Return of the Mummy by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

yellowed. At the stiff body, so frail and small.
    He was alive once
, I thought.
Did he ever dream that three thousand years later, people would open his coffin and stare at him? Stare at his mummified body?
    I took a step back to catch my breath. It was
too
exciting.
    I saw that Nila also had tears in her eyes. She rested both hands on the edge of the case andleaned over the prince’s body, her eyes locked on the blackened face.
    “These may be the best-preserved remains ever found,” Uncle Ben said quietly. “Of course, we will have to do many tests to determine the young man’s identity. But, judging from everything else in this chamber, I think it’s safe to say …”
    His voice trailed off as we all heard sounds from the outer chamber. Footsteps. Voices.
    I spun around toward the doorway as four black-uniformed police officers burst into the room. “Okay. Everybody take one step back,” one of them ordered, lowering his hand to the gun holster at his side.

15
    Startled cries filled the room. Uncle Ben spun around, his eyes wide with surprise. “What is happening?” he cried.
    The four Cairo police officers, their features set in hard frowns, moved quickly into the center of the room.
    “Be careful!” Uncle Ben warned, standing in front of the mummy case as if protecting it. “Do not move anything. It is all terribly fragile.”
    He pulled off the hard hat. His eyes went from officer to officer. “What are you doing here?”
    “I asked them to come,” a voice boomed from the doorway.
    Dr. Fielding entered, a pleased expression on his face. His tiny eyes danced excitedly.
    “Omar — I don’t understand,” Uncle Ben said, taking a few steps toward the other scientist.
    “I thought it best to protect the contents of the tomb,” Dr. Fielding replied. He gazed quickly around the room, taking in the treasures.
    “Wonderful! This is wonderful!” he cried. He stepped forward and shook my uncle’s hand enthusiastically. “Congratulations, everyone!” he boomed. “This is almost too much to believe.”
    Uncle Ben’s expression softened. “I still do not understand the need for them,” he said, motioning to the grim-faced officers. “No one in this room is about to steal anything.”
    “Certainly not,” Dr. Fielding replied, still squeezing Uncle Ben’s hand. “Certainly not. But word will soon get out, Ben. And I thought we should be prepared to guard what we have found.”
    Uncle Ben eyed the four officers suspiciously. But then he shrugged his broad shoulders. “Perhaps you are right,” he told Dr. Fielding. “Perhaps you are being smart.”
    “Just ignore them,” Dr. Fielding replied. He slapped my uncle on the back. “I owe you an apology, Ben. I was wrong to try to stop you before. As a scientist, I should have known better. We owed it to the world to open this tomb. I hope you’ll forgive me. We have much to celebrate — don’t we!”
    “I don’t trust him,” Uncle Ben confided that evening as we walked from the tent to dinner. “I don’t trust my partner at all.”
    It was a clear night, surprisingly cool. The purple sky was dotted with a million twinkling white stars. A steady breeze made the palm trees sway on the horizon. The big campfire up ahead dipped and shifted with the wind.
    “Is Dr. Fielding coming with us to dinner?” Sari asked. She wore a pale green sweater pulled down over black leggings.
    Uncle Ben shook his head. “No, he hurried to phone Cairo. I think he’s eager to tell our backers the good news.”
    “He seemed really excited when he saw the mummy and everything,” I said, glancing at the pyramid rising darkly to the evening sky.
    “Yes, he did,” my uncle admitted. “He certainly changed his mind in a hurry! But I’m keeping my eye on him. Omar would like nothing better than to take over the project. I’m going to keep an eye on those police officers of his, too.”
    “Daddy, this should be a happy night,” Sari scolded. “Let’s not talk