The serpent on the crown - Elizabeth Peters

family are enjoying a fruitful period of

excavation in Egypt. But when they hear

the alarming tale of a man's mysterious

death their digging turns to detecting. His

widow is convinced her husband was the

victim of a curse and implores the Emersons

to find and return the small 'deadly' statue

that killed him to the tomb from which it

was stolen - before it claims another life.

From bitter experience, the Emersons know

it would be a serious mistake to start

chasing tomb robbers. But Amelia and co.

soon start to find that the curse may be

more real than they ever imagined . . .

'She asks us to come directly to her room. She's

afraid to open the door, she says!' Ramses took

his mother's arm. With the skill of long practice

they wound their way through the procession of

camels, donkeys and carriages that filled the

street. 'Which room?' Nefret asked, looking up

at the long faade of the hotel.... 'The one with

the balcony? I'm surprised she didn't.... Oh

Good Lord! What's that?' There was no

mistaking what it was, despite its distance from

the ground. Sunset shone with theatrical

intensity on the stone balustrade of the balcony

and the form leaning over it. Man-high,

shrouded, dead black, it seemed to drink the

sun's rays. As they stared in disbelief, the

shape slowly bent forward and fell, 40 feet,

toward the terrace below.