In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 867):

The Count stood out into the corridor and extended his hand; "Good to see you Alexander, you did not notice anyone else when you came in ?"

Shaking his hand, Alexander enetered the chamber.

"As a matter of fact I did. You probably heard the discussion, sound travels rather oddly in these spaces. My man, Salim, had a guard posted outside. He told me you entered the pyramid several hours ago but hadn't come back out."

Again, this was a rather odd statement as it's only been a half hour or so, at most, since the group entered.

He played his torch around the burial chamber. "Ah. Rather barren. Not unusual; decorations and elaborate ornamentation were not the rule for pyramid chambers. That was more common for tombs in the Valley of the Kings.

"Come on, you skipped tea and supper. You must be starving, and Salim has food prepared outside."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:56, Fri 10 Apr 2015.

Molly turned her head to listen.  What was this?  Several hours ago?  It's dark outside?  They should go and investigate that too for surely it couldn't be right.  On the other hand why would they lie?

"Perhaps it is time for us to step out for a little bit.  To get a bit of fresh air if nothing else?"

In reply to Molly 'Mungo' Fuller (msg # 870):

"Agreed this is most peculiar." He uses his arm to indicate the ladies to go first and then places his hat on again as they exit the tomb.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 871):

Mungo nods to the Count and starts to leave the tomb area.  She was curious to see if it was indeed dark outside and if so, could they have REALLY been in there that long?

"How it seems time gets away from us! Still, it is good to see you, Alexander. We've had some questions about the tomb; why do you think it wasn't decorated? And is it true about the sarcophagus disappearing overnight? How could that even be possible?"

Cynthia will stay with the group as long as it won't interfere with her asking questions.

JM sighed in relief when Alexander showed up.  He frowned though at the mention of time. "It seems like hardly any time has passed for us down here Alexander.  We've been so wrapped up in our investigations.  I'm glad you came here to seek us out."  He glanced at the others.  "I'm sure we're quite hungry."

As they began to make their way out of the pyramid, Nigel checked his pocket watch.

Frowning, he said, "I don't mean to be a pain, chum, but it's just after four PM here. There is no way we've been in here for hours."

In reply to Nigel Wassif (msg # 875):

Alexander, leading the way, stopped to shine his torch on his own pocket watch.

"Don't be absurd. Your watch must have stopped. The hour is just shy of nine o'clock in the evening. Or else somehow that tine went missing?" He laughed at the absurdity of the notion.

In reply to Nigel Wassif (msg # 875):

The Count also removed his relatively new pocket watch and checked the time as they walked down the tombs corridor.

JM shook his head and glanced at his watch.  "I'd agree.  It doesn't seem like we've spent five hours in the tomb.  It got awfully cold for a while.  Could something... odd... happened?"

It was still quite chilly in the tomb. Nowhere near freezing but still noticeably cold.

Those that checked their watches saw that according to their timepieces it was somewhere around 4pm. The trip out took longer than they remembered, roughly twice what it had taken on the way in.

Yet, they emerged into the the desert night. Stars above, and a rising moon. Salim had set up a day camp of sorts, lit by a lantern. There were no other nearby lights, only a glow in the direction of Giza city.

Alexander said a few words to the two Bedouin guarding the entrance to the temple, then led the party towards the folding chairs and table where dinner was served.

"See? It's late. That's why it's cold. The inside of these great bloody mausoleums never get very warm, even at the height of summer. When the sun goes down the temperature drops even more."

In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 880):

The reporter looked thoughtful. "That does explain the chill in the air. But it doesn't explain why it's a good deal later than we thought. Everyone's timepieces are hours behind. Look, even JM's pilot's wrist-watch is incorrect.

"Still, it's time to eat! After you, ladies and gentlemen."

"How long would it have taken to disassemble the sarcophagus to move it? If you had a team and the right tools."

Molly looked around and shook her head.  Looking over at JM she raised her shoulders.  "Strange things can happen.  Did anybody notice any smells that might indicate a knock out drug or something that left us incapacitated?  I can see some time passing without us noticing because that has happened to me before when I've gone down into the crypt at the newspaper office.  You get caught up and forget time.  This however, doesn't feel like that."

Once back at the picnic site, Alexander helped pour tea by lantern and moonlight.

"How long? It depends on if they wanted it intact. With a determined crew and brute force, it would be a matter of hours using sledgehammers, mauls and chisels. Then carting it out would be a matter of manual labour. I saw no evidence at all of that, as there would be copious amounts of marble dust in the crypt and footsteps in the dust leading there. Crumpet?"

In reply to Molly 'Mungo' Fuller (msg # 883):

"Quite. I neither saw nor felt any effects of a drug. Certainly nothing that would take hold so suddenly and without any warning." He sipped his tea. "This is a frightfully good brew, old man.

"Say, what are your plans tomorrow? Tonight is a little late for more investigation, I wager."

"And the slow way?"

He made sure everyone was eating their fill of the food they'd brought.

"Removing it intact? It would take days at least, with a crew of dozens. Offhand I can think of a couple corners that would be nearly impossible to negotiate without a great deal of time and effort. That beast was three tons from what they said! I never had the pleasure of seeing the sarcophagus between the time the Clive expedition uncovered it and it disappeared. Along with the guards."

Sipping his own tea looked out at the Bedouin who were stationed around the picnic sight, checking to see his men were safe. They were like shadows on the dark desert floor, keeping vigil against beasts or other threats. Somewhere in the distance there was a yipping howl. Dog? Wolf?

"Hmmm. Striped Hyena, I'd say. Filthy beggars. I say, is everyone fed? I'd like to start back soon, it gets very cold quite quickly out here."
This message was last updated by the player at 07:48, Sat 18 Apr 2015.

JM followed the others silently, his mind racing at what had happened.  He ate sparsely, his mind preoccupied.  "Something odd is going on here, something very odd but I don't think we know enough about what might have happened." He shivered as the yipping sounded over the desert.  "The sarcophagus is definitely gone.  Perhaps there is another concealed entrance or exit? Where there such things in tombs?"

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 888):

Satisfied his men were all accounted for, he sipped his tea and then drew from a pipe he lit.

"Yes. Chambers and whatnot are more for the burial tombs out in the Valley of the Kings. But I shouldn't be surprised if they keep finding hidden passages under these pyramids as well for a hundred years or more."

"How might one find one? They were working by hand, not with modern machines. Surely there are signs one might look for, especially given how very large the passage would have to be."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 890):

He chuckled, getting what she meant.

"We have little to teach the ancients in this regard. When every stone and block you see around you is shaped and laid by hand, without mortar, any section at all can be a portal. They were the experts, we are but children! After all, they used such secret passages and ways for their very survival, on occasion. While we in the modern world have little use for and expertise is constructing such "priest holes".

"Perhaps some day science will develop machines and devices that can examine minute cracks, see through the very stone and earth, much like the mysterious "X-Ray" machines that are becoming so popular. What wonders awaits the field of archaeology once we apply such advanced technology to it!

"But not today, not yet."

The Count removed his jacket and placed it over his forearm once they exited the tomb into the Egyptian sun. He wipes his forehead with his handkerchief before following the other to lunch and refreshment. He was still trying to rationalize what had happened in his own mind as the others discuss it.

He raised the glass of water to his lips as he started to feel himself again in the shade and security of their picnic spot. He was unable to add anything to the conversation of the tomb so stayed quiet .