young. Like your impatient friend
here.\x92
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They made their way slowly to the sarcophagus, where Tegan was almost hopping with anticipation. \x91What does your wife think to it all?\x92 she asked Prior as the Doctor leaned over the coffin and started examining the bandaged body within.
\x91My wife is dead.\x92
\x91I\x92m sorry.\x92 Tegan looked away.
\x91You weren\x92t to know. It was a long time ago. She died giving birth to Vanessa.\x92
The Doctor straightened up. \x91Well, everything seems to be going swimmingly,\x92 he said with a smile. \x91In a few days she\x92ll be back to normal.\x92
\x91A few days?\x92
\x91Tegan.\x92 The Doctor raised a finger to stop her outburst.
Prior looked into the sarcophagus. Where the Doctor had pulled at the bandages there was an exposed area through which the bare flesh of an arm was showing. \x91I realize that I have inherited an obligation of some sort to you people,\x92 he said quietly. \x91But I do think, Doctor, that you owe me some sort of explanation.\x92
They were in the drawing room. The layout and decor had changed surprisingly little over the last hundred years, although a large organ stood incongruously in one corner of the room. \x91My late wife used to play,\x92 Prior had commented when Tegan asked him pointedly why he possessed such a baroque piece of equipment.
The Doctor gave a brief and simplified explanation of events over tea. He
glossed over the problems of timing and dates, suggesting but never actually
stating that he and his friends were under a similar obligation to some
unspecified ancestor to be there when Nyssa awoke. Explaining how she came to be
sleeping inside the wrappings of an Egyptian mummy was rather less simple.
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\x91I am aware of the notion of suspended animation,\x92 Prior said huffily at one point as the Doctor tried to explain. \x91I did some reading up on cryogenics a long time back, in a previous career. So while I don\x92t understand what\x92s happened, I can begin to believe it.\x92\x91It all sounds complete nonsense to me,\x92 Vanessa said, offering round a plate of shortbread. \x91But I failed science.\x92
\x91Snap,\x92 said Tegan.
\x91You mean the nonsense or the science?\x92
Tegan laughed. \x91Both. But you get used to believing nonsense when you\x92re with the Doctor.\x92
Atkins leaned forward. \x91I have found, Mr Prior, that even though I understand little of what the Doctor says or does, or what happens around him, he is able to make perfect sense of it all.\x92
Prior drained his cup. \x91Well, that\x92s good enough for now, anyway. So, you say it will be several days before this Nyssa person wakes up?\x92
The Doctor nodded. \x91I need to examine her in more detail to be sure, but yes. Three, maybe four days. I wanted to arrive a few days ahead just to check everything\x92s all right.\x92
\x91Then you\x92ll stay for the party,\x92 Vanessa said, tidying up the tea things. \x91We insist, don\x92t we dad. We\x92ve plenty of room, and you\x92ll be right here to look after the lady downstairs.\x92
\x91Thank you,\x92 the Doctor said. \x91That would be ideal.\x92
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Tegan was in better mood after dinner. She had been rather down for most of the afternoon, disappointed that they still had to wait several days before they would know for certain that Nyssa was all right. But as dinner progressed, she became philosophical. The Doctor was right after all, a few more days after waiting so long was nothing really. And Prior and his daughter seemed so pleasant and hospitable that she was actually beginning to welcome the opportunity for a short holiday.
The Priors seemed to live alone in the huge house, though Vanessa mentioned that someone came in to clean twice a week, and they had a part time gardener for the grounds.
\x91No cook, though,\x92 Tegan said, and they all laughed.
Vanessa had rung for an Indian take-away, which contrary to its description had been delivered. Tegan loved Indian food, and the Doctor expressed his appreciation as well. Atkins confessed that he had never been to India or tried their cuisine. But he tucked in with as much enthusiasm as he ever showed, and before long was wiping his glistening brow with a crisp white handkerchief.
After dinner, the Doctor had suggested they get a good night\x92s sleep. They had had a long day, and tomorrow promised to be a late night with Vanessa\x92s birthday party in the evening.
Vanessa had already sorted out rooms for them all, expressing no apparent surprise at their lack of luggage, and offering to lend Tegan whatever she needed. Prior and his daughter bade their guests goodnight, and left them to find their own way upstairs.
