Ron Goulart - The Curse of the Obelisk

THE CURSE OF THE OBELISK 9
". . . the king, you see, is offering Omnophris a pot of perfume and a lamp. Omnophris is, of
course, but another guise of Osiris, who guards the . . ."
"I'm not some pushy French news hound," persisted Jennie in an annoyed whisper. "And if you
don't tell him who I really am, then I myself will."
"Listen, didn't I arrange for you to spend the whole damn night inside this place? When the
mummy does his jig, you'll be the only reporter on hand."
"Yes, but—"
"You go telling him who you really are and you'll get nothing but the old heave-ho."
"Ah, but I must be boring you by riding my hobbyhorse so vehemently." The director turned
away from the glass case that housed the chest.
"I'd like to see the case the mummy climbs out of at midnight," Harry told him.
"But certainly, monsieur." Bowing slightly, Allegre led them past more ornate chests, an
alabaster casket, a case filled with glittering bracelets and bangles.
In an alcove, illuminated by a single hanging lamp, a carved coffin with a lid of gold, turquoise
and crimson rested on a low platform.
Noticing something stuck to a nail on the platform, Harry bent and took it. "Little hunk of
linen," he said, passing it under his nose. "Doesn't smell especially ancient."
The museum director blinked. "May I inspect that, monsieur?"
"I don't think it came from the mummy in that case."
"No, certainly not. This bit of cloth is of recent manufacture." He was rubbing it between his
fingers. "Superficially like that used to wrap the bodies of our Egyptian friends, yet not the real
thing. How, do you think, did this come to be here?"
Retrieving the patch, Harry tucked it into the watch pocket of his vest. "We'll try to find that out
tonight."
Allegre gestured at the coffin. "This is made of wood. Over the lid was placed first a layer of
plaster and then one of gold. After which the—"
"Does the lid lift off easily?" inquired Jennie.
"It is not too difficult to remove, Mile. Barr." Smiling, he demonstrated.
Harry took a look inside. "This fellow can't do much walking around, not with his legs wrapped
together that way."
"Precisely what I tried to explain to those fools, Gaspar and Albert." He nodded toward Jennie.
"Would you care for a glimpse of King Baydmadroub II?"
"Pass," she said.
"Now I'd like," requested Harry, "to see the obelisk."
After returning the inlaid coffin lid to its place, Allegre said, "It's really not that impressive,
monsieur. A very small and stunted thing that is no match for the so-called Cleopatra's Needle
that—"