Theodosia and the Eyes of Horus

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE All Mumsy Was the Brotherhood (or, Of Cabbages and Horus)

THE EXHIBIT RECEPTION WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, and the museum doors opened Saturday morning to throngs of people waiting to see Thutmose III, the Napoleon of Egypt. Mother and Father and all the curators were out in full force, answering people's questions and directing them to the most interesting bits.

As happy as I was for them, I couldn't get into the proper frame of mind. Sitting high up on the main staircase, tucked out of sight, I was too worried about Awi Bubu and his injuries. To make matters worse, Henry was at home with our housekeeper, Mrs. Murdley, packing. He would be heading back to school late that afternoon. I was feeling quite alone.

Just as I let out another sigh, a small figure appeared at the foot of the stairs. I sat up straighter. "Will?"

"'Ello, miss. Wotcha lookin' so sad about?"

"Oh, lots of things," I said, getting to my feet and brushing off my skirts.

"Well, this might cheer you up. Wiggy's sent me around wif the carriage. Says you're to come see 'im and the Egypshun. If you can get away, that is."

My spirits soared. "Of course. No one will even notice I'm gone in this crush."

"Well, come on then, shake a leg."

Once we were in the Brotherhood's unmarked carriage and under way, I noticed that Will was fairly beaming. "You look like the cat that's got at the cream," I said, curious as to why he was in such good spirits.

Will's smile deepened. "I promised 'im I'd keep mum, miss."

I tried to be irritated that he was keeping secrets from me, but his happiness was so infectious that I couldn't hold on to it. I peppered him with questions the rest of the way: Had he seen Awi Bubu? How was the old Egyptian doing? What about Kimosiri? But Will said nothing, merely grinned like the Cheshire cat and shook his head.

At last we arrived at Somerset House. Will and I hopped out, and the doorman waved us in. We hurried up to the third floor, where I paused. "How are we going to get past Boythorpe?" I asked quietly.

"No need to, miss. 'E's been suspended."

"Suspended? Boythorpe?"

"Aye, miss. Fer not lettin' you in to see Wigmere the other day."

I stopped dead in my tracks. "You mean Wigmere hadn't given that order?"

"Nope. Boythorpe 'eard Fagenbush and Ol' Wiggy talkin' and jes took it upon 'iself to keep you out."

It is rare that I am speechless.

"Eh, miss. Close yer mouth. You look right like a codfish, you do."

I closed my mouth and tried to reset my entire worldview. Wigmere had not shut me out. He had not turned me away. Suddenly I felt half a stone lighter.

"Now come on, miss. They're waiting."

Much to my surprise, Will led me past Wigmere's office. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"Level Five," he said.

"Don't you mean Level Six? I've never heard of Level Five."

He just gave me that self-satisfied smile and led me down the hallway to the small narrow door marked PRIVATE—NO ENTRY. He opened it, and we hurried over to the curtained wall. Will pushed the curtain aside and punched a buzzer.

There was a clunk and a whirring of gears as the lift rose into view. The operator tipped his cap at us. "Where to, mates?"

"Level Five." Will motioned for me to get in first.

"Level Five, coming right up." And then the floor dropped out from under me, and my stomach tried to shoot out the top of my head. Honestly. How did people get used to this?

Will leaned close. "I love that part, don't you, miss?"

"Love might not be quite the right word," I muttered.

The lift stopped moving and the door opened. "Level Five," the operator announced.

I stepped out into a room that had spotless linoleum floors and curtained partitions lining the walls. Under the curtains, I could see beds. Rows and rows of beds. I turned to Will. "It's a hospital!"

"The main infirmary, miss. They're waitin' for us in 'ere." He led me past the curtained beds to a small, private room where the magician was resting. Wigmere sat in a chair on the far side of the room. Kimosiri stood in one of the corners, his arms folded and his eyes glued to his master.

"Awi Bubu," I said, and rushed over to his bedside. Slowly his eyes fluttered open. "Little Miss." His smile was feeble, but welcome nonetheless.

I looked up at Wigmere. His eyes were warm and kind and concerned. "How is he?" I asked.

"Well, he is tougher than he looks. He has four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a broken collarbone."

Poor Awi Bubu. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No," Wigmere said at the exact same time Awi Bubu said, "Yes. Remember your promise."