Now Tegan, Atkins and the Doctor were sitting in the large room allocated to
the Doctor. He had asked them if they could spare a minute for a quick
conference before turning in. And already Tegan was beginning to worry that her
few days of quiet might not be as relaxing as she had hoped.
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\x91I\x92ve been working on deciphering the hieroglyphics from the secret room behind Nyssa\x92s tomb over the last few days,\x92 the Doctor explained. \x91And I\x92ve made a fair bit of progress, though there\x92s still a lot to work through.\x92
\x91Good news?\x92 asked Tegan.
\x91No,\x92 said the Doctor. \x91Not really.\x92
Tegan and Atkins exchanged glances.
\x91Terrific,\x92 said Tegan.
\x91I think you had better divulge whatever information you deem of significance, Doctor,\x92 Atkins told him.
\x91Yes,\x92 said the Doctor. \x91Right.\x92 He coughed, stood up, walked round the room, then sat down again. \x91The second mummy, the one you found in the hidden chamber, Tegan, is Nephthys. Or at least, given it seemed human and Nephthys was an Osiran, it represents Nephthys. Whatever that means.\x92
\x91Is he making sense to you?\x92 Tegan asked Atkins.
\x91Not at all. I was not even aware that there was a second room or mummy.\x92
The Doctor ignored them and continued: \x91The inscriptions tell the story of
Nephthys and how she secretly helped her husband Seth, also known as Sutekh, to
kill Osiris. His son, Horus, imprisoned Sutekh forever beneath a great pyramid.
The inscriptions say that he also imprisoned Nephthys, though they\x92re a bit
vague on where and how.\x92
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\x91That is hardly a revelation, Doctor,\x92 Atkins said. \x91The legend is well known, although the exact part, if any, played by Nephthys has been a matter for some speculation.\x92
\x91Oh I agree. But these inscriptions are quite specific on certain points. And they tend to be the areas of Osiran influence. They don\x92t just retell the myth, they document the actual events.\x92
Atkins shook his head. \x91Actual events?\x92
Tegan said: \x91It\x92s all to do with these Osiran things the Doctor keeps going on about.\x92 The Doctor took a deep breath. \x91As I think I told you, the Osirans came from Phaester Osiris. They mastered the power of pure thought and used psi-power to project themselves through space in capsules driven by the power of the mind. All their power was based on mathematical exactness, in the same way that the pyramids are exactly proportioned and aligned. That\x92s how they focused their powers. They drew power from the alignment and geometry of certain star systems, which they then tempered with their minds and harnessed.\x92
\x91The pyramids?\x92
\x91Yes, the pyramids were built to the plans and instructions left by the Osirans after they visited Earth.\x92
Atkins considered. \x91It would explain some of the history of ancient Egypt,\x92
he said. \x91The country changed far more rapidly than anyone really believes is
possible. They moved from a culture based round villages with chieftains to
countries with kings in about two hundred years.\x92
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15
The Doctor nodded. \x91You\x92ll also find that there is evidence that those kings were significantly taller and with much larger heads than their subjects. The Osirans not only left their mark in the style of architecture, they used their powers to project mental energy into their chosen rulers so that they and their descendants would follow through on the grand plan. Probably the pyramids had to be built exactly as they are for some great reason. Like keeping Sutekh and Nephthys restrained.\x92
\x91So who were Sutekh and Nephthys?\x92
\x91Sutekh was an evil Osiran of almost unparalleled mental power. The weight of it drove him mad, and he sought to destroy all life that was not his equal. He destroyed planet after planet and left a trail of havoc and devastation across half the cosmos before his brother Osiris caught up with him. Then, so far as I can tell, he and Nephthys killed Osiris, destroyed their planet, and fled to Earth.\x92
\x91Egypt?\x92
\x91Exactly. Horus and his fellow surviving Osirans cornered Sutekh and Nephthys in ancient Egypt. They overpowered them and imprisoned them.\x92
\x91So that\x92s all right,\x92 Tegan said. \x91Isn\x92t it?\x92
\x91Well, no actually, it isn\x92t. You have to understand the Osiran mentality. They were a cunning lot. Devious and enigmatic just for the sheer fun of it. They wouldn\x92t execute Sutekh or Nephthys as that would mean stooping to their level. But they didn\x92t think just locking them up was good enough either.\x92
\x91So?\x92
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\x91So they left the means for their escape just out of reach. Sutekh knew that in the next chamber to where he was kept paralysed was all the equipment he would need to build a pyramid-powered missile to destroy the power source that kept him captive. And he knew that there was an infinitesimally small chance that he would ever get to activate the Osiran service robots that would build and operate the missile.\x92
\x91Robots?\x92 asked Tegan. She was beginning to feel apprehensive.
