Time Hunters and the Spear of Fate, The (14 page)

‘Absolutely,’ Uncle Percy agreed.

Becky saw this as the ideal
opportunity to ask something that had been bothering her. ‘Mister Butterby, can
I ask you something?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘Earlier, when the Hologramophone
was on you, it seemed to me you were trying to hide something from Joe and me.
Can I ask what it was?’

Butterby looked flustered. ‘I – ’

‘It’s quite all right, Charles,’ Uncle
Percy interrupted. ‘I believe I can answer that.’ He walked over to a
workstation desk, opened a drawer and pulled an object draped in brown cloth
into the light. ‘Becky, Joe, you’ve heard of Tutankhamen?’

Becky nodded. ‘’Course.’

‘Yeah,’ Joe said. ‘He was that
Pharaoh that died when he was a kid. Mum took us to see a Tutankhamen
exhibition at the Trafford Centre a few years ago. It recreated his tomb and
all the artifacts in it. It was brill. Apparently, it was exactly like when
that archaeologist bloke found it.’ He looked at Becky. ‘What was his name?’

Becky thought for a moment. ‘Err,
Howard Carter.’

‘Ah, I’m delighted you know about
Howard Carter,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Anyway, although I’m certain your tomb and
its artifacts were a faithful replica of the original, I can guarantee it
wasn’t quite how Howard Carter found it. There was certainly one item that has
never since seen the light of day - an object, found by Carter, that went
missing the very night it was discovered and was never heard of again …’ he
inclined his head toward Butterby, ‘… thanks to Charles, here, who obtained it
during a recent time trip to Egypt on the 26th November 1922.’

‘What artifact?’ Joe asked
impatiently.

Uncle Percy unravelled the cloth to
reveal the contents inside. ‘This carved wooden object was found in the
antechamber of Tutankhamen’s tomb. We can only assume it was one of the boy
Pharaoh’s favourite toys …’

Becky looked down. She gasped with
astonishment. Her gaze flicked over to the double-decker bus before returning
to Uncle Percy. ‘There was a toy bus in Tutankhamen’s tomb?’

‘That’s right.’

Joe stared intently at the bus.
‘What are all those black dots?’ he asked suspiciously.

Becky looked again. Joe was right.
Painted on the bus’s bodywork and windows were a series of tiny but very
distinct dots.

‘I’m not sure,’ Uncle Percy replied
feebly.

‘Really?’ Joe asked, unconvinced.
‘What do they look like to you, Becks?’

Becky looked again. Straightaway,
she could see what he was getting at. Dread swept through her.

Joe face turned solemn. ‘Because
they don’t half look like bullet holes to me...’

Chapter 20

The Omega Defect

‘I wouldn’t start jumping to
conclusions, Joe,’ Uncle Percy said in his most reassuring voice.

‘Oh, come on,’ Joe replied. ‘It
looks like something in C.O.D.’

Uncle Percy looked clueless. ‘Cod?’

‘It’s a game,’ Becky chipped in.

‘About fish?’ Uncle Percy replied
innocently.

‘Not exactly,’ Becky replied to the
sound of Joe’s sniggers. ‘It stands for ‘Call of Duty.’

‘Ah, well,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘As
you well know, I don’t know about any such game, young man, but if I can
reiterate: I’ll be setting the chronalometer to a hundred years before any
firearms are due to arrive in Egypt, so let’s not allow our imaginations to run
riot, shall we?’

Becky thought for a few seconds
before speaking. ‘How did it get into Tutankhamen’s tomb?’

‘I’ve no idea.’

‘Does it mean we get to meet
Tutankhamen?’ Joe asked.

‘I seriously doubt it,’ Uncle Percy
replied. ‘We’ll be arriving in Egypt over a hundred and twenty years before he
was even born. For all we know, it could have been passed down for
generations.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Anyway, are we ready to leave?’

‘Too right,’ Joe said eagerly.

Becky’s stomach gave a jolt of
excitement.

Uncle Percy glanced over at Will,
who nodded back. ‘Then let’s go.’ He entered the bus, followed by Butterby,
Joe, Will, Edgar and finally Becky.

As Becky made her way down the
aisle, she watched Edgar sink into his chair. She could see he looked nervous.
Moving over, she cupped his giant hand in hers and gave it a kindly squeeze.
‘It’s all right, Edgar. Time travelling’s a piece of cake.’

‘The one time I remember doing it
Heim had just murdered my brothers,’ he replied glumly.

Becky fell silent. ‘I am sorry.’

‘You have nothing to be sorry for,
Miss Becky,’ Edgar replied. ‘We are travelling now to thwart this beast’s
plans, and those of Emerson Drake. And I would be no where else…’

Joe watched Uncle Percy relax onto
the driver’s seat. ‘Are we registering the trip?’

‘I’m afraid the registering days are
over for the time being,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘I’ve informed Charlie Millport
where and when we’re going, but after Drake’s attack, Mary Cassidy’s blackmail,
it’s not safe to make any trip on the record. We do, however, have plenty of Gerathnium.
All red tape has been dispensed with for the moment.’