Wigmere frowned. "That hasn't been decided yet."

Very calmly, Awi Bubu turned his head and studied Wigmere. "Yes, it has. Little Miss has given me her solemn promise."

"But she's a young child. Surely there's another way to—"

"Excuse me, sir. But you yourself have given me similar responsibilities in the past."

Wigmere harrumphed slightly into his mustache, then fell silent.

I took a step closer to Awi Bubu. "But that doesn't matter anyway, does it? Won't you be able to go yourself?"

"It is as Lord Wigmere has told you. I will not be able to travel for a long while."

"Oh. Have you told him everything?" I asked Awi.

"Not everything, Little Miss. But our similar marks of Horus do put an interesting twist on our relations. Lord Wigmere and I have been discussing a plan to get your parents to Luxor soon."

"There's barely enough time left in the season to get there and back," Wigmere said. "Which is why we haven't finalized anything." He shot a pointed glare at Awi. The old Egyptian ignored it.

"Actually, I might have an idea," I said.

Both men turned to stare at me.

"I think we've discovered the existence of a temple, Thutmose Ill's temple, to be exact. It was mentioned in some of the steles and papyruses from Thutmose Ill's tomb. I haven't had a chance to tell my parents yet, but when I do, it's possible they'd be willing to leave immediately to lay claim to the discovery."

Wigmere leaned forward in his chair, his face set in concerned lines. "And why would you want to do that, Theodosia? Are you so eager to return to Egypt?"

"Well, my last visit was abruptly cut short, if you'll remember. And..." I was anxious to return to the land where I was born, to see if I could begin to understand how that had shaped me. I glanced at Awi Bubu, and a look of complete understanding passed between us.

"And as a budding archaeologist, Little Miss has many things to explore in my homeland."

"Exactly."

Wigmere finally sighed. "Very well. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that it's pointless to try to stop you. One might as well try to stop a force of nature. Best to just go along and do everything in my power to see that you are safe. And I will do that much, of that you can be certain." He shot me a ferocious look, as if daring me to argue.

"Very well, sir," I said meekly.

He harrumphed again.

Just then a nurse came bustling in. She went immediately to the side of her patient and gave him a quick examination. She glanced reproachfully at Wigmere. "You've tired him out, sir. He really needs to rest now."

"Very well. We were done anyway." He propped his cane on the floor and rose to his feet. Awi Bubu motioned me closer. I moved toward the head of his bed, and he motioned me closer still. I leaned down and put my ear next to his mouth. "Remember to say nothing to anyone of the things I have told you. Even the wind has ears."

With Awi Bubu's words still echoing in my head, I followed Wigmere out into the hallway, where he began heading back to the lift. "I do not like this, Theodosia. I do not like it at all. The last time you went to Egypt on our behalf, it was because our entire country was in jeopardy."

"But sir, don't you see? If the Serpents of Chaos get their hands on the tablet and learn where all the really powerful artifacts are, our country—the whole world—will be in even more jeopardy."

"Well, yes, there is that. Speaking of which, you'll be happy to know that we caught all but four of the Serpents of Chaos; only von Braggenschnott and three others got away. It's the largest haul we've ever managed. Needless to say, the Home Office is quite pleased."

"What about Trawley and the Order of the Black Sun?"

"We're keeping Trawley a while longer; the man appears quite unstable. Fortunately for the others, however, they had their ears stuffed with wax for some reason, which kept them from overhearing anything that would compromise us or our organization, so they are free to go. We've given them all a good recommendation and reference to a nice, respectable club. Oh, and here." He thrust a small velvet pouch at me. "The nurse said you weren't wearing the amulet I'd given you."

My cheeks warmed with embarrassment. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. I know it's bad manners to give away a gift, but Henry needed it more than I did."

Wigmere raised one bushy eyebrow. "How's that?"

"He was being haunted by Tetley's mut." As Wigmere's eyes widened in shock, I rushed to add, "But everything is all right now, sir. It's taken care of."

A look of intense curiosity crossed Wigmere's face. "And how did you manage that?" he asked.

I gave him a long steady stare. "Do you really want to know?" I would tell him, but I was fairly certain he wouldn't like the answer.

He searched my face a moment longer, then sighed. "No, probably not."

Who said grownups couldn't be taught?