Egypt by Patti Wheeler Read Free Book Online Page B

he said through clenched teeth.
    “Try to wiggle yourself free as we pull,” Dr. Aziz suggested.
    We gave it one more heave and I felt Gannon being dislodged, freed of the dirt and pulled onto safe ground.
    He was really shaken up. Sure, it was a pretty good scare, but I didn’t think it would impact him as much as it has. When we got to camp, he took off on a walk and asked to be left alone. Serene just came into the tent and told me Gannon’s considering leaving the fellowship. I’m hoping that’s not true. I need to track him down and see what’s going on.
GANNON
    Okay, I’m sorry, but there’s something about falling into a booby trap and almost being buried alive inside a tomb full of mummies that’s a little hard to shake off. I honestly thought I’d be able to put it behind me when we got back to camp, but that just hasn’t happened. I keep reliving that moment in my head. Even now, I can still feel the pressure of the earth closing in on me. I can still taste the dirt in my mouth.
    I said it before and I’ll say it again: I didn’t consider just how dangerous this fellowship might be. And it sure as heck never dawned on me that my life would be at risk! Sure, I guess there’s an element of danger in all travel, and definitely in all exploration, but if I had known just how hazardous this fellowship was going to be, I don’t know if I would have applied in the first place. Here’s the truth: After our experience at A1, I’ve had just about enough of archeology to last me a lifetime. And the problem is, we’re just getting started.
    When I told Wyatt I was leaving the fellowship and returning to Cairo, he tried to convince me to stay.
    “You can’t leave, Gannon,” he said. “We’re a team.”
    “Trust me, Wyatt, if there was any way for me to finish out this fellowship, I would. But you saw what happened to me in that tomb. Fear got the best of me and I totally froze up.”
    Wyatt took off his hat and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
    “Let’s face it,” I continued, “I’ll be of no use on this expedition. I mean, despite what you think, I put a lot of work into my application and spent a lot of time studying, but I’m sure there are others who are more deserving. I probably shouldn’t have won it in the first place. That’s the part I feel most guilty about.”
    “You earned this fellowship. Give it some more time. In the end, you’ll be happy you did.”
    I looked away, unable to face my brother.
    “I have to get going,” I said, and walked off to gather my things.
    While I was packing my bags, Dr. Aziz entered the tent.
    “May I have a word with you, Gannon?” he asked politely.
    “Of course.”
    We each took a seat on a cot.
    “I understand that this may be difficult for you,” he said. “At your age, I would have been scared out of my mind at the thought of entering a tomb. And to find mummies inside, that probably would have sent me screaming for the exit.”
    “Really?” I said, surprised by this admission.
    “I don’t think I could have done it. It took me many years to get over my fears. Even today, I constantly have to remind myself why I am doing this.”
    “If you don’t mind me asking,” I said, “what is it that makes you so passionate about archeology?”
    “It is my duty to uncover the mysteries of ancient Egypt,” he said. “My duty to find these treasures and preserve them for future generations. This is Egypt’s heritage. You must understand, there are thieves out there who will stop at nothing to find these artifacts before I do. These people care nothing of our history, our heritage. They have no desire to preserve these ancient wonders. They only care about money.”
    Dr. Aziz swept his arm over the desert.
    “There are treasures hidden under these Egyptian sands worth a fortune. If the wrong people succeed in finding them before I do, it is likely that they will never be recovered, and thus, never truly understood. When we lose an ancient