“What is a grakyl doing here?” she asked, staring down at the monster. “What does it mean?”

“I don’t know. But did you notice the sign out front? The name of the exhibit sponsor. Bledsworth Sundries and Industries. They funded this tomb and sent that mummy. If Morgan was telling the truth about the corporation keeping tabs on us, then they also knew we’d be here today.”

“What are you saying?” Kady asked.

Jake ran everything through his head and came to only one conclusion. He was suddenly all too conscious of the ticking watch against his chest.

“If someone wanted to steal Dad’s watch, a good way to get it out of hiding might be to stage a robbery attempt. Scared by the burglary, we’d be forced to take it from its hiding place and keep it with us for safekeeping.”

Kady looked sick—and she wasn’t faking it this time. “Which is exactly what we did.”

He nodded. “After that, all our enemy would have to do is to lure us somewhere. Set up a trap.”

Jake stared at the four walls of the tomb. The chamber seemed to go darker as his fears grew.

“We have to get out of here,” Kady said.

“But the ankh is here. I swear I can almost feel it.”

“Never mind that. We can come back later. The professor said this mummy was heading back to Egypt next week. Let’s wait until then. The ankh should still be here.”

Kady headed around the slab toward the exit.

Jake recognized her logic, but his heart railed against it. Still, he followed her. She was right. They needed to get out of here. Jake joined his sister at the exit. He gave one last glance back into the dark tomb.

That’s when he spotted it.

He froze like a statue.

On the far side of the slab, his eyes caught on a glint of gold. He’d missed it before, his attention drawn too quickly to the altar and its macabre offering.

He stared into the display cabinet across the room. The object rested on the middle shelf. A palm-sized ankh made of gold. An exact match to the one inscribed on the watchcase. Under the cabinet’s bright halogens, Jake also spotted jewels imbedded in the gold: a diamond in the center, surrounded by a ruby, an emerald, and a sapphire.

The same pattern and colors as the crystals in his apprentice badge.

The four cornerstones of Calypsos.

Jake pointed across the room. “It’s here! That’s got to be it.”

Kady squinted—then stiffened beside him. “The jewels,” she said, understanding instantly.

Jake rushed forward.

“Wait!” Kady called out, but she wasn’t warning him to come back. She wanted to keep up with him.

They circled around the slab to get a better look.

Together they gazed into the cabinet.

“That has to be the lock for Dad’s key.” Stepping back, Jake reached to his neck and fished out the pocket watch.

“But how are we going to get inside the case?” Kady asked.