The Doctor nodded. \x91Yes. Wrapped in protective bandages impregnated with chemicals to protect them from corrosion and decay.\x92
\x91So, the creatures that attacked the camp -\x92 Atkins began.
\x91Were service robots working for Nephthys. Yes.\x92
Tegan considered. \x91So, you say you know what happened to Sutekh. But where is Nephthys actually imprisoned, and what was her infinitesimally small chance of escape?\x92
The Doctor looked her in the eyes. \x91I haven\x92t a clue,\x92 he said. \x91But I have a horrible suspicion that what we are doing may be exactly what she needs and intends. The Osirans live for a terrifically long time, so Nephthys can afford to be patient. To her, a thousand years is like an inconvenient wait for the next train. That\x92s how she managed to take Nyssa back in time.\x92
\x91How do you mean?\x92
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\x91Osirans can somehow absorb the time spillage. The time expended has to go somewhere. Whether you travel backwards or forwards, there\x92s an equal amount of time that has to be accounted for, a bit like conservation of energy. Nephthys can absorb that temporal differential into herself and just get older by the same amount as the journey through time.\x92
They were silent for a while. Eventually Tegan said: \x91You\x92re really worried about this, aren\x92t you, Doctor?\x92
He nodded. \x91Remember I said the figure of exactly a hundred years just popped into my head?\x92
Tegan nodded. Then realized the implication. \x91Mental powers!\x92
\x91Exactly,\x92 said the Doctor. His face was set. \x91And it\x92s too late now to reverse the process. In a few days Nyssa will wake up.\x92
\x91And when she does?\x92 asked Atkins.
\x91I\x92m not really sure. But I have a feeling that when Nyssa is revived, Nephthys will also live again.\x92
Page 18
Sotherby\x92s Auction House, 1978
\x91Lot number fifty-eight: a bracelet of early dynastic origin, with a scarab beetle motif as described in the catalogue.\x92
Sir John Mapleton flicked through to the right page and briefly skimmed the description. He remembered the piece, unremarkable to look at, but it had a certain charm. He had stood for several minutes at the preview staring at it. The workmanship was really quite good. Probably worth a shout.
The auctioneer seemed surprised at the interest, his eyebrows raising higher with each bid.
Mapleton mentally set himself an upper limit, and continued his bidding by habit as much as discretion. When he approached his limit he would assess the other contenders and decide on a strategy, whether to bid them up or try to slow the rise. So sad that poor old Arthur Evans had come to the point where he had to sell off even his most precious collection. But it really was an excellent piece.
With a start, Mapleton realized he had just bid over his limit. He really should pay attention. But he was trying to remember, wasn\x92t the bracelet the one that Evans said some relative had brought back himself from Egypt? He raised his hand, and the price, while he thought about it.
He ended up bidding far more than the bracelet was really worth, but what was the point if you couldn\x92t indulge yourself now and again. And it would keep Evans happy to know it had gone to a good home.
\x91An excellent purchase, Sir John,\x92 a voice said quietly as he left the hall. \x91I know you will look after it well.\x92
He swung round. \x91Thank you.\x92 He was not sure he knew the man. Surely he would
remember someone so striking? The man was completely bald, not tall, but built
like a wrestler. His accent and bronzed skin suggested he could be Egyptian. A
faint tracery of lines, possibly scars, ran across the surface of his face so
that it looked cracked like an old oil painting. And he was smiling in a way
that set Sir John\x92s teeth on edge.