Butterby appeared at Joe’s shoulder.
‘Do you have a bathroom on board, Percy?’

‘Upstairs, Charles.’

‘Many thanks,’ Butterby walked off, taking
his bag with him. He returned minutes later looking considerably brighter, a
rosy glow having returned to his cheeks, and settled on to his chair. ‘Why is
half of the top deck blocked off?’

Uncle Percy shifted awkwardly on his
seat. ‘There’s an apparatus I’ve had installed up there that’s somewhat
delicate.’

‘What is it?’ Joe asked, intrigued.

‘It’s of no immediate importance,’
Uncle Percy replied bluntly as if that was the end of the matter.

Butterby looked at Becky. ‘How very
mysterious,’ he said. ‘Anyway, your uncle’s secretive behaviour aside, I’m
quite excited about this little adventure, aren’t you?’

Becky masked her concerns with a
polite nod.

‘I’m glad, Charles,’ Uncle Percy
said. ‘And I’m also aware we have a very serious job to do but it shouldn’t all
be about work. That’s why I’ve decided to take the scenic route to Memphis.’

‘What d’you mean?’ Joe asked,
finding a seat near Becky and Edgar. ‘Where are we going?’

‘You’ll see,’ Uncle Percy replied.

Butterby looked at Becky and Joe.
‘Am I right in thinking you’ve never visited Egypt before?’

Becky and Joe nodded.

‘Then you’re in for a treat,’
Butterby added. ‘It’s a wonderful era. For me, the most sophisticated, elegant,
and dare I say civilized culture there’s ever been. What do you know of it?’

‘I’ve seen ‘The Mummy’ on Netflix,’
Joe replied quickly. ‘I’ve seen pictures of the Pyramids.’

‘There have been one hundred and
thirty eight pyramids discovered in Egypt, Joe. I can only assume you mean
those on the Giza plateau.’

‘I suppose,’ Joe replied. ‘And
what’s that big dog thing with the human head.’

‘The Sphinx,’ Becky replied.

‘Yeah, I‘ve seen a documentary on
that. And our form teacher, Mister Everall, is a right nut on the subject.
Obviously, we’ve seen Tutankhamen’s tomb at the Trafford Centre. And one of
mum’s favourite films is that … err, who was that famous queen?’

‘Cleopatra,’ Becky suggested.

‘That’s the one,’ Joe said.

‘Ah, Cleopatra, truly a fascinating
woman,’ Butterby said, looking starry-eyed and distant. ‘And nothing like her
traditional portrayal in popular culture, of course.’

‘What do you mean?’ Becky asked.

‘Well, if nothing else, she must’ve
weighed a metric tonne.’

‘Really?’

‘Oh yes, her derrière was as big as
this bus.’

Becky and Joe laughed.

‘Now, Charles,’ Uncle Percy said
firmly. ‘Let’s keep it civil. These are impressionable minds, after all.’

‘I’m all about the truth, Percy, you
should know that.’ Butterby winked mischievously at Becky. ‘Yes, there have
been many distortions when it comes to Cleopatra, and none more so than the
nature of her death. Do you recall how she supposedly died?’

‘Wasn’t she bitten by a snake?’
Becky offered. ‘An asp?’

‘That’s partly correct,’ Butterby said.
She was bitten all right. But not by an asp. No, she he was actually bitten by
an ass … a donkey - the bite became infected and that’s how she popped her
clogs.’

‘Really?’ Becky giggled. ‘And was
she the most beautiful woman alive?’

‘Far from it,’ Butterby said. He
lowered his voice so Uncle Percy couldn’t hear. ‘Between you and me she was a
bit of a moose. Queen Nefertiti, on the other hand, now that was a different
matter.’

‘I’ve heard of her,’ Becky said,
warming to Butterby now. ‘Who was she?’

‘Ah, now she was reputedly a real
knock out,’ Butterby replied. ‘And not just in the looks department, but also
as a person. Great Royal Wife to the Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she became Pharaoh
herself after he died. She was as beloved as any ruler in history. Of course,
there are plenty of other fascinating Pharaohs in Egyptian history: Ramses II,
Khufu, Amenhotep III, Hatshepsut, Narmer, Wankare … all of them hugely
interesting. And what an ingenious culture, too. Did you know the Ancient
Egyptians invented many things we use today: toothpaste, deodorant, scissors,
keys, paper and the 365-day calendar. They even invented beer, so it’s in
deference to the Egyptians that I partake as often as I do.’

Becky and Joe laughed again.

‘So are we all ready?’ Uncle Percy
shouted back.

A few seconds later, waves of hazy
light spilled from Blanche’s control panel like an incoming mist, swirling all
around, before shooting everywhere in thin jets.

Becky heard Edgar deliver a shrill
squeak and patted his hand gently. ‘It’s okay, Edgar. It’s perfectly –’ Before
should could finish, a shattering
BOOOOM
rent the air.

