Page 123 of Eternal Surrender

“You’ve seen a copy of the parchment?” She glanced at the glass sitting on the tray which I’d moments ago taken from her.

Lucas picked up the Champagne flute and handed it back to her. “The parchment is over two thousand years old.”

“How can you tell?” she answered.

Lucas glanced at me. “These hieroglyphics were used predominantly around 60 BC.”

Ingrid reflected eagerness for him to go on, her feeling of awkwardness fading.

Lucas removed a piece of paper from his inner pocket. “This is the copy you gave William.” He nudged up against her right side and pointed. “This first hieroglyphic represents the symbol for balance. This next one,” he slid his fingertip down, “Moon god.” His finger slid to the next symbol. “Thoth.” He smiled at me. “The wisest of the Egyptian gods.”

“Thoth?” Ingrid asked.

“An Egyptian god,” Lucas told her, “famed for keeping a great library of ancient scrolls written by the gods themselves. The goddess Seshat was one of his wives, the goddess of writing, and collector of mysteries. The son born of their union was called Hornub and he was associated with literature, arts, and learning.”

“What does this symbol mean?” Ingrid pointed to it.

“Blood,” Lucas said. “And if this scroll really did come from his tomb, never separated from the body, then this suggests the mummy stolen was Hornub, Toth’s son.”

“Hornub was meant to be magical,” I said. “Apparently he overcame death.”

Ingrid gave me a sideways glance. “How much would something like that fetch?”

“I doubt it was for the money,” Lucas said.

In agreement I turned to face him, “Two exhibition cases down from Hornub’s was a solid gold statue of Osiris.”

“Perhaps a corrupt collector?” Ingrid asked.

Lucas shrugged. “There’s always illicit activity associated with these kind of artifacts. When ancient Egyptians found out that foreign buyers would pay a king’s ransom for their dead, they created fakes. Imagine the little bastards working away on the kitchen table, scooping out their late relative’s organs and then wrapping the body in linen. All to turn a profit.”

“Taking advantage of people’s ignorance,” Ingrid said.

“Despite its repulsive nature,” I said, “they look at it as just another way to make a living.”

Lucas slid his finger downward. “This is the symbol for the underworld.”

“Which means?” Ingrid asked.

“It’s expected,” Lucas said, “after all it was their obsession.”

Ingrid chewed her lip thoughtfully.

“The heart was traditionally the only organ not removed from the body,” he said. “That’s not a common known fact. When we find the heart intact we’re usually looking at an authentic mummy.”

“Why do you think thieves might want this one?” Ingrid asked.

“Hopefully we’ll find out when we get him back,” Lucas said. “I’d very much like to see Hornub restored to his homeland.”

“You don’t approve of him being on display?” she asked.

“Conflicted,” he replied. “Honor the dead. Respect the dead. Learn from the dead.”

Ingrid was riveted. “Where does that come from?”

“A people who know that the line between this world and the next is as fine as the veil that separates them.”

“Your people?” she asked softly.