Page 19
Chapter Ten
The party soon split into two main groups. Vanessa took Tegan to meet her school and college friends, who by and large occupied the old servants\x92 quarters, in particular the kitchen area. Atkins, despite his natural affinity for the servants\x92 area, stayed with the Doctor and Prior in the drawing room. Here Prior\x92s friends and associates gathered to drink sherry and whisky and to try to ignore the vibrant beat of loud music emanating from the opposite end of the house.
Atkins stuck close to the Doctor, who seemed to have no trouble integrating himself into the proceedings, introducing them to complete strangers and striking up interesting conversations where none had previously existed.
Atkins felt out of place at two levels. First he did not feel he had much in common with any of the people present, almost all of whom were contemporaries of Prior and therefore rather older than himself. At least, in terms of actual age if not date of birth. Second, given that he was there, he felt he should be offering round a tray of drinks. To make matters worse, he understood very little of what was said.
\x91You\x92re a bit young for this room, aren\x92t you?\x92 the Doctor asked a tall man in his late twenties, out of the blue.
He was wearing a smart suit, and had a small moustache that was slightly more ginger than his brown hair. \x91So, I think, are you,\x92 the man replied.
\x91I\x92m older than I look, though.\x92
The man nodded. \x91Neat costumes, by the way,\x92 he said to the Doctor and Atkins with a straight face. \x91I didn\x92t realize it was fancy dress.\x92
\x91Is it?\x92 The Doctor looked round. \x91I must have misread the invitation.\x92
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The man laughed. \x91You\x92d probably fit in with Nessa\x92s crowd better than I do. Not really my scene. But so long as she\x92s happy.\x92
The Doctor snapped his fingers. \x91James Norris, of course. Aubrey Prior mentioned you.\x92
Norris smiled. \x91The same. And you are?\x92
The Doctor introduced them both.
\x91Oh yes,\x92 Norris said. \x91Aubrey mentioned you. Says you knew the house before we got at it, is that right?\x92
\x91I spent some time here a while ago,\x92 Atkins offered.
\x91And what do you think?\x92 He leaned closer, in mock conspiracy. \x91I should warn you that I was the architect, before you comment.\x92
\x91I think it\x92s terrific,\x92 the Doctor said quickly.
\x91Thank you. But I don\x92t.\x92
\x91No?\x92
\x91No. Competent. But Aubrey had some strange ideas about what he wanted. And I
was young enough to go along with them rather than say they were silly. I
suppose I was flattered he asked me, being so inexperienced. A bit more
experience and I\x92d have made a better job of it.\x92
Page
21
The Doctor smiled. \x91Keeping it in the family?\x92
\x91God no. I hardly knew Nessa when we started. Got to know Prior as I had an interest in Egyptology, inherited a few worthless relics from an aunt years ago. Aubrey valued them for me. He\x92s a real fanatic. Lives for it, though he came to it rather late, I suppose.\x92 He finished his wine and toyed with the glass, twisting his fingers round the slender stem. \x91Got to know Nessa while we were having the work done. She was still at school. After we finished, I hung around. Got to know her rather better.\x92 \x91And now you\x92re engaged.\x92
\x91Yes.\x92 His face lit up. \x91Still can\x92t quite believe it. Look, can I get you another drink or something, I\x92m having another glass.\x92
\x91Thank you,\x92 the Doctor said. \x91Perhaps an orange juice or lemonade?\x92
\x91And you?\x92
\x91Is there any single malt?\x92 Atkins asked. He rather thought he might need it. Norris returned with their drinks a few minutes later. By then the Doctor was deep in conversation with an old school friend of Prior\x92s, Leonard Cranwell. Norris waited long enough to be polite, then murmured his farewells and moved on to talk with someone else.
Cranwell turned out to be a retired major. He was gruff but pleasant, and exuded common sense. Atkins was pleased to note that the military type seemed much the same as it had a century earlier.
\x91Dunno why we kept in touch, really,\x92 Cranwell said. \x91Used to write when I was posted abroad. Knew Prior\x92s uncle a bit. Good chap, terrible tragedy, Cancer of some sort. Aubrey was very cut up about it. Then of course his wife and all that.\x92
\x91Yes, of course.\x92
Page 22
\x91Vanessa\x92s a lovely thing, though. Does him proud. Found a good lad in Norris too, though he never saw service. Bit of an arty sort, but he\x92ll muddle thought I dare say.\x92
\x91What was her mother like?\x92 the Doctor asked when he got a chance.