*

With the blast still ringing in her
ears, Becky stared eagerly out of the window to see a glistening landscape of
orange sand, which merged into the purest powder blue sky she had ever seen.

Egypt.

‘Is it over?’ Edgar asked nervously.

‘Yes,’ Becky replied breathlessly,
feeling his grip slacken around her fingers. ‘We’re here.’ She looked over at a
beaming Joe, before directing her gaze at Uncle Percy. Immediately, her
excitement turned to concern. He was bent over the dashboard, his face lined
with confusion. Will was standing beside him, and the two were talking in
whispers. She stood up and advanced towards them with tentative steps. ‘Is
everything okay?’

Uncle Percy looked back at her,
puzzled. ‘Mmm, something very curious has happened.’ He pointed to the
chronalometer.

45 … 23 …76  - ARRIVAL
SUCCESSFUL:

22
^nd
July 5.00pm 1360 BC.

Becky saw at once the reason for his
confusion. ‘I thought we were travelling to 1460 BC?’

‘That’s what I set it for,’ Uncle
Percy replied. ‘Hang on, let me try again…’ He input the same numbers and
within moments, light was leaking from the dashboard again. Becky didn’t have
time to return to Edgar, when a
BOOM
echoed all round. Becky looked
again at the chronalometer.

45 … 23 …76 - ARRIVAL SUCCESSFUL:

22
^nd
July 5.00pm 1360 BC.

Becky was confused. ‘I don’t
understand?’

‘I’m not sure I do,’ Uncle Percy
replied. ‘They’re definitely the correct coordinates for 1460 BC.’

‘What does it mean?’ Becky asked.

‘It means either this is 1460BC and
the chronalometer is malfunctioning, or this is 1360BC and we can’t travel any
further back. Have you ever seen anything like this before, Charles?’

Butterby joined them up front. ‘No,’
he said grimly, shaking his head.

‘Do you think it’s the Omega
Effect?’ Joe asked.

‘It could be,’ Uncle Percy replied.
‘But I’ve never heard of it dictating where and when you travel to quite like
this before. I mean, that’s a difference of a hundred years.’

‘Is there anyway we can find out
which year we’re in?’ Becky asked anxiously. ‘Because if this is 1360 BC then
Heim and his goons could be right around the corner.’

‘I’m afraid there isn’t.’

Butterby looked worried. ‘Perhaps we
should return to the twenty first century until we can sort this out?’

Uncle Percy thought for a moment. ‘I
think you’re right, Charles.’

It was then that a firm, determined
voice rang out. ‘No,’ Edgar said. ‘We are here now, and there is a task to
complete. If Heim is here then we must avoid him at all costs, but we must get
what we came for.’

‘Agreed,’ Joe said emphatically.

Uncle Percy turned to Will. ‘What do
you think?’

‘Perhaps these events have happened
for a reason,’ Will replied solemnly. ‘I think we should remain and see where
destiny leads us.’

Uncle Percy looked at Becky. ‘What
do you think?’

A lump formed in Becky’s chest.
Taking a few moments to consider the options, she looked at Edgar and said, ‘I
think we should stay.’

Uncle Percy nodded. ‘Very well. Then
let’s put all thoughts of Heim aside for the moment, and take a look at our
current position.’

‘Where are we?’ Joe asked eagerly,
scanning all sides for a hint as to their location.

‘You won’t see anything from this
angle, young man,’ Uncle Percy replied, his voice resuming a cheerful air. ‘But
if you pop outside, you should see something quite impressive to our rear.’

Becky glanced at Joe and together
they sped down the aisle to the exit.

A wall of blistering heat met Becky
as she leapt onto the sand. Shielding her eyes with the palm of her hand, she
stopped dead in her tracks. Three colossal pyramids filled her eyes. Towering.
Majestic. Eerie. Slowly, her eyes moved left to right and settled on the
central one, as a butter-yellow sun clipped its apex. Looking round, she could
see there were other edifices, too: small temples, statues, causeways, and
numerous wells.

She couldn’t breathe.

Even Will lost his usual composure.
‘The good Lord above!’

‘The Giza Necropolis,’ Uncle Percy
declared, as Butterby and Edgar joined them. He nodded at the central pyramid.
‘The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest and oldest; built around 2584, it’s one of
the seven wonders of the ancient world. It’s quite something, isn’t it?’

Becky couldn’t find any words.

‘And what about the Sphinx?’ Joe
asked. ‘Isn’t that around here somewhere?’

‘It certainly is, Joe,’ Butterby
said. ‘Actually, there’s something very interesting to show you regarding the
Sphinx. Do you know what I’m talking about, Percy?’

‘Ah, of course,’ Uncle Percy
replied, nodding. ‘I forgot all about our arrival date.’

‘What is it?’ Becky asked eagerly.

‘Follow me, kids,’ Butterby said,
turning to the east and walking away.

Becky noticed he moved awkwardly as
though wearing in a new pair of shoes.

‘The Sphinx is a fascinating monument,’
Butterby said to Becky and Joe as they caught him up. ‘And if we’d have arrived
just two hundred years later you would see something totally different.’