key. It will be
a nice little novelty for my wild beast collection.'

And instantly, the entreaties of the children availing as little as the
bites of the Psammead, though both bites and entreaties were fervent, it
was carried away from before their eyes.

'Oh, DO be careful!' cried Anthea. 'At least keep it dry! Keep it in its
sacred house!'

She held up the embroidered bag.

'It's a magic creature,' cried Robert; 'it's simply priceless!'

'You've no right to take it away,' cried Jane incautiously. 'It's a
shame, a barefaced robbery, that's what it is!'

There was an awful silence. Then Pharaoh spoke.

'Take the sacred house of the beast from them,' he said, 'and imprison
all. Tonight after supper it may be our pleasure to see more magic.
Guard them well, and do not torture them--yet!'

'Oh, dear!' sobbed Jane, as they were led away. 'I knew exactly what it
would be! Oh, I wish you hadn't!'

'Shut up, silly,' said Cyril. 'You know you WOULD come to Egypt. It was
your own idea entirely. Shut up. It'll be all right.'

'I thought we should play ball with queens,' sobbed Jane, 'and have no
end of larks! And now everything's going to be perfectly horrid!'

The room they were shut up in WAS a room, and not a dungeon, as the
elder ones had feared. That, as Anthea said, was one comfort. There
were paintings on the wall that at any other time would have been most
interesting. And a sort of low couch, and chairs. When they were alone
Jane breathed a sigh of relief. 'Now we can get home all right,' she
said.

'And leave the Psammead?' said Anthea reproachfully.

'Wait a sec. I've got an idea,' said Cyril. He pondered for a few
moments. Then he began hammering on the heavy cedar door. It opened, and
a guard put in his head.

'Stop that row,' he said sternly, 'or--'

'Look here,' Cyril interrupted, 'it's very dull for you isn't it? Just
doing nothing but guard us. Wouldn't you like to see some magic? We're
not too proud to do it for you. Wouldn't you like to see it?'

'I don't mind if I do,' said the guard.

'Well then, you get us that monkey of ours that was taken away, and
we'll show you.'

'How do I know you're not making game of me?' asked the soldier.
'Shouldn't wonder if you only wanted to get the creature so as to set it
on me. I daresay its teeth and claws are poisonous.' 'Well, look here,'
said Robert. 'You see we've got nothing with us? You just shut the door,
and open it again in five minutes, and