At last it was time for Meneg and his colleagues to carry in the shrine of Anubis. It was not easy to manoeuvre in the confined width of the first chamber. They positioned themselves between the poles that bore the shrine and, tilting it a little, managed to negotiate the turn to the right and gently placed the jackal in position on the threshold of the treasure room, staring outwards at the as yet empty, waiting sarcophagus. As his friends withdrew, Meneg took a solemn moment for a last look at the piece that in its creation had caused him so much grief.
The sharp, erect, gilded ears flickered in the light of the oil lamps and threw dim, waving shadows on the chamber walls. Apart from a little glint from the eyes and a faintest suggestion of a glimmer at the tip of the long snout, the black beast melted into the pervasive gloom. He reached out and touched one of the paws. Although he couldn’t see it he could feel what he alone had made and a sense of fulfilment welled within him. For ever now it would gaze on the boy king.
The noise from outside reminded Meneg that he had overstayed his time within the sepulchre. The coffin procession had arrived. The most holy part of the ceremony was about to begin. This was the burial of a king, and to dally more within this holy place and interrupt the orderly flow of the proceedings could be a capital offence. The old man pulled himself up into the antechamber and scrambled for the exit as fast as his tired legs would carry him.
But he was too late. As he emerged from the corridor at the bottom of the entrance stairway he spied the lead bearers of the outer coffin advancing backwards down the stairs. Before anyone could see him, Meneg turned and retreated down the corridor once more. He had to hide, at least for the time being, until he could find the right moment to exit unnoticed. He stumbled across the vacant floor of the antechamber to the small opening which led into the adjacent ancillary store room. Dropping flat to the floor, he hurriedly dragged himself through it. Unfortunately for Meneg his friend and colleague, Ugele, who had directed the fashioning of this place, had never taken the time to explain the architecture of the tomb to him and the old wood carver was quite unaware that the floor to this room was over two cubits below that of the first chamber. In his scrambling urgency he propelled himself into the small room headlong and fell unceremoniously to the floor, striking his head on the limestone and knocking himself out cold.
An excerpt from Tutankhamun Uncovered, by Michael J. Marfleet.
Copyright 2009-2010 Michael J. Marfleet. All rights reserved.
Published by Apex Publishing Ltd.
