Read The Eye of the Serpent for Free Online Page A

tall, rangy, dark-complexioned fellow of fifty, with broad shoulders and striking grey eyes. The man who sat there now seemed somehow shrunken, as though the hot sun had shrivelled his flesh and bones. His formerly dark brown hair was now a mop of snow-white wisps, and his moustache was of the same December hue. Worst of all were the eyes – weak and watery, the colour drained from them; and they seemed to be staring fixedly at something only they could see.
    â€˜William!’ cried Ethan with forced jocularity. ‘I’ve brought somebody to see you, an old friend.’
    Uncle Will lifted his head slightly and those dead eyes surveyed Alec for a moment, but showed no sign of recognition.
    Ethan guided Alec forward until he was standing right in front of his uncle. Alec looked downat Will’s hands, which were arranged like claws on his blanket. They were shaking as though he was in the grip of a terrible fever.
    â€˜Look, Will,’ persisted Ethan. ‘It’s your nephew, Alec. He’s travelled down from Cairo to see you. You remember Alec, don’t you?’
    Uncle Will’s eyes continued to stare up at his nephew and he said the name ‘Alec’ in a flat monotone. Ethan nudged Alec, prompting him to respond.
    â€˜Hello, Uncle,’ said Alec. ‘It’s . . . good to see you again. I’m . . . sorry you haven’t been well.’
    â€˜Alec,’ repeated Uncle Will, but once again it was just something spoken parrot-fashion. There was no trace of warmth in that croak of a voice. Like the pale, watery eyes, it seemed completely devoid of life.
    â€˜Alec’s come to help out with the dig,’ said Ethan, crouching down to put himself on the same level as his old friend. ‘I know he’s been of great assistance to you in the past and I can sure use his skills. I don’t know if you recall, but you mentioned him several times in your journal. You said you were completely at a loss to decipher a message and something Alec said gave you the key to it? Do you remember writing that?’
    â€˜Key,’ whispered Uncle Will and his grey head nodded, but whether this was in answer to what had just been said was anybody’s guess, because the head kept nodding slowly long after it was appropriate.
    â€˜Father sends his regards,’ said Alec. ‘I’m sure he’ll be over to visit you when he gets the opportunity. Coates is with me too. You . . . you remember Coates, don’t you? The valet?’
    â€˜Coates.’ Again the same dull croak. It was as if the words were meaningless to Uncle Will and he was just acting the role of an echo.
    â€˜Yes, that’s right. He came with me on the last two trips. You must remember him. He didn’t know I was coming to see you, otherwise I’m sure he . . .’
    Alec felt ridiculous talking like this and getting no response. He looked at Ethan apologetically.
    Ethan nodded, understanding, but was clearly not ready to give up just yet. He put a hand on Uncle Will’s shoulder. ‘Alec’s joining us at an exciting time,’ he said. ‘We’ve almost cleared out the last of the artefacts from the antechamber. Any day now we’ll be ready to break the seals on the door to the tomb.’
    Something happened then. Uncle Willreacted. His eyes widened and a kind of manic realization seemed to come into them.
    â€˜Break them?’ he said. ‘Break the . . . seals?’
    â€˜Yes.’ Ethan was delighted to have elicited such a response. ‘It won’t be long now. Everything you and Tom worked for will be—’
    â€˜No!’ gasped Uncle Will. ‘Don’t.
Don’t
.’
    â€˜Don’t what?’ asked Ethan, puzzled.
    â€˜Go in. Don’t. He’s not there. Already . . . out. Already out.’
    â€˜Who’s already out, William?’ Ethan was staring into Uncle