Chapter 3.1: The Egyptian Museum [02/05/1925]
"Yes, I think keeping this meeting between us a secret would be best, but I do not think their eye is upon me - and to date, I do not believe that they are aware that I have caught onto their tricks. Given my old relationship with the Penhew Foundation, let us say, that perhaps they have learned to think of me as a harmless old scholar, eager to share his obscure knowledge. I am not afraid for my safety, but still, best not to draw their eye this way if it can be helped."
He shook his head in the negative. "Of Najir, I only know of his name because of the strange story about the destruction of his shop. He does seem like a object of local superstition, but otherwise, he would not have appeared on my radar...certainly not someone I thought would have been associated with the reputed Penhew Foundation."
"I am equally poorly informed with regard to the Bloody Tongue cult. I have only heard of them in correspondence with other academics, and even they had only heard bits and pieces - scraps of information, assembled together like pieces of a puzzle, and even then the gaps are filled in with guesswork. Second and third hand information that is incomplete, but sufficient to paint a particular picture that is all too reminiscent of what I have learned here of the Black Pharoah. It is what lead me to my speculation that these were two sides of the same coin. I haven't gone through my correspondence in months, but I have it archived somewhere here."
He looked hopelessly at stacks of books and boxes full of papers, some organized, some disorganized. "I don't know how far your search will carry you, but if you go to Nairobi, let me know. I can put together a name or two of someone who might be willing to speak with you." He reached for a folder, and fumbled through its papers, shaking his head and setting it down.
"I don't have to tell you that these people are dangerous, I think, given the unfortunate ending of Mr. Elias. They are intelligent, and secretive also. They have hidden their activities in a scholarly institution, but have spread their reach somehow across the globe in other places. New York, you mentioned. And London. Here. Possibly in Kenya also, if my theories are correct. They operate by subterfuge; I could even suspect that the theft of the mummy was misdirection, and their aim is elsewhere. Watch for all these possibilities. If you have any more questions, please, my door is open to you. If you have trouble with other matters in the city, also, I am well connected here - and I can perhaps open doors. I have little love for these people."
This message was last updated by the player at 15:01, Mon 11 Mar 2019.