Chapter 3.3: The Old City [02/05/1925]
Still uncertain of how freely he could speak, McNeil cleared his throat and crossed his arms. He had remained standing since the group had gathered in the suite. ”Miss Elias and I were able to meet with Dr. Ali Kafour, of the Egyptian Museum. Dr. Kafour is a colleague, and a friend, who has assisted me on some of my prior expeditions. He is extremely knowledgeable with regard to the history and culture of his homeland.”
“Dr. Kafour knew of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh and many of their beliefs. He explained to Miss Elias and I that Nephren-Ka, a name I’d seen associated with the Black Pharaoh, was purported to be a powerful sorcerer that lived during Egypt’s Third Dynasty. He led the Brotherhood during that time and, eventually, his name became synonymous with Black Pharaoh himself.”
“He also mentioned Queen Nitocris as another prominent adherent of the Black Pharaoh during the Sixth Dynasty.”
“Dr. Kafour had consulted with Aubrey Penhew on numerous occasions, and indicated that Penhew had a strong interest in the Brotherhood. He was...disturbed to learn of what your family discovered about the Penhew Foundation in London, Dr. Elias, concerned that he had somehow unknowingly assisted the cult with the information he provided to Penhew. He was able to determine, by reviewing the sites of digs sponsored by the Foundation, that all of the areas where they conducted digs recently had some historical association with the Brotherhood.”
He paced over to one of the nearby windows, looking out at the night. ”Dr. Kafour told us that the last time he had spoken with Aubrey Penhew the man had been decidedly unfriendly. Dr. Kafour also said that Penhew looked ten years younger.”
“He was able to give us the name of a Dutch archaeologist, Janwillen Vanheuvelen, who was fired from the current Penhew sponsored expedition, the Clive Expedition, for heavy drinking.” He licked his lips, placing his hands in his pockets. ”The man reportedly lives in the Old City. I’ve asked Asim, the guide I hired, to see if he can track Vanheuvelen down. There are rumors that the Clive Expedition has found the mummy of Queen Nitocris.”
“Dr. Kafour knew of the merchant, Faraz Najir, only because of a story associated with a fire that claimed his former shop. Some claimed to have seen a demonic creature destroy it. When we visited him, Najir initially clammed up when I hinted at an interest in Nephren-Ka. But with a few apologies, I was able to get him to agree to talk to me further...for a price. He asked that I find him one afternoon at the El Hussein Mosque.
Sighing, he leaned against the wall beside the window.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:47, Mon 15 July 2019.