Cranwell frowned. \x91Never met her. Don\x92t think many of us did. They were married and having Vanessa before we knew about it. I didn\x92t even know he\x92d met anyone until I heard about her death. Tragic.\x92 He grabbed a passing woman by the arm and guided her into their group. She struggled to keep her drink in the glass as she changed course.
\x91Did you ever meet Aubrey\x92s wife, Margaret?\x92
\x91His wife\x92s name was Margaret?\x92 asked the Doctor.
\x91No,\x92 the woman smiled. \x91My name\x92s Margaret. I don\x92t know what her name was.
It was all very quick, a lightning romance and a swift wedding. No, I never met
her.\x92 The woman looked away into the distance. \x91She died in childbirth poor
thing. It must be terrible for Vanessa to know that. I didn\x92t think it happened
any more.\x92
Page 23
Tegan had enjoyed the evening enormously, meeting people of about her age and talking to them about everyday normal things like jobs, boyfriends, and the weather. She was just wishing Vanessa a happy birthday when the Doctor and Atkins arrived.
\x91We weren\x92t sure we really fit into the other group,\x92 the Doctor said. \x91So we thought we\x92d try this one.\x92
\x91Well, you\x92re more than welcome. Help yourselves to drinks.\x92 Vanessa waved to the kitchen table which was covered in bottles and cans. Some of them still had liquid in.
\x91I like your ring,\x92 the Doctor said. \x91I didn\x92t notice it earlier, was it a present?\x92 Vanessa smiled. \x91Yes, isn\x92t it lovely? Dad gave it me this morning.\x92
\x91Congratulations, by the way,\x92 the Doctor said, looking closer at Vanessa\x92s hand. \x91May I see?\x92
\x91Of course.\x92 She held her left hand out so that he could examine the large ring better. \x91I don\x92t usually like dad\x92s Egyptian stuff. But this is different. It feels so old and full of wisdom, you know?\x92
\x91Thank you,\x92 the Doctor stepped back, motioning for Tegan to take a look at the ring. It was made of heavy gold, inset with a large pale blue stone. As she peered into it, Tegan could see tiny flaws in the ancient gem, seven tiny dots or imperfection forming a pattern that seemed vaguely familiar. \x91It\x92s -\x92 she began in surprise.
\x91Beautiful,\x92 the Doctor finished for her.
Tegan looked at Atkins, and he gave a slight nod. He had recognized the stone
too. When Tegan had first seen it, the ring had lain on a small red velvet
cushion. In the tomb, beside Nyssa\x92s sarcophagus.
Page
24
\x91Is it important?\x92 Atkins asked as they trouped up towards their rooms as the party drew to a muddled close some time later.
\x91Probably not,\x92 the Doctor said. \x91It\x92s a nice present for a beautiful young woman, that\x92s all.\x92 He pointed up the stairway to the ceiling of the floor above. There was a small skylight set against the outside wall of the house. \x91Remind me to ask Norris what that\x92s for,\x92 the Doctor said. \x91Seems like an odd addition. What do you think, Tegan?\x92
Tegan did not answer. She thought she had drunk too much. And it didn\x92t help that the outer wall she was leaning against as she went upstairs seemed to be sloping at an odd angle. But then that was nothing to the Mexican wave the ceiling was doing.
\x91That thing\x92s sharp,\x92 complained Norris, not for the first time. He pushed Nessa\x92s hand away. \x91I know it was a present, but can\x92t you take it off for a bit? At least while we\x92re in bed?\x92
\x91I like it,\x92 she said. It was what she had said on each of the previous occasions that he had asked her to remove the ring.
\x91Well I don\x92t.\x92 Immediately he was sorry. He could see he had upset her. It was her birthday, and he should let her have her way today of all days. \x91I mean, I do like it. But I don\x92t like it digging into me like that. It could do someone some serious damage.\x92
\x91Rubbish.\x92
Page 25
\x91Fine. Well, I\x92ll sleep somewhere else then. I won\x92t get any rest knowing you\x92ve got your knuckle-duster on.\x92
He expected her to laugh, and then to give in and take off the ring. They had each made their point, they had each won. And then they would curl up together and feel the warmth of the other\x92s close body as they drifted off to sleep.
