In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 166):

Alexander served some drinks.

"Indeed, it will be a pleasure to work with another archaeologist.

"Right now, our plan is to try and visit the Clive expedition, somewhere south of the city in Dashur. The area known as "the city of the dead", or the "Necropolis" for all the burials conducted there in ancient times. The Clive expedition is sponsored by the Penhew Foundation, and very strange things were going on there. They had a mummy stolen, and several staff have quit, died or gone mad./

"Aside from that, we are trying to locate Jan Vanhuevelen, a Dutchman that was fired from the expedition for being a drunkard. He is still in Cairo and might have something to say about the Clive expedition.

"Also, here are the artefacts you brought from England."

The various arcane scrolls, statuettes and other items had been stolen, er, recovered from the cultists of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh. There was the mirror (the "Mirror of Gal") and various powders (that was said to provide a view of distant places and/or kill a man by thinking about them), two scepters, more powder that is said to reveal that which is hidden (the Powder of ibn Ghazi), a soapstone sculpture of the Elder God "Great Cthulhu" (said to impart mystical energy and indeed sometimes gives a strange shock when touched) and a brass figurine of the "Bloated Woman", a woman's head crossed with... a sea anemone? There was a painting of Africans performing some kind of hideous sacrifice by night at the foot of a mountain which almost looked like the Bloated Woman.

Alexander also told Ralph of a local scholar they'd met, Bahadir Sahin, a Turk (or all things) working at the world-famous Cairo Museum in the Antiquities department. His boss, Dr. Khafour, seemed to have a lot of knowledge of the occult and had fought the Black Brotherhood here in Cairo, on their own turf, and survived.

All-in-all, it seemed like the conversation was dying out and perhaps it would be best to take up matters in the morning?

Everyone said their goodnights.

Some time later, it was morning.

The group gathered for breakfast and a conference on their next moves.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 169):

Over tea and breakfast, Alexander asked, "is your plan for the day to simply wait for news on locating the Dutch scientist, Jan Vanhuevelen? If he can be found, my friend Nigel will find him!

"Or, are you heading out to Dashur to interview the other members of the Clive expedition?

"I guess we can just have a day off, if no one has any desire to do anything." He didn't seem to think this was a productive use of time, but it was still an option.

The Count had risen early and had watched the sun rise as he dealt with some correspondence he would not post. This was mingled with periods of quiet reflection as he tried to process the past few days.
Once the hour of breakfast had arrived he dressed in a rather sharp linen suit and made his way to the table. As he poured a large black coffee he listened to Alexander's assessment before adding "Well I really don't like sitting around so I would like to visit the Clive expedition if we are able to come up with a passable excuse. It will no doubt clue our enemies to our being in the country given one of the cult members from London is here and perhaps in contact with them, but it seems the only current lead."

"I concur. I don't care to stay here longer than we need to, no insult to Mr. Mahfouz's hospitality. The Black Brotherhood is looking for us, and we haven't always been quiet in our investigations."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 172):

Alexander sipped his tea and looked thoughtful.

"I can presume on Dr. Khafour for a letter of introduction for your group. Professor Fulty is a well-known Egyptologist, it would not be out of the ordinary at all for him to visit an ongoing archaeological site while he is visiting here."

The Professor up until this time remained quiet and pensive. It had been a very encouraging thing to see his friends again, but with the new day, the challenges - and dangers - ahead weighed heavily on his mind. He listened to the others.

At Alexander's mention of the dig, he responded, "Yes, I would be glad to pay a visit to the Expedition. I can definitely imagine that my credentials will give me to clout to intrude a little, find out what they're up to. The matter of the missing sarcophagus still weighs on my mind."

"Then that would be excellent. We can set out right after breakfast, and hopefully this afternoon we will have the necessary information to follow up on the last lead. With a little luck, we can leave Cairo on a good note!"

Alexander made a telephone call to the Museum.

"Dr. Khafour at the Department of Antiquities promises that he will write a letter authorising Professor Fulty and his companions to examine the Clive Expedition digs at Dashur on his behalf.

"It should be ready to be picked up at the museum by 10 o'clock. I will make the touring car ready for a trip out to Dashur by then."

"Do we know anything about these people before we go in? Is there any reason to expect danger?"

