‘Well,’ Leah said. ‘We won’t find any answers hanging around here. We should go and search for clues.’

‘Who do you think you are, Scooby-Doo?’ William sneered.

Leah ignored him, turning to George and Mimi. ‘Let’s keep an eye on the people. See if we can spot anything from their clothes that might help us.’

George and Mimi nodded firmly, but William only snorted.

‘And what about me, oh fearless leader? What ridiculous job do I get?’

Leah’s mouth twisted in annoyance. ‘I was just hoping you might stay quiet and not get us into any more trouble.’

William rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his broad chest. ‘If you think for one second I’m going to just stand here and follow all your orders . . .’

‘I didn’t ask you to listen to my orders—’

‘Well, then let me tell you, you’re going to be disappointed. You’re the one that got us into this mess.’

Leah’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Me? I’m not the one that pressed the crown on the watch!’

‘Guys!’ Mimi shouted. ‘This isn’t helping!’

Leah and William fell silent, glaring at each other.

‘Look, William,’ Mimi said, ‘you don’t like us, and we definitely don’t like you. But we’re stuck with each other. We need to at least try to get along. When we get home, things can go back to how they were.’

There was a pause and then William huffed out a breath. ‘Fine. But I’m the one with the watch, so if you want it back, you need to listen to me. I’m in charge.’

Leah opened her mouth to argue, but Mimi held up a hand. ‘Okay. Now, do you have a better plan than Leah’s or should we head out there and see what we can find?’ Mimi asked, gesturing to the street.

William was quiet and then he shrugged, as if he didn’t care whether they stayed or not. ‘Whatever,’ he said. ‘Let’s just get this over with.’

He barged past them, strutting back out onto the main road. Leah gritted her teeth.

‘Relax, L,’ Mimi said, patting her on the shoulder. ‘You managed to deal with Mary Matthews, so William should be no problem. We’re the Wonder Team, remember?’

Leah scrunched up her nose but followed Mimi and George.

‘That woman, the one with the man William ran into. Amina. She called this place a “bazaar”,’ George said, as they weaved their way through the crowded streets. ‘I’m pretty sure that’s what people in the Middle East call a market.’

‘You think we’re in the Middle East?’ Leah asked.

‘Well, it makes sense, don’t you think? Look at the way everyone is dressed. And it’s so hot here!’ George panted, pulling at his collar as a bead of sweat dripped down his forehead.

The bazaar truly was magnificent. All the colours reminded Leah of the Cirque des Merveilles, the travelling circus they’d visited with Dot in 1921. The layout was way more confusing, though. It was like a warren, with little side passages branching off in every direction. And the stalls! Leah had never seen so many shops in one place. Some sold clothes, whilst others displayed row upon row of spices. Around the next corner, hundreds of coloured-glass lamps swayed from side to side, the candle flames inside winking at her. The whole place was like one giant treasure trove.

‘Oooh,’ Mimi sang, veering away from the others and heading towards a stall. The tables out the front were heavy with beautiful gold and silver jewellery. Precious stones glimmered from all directions. ‘It’s so pretty!’

Leah cast a glance over her shoulder to see where William was. He was lingering at the stall next to them, a shop selling puzzle boxes and games. There was a stormy scowl on his face, but as she watched, he picked up one of the boxes, turning it over in his hand. The end of the watch’s chain was hanging out of his shorts pocket and for a moment Leah was tempted to dart forward and snatch it away from him. She wasn’t sure if she’d be fast enough, though.

‘Anything for you, lovely girls?’ said the shopkeeper in accented English.

‘No, thank you,’ Mimi said politely. ‘We’re just looking.’

Leah, George and Mimi turned to leave, but then something caught Leah’s eye and she paused. It was a painting, hanging on the wall of the stall. It showed a beautiful gold necklace. The chain was so thick, it must have been as wide as one of Leah’s fingers. Hanging on the end was a golden scarab beetle. Its eyes looked like glittering black onyx stones, but where its wings should be were two of the largest rubies Leah had ever seen.

