Clerks aren't heavy—they weigh as much as cotton candy, if you buy it in five-foot cones—but the bodies flop on the shovel and gum up the rake, and it takes time to herd them into the sun. It's easier to let them melt where they fall.

. . . I have walked the desert, thirsty for knowledge of this beautiful place and time, but seeking it in the popular media has been akin to chasing an oasis, only to find it a mirage. Ever shrouded in mystery and misinformation, unwrapping the true Egypt is like unwrapping a mummy.