Instead, she turned over, away from him, and said: \x91Fine. See you tomorrow.\x92 Norris considered for a moment. \x91I thought I\x92d go down to the cottage tomorrow,\x92 he said. \x91Got some work to finish up before the weekend.\x92
No response.
\x91Look,\x92 he said, \x91I\x92m sorry I was rude about the ring. It\x92s great. I like it a lot and it\x92s a wonderful present. But it hurt me, okay? Just take it off for a while, hmm?\x92
She turned towards him, her eyes flaring. \x91No!\x92 she shouted, and pushed him away. Norris rolled back, surprised. He edged his way out of bed, and looked back at Vanessa. She was still glaring at him, her body curled up like a cat ready to spring.
\x91Fine,\x92 he said. \x91I can\x92t cope when you\x92re in a mood like this. I might as well go now.\x92
She said nothing as he got dressed. He paused in the doorway. \x91I\x92ll call you
tomorrow,\x92 he said. \x91I love you.\x92
Page 26
The sound of the car woke Tegan from her feverish sleep. Her mouth was dry, and she was sober enough to know she needed a drink of water or she would have a hangover the next day. She tugged on a T shirt Vanessa had lent her, and creaked down the stairs hoping she could remember the way to the kitchens. It was not until she had taken her third wrong turning that it occurred to her she could have got a glass of water from the bathroom.
The corridor looked exactly like the way to the kitchen. It also looked exactly like the previous corridor. And the one before that. Neither of them had taken Tegan where she wanted or expected. This one was no exception. She exhaled loudly, and in desperation flung open a door she knew was not going to take her where she wanted to go.
She was right. But as she stepped into the dark room to pull the door shut again, the pale light from the passageway fell across a bookcase just inside the room. Tegan stood poised on the threshold, and as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see more bookcases and cabinets arranged around the walls. And the room smelled. It was a dry, musty smell. The smell of a place not dusty for years, and unoccupied for longer. Intrigued, Tegan felt round the wall inside the door until she found the light switch. The light seemed filtered through the specks of dust that hung in the air and Tegan\x92s fingers were coated with a sheen of grimy black from the switch. The dust was catching in her dry throat now, and she was even more desperate for some water.
She did not venture further into the room. As she had seen, bookcases lined
the walls. The uncurtained windows were smeared with dirt and grime, reflecting
an imperfect darkened image of the room back at Tegan. A murky image of herself
stood poised in the doorway. The centre of the room was dominated by a large
reading table like the one in the library. The rest of the floor space was
almost covered with boxes and piles of magazines, journals and books. Everything
was layered with dust.
Page 27
Tegan glanced along the nearest bookcase, reaching out and wiping the labels on the shelves. One had been attached with sticky tape that was now so yellow and brittle that it flaked away as Tegan\x92s hand touched it. The label fluttered to the floor. But Tegan\x92s attention was on the other labels and the titles of the books. One shelf was labelled: Jackson Laboratory (from 1929). One of the larger volumes on the shelf was titled The Lane List of Named Mutations & Alleles of Polymorphic Loci of the Mouse. Most of the others were too dusty to read the spines.
Tegan looked down at the piles of papers and magazines. Here was a set of the Journal of the Reticuloendothelial Society. There was a pile topped by volume ten of the Revista Brasileira de Genetica. She shook her head and turned to leave.
Her hand was on the light switch when she saw the rows of specimen jars. She was already in the process of turning out the light as she began to realize what the shapes floating inside the discoloured fluids might be. She was trying to think of an excuse not to switch the light back on again when a car went by on the road outside. The headlights flashed across the ceiling of the room, and Tegan pulled the door shut behind her.
She concentrated on finding the kitchen, tried to dispel the memory of what she had just seen as the after-effects of the party. In the reassuring light of day, that would probably be how she would remember it.
After a few minutes she had managed to retrace her steps to the stairs.