‘What’s that?’ Leah asked, pointing towards the picture.

‘This?’ said the old woman, taking the picture from the wall and showing it to them. ‘This is the Pharaoh’s Fortune.’

‘Pharaoh’s Fortune?’ George said. ‘That sounds mysterious.’

‘Oh it is,’ the shopkeeper assured them. ‘It once belonged to the great Pharaoh Hatshepsut, and they say its magical powers were the main reason behind her great success as a ruler.’

‘Her?’ George said, raising his eyebrows. ‘I didn’t think women could be pharaohs, I thought they could only be queens.’

‘What’s the difference?’ Mimi asked.

George pushed his glasses up his nose. ‘My book said that the Ancient Egyptians thought pharaohs were connected to the gods and could talk to them. Kings and queens couldn’t do that. So, pharaohs were really special.’

The shopkeeper nodded. ‘Female pharaohs were rare, but Hatshepsut was one of the best. She was a great ruler and she didn’t waste time on bickering or war. She was Egypt’s ruler between 1479 and 1458 bc and when she was in charge, Egypt was a wonderful place.’

‘And this necklace is the reason for that?’ Leah asked, lifting an eyebrow.

The shopkeeper shrugged. ‘So the legends say. If you ask me, she was just a very powerful woman who knew how to get things done. But who knows? No one can prove anything since the amulet has been lost for many, many years. Many have searched for it, and they have all failed in their quest.’ The old woman leaned forward conspiratorially. ‘If someone did find it though, they would be famous and rich beyond their dreams.’

‘Come on you three,’ William barked suddenly. ‘You’re wasting time. We’re not going to learn anything here.’

They bid the shopkeeper goodbye and moved on. Leah looked back over her shoulder just in time to see the old woman replace the painting of the Pharaoh’s Fortune on the wall.

‘This is useless,’ grumbled William as they trudged through the crowds. ‘We’ve been walking for ages and we haven’t discovered anything.’

‘That’s not true,’ Mimi said, shaking her head. ‘There is one thing we know.’

‘And what’s that?’ William snapped.

‘We need to change out of these clothes. People are staring at us.’

Mimi was right. They were attracting some funny looks. But where were they going to find disguises?

‘Let’s go and have a look at one of the clothes stalls,’ Leah suggested.

‘And do what? We don’t have any money to buy anything,’ William sneered.

Leah shrugged. ‘It’s worth a shot. Maybe the shopkeeper will let us borrow some things.’

William snorted in disbelief, but he still followed them as Leah headed towards a stall with a rack of robes hanging outside.

‘The fabrics are so beautiful,’ Mimi said longingly, running her hands over an aquamarine dress.

Leah murmured her agreement, but she wasn’t fully concentrating. She was watching William. He had sauntered over to a table of caps, leaning over them as though he was inspecting them. But every now and then he looked around, as if to check if anyone was watching him. Luckily, Leah was, so she saw the exact moment he pulled a white cap off the table and slipped it into his pocket.

‘Hey!’ she cried and marched over to him. ‘Put that back right now!’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, Loser,’ William said, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes.

‘Yes, you do. I saw what you did. And if you don’t give it to me right now, I’m going to call the shopkeeper over here and tell him.’

‘L, what’s going on?’ Mimi asked, but Leah didn’t answer. She just held her hand out towards William expectantly.

He rolled his eyes. ‘Fine!’ he exclaimed. ‘But I don’t see how else you think we’re going to get disguises. I told you – we have no money!’ He reached into his pocket and pulled out the white cap, slamming it into Leah’s palm. Mimi gasped.

‘I don’t care,’ Leah said. ‘But we’re not going to do it like—’

Suddenly a massive hand clamped itself around Leah’s wrist. Leah jumped and looked up. A man was glaring down at her, his lips curled in an angry snarl.