The Mummy by Barbara Steiner Page A

exactly like a force field that closed around her, making her feel euphoric. But she couldn’t stay here long today. She had work to do.
    Before she fell under the mummy’s spell, she heard a scratching sound and a muffled thud.
    She looked at Nefra’s beautiful green basalt sarcophagus, standing beside his coffin. No, not from there. Urbena’s coffin lay prone nearby. It was supposed to be open.
    The case was closed, the lid resting tightly on the ornately-painted coffin. The scratching noise was coming from Urbena’s coffin. Someone — or something — was closed up inside!

Chapter 14
    For a few seconds Lana froze in place. Her hand gripped the side of Nefra’s coffin so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
    â€œBe sensible,” she whispered. “The lid has simply been moved.”
    â€œRod! Rod! Come in here.” Lana ran toward the other room while she yelled.
    Marge appeared before Rod could answer. “Lana, what’s wrong?”
    â€œRod, get Rod.” Lana didn’t know why she thought she needed Rod. She and Marge could probably lift the lid. But because she’d thought of him first, she wanted him, too.
    He hurried into the room. “What’s the matter, Lana?”
    â€œThe coffin — Urbena’s coffin — someone’s inside.” Words sputtered from Lana’s lips. She couldn’t put a complete sentence together.
    â€œSomeone is in that coffin?” Marge asked, staring.
    They all heard the scratching and thumping and for seconds looked at each other with unasked questions.
    â€œHurry.” Rod took hold at the foot of the coffin lid.
    Lana and Marge took the sides near the top. The three of them lifted the heavy lid, slid it off, and set it on the floor.
    Lana stared inside. Slowly Antef sat up, looking dazed. Then he started to cough as if his lungs were coated with thousand-year-old dust.
    â€œI’ll get some water,” Marge said, hurrying away.
    â€œHow long have you been in there?” Lana asked.
    â€œI came over early to — to — ” Antef bent over with a coughing spell. “Early — I — early — someone — too early.” Gratefully, he took the paper cup of water Marge handed him and sipped.
    Lana was having trouble being patient. “Someone put you in there?” Silly. He didn’t get in the coffin himself.
    â€œSomeone hit me. That’s the last I remember until I woke up in here.”
    â€œYou must have been terrified.” Rod frowned. “Why would someone do this?”
    Lana stared at Rod. He came to the museum early. How early? As early as Antef? But why would he do this to Antef? Why would anyone, for that matter?
    Antef looked pale and frightened. “Is anything missing? Maybe something was stolen. Maybe I let in a thief.”
    â€œI’ve already looked at everything in the other room. I had almost finished looking over this one. I don’t think anything is gone but the necklace.” Lana moved to look at the other cases. She came back as Marge and Rod were helping Antef out of the coffin.
    Antef patted his pockets as if to see if he personally had been robbed. The right-hand pocket of his vest crackled as if stuffed with paper. Momentarily his hand stopped there, then he looked at Lana. “Thank you. Thank you for finding me.”
    â€œVisitors are starting to come in, Antef.” Lana noticed the curious look on the face of a couple who stepped into the second room. To find three people standing around the coffin of Urbena — or had they seen them help Antef out? — they had to wonder what games the staff had been playing.
    â€œI think you’d better see if Dr. Walters is here. If he is, tell him what happened. You could have been seriously hurt,” Lana said, now worried about Antef.
    Antef hurried away, and Lana prepared to guide the first group through the exhibit. Instead of standing in one place