Finley crouched beside her. "We know."
Her gaze flew to his face. "How do you know?"
"We received a very interesting e-mail. That's what brought us here. We could really use your help in sorting this out."
"Later." She struggled to sit up. "I have to contact Rachel. I don't know what's waiting for her down in that tomb. Simon could have—" Panic jolted though her as the realization hit home. "I can't do it. She's out of range. All we can do is wait."
* * *
Another world, Rachel thought as she gazed in fascination at the massive staircase leading down to a huge chamber. They had left the present behind and were now in Peseshet's world. But somehow she did not feel like an intruder.
"We have to hurry." Tavak was leading them all down the staircase to the lower level of the magnificent chamber, with ceilings at least thirty feet high. The walls were covered with multi-colored depictions of Peseshet in her roles as a mother, healer, and teacher of female doctors. The beams from their flashlights played across the walls, revealing still another breathtaking relief.
"It's incredible." Rachel's voice echoed in the huge chamber. She walked past the massive pillars, each completely covered with hieroglyphics from top to bottom.
"Listen," Tavak said. "The walls are roaring in here, too. Whatever we triggered, it's happening everywhere."
Demanski was ahead of them. "This way."
They were now in Peseshet's offering room, depicting another magnificent feast for the Gods, Rachel realized. On the left side, there were carved reliefs of scores of figures, both male and female, each adorned in wildly different styles of clothing. Hundreds of rows of hieroglyphics ran vertically beneath the figures.
"I think those are people she cared for during her lifetime," Tavak said. "Incredible."
The loyal subjects Peseshet had saved. The sight swamped Rachel with emotion. She made herself turn away and look at the stone pathway ahead. It was lined with dozens of huge sandstone statues. Most were representations of boats that pointed to an opening at the rear of the chamber.
She was there.
Rachel moved slowly toward the open doorway. She was being drawn deeper with each step. The pull grew stronger and stronger. The chill was gone, and Rachel was feeling an odd contentment. This was right. She was connected to this place and the woman it honored. This is where she should be.
I'm coming. I'm sorry it took me so long. Wait for me.
The rushing sand, combined with whistling pockets of air, made eerie and beautiful music in her ears.
I hear you.
"Rachel?"
She barely heard Tavak as she ducked through the doorway.
She stopped, stunned.
Not ten feet in front of her was the sarcophagus of Peseshet. The same face as she had seen on the photos of the mural in the tomb.
She moved slowly forward until she was standing before the decorative casket. Peseshet's face, while crudely painted by modern standards, reflected strong features, wisdom, and dignity.
Healer. Mother. Sage. Warrior.
Sister.
"Hello," she whispered. "We've come a long way to see you." And to honor her. To honor her mind and her soul and the boundless generosity of her heart.
"She was beautiful," Allie whispered.
Rachel hadn't even realized the others had joined her at the sarcophagus. It was strange that Allie thought Peseshet beautiful. No, not really. Strength and wisdom could be beautiful, and Allie would see that in her. "Yes, in her way, very beautiful."
Tavak had pulled out his camera and was taking pictures of a stone tablet near the sarcophagus's base.
"This has to be it," he said. "The final piece of her cure."
Rachel knelt next to it. "You're positive?"
"Yes, as far as I can be. And there's also some kind of message she had given to her students." Tavak put down the camera and gazed around the tomb. "Natifah did Peseshet proud."
Rachel nodded. "Yes, she did."
Tavak turned to Nuri and Abu. "We should take this tablet. Give me something to wrap it with."
Rachel shook her head. "No."
Tavak frowned. "What's the problem?"
"We can't take this. The directions told us to leave it with her."
Allie frowned. "But what if Dawson—"
"Let him have it. Jonesy's already cracked the code. Dawson will never have that cure before we do." Rachel looked back at the tablet. "Leave it with her."
Tavak hesitated, then nodded. "All right."
"How noble." The familiar voice that called out from the entrance behind them was dripping with venom. "You make me sick."
She didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.
"Dawson." Tavak wheeled to look at him. "Welcome to Peseshet's world. I know how eager you were to find her."
Oba pushed Dawson into the chamber, his rifle in Dawson's back. "A delivery." Meti was right behind with Sorens in tow.
Tavak stepped toward them. "We were just talking about you, Dawson."
Meti turned to Tavak. "They were right where you said they'd be. A tomb a half mile south of here."
Nuri's brow wrinkled. "I don't understand."
"I suspected that Dawson might have had access to some of the information we had, which was provided by Rachel's computer system." He paused. "He had a source."
"The NSA," Rachel said.
"Ever since we started on this trek, Rachel's computer system has been updating the decoding software it generated for me," Tavak said. "And somehow Dawson has had access to it. So after we got the information we needed to come here, Rachel and I altered the software to direct him to the other tomb." He spoke to Oba. "Is this Dawson's entire party?"
"There were two others but we had a bit of a scuffle. They opened fire on us." Oba shook his head. "They are no longer of this world."
"You could have told us, Tavak," Demanski said curtly.
"Why? It wasn't a sure thing. I just had to make sure we were protected."
"Very clever," Dawson said. "But it won't do you any good. I have contacts who will come down on you like a house if they don't hear from me soon."
"Really? Now who would they be? Who the hell would care if scum like you lived or died?"
"I represent cash in the till, and there's always someone who cares about money. NSA, Ted Mills." He paused. "We could make a deal."
"That's not going to happen," Rachel said fiercely. "You and your friends at NSA can't buy everyone."
"So full of faith and virtue." Dawson's gaze shifted from Tavak to her. "Corruption is everywhere, bitch, even in your boring corner of the world." He studied her expression, then started to laugh. "You didn't tell her, did you, Tavak? You wanted to protect her. You had to have put all the pieces together, but you didn't—"
"What are you talking about?" Rachel interrupted.
"A mole," Dawson said. "The most logical answer in the equation. Tavak would have gone there first."
Rachel wouldn't believe it. "No!" She looked at Tavak. "It's not—" Then she saw his expression. "Dear God."
"I didn't want to hurt you until I was sure."
"My, my, I had no idea you could be this sentimental, Tavak." Dawson swung back to face him. "A deal?"