Chapter 12: Walk Like an Egyptian

The weekend arrived. Ed got up and checked his calendar. He had an appointment to see Kate and Ellie at the museum today.

The museum had an exhibit of ancient Egyptian art, which was perfect, because Kate liked to steer her daughter towards educational activities.

He put on a pot of coffee and prepared his travel mug.

At 10 am, Ed was at the museum entrance. Kate arrived with Ellie.

“Uncle Ed!” said Ellie.

“Hello, Ed,” said Kate.

“Good morning. Shall we go in?”

“Yes!”

Ed paid for the tickets and they entered the first hall of exhibits.

Ellie bounced around, looking at everything. Ed followed along with Kate.

“This is fun,” said Ed. “I like how they have a lot of kid-friendly exhibits.”

He was referring to things that Ellie could safely touch without breaking them.

“We might return if there’s too much for one visit.”

“We might indeed.”

Meanwhile, Sara met another ghost outside police headquarters.

“Hello. I understand you were a police detective, and you might help me.”

“I’ll do what I can. Tell me your story. What happened?”

“My name is Mason Hughes. I was murdered. My sister shot me, but the police don’t know that. They think it was a robbery gone wrong.”

“Okay. We need evidence. What do you have?” asked Sara.

“The police have my body. My sister trashed my place and stole some items. I think she still has the gun.”

“That’d work. I’ll need you to take me to see the evidence.”

The two ghosts floated upwards and flew North-East.

In one hall at the museum, Ellie looked at an enormous sarcophagus. It was an Egyptian coffin shaped like a person, painted to look like the person within.

A serious-looking barrier surrounded the sarcophagus with signs warning not to touch the artifact.

“I wonder why they’re so careful not to let people touch it?” asked Kate.

“If too many people touch it, they’ll damage it,” said Ed.

“Actually, there’s a curse on the sarcophagus. All who touch it die.” The voice came from someone behind Ed. She wore a staff badge that read Kakra Haik.

“Thank you for warning us. I don’t want to die,” said Ed.

“Then don’t cross the barrier. It’s there for your protection.”

Ed noticed Ellie had crawled under the barrier and was approaching the sarcophagus. She looked like she was a few inches from touching it.

Suddenly, a mummy appeared from the end of the sarcophagus and approached Ellie.

Ed had no time to think. He dived under the barrier and pulled Ellie backwards, away from the sarcophagus and the mummy. He looked at the mummy, who stood watching the event. At that moment, their eyes met.

Ed got up and handed Ellie back to Kate. He looked at the mummy. The mummy pointed at him and said something he didn’t understand.

He tilted his head and repeated the words said by the mummy, trying to understand it.

“What did you say??” asked Kakra.

Kate stared at Ed.

Ed repeated the words.

“That’s old Egyptian. It translates as ‘you see me’.”

“That mummy said it to me,” said Ed. He pointed at the mummy.

“Where? I don’t see anyone.”

The mummy said something else. Ed repeated it to Kakra.

“Now you said ‘you can hear me too’.”

Ed looked at the mummy and nodded. He hoped the mummy would understand.

“How do you speak old Egyptian? Very few people can. It’s an extinct language,” asked Kakra.

“I was repeating what I heard. How can I ask ‘what is your name?’”

She said something in old Egyptian. Ed repeated it to the mummy.

The mummy looked at Ed in shock, then replied. Ed repeated it back to Kakra.

“You just said ‘slaves don’t have names’. Are you sure you don’t speak old Egyptian?”

“No, I can’t. I’m glad you’re here, or I couldn’t communicate with the mummy.”

“I don’t see a mummy. This is crazy,” she said.

“Perhaps we should continue this another time. Do you have a business card?”

She gave him a card.

“My cell number is on it.”

“Thank you. I’ll call you to arrange a time.”

Ed pocketed the card. He waved at the mummy before moving on to other rooms.

“Okay, Ed, explain what happened there?” asked Kate.

“I just saved Ellie from a cursed sarcophagus,” he said.

