The Lost Jewels

"It’s really simple. Any Egyptologist, whether amateur or professional, knows only too well the legend of Pharaoh Amenhotep II’s lost treasure."

"Lost treasure?" she exclaimed, not really believing she was hearing this.

"Yeah." Sensing her total disbelief, Harry walked over to a chair and flopped down with a wild chuckle. "Sure, why not? I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before now. Can’t you see what they were up to? JPS-1800-SS is all about finding an immense hidden treasure that disappeared centuries ago. DNA and genetic memory transfers." Harry slapped his knee while chuckling. "The damned Nazis were going to look for this loot by using genetic memory transfers."

Andreana shook her head. "You have totally lost me, Harry." She frowned. "Actually, you’re beginning to sound like a babbling drunkard."

Harry nodded his understanding of her disbelief. "All right, let me explain this, but first what do you know about this pharaoh?"

"Absolutely nothing."

"O.K., what you need is a short historical update." He solemnly paused for a moment. "On the death of Thutmose III in 1450 B.C., his son Amenhotep II assumed the role of divine ruler of the huge Egyptian Empire. This young prince was clever, aggressive, imaginative, and extremely smart. Even before he was crowned pharaoh, young Amenhotep was shaping his future life. Early this century there was discovered, not far from the great Spinx at Giza, a stela recording some of his numerous achievements that gave us a good look into his life. In the early years of his reign, Amenhotep viciously campaigned against his enemies. In North Syria, he crushed revolting tribes and captured great booty. Such kingdoms as Niy, Ugarit, Kadesh, Nahrin, and numerous other wealthy cities fell. And each one yielded great wealth into his coffins. Records hinted the pharaoh chose to hide this great wealth bestowed upon his person from all of these wars. This is evident be-cause when he died and his son Thutmose IV succeeded the throne, there was a great shortage of riches in the royal treasury."

"Maybe he squandered it?"

"No, history doesn’t think so."

"Maybe it’s in his royal tomb?"

"Not so." Harry mildly argued. "Amenhotep II chose as his burial place a spot in the Valley of the Kings, not far from where his father was buried. Their tombs were designed along the same lines. His yellowed quartzite sarcophagus when opened in 1898 revealed the pharaoh’s mummi-fied body lying amidst dead floral decorations placed there by loyal priests. Nothing else was found in the tomb. It had been centuries before looted by grave robbers. This probably occurred sometime during the Tenth Century B.C."

Andreana smiled. "You know a lot about this pharaoh?"

"What Egyptologist doesn’t, my dear? Stories of his greed are so well known, they’re even documented in several tombs of court favorites from his reign." The commander sighed, then lean-ed back in the chair to cross his legs. "For some reason or other, the priests decided at that time to move into the violated tomb nine other kings. They included Thutmose IV and Amenhotep III. When that tomb was unsealed again in 1898, the world was amazed at the number of kings buried there. Few articles of wealth were found there. Grave robbers are clever." Harry quit talking when noticing Andreana, though listening, was not following his thinking.

"I still don’t know what you’re talking about. So the man was greedy? That wouldn’t be the first time. If time hasn’t uncovered this treasure, maybe grave robbers found it long ago?" she com-plained indifferently.

He seriously shook his head. "I don’t think so."

"You mean you believe those stories?" she exclaimed with pretended shock.

"Knowing what we know about the man, yes."

"Have you ever searched for it?" she asked in a half-amused voice.

"No, not me. I may believe in it, honey, but I’m not crazy enough to search for something that was hidden centuries ago. We have numerous inscriptions telling of intensified searches down through the centuries. Men have spent lifetimes searching the sands and finding not a clue." He smiled. "That is until the Nazis, in their wild unpredictable schemes, decided to search for these awesome riches." He excitedly shook his head. "Only the Germans would have thought of this."