The Curse of Kalaan

ntense pain in the palm of his hand and

ners are tortured and receive never-ending punishment, not a lava-filled underworld where souls are

nk of an eye and so had Champollion. Kalaan began to call out to Jean-Fran?ois and search frantically for him left and right. The ground was spongy and covered in swirls of a chalk-like substance. He stopped o

wind, whipping his face. A few strands were stuck to his cheeks, and caught in his eyes. The air was vile and damp, soak

to see anything; and yet, Kalaan could see everything around him very clearly. Soon as he realized that the cadavers were moving in his direction, Kalaan grew more agitated. The dead were becomin

fe, before he could be completely surrounded, Kalaan took to his heels, and ran as fast as he could

r side of the wall, the cries of the living dead! Kalaan, having wo

it. One minute he was running quickly, but the next he was wading through thick mud while his pursuer

Without even thinking, his pursuers so close he could smell their nauseatingly foul breath, Kalaan ran with all his strength towards what he thoug

lt his warm blood trickle down his skin numb with cold, he let out the long moan of an injured wild animal. Kalaan clenched his teeth; this was not the mo

et. He leaned against the cold wood of the door and bent forward, placing his hands on his trembling knees, trying to catch his

y agitated and began pounding on the barrier. Kalaan pushed against the door with all his strength to resist the onslaught.

rstand what was happening. For there had to be a logical explanation; and the most likely one is that he was probably in the throes of a fever and in reality

the darkness so he went up to a tall mirror covered in spider webs. He could hardly recognize what he saw. In the mirror a tall strong man with pallid fea

when it comes to giving the English a good flogging!" Kalaan's deep baritone voice was loud

ry and Lil' Louis would have laughed at hearing

g from it, but had slowed down. He placed a few strips of cloth on the wound and applied as much pres

ed nightmare and I promise to behave properly in the future! I will be more merciful w

Kalaan could not help the dis

ce more on his guard, he turned quickly, but there was nothing, not

thing here is normal!" Kalaan spoke out loud soun

verything was in a sorry state. The furniture was falling to pieces, the tapestries and rugs were worn thin, and the dirty floor

ions?" Kalaan forced himself to speak out loud, f

saw something move in a doorway,

goes

, he heard laughter, withou

ly headed towards the door, while the th

it properly and freed his other hand from holding his wounded shoulder. No m

e triangular shaped burn and Kalaan rea

lack s

It was a woman's jeering voice, f

omped angrily towards the room the sounds were coming from, kicking ev

ming from all directions. The high-pitched strident

loor as well as down the staircase. Kalaan had no choice but to beat a retreat and soon his bac

Never would Kalaan have given way to members of the fai

rbled with dark creases and pustules. As for their faces, they would have rendered even the friskiest of rakes impotent. They were absolutely hideous, long and smeared with white paint, which brought out their red lips and s

. His broad back was still leaning against the door frame a

to rest on the grotesque creatures. They were laughing and sizing him up with their dark beady eyes, watching every mov

h his fists clenched and muscles tensed, was met with laughter. The high-pitched sound of it was sheer to

like the specters I encoun

ne of the harpies, teasingly. Sh

murmured another, while sniffing at him and li

and he was ready to hit out, when, he heard Champollion's voice far

ho profane the

yes,

will unleash you

my lovely, wil

ffer, you wi

ill become

deliverance that onl

wait to he

ust as the others started showing their teeth

thing to free himself from the claws and teeth that were tearing his flesh. He never would have thought it was possible to

ore losing consciousness. He had dreamed of dying on his ship, sword in hand, but i

ozen of the count's sailors grabbed some torches quickly lit by the local workmen and rushed into the entrails of the earth to find their friends.

earless, except, perhaps, where women were concerned, as

the wall where the passage turned sharply to the right, and fiv

t smell of sulfur in the air. Not far from what had once obviously been a pedestal, lay Jean-Fran?ois and Kalaan, t

hey may have been bitten by snakes or scorpions!"

As Salam leaned over the count, Kalaan swung out at him. The man was so strong he could have knocked out a camel! The Tuareg barely managed to dodge the first attack, but couldn't avoid the second one and received a deep bite on his forearm. Clenching his teeth in pain,

avily cracked walls were on the point of collapse, was but kept th

far from stupid and realized the danger they were in. Keeping cool heads

edly stretched canvases over the bodies of the two friends, still held by the men, but

is companions who were doing their best to ke

on their skin!" As Salam shouted this order, the fabric of his clothing grazed Kalaan's c

ticoats, " he screamed like a lu

. "Oy'd like t'know wot he's goin' on about.

he teeth..." Kalaan chanted, hi

ying to joke had a bawdy tone to his voice. He turned to Champollion

ouis' unvoiced question. His examination of Kalaan's body sh

was swollen and the palm of Kalaan's right hand had a triangular shaped burn mark.

' Louis was trying to

xious air in the tunnels. There have been cases of that before. It

ng!" one of Kalaan's

es, his body no longer trembling. It was not the same for the young count who was still f

ed down near

recogn

isheveled and he spoke with difficulty as he tried to

building. You

wished to show me..."He was very confused and to Salam and Lil' Louis'

Egyptologist stammered as he sat up to gulp down

y possibly say

eroglyphs, the door that turned to dust under Kalaan's to

g. "We were on the dune, we were to see a tomb and, and then...

ampollion with them. In no time at all, the structure caved in completely while emitting one final agonizing lament. The sand from the tall

er to be heard above the deafening noise. He knocked Kalaan out ag

essly, "Oy have only seen the like at s

muttered Salam in

here once stood a building, there was nothing more than an immense c

not hold them back. All the pandemonium alerted the members of Jean-Fran?ois' expeditionary team and the agitation even reached the

to say. He was slowly regaining strength a

ng Tell el-Amarna. This came as an enormous surprise to Lil' Louis and Salam, because they had seen him take notes when he was deciphering

ression and before he could open his mouth to say something, Salam

s ears. The very inquisitive Nestor L'H?te and Ippolito Rosellini, were with them now, as well as the men in arms a

aken in, but was trying hard to put this whole nightmare behind him; the ni

's group. Despite his many unanswered questions, Champollion headed up the river to Thebes to continue his journey. Before leaving though, he did express his concern for Kalaan who was still unconscious. Salam

out Kalaan. He should have come to as Champollion had, but instead he remain

iction. "In this country, Kalaan will soon be given the role of a demon and will have to be punished for unl

us?" Lil' Louis could

d I owe a life to Kalaan. I will be in

eir orders. He was immensely relieved by Salam's decision. It was h

die before seeing his mama one last time." Lil' Louis could not hold back a