“Does it work like the Egyptian mirror trick in the movies?” I continued, curious to know if there was any science going on behind the magic.
“Not exactly. Creating a pathway was no mere reflection of light. You see, scientists believe the adder stone to be any rock that is naturally hollowed out by water. The superstitious believe it is created by a snake’s saliva and that possessing one offers various protections. But I know its true nature. Do you know it, Great One?” At a look from Amon, the doctor stammered, “F-forgive me. I mean, Amon.”
“I confess I do not.”
“Ah, then perhaps you will indulge me as we make our way to your brother.”
“Please continue, Vizier,” Amon politely encouraged.
“Yes, well, the goddess Isis—”
“Who was married to Osiris,” I added.
“That is correct. She missed her husband after he was assigned to the underworld.”
“Wait a minute, I know this one. She tricked Amun-Ra into giving her his true name after she poisoned him.”
“And do you remember how he was poisoned?” the white-haired Egyptologist asked.
After a moment of thought, I snapped my fingers. “A snakebite!” When the grand vizier raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed, I waved my hand and explained, “Amon’s been teaching me.”
“It would seem so.”
“I remember that Isis got to visit her hubby, but what does that have to do with an adder stone?”
“Well, the snake that bit Amun-Ra escaped and inadvertently absorbed a bit of the god’s power through its fangs. As a result, the progeny of that particular snake developed the ability to shine light in dark places. They hide themselves away in secret spots lest they provoke the wrath of the sun god once again. A true adder stone is the calcified remains of the head of one of those snakes, and when you look through its eye, you, too, can not only see in the darkness but also conceal yourself in a spot that even the sun god himself could not discover.”
The stony object in my hand suddenly felt cold. I swallowed and let out a weak gasp as it slipped from my fingers. It lay there, pillowed in the sand, seeming to give me a snaky smile and a wink. Unable to resist, I wiped my hand on my shirt, creeped out that my lifeline in the mountain passage was a snake’s skull.
With the torch shining on it, the stone twitched like a small dinosaur skeleton coming to life. After a moment, I realized it was simply the light dancing on the ancient bone, but the effect was still unsettling.
Amon reached out to pick up my adder stone, but the sand shifted, spilling into a small crack in the ground that had been hidden. My stone sank along with the sand, and the crevice was too deep to fish the stone out with our fingers. Amon considered using his power to retrieve it but then decided against it and gave me a reassuring smile.
“If we do not find another way out, we will return for it. Do not worry,” he said.
“Er, assuming we raise your brother, I did not think to find a fourth stone for him,” Dr. Hassan said shamefacedly.
“All will be well,” Amon said.
I hadn’t actually been too worried, but Amon’s reassuring smile disappeared quickly, which did cause me to worry. As we followed the grand vizier down the dark corridor, I hypothesized on what was causing my mummy-come-to-life’s distress. He really didn’t seem alarmed about the loss of my stone, and surely a snake’s head didn’t frighten a demigod. There was something more going on, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
Every few steps, Amon looked back at me with concern, and I realized he was more anxious about me than anything else. Puzzling out his mood, I wondered if things were really as bad as he believed them to be.