“An ooblewhat?”
“An oubliette—a dungeon with no exit other than the way through which one entered. It is a French term meaning ‘a place of forgetting.’?”
“Do you mean it’s a place people throw you so you are forgotten, or it’s a place so dark and empty you go crazy and forget who you are?”
“A bit of both, I would imagine.”
“So if there is only one entrance and we came through quicksand, then the only way out—”
“Would be back through it.”
“Is that possible?” I turned to Asten.
“I can fly us up to the sand, but it was infused with magic and even I cannot pass through the barrier.”
“So we’re trapped.”
“For the moment,” Dr. Hassan said quietly.
“Are you saying you know a way out?”
“Just because there is no perceivable alternate exit does not mean another exit does not exist. I believe there may indeed be a way to escape.”
“Then let’s go!” I’m sure excitement was visible on my face even in the dim light. I’d been trapped in way too many claustrophobic places on my adventures with Amon and didn’t relish the idea of being stuck in an oubliette any longer than I had to be. The only thing that kept me from panicking and hyperventilating was worrying about Amon.
I grabbed Dr. Hassan’s arm and pulled him forward a few steps before he stopped me. He patted my hand and said, “It might be best to free Ahmose before we leave.”
“F-free Ahmose?” I stammered.
“My brother is here?” Asten demanded.
“He is. Or, I should clarify, his sarcophagus is here.”
“But where?” I asked. “We didn’t see it. How do you know this?”
Dr. Hassan hemmed and hawed before saying, “It is not far. Come.”
We followed him for a few moments and then he seemed to disappear into thin air. I froze. “Dr. Hassan?” I called out nervously.
“I am here, Lily.”
“Where?”
“Here. Take my hand. It might help.”
He was suddenly before me again and held out his hand. After two strides he stepped up onto nothing, turned around, and smiled. “Just trust me.”
Asten gripped my other hand and we slowly clambered after the doctor. The place we entered was different from the one we’d left. We were still surrounded by darkness, but large boulders now littered the ground. The oubliette played tricks with my mind, and the shadows at the edge of Asten’s light lent sinister shapes to the rocks surrounding us. I often turned abruptly thinking the boulders were actually giant skulls that cackled at us as they ground their pebbly teeth.
Dr. Hassan walked right up to his bag. “Ah, there it is.”
As he dusted it off, I asked, “Where are we? How did we get in here?”
“We are still in the oubliette, but this is a different section. The two of you were trapped in an optical illusion.”
“I don’t understand,” I said.
“Are you familiar with the impossible staircase?”
“Yes, I studied it at school in art class. Wait, are you saying we were trapped in one?”
“Something like it. If we had stayed there, we would have wandered in circles forever.”
“Do they have a lot of those in ancient Egypt?” I asked. “Is that how you knew about it?”
“Not exactly.” Dr. Hassan seemed uncomfortable. “Ah!” he exclaimed. “There it is. I can sense the warmth of Ahmose’s body. He is right over there.”
“But what about his canopic jars?”
Dr. Hassan smiled. “If they did not open the lids, then all should be well.”
“But—”
“Stand aside.” Asten gently nudged me away from Dr. Hassan before I could finish my question. He lifted his arms, and the top of the sarcophagus rose in the air.