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CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The End

The next morning Salahadin went with Leila and Fuad to the Cairo Museum. They took the Black Cat with them. They met a friend called Faisal who worked in the museum.

Salahadin gave the Black Cat to Faisal and told him the story.

‘It looks old,’ said Faisal, ‘and perhaps it’s valuable. But I don’t know about the gold and diamonds. I’ll have to look at it carefully.’

Salahadin, Leila and Fuad went and had some coffee. They came back to the museum about two hours later.

‘Well, what’s the answer’ asked Fuad.

‘It’s very old,’ replied Faisal. ‘But it’s not made of gold and there are no diamonds. The eyes and collar are made of stone. The cat is made of a heavy kind of wood.’

‘So, it isn’t valuable,’ said Leila. ‘Seven men have died for a piece of wood.’

‘No, you’re wrong,’ said Faisal. ‘It’s very, very valuable. It’s more than two thousand years old. The gold and diamonds aren’t important.’

‘Perhaps there really was a gold cat,’ said Salahadin. ‘Perhaps tomb robbers stole the real cat thousands of years ago. Then they put this wooden cat into the tomb.’

‘We’ll never know,’ said Fuad. ‘But we’re lucky to have this one.’

‘Yes, we are lucky,’ said Faisal. ‘Can we have it for our museum?’

‘Of course you can,’ replied Salahadin. ‘This is the right place for it.’

‘Come back in November,’ said Faisal. ‘Then you’ll see the Black Cat in its right place.’

‘And we’ll come back, too,’ said Leila. ‘Fuad’s been working too hard. He needs a real holiday. We’ll come back to Cairo for two weeks in November.’

‘That’s a good idea,’ said Faisal. ‘I’ll see you all then.’

Six months later, Salahadin was sitting in his office. Summer was over and the weather was getting cool. The telephone rang.

‘You remember your promise, don’t you’ asked Faisal.

‘My promise?’

‘To come to the museum,’ continued Faisal. ‘The new room is going to be opened tomorrow at ten o’clock.’

‘Oh - of course,’ said Salahadin. ‘I’ll be there.’

The next morning, there was a crowd of people in the museum. Faisal met Salahadin and took him to the new room. There was a large notice outside the door,

THE TREASURES OF ANKUTEN

Archeologists had found the tomb of Ankuten. Pearson’s map had helped them. They had brought many things from the tomb to Cairo. They were all in this room.

Ahmed was standing in the middle of the room. He was talking to Fuad and Leila. The taxi driver who had taken Barkman to Cairo station was there also. Salahadin went over to say hello.

‘Do you see what’s behind me’ asked Ahmed.

There, in the centre of the room, was a large glass case. The Black Cat was inside. Underneath, there was a notice:

The Black Cat of Ankuten given by Salahadin EI Nur.