Ed didn’t want to explain about his new talent, so he tried to redirect her. Most mothers are hard-wired to protect their kids.

“You don’t believe that nonsense, do you?”

“Better safe than sorry. We should monitor her carefully. That museum staff was quite serious about the curse.”

“You’re right. We should be more careful.”

Ed and Kate kept a watchful eye on Ellie for the rest of their visit.

They stopped at a coffee shop for cinnamon buns afterwards.

On Sunday, Ed took out the business card and called Kakra at the museum.

“Hello, this is Ed. You helped me with old Egyptian translation yesterday. Are you in today?” he asked.

“Hello. Can you make it back to the museum around 5:30 pm? I’ll be in the exhibit hall. It’s quiet then.”

“Sure. I’ll meet you there.”

Ed hung up the call.

Later, he left his home and drove to the museum.

He arrived at the exhibit hall shortly before 5:30 pm. The hall was empty except for Kakra.

“Hello again,” he said.

“Welcome back. What is this about?”

“Of course. I recently had an injury, and I can see and hear ghosts. Yesterday, I saw a mummy beside this sarcophagus. He spoke old Egyptian, which I repeated, and we met.”

“I’m going to suspend judgement, since the words you spoke were genuine, although I saw nothing.”

“I need to summon the mummy. What can I say?”

“How about ‘come out’?” she asked.

“Okay.”

She pronounced the phrase, and Ed carefully memorized it. Then he moved close to the barrier and repeated the phrase as accurately as he could. He repeated it a few times.

Soon, the mummy appeared. Ed turned to Kakra and said, “he’s there! Between me and the sarcophagus.

“I see no mummy.”

“He’s just standing there, looking at us. What can we ask him?”

“We should ask him who he is or was. Try this.”

Kakra pronounced something in old Egyptian, and Ed repeated it.

The mummy responded. Ed then repeated it to Kakra.

“He said he is cursed. Or rather, he is the curse. I think he means he enacts the curse on those who touch the sarcophagus,” she said.

“We’d better stay back. Can’t have him kill us.”

Kakra nodded. “Agreed. How can we lift the curse?”

“How can we ask that?”

Kakra said another phrase, which Ed repeated to the mummy.

The mummy responded. Ed then repeated it to Kakra.

“He said he doesn’t know.”

“Perhaps his spirit is tethered to the sarcophagus,” said Ed.

“I wasn’t big on believing in ghosts, but this is intriguing. Try saying this.”

She said another phrase, which Ed repeated to the mummy.

The mummy responded. Ed then repeated it to Kakra.

“Interesting. He says you’re the first to see him.”

“Not much use, as I can’t speak his language. If only you could communicate with him. That would be more useful.”

“That would help. Please tell him this.”

She said another phrase, and Ed repeated it to the mummy.

This time the mummy didn’t respond. It looked at Kakra and hummed. It sounded like a low, guttural noise. Ed waited.

“I can see something now!” said Kakra.

“Try speaking to him.”

Kakra spoke in old Egyptian. The mummy responded to her. They talked back and forth for a few minutes while Ed watched and waited.

Finally, she turned to Ed. “This is fascinating. He has been alone for ages. We’re the first people to talk with him.”

“I’m glad for you both. And I’m glad I don’t have to keep repeating words I don’t understand,” he said.

“I’m a consultant on Egyptology from Cairo, Egypt. With the knowledge I can gather from this mummy, we can expand our understanding of that period. This is a tremendous breakthrough.”

“Remember, he’s endured all this time. Once you have your research, find out how to release him from the curse.”

“Agreed. I don’t know how. At least, not yet.”

“Well, I’ll go home then. Please, tell him goodbye from me.”

Kakra spoke to the mummy in old Egyptian.

“He says goodbye, and thank you. That goes double from me,” she said.

Soon, Ed left the museum and drove home. He was glad to have facilitated their connection.

Back at police headquarters, Sara brought Mason and met with Conner.

“Conner, this is Mason Hughes. He was murdered. I checked the evidence. His sister has the murder weapon and some loot she stole from his place.”