Are you sure he was lucid?" Mme. K. Von Schnauser demands. She and S are holding the rope as the Leader begins his first descent of the day down The Stairs and into the Cave.
"After all, he just came from the village where he was shouting at the crowds and singing and praying..."
"Yes, his eyes were clear this time," the Leader adds and disappears into the darkness below.

Journal entry day 11: The old man stood at the opening to the Leaders tent. The Leader was shaving and looked up. S. Airedale said, "He wanted to see you again. Says he knows something more." "Eh, what is it, then?" "In the cave there is a box of special things..." The Leader finishes shaving and wipes off his face with a towel. "Go on."
Journal Note Journal Entry: expedition day 10. Base Camp at top of "The Stairs". S. Airedale and Mme. K. Von Schnauzer spoke to the Leader regarding his plans to make a solo descent into the Caves. "Are you sure the Old Man in the village remembers this?" S. asks. K...LikeUnlike · · Share · April 26, 2011 at 9:39amJoan Marjorie and Cait McCabe like this.Dave McCabe He brings back an ancient postcard and tales of other treasures he cannot recover until another day. But the ancient documents he has not yet found. "I ran out of rope," he states and goes off the kitchen tent to make some tea.
Cait McCabe omg. I just died laughing.
Joan Marjorie Yeah. It's like that here, too. My old file boxes *used* to be accessible until I combined storage space with my husband. On the outside, when it comes to being tidy, he's Felix and I'm Oscar. In terms of storage & files, it's the other way around.
Dave McCabe Deep within the caves where its silent and dusty, he wonders, "did the old man mean turn right at the catacombs, or left..."
The Old Man in the Village responds to his pleas for more information. "But I held those documents in my very hands not 3,000 days ago...."
and goes off to sing old hymns to himself.
The Leader heads back to the kitchen tent to find something cold to drink.
Dwight McCabe then sings more songs to himself.
Dwight McCabe and more songs.
Dwight McCabe and has another drink.
Dave McCabe yes, yes, yes, it's coming to me....

The first path lead nowhere, except to the remains of a previous explorer.
"Poor blighter." The Leader muttered and had it removed. But the next path revealed several ancient containers, some may have even held the remains of Pharoahs in their time. Most were now dust, but one held amazing things: colored writing implements of the sort that hadn't seen the light of day there in dozens of months...
‎"Did you know him?" S. Airedale asked the Leader after the remains had been brought out. "Yes, I did. Met him once over drinks at the East India Club. He wanted my buy-in for a project of his. Claimed he was on to something big. But he refused to offer any details, so I turned him down." "Good thing." Mme. K Von Schnauser said dismissively from her place at the table in the kitchen tent, and poured herself another mug of tea.
‎"What was his name?" she asked after a minute. "Oh, yes, S. Rodent. I believe." "How appropriate she said, and smiled.

He moved around the excited workers. They had just cleared the last debris from the entrance of the tomb. He opened a hole in the ancient door and shined in an electric light. "What do you see?" Mme. K. Von Schnauser asked. "Wonderful things!" He exclaimed, and everywhere was the shimmer of vinyl. (with apologies to King Tut et. al.)

Journal Entry, Day 14: The Camp is awoken abruptly by a rumble from The Cave. 'Hambone' the cook ran into the Leader's tent and exclaimed: "There is dust coming up from the Cave." The Leader nods, but says nothing. Dresses himself and walks over to the kitchen tent for tea and eggs. Hambone serves him and runs to the other servants who are nervous. S. Airedale joins the Leader. S's red beard is redolent of tobacco and brandy. It has been a difficult night.

‎"You were gambling again." The Leader states fact, and not conjecture; S. always gambles withn Mme. K is in Camp. No one mentioned the cave in below them; it woluldn't have been proper to show emotion or panic to the servants.

‎"You know his name is Hamurabi, not 'hambone.' That's an American sounding name, from some show boat or the sort..." Mme. K. mentioned as she entered the tent. Pouring herself some tea and taking a plate of eggs she joined the men at their table. she was wearing a grey flannel skirt with white blouse and some severe black lace up boots.

The Leader looked out over the desert. It was very hot, and his broadrimmed hat, for which he was famous for wearing on all family vacations, unless he forgot to, didn't cut it much.

"It's hot." Mr. S. Airedale commented, mopping his face with a handkerchief he had pulled out of his pack.

"Stupid comment." Mme. K. Von S. said, idly brushing her hair away from her glistening face.

"We wouldn't be here if you, Great Leader, hadn't insulted Hamurabi the cook."

"How so?" the Leader asked glancing over the horizon.

"You called him 'Hambone.' We warned you it wouldn't end well."

"Insulting the cook is never a good idea." Mr. S. Airedate added mournfully.

"So why does calling a cook, 'Hambone' insult him? It's a food item, isn't it. And he didn't seem to mind...."

"He's Muslim, and pork products are unclean."

"Yes?"

Far off in the distance came the rumbling of heavy armor.

"This is going to get very interesting..." Mr. S. Airedale said, looking for cover that just wasn't there.

From behind them, away from the armor, which now appeared on the dune ahead of them came a rocket. Instinctively they all prostated themselves on the hot sand. It missed the lead tank and blew up a dozen meters of sand, sending up a plume of smoke and sand into the air.

The tanks responded, firing over over their heads. More rockets were fired, and the tanks responded.

"We're in the middle of a battle!" the Leader shouted over the din.