Summary:

The Daredevils have taken a tour into, "Little Egypt", with a shady tour guide named, Ahmed. After briefly visiting the outer amusement park, they were escorted inside a realistic pyramid. There they found amazing artifacts and tapestries arrainged on several levels. The story picks up with Ahmed promising them the opportunity to view real mummies if they are willing to visit a third basement level.

The Story Continues:

"'We'll do it,' Bruce said before any of us could protest.

"Once more, we climbed down a tortuous staircase, and once more, we arrived at a new level. This one was dimmer than the other two, and had a musty smell that spoke of old linens and decay. There were two long halls branching off in front of us, a slightly elevated one to the left, and the other to the right. 

"Ahmed lowered his head and folded his hands reverently, as if conversing with unseen spirits. We responded by growing quiet, although I don't think we were aware we were doing so at the time.

"After a pause, he took us to the hall on the right. We could see a large number of closed doors trailing off down the hall, half on one side of the rug-less floor, and half on the other. Ahmed led us into the first room on the right, which required no key to enter.

"Once inside, we observed a wrapped mummy lying on a simple wooden table. Four sculptured jars sat on the floor next to it. Bruce had already told us they were called canopic jars, and held the vital organs of the deceased. They were beautiful and creepy at the same time, and I shuddered at the thought of what they contained.

"'This is the body of a man who worked in the city of Akhetaten as a tailor,' Ahmed said, breaking through my mental journey. 'It is thought that he actually made the clothes worn by the royal family.'

"'Where is his sarcophagus?' Bruce asked, the only one of us actually gutsy enough to approach the mummy.

"'Not all families could afford one,' Ahmed said. 'In case you didn't know, a sarcophagus is a sort of decorative coffin. Some bodies were stacked in several, like little Russian dolls. King Tut, the nephew of Akhenaten, was buried in three.'

"'That's amazing,' Tabby said. 'How many mummies do you have here?'

"'Over 200 that I know of, though Mike Holly could give an exact count.'

"'Wow!' Becky said. 'You could start your own baseball league.'

"'Or war,' I muttered.

"'You worry too much,' Bruce said. 'I really wish you would just relax.'

"'It is my job to worry, and I'm not sure if I ever calm down completely. I just enjoy small spurts of relaxation.'

"'Then enjoy one now, please.'

"'Do not let her remarks concern you, Bruce,' Ahmed said. 'Many are afraid of what they do not understand. And, now, if you would follow me to the next hall, I will show you one of our most prized mummies.'

"'Why is this hall raised higher than the last one?' Becky asked as we entered the next area.

"'The people here are royalty,' he said, and then opened a door on the right.

"There we found a wrapped mummy resting on a finely carved wooden table. The canopic jars, sitting on the floor before it, were inlaid with gold and precious gems. Ahmed approached the table quietly, almost as though saddened by its presence.

"'Who was this guy?' Bruce asked.

"'Not a guy, a girl,' Ahmed said. 'She was King Akhenaten's daughter by one of his concubines. She was a Nubian, or you would say, she was black. A very precious young lady by the accounts I have read.'

"'Did Akhenaten have any sons?' Elizabeth asked.

"'None that were noted by historians,' Ahmed replied.

"'But, the film told us they were rumored,' Bruce said.

"'Yes, there were many rumors, but none substantiated. If you are through looking, we need to go back to the top for another video.'

"'But what about the rest of the mummies?' Bruce asked. 'Aren't you going to show them to us?'

"'Later, perhaps, but for now it is time to move on.'

"Move on we did, and at as fast a pace as you can possibly imagine. To say we were exhausted once we reached the top of the last set of steps, would be a gross understatment--we were winded and disheartened.

"'Come, young warriors,' Ahmed said. "No time to sit and rest. We have a schedule to keep. Follow me up the staircase there on the right.'

"'The one leading to the top of the pyramid?' Elizabeth asked, incredulously. 'Surely you don't expect us to climb those?'

"'Isn't there an elevator?' I asked.

"'We don't need one,' Ahmed said. 'They didn't have elevators in ancient Egypt, and you are supposed to be enjoying a realisitic experience.'

"'But it's miles up there,' Tabby said. 'I don't think they can make it; at least not quickly. Even I would struggle.'

"'And I think they can,' Ahmed said. 'You should never doubt what people can do just because they are not as strong or fast as you.'

"'Now wait a minute,' Bruce said. 'Tabby didn't mean anything bad, and she was just being honest. I don't think climbing all of those stairs is such a good idea, either. This was supposed to be a fun adventure, not an endurance test.'

"'It's supposed to be fun for the mindless children playing on the second basement floor, not for discerning people like you,' Ahmed said. 'You should build up your minds with knowledge, and your bodies with exercise. You should eat healthy food, and not put nasty candy and cookies in your bodies like you brought here. Have you never heard, your bodies are temples?'

"'We've heard that,' Becky said, 'but we're just kids.'

"Just kids? My dear, by your age, Akhenaten was a king. Your society puts too much importance on being a child. Your group, however, is different. That is why you were chosen to come here today.'

"'The invitation was sent to me,' Bruce said, 'not to the Daredevil Girls.'

"'That's because we wanted you to come, too, Bruce, and knew that if we invited just the girls, they would leave you behind. Today, you are as important as they are.'

"'How do you know so much about the Daredevil Girls?' I asked. 'You're not from around here.'

"'That's very true,' Ahmed said, 'but Mr. Holly is. He has many contacts, and they said you and your friends were exactly what we needed.'

"'Needed for what?' Bruce asked. He had grabbed Tabby's hand, and was inching backwards.

"'It will all be explained in the film on the top floor.'

"'Well, we're not going up there,' I said, grabbing for Sally's hand. 'In fact, we're not staying at all. Please return our things. We appreciate the opportunity and the tour, but it's time for us to leave.'

"'I can't let you do that,' Ahmed said, grabbing Sally by the shirt and jerking her away from me. In the next instant, he pulled a gun out of his baggy pants and put it to her head. 'I believe the instructions were to start climbing the stairs. We have a film to watch.'