Renifer was weeping. “Does Mother know?” she asked her father.

“She pretends not to. Like you.”

“But I didn't know,” she cried.

They lost interest in her silly vapors and returned to the problem at hand.

“More soldiers will be here soon,” said Pen-Meru gloomily. “That means Pharaoh will be told soon. They'll go down the shaft and report to Pharaoh that not only was His mother's tomb robbed, her bones are gone. We are dead men.”

“I've got it,” said Pankh excitedly. “We tell Him that we, in our glory, prevented the robbery. The valor of Pen-Meru and his future son-in-law, Pankh, led to the deaths of some robbers—but the others fled. We tell Pharaoh that since the escaped evildoers now know where the opening of the queen's tomb is, we recommend an immediate solution to Pharaoh.”

Pankh was almost jumping up and down in his delight. Renifer wondered how she had ever found this man attractive.

“You will recall, Pen-Meru,” said her beloved, “that adjacent to that temple being constructed close to the Pyramid is an unused tomb. It was built for Princess Nitiqret of Blessed Memory, but she chose to be buried in her husband's tomb. How we will praise the vacant tomb! We will convince Pharaoh that it is fit for the ka of His mother. Even now, we will explain to Him, we are swiftly removing the tomb furniture from this defiled spot and have taken the blessed body of Hetepheres to its new and safe resting place.” He folded his arms over his chest, swollen with pride at his brilliant idea.

“It's not much of a tomb,” said Pen-Meru doubtfully. “It's hardly a closet. They sank it very deep, but since Nitiqret was buried elsewhere, they never began the wall paintings or finished up—”

“Who cares?” said Pankh impatiently. “Pharaoh is never going to descend the shaft to see. He will believe you. You in your radiance will have acted swiftly and with reverence to rescue a queen whose safe harbor has been invaded. I will treat you as a god before Him, marveling in the splendor of your quick thinking and willingness to die for the queen. He'll fall for it.”

“Maybe,” said Renifer's father. “But maybe not. Pharaoh isn't stupid.”

“May I remind you what will happen if we allow Pharaoh's servants to climb down that shaft?”

And then the time for planning was over. The chapel filled with more tomb police. Shocked and saddened by the loss of their colleagues, they let Pen-Meru take charge. He motioned them into a huddle, giving instructions.

“We work quickly to transfer the remaining tomb furniture,” said Pen-Meru. “Pharaoh will kill every one of us for failing to keep His mother's tomb safe. But if He thinks that in the end, we did keep her safe … Well, then. Not only do we survive, He will pay us each a great reward.”

The tomb police, afraid of the wrath of Pharaoh, agreed.