Starting again, from there she found the kitchen almost at once. Relieved, she
downed three tumblers of water straight off. It made her throat feel better,
cool and moist. But she could feel the water sloshing around in her stomach, and
that made her feel a bit queasy again. You can\x92t win, she decided as she
refilled the tumbler to take back to bed.
Page 28
As she turned the tap off, Tegan heard movement outside in the corridor. \x91Hello,\x92 she called, catching sight of a figure as it passed.
There was no answer.
By the time Tegan got to the door, the figure had reached the end of the corridor. It was Vanessa, dressed only in a plain, white, ankle-length night-gown. She turned the corner and disappeared from sight without looking back. Tegan shrugged. Probably in the same state as she was.
Vanessa\x92s eyes were wide and blank as she unlocked the back door. Her
movements were slow and measured, as if she were under water. She drew back the
bolt and slowly opened the door. \x91Thank you, my child.\x92 Sadan Rassul stepped
into the house. Vanessa did not react, her eyes remained set and unseeing. \x91And
now you will take me to the basement room.\x92 Vanessa nodded slowly, then turned
and set off down the corridor. Rassul followed close behind. In his hand he
carried a small stone statuette. It was about eight inches long, the features
picked out in gold against the black of the stone. It was a likeness of the
jackal Anubis, god of the dead.
Page 30
Sir John Mapleton did his final round of the antiquities room before locking up. His collection was vast, one of the largest in Europe. He could remember where and when he had acquired every single piece, and usually how much he had paid for it. Someone had been round the previous week suggesting he catalogue it all on computer, but Mapleton didn\x92t need a computer. He had a complete catalogue in his mind.
He flicked a speck of dust from the top of one of the display cases, and turned off the main lights. Moonlight streamed in through the windows down one side of the room, throwing strange shadows across the floor. Somewhere behind him, a door banged. But Mapleton ignored it. He was staring across the room.
In the centre of the room, a single display case still glowed. He must have forgotten to turn off the lamp. Inside, the heavy bracelet he had paid too much for at Sotheby\x92s many years previously rested propped up at an angle on a perspex stand. The scarab beetle on the top glowed blue in the faint light.
He made his way carefully over to the case, picking his way through the shadows which seemed to twist and turn as he approached. He was half way across the room when the moon went behind a cloud and he realized that when he switched out the light in the case he would be in utter darkness. He cursed quietly and turned to make his way back to the main switches.
But then he stopped, and looked back at the case. He was sure he had turned
the lamp off. In fact, now he came to look, it seemed as though the illumination
emanated from the bracelet itself rather than the spotlight in the base of the
cabinet. He frowned, took a step forward, and collided with something solid.
Page 31
In the faint blue glow of the bracelet he could just make out the edges of the huge shape beside him. Odd, there was no cabinet here. Mapleton reached out to feel what it was, and his hand closed on what felt like coarse linen.
He shook his head, and rubbed at the material. There were no mummies in the room, they were all at the other end of the wing. This room was strictly for smaller relics, jewellery and household artefacts.
He was still puzzling over the problem as he felt the shape move under his hand. At the same moment the moon came out from behind the cloud, sending rays of pale light dancing across the room.
The mummy was turning towards Mapleton. It was massive, towering over him as he pulled away. Its arms reached down for him as he staggered back, his hand pressed to his mouth. Then the rough bandaged hands closed on his throat, pressing down, pushing him to the floor.
The bracelet glowed more brightly as the mummy turned towards it. It stepped over the figure sprawled across the floor, and lumbered over to the display case, its arm raised. As it reached the case, it smashed its heavy arm downwards, shattering the glass of the display. cabinet. Shards and splinters tore at the bandages as the mummy reached into the case and took hold of the bracelet. A strand of cloth ripped away from the hand as it pulled it out.
The mummy left the same way as it had come in, through the smashed remains of a side door. It crunched heavily across the gravel of the drive way to where a Ford Transit van waited, the back door open.
Sadan Rassul took the bracelet carefully from the service robot. The servicer bowed, and climbed into the back of the van, bending almost double to fit inside.
Rassul carried the bracelet with both hands to the open driver\x92s door. On the seat was an open wooden box, the inside lined with satin. He placed the bracelet inside, then closed and locked the lid.
A few moments later, the van drove off into the moonlight.