Much to George’s disappointment, they didn’t linger by the pyramids for long. The sun was gradually sinking towards the horizon and Professor Gladstone didn’t want to dock the PS Cleopatra in the dark. Still, that didn’t stop George from looking longingly behind them once they’d all taken their seats at the table, the steamer chugging its way back into central Cairo.

‘Did you see them?’ he said dreamily. ‘Did you?’

‘Er, yes, you idiot,’ William said sarcastically. ‘They’re massive!’

‘And so beautiful,’ George whispered.

William only huffed and rolled his eyes. ‘I don’t see what the fuss is all about. They’re just huge blocks of rock.’ He shrugged.

George’s eyes bulged out of his head. ‘How can you say that? They’re marvels of engineering! The biggest is one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Don’t you know anything?’

‘All I know is that you’re a massive loser,’ William retorted. He turned to Leah. ‘When can we go home?’

Leah glared at him. She then glanced at Khalid to make sure he wouldn’t be able to hear her. When she saw he was deep in conversation with Mimi, she whispered, ‘Maybe if you’d give me the watch back, I could tell you the answer to that.’

William narrowed his eyes and then chuckled. ‘Nice try.’ He patted his pocket. ‘This is staying with me until further notice.’

Leah gritted her teeth in frustration.

‘You know, Amma’s actually been inside the pyramids,’ Khalid boasted proudly, interrupting them before the argument could get any more heated, as he ran one hand down Bast’s back. The small cat was curled contentedly in his lap.

‘No way!’ George exclaimed.

‘Yes!’ exclaimed Khalid. ‘She’s explored nearly every inch of them. After all, she is the best Egyptologist in Cairo.’

‘Those men don’t seem to think so,’ William said, nodding towards Travers and his band of scholars.

‘Pfft.’ Khalid waved a hand dismissively in front of his face. ‘What do they know?’

‘Your aunt mentioned the Pharaoh’s Fortune,’ Leah said, leaning forward. ‘I’ve heard of that before. Is it really a myth like Travers said?’

Khalid shrugged. ‘It depends who you ask. Personally, I think the amulet is hidden somewhere. We just haven’t found it yet.’

‘But what does it actually do?’ Mimi asked.

‘Legend has it that the scarab amulet was the reason behind Hatshepsut’s success as a pharaoh,’ Khalid replied, eyes wide. ‘She was one of the best pharaohs in our history. When she was in charge, Egypt flourished.’

‘And she was a woman,’ Mimi interjected.

Khalid nodded. ‘She was one of the only female pharaohs ever. Amma told me that to start with she was just the caretaker of the throne. She was only supposed to be in charge until her stepson, Thutmose III, grew up.’

‘So how did she become a proper pharaoh, then?’ William asked grudgingly.

‘Hatshepsut probably hatched a clever plan to impress her advisors. They were the ones who really decided who was in charge. Once she had shown them how good she was at ruling the country, they decided they couldn’t get rid of her, not even when Thutmose III was older.’

‘She sounds pretty cool,’ George said.

‘It wasn’t easy for her though,’ Khalid told them. ‘She had to present herself as a man so that others would listen to her. All of her statues and paintings showed her with a beard.’

‘A beard?’ Mimi gaped.

‘It wasn’t a real one,’ Khalid told her. ‘But she had to make herself look the same as all the male pharaohs so people would respect her.’

Leah asked, ‘Are there any statues of her in the city? I’d love to see her.’

Khalid shook his head sadly. ‘Ah, no. When Thutmose III finally became pharaoh, he destroyed all images of her and struck her from the list of kings.’

Mimi gasped. ‘That’s awful!’

Khalid shrugged. ‘That’s history.’

‘But what does all of this have to do with the amulet?’ Leah asked.

‘Well,’ Khalid said, ‘many people believe that Hatshepsut was blessed by Amun, the Egyptian god of air. He gifted her the amulet and it helped her achieve success.’

William leaned back in his chair with a dismissive laugh. ‘Yeah, right!’

Khalid glared at him. ‘It’s true! Well, at least, that’s what people say. Amma says the amulet isn’t really magical, but if it did belong to Hatshepsut then it’s still an important part of our history.’ He paused and glanced over his shoulder to check that none of the adults were too close. His voice was almost a whisper as he said, ‘In fact, Amma thinks it’s so important, she’s made it her life’s work to find it.’

Mimi let out a soft gasp.

Khalid nodded. ‘But you can’t say anything. She’s keeping it secret.’

‘Why?’ George asked, frowning.

‘Well, if anyone else hears that she’s searching for it, they might try and steal her research so they can find the amulet first. If anyone but Amma finds it, it’ll be sent away from Egypt and we’ll never see it again!’

Leah nodded, her eyes large.

‘And secondly, this is Amma’s chance to become a world-respected Egyptologist. She’s one of the only Egyptians studying alongside all those foreign scholars.’

‘And the only woman,’ Leah interrupted.

‘Exactly,’ Khalid nodded. ‘Amma has to be one hundred per cent certain before she presents anything to Gladstone and his friends.’

‘Have others tried to find the Pharaoh’s Fortune before?’ Mimi asked curiously.

‘Of course,’ Khalid replied. ‘Treasure hunters, academics. They’ve all tried and failed.’

‘So why would your aunt be any different?’ William asked.

Khalid smiled, his eyes twinkling. ‘Amma has something those men never did.’

‘What do you mean?’ Leah asked, her heart thundering in anticipation.

But Khalid never got to answer. At that moment, Bast leapt from his lap with a yowl, her mottled fur sticking up as though she’d been electrocuted. She landed on the floor and disappeared across the deck, her tail flicking out of sight round a corner.

‘Bast!’ Khalid called in panic. ‘Come back!’ He jumped from his chair, hurrying after her. The others followed.

‘There!’ Leah shouted. She pointed further down the deck where Bast was sitting patiently beside a half-open doorway. Her tail was swishing as if she was waiting for them.

Khalid rushed towards her, dropping to his knees. ‘Bast!’ he breathed. ‘Don’t ever run away like that again!’ But the small cat only meowed and stalked towards the doorway. She sat down again, staring up at them expectantly.

‘What’s got into her?’ Mimi asked, frowning.

Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. The children froze. It was coming from the doorway.

‘I’m not convinced Gladstone can pull it off,’ the voice said snootily. ‘His age might be his undoing.’

Leah exchanged a look with Mimi and George. Keeping quiet, they crept closer to the door, straining to hear.

‘What are you doing?’ Khalid hissed.

‘Whoever’s in there, they’re talking about the professor!’ Leah whispered back.

‘Don’t worry about the old man,’ came the unmistakable nasal sneer of Travers. ‘If he can’t keep the girl under control, I’ll handle it. I’ll handle them both.’ His voice sounded threatening.

Leah and the others exchanged a look. What did Travers mean?

‘Quite right, sir. We don’t want to go back to Cambridge a laughing stock. We need to return home with the Fortune in our possession,’ said the other voice.

The Fortune?

‘We will,’ Travers replied confidently. ‘I’m not letting anyone get in my way.’ Travers’s voice sounded louder this time, and Leah realised the two men were moving closer to the door.

‘Quick!’ Leah whispered, pulling Mimi away and gesturing at the others. Together, they hurried away from the door, leaving Travers behind them.