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 177):

"The Clive expedition? Quite a lot, really.

"It is sponsored by the Penhew Foundation. That implies a connection to Gavigan and the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh off the bat.

"They recovered a mummy from that frightful chamber in the pyramid. Where you seemed to "lose" hours of your time. The mummy (possibly that of evil Queen Nitocris) was stolen, two Egyptian police disappeared. After, they moved their dig site to Dashur, south of the city.

"Now at Dashur for a month, much strangeness has occurred. Porters and guards disappearing, not showing up for work. Tales of drink and even drugs running rampant. One researcher went mad, another committed suicide. One "bad apple", Jan Vanhuevelen, was given the sack, and things started to improve. But Nigel said the locals still regard the expedition is cursed in some way.

"Sir Clive hiself is a noted archaeologist and archaeologist. Studied at Cambridge. Old family, but not a lot of money, you know the story. Some funny business there, I don't quite recall."

"And Jan we just interviewed. He said an old woman say something in his spirit? And in another individual as well? I worry that the expedition is a den of vipers, funded by our enemies, serving our enemies. If we could find a place to start in making safe contact... otherwise, I frankly don't know how we will be able to interview them without putting ourselves in mortal peril."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 179):

"If I may?

"My pardon, Cynthia. The wretch you interviewed was Warren Besart, Carlyle's agent. We are waiting on Jan's location. The old woman said something about Besart's soul, and that of "Brass" Jack Brady, Carlyle's bodyguard and batman. Brass was supposedly killed later in Kenya along with the rest of the expedition but he turned up safe in Hong Kong, suggesting that Carlyle is also alive.

"As for the Clive expedition, allow me to share some insight into the character and psyche of the late and unlamented Edward Gavigan. He was the cult leader in England, as far as we know. He viewed us as a threat, yes, but I don't think he would have shared that information with his compatriots here, or made an effort to alert his crony, Dr. Clive. There is a certain amount of risk but I don't think Clive will see you as a threat.

"If, however, you are uneasy about visiting the Clive expedition in Memphis, there was the unknown item that Faraz Najir was asked to steal from the Mosque of ibn Tuln by Tewfik al Sayid on behalf of the Brotherhood cult leader, Omar Shakti. Najir did not know what this items was. It's possible that Dr. Khafour might have an idea?"

Weston sipped his tea.

"I'm sorry, of course. I've been so short on sleep lately."

"Well... I open it up to the group. Dr. Clive may not view us as a threat--yet. But depending on what he does know about the purpose of the foundation, he may deem us such once we start poking around."

"Quite all right. And yes, these egomaniacal cultists might not wish to cooperate, even with their own brothers, but they are also often paranoid as well."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 181):

"Yes that will be very true. Hopefully he may be taken in by the tourist ruse that has worked before. Seeing a working dig and all that. The ruins themselves would probably warrant a visit by some tourist groups and the chance to see a working dig may be enough of a pull to the area they are in ? There is also the matter of what was Faraz stealing from the Mosque, did he say ? "

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 183):

Alexander shook his head.

"Faraz never said what it was he was asked by the cultists to steal from the mosque of ibn Tulun."

In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 184):

"Perhaps we could ask him before we pursue that avenue of inquiry then. Seems it may give us some idea whether they may have something useful that the enemy is unable to obtain." Mr. Perkins pored himself a glass of water and took a seat at the table.

"Agreed. I'm inclined to avoid the Clive expedition altogether. But should we go, I want to have done everything feasible prior.

So where do we start? The mosque itself?"

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 186):

"Yes let us go to the mosque and make inquiries. I don't feel in the mood to acquire more hard drugs to get an answer." He also pored a glass of water and then turned to their host "Alexander what do you know of this place anything useful or interesting ?"

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 187):

"The Mosque of ibn Tulun is the oldest and largest mosque in the city, at least in original form. It was completed in AD 869 of 256 in the year of the Prophet, praise be upon him.

"It is south of Ezebikia Gardens, the park in the heart of the city. It is on the edge of the Necropolis, the City of the Dead that stretches south of Cairo.

"I have been there many times. As well, there is a small museum there. It is constructed as a square around a large courtyard, with minarets and other buildings around the sides.

"Other than that, I can't say what would be stored there that would interest the Cultists. I know some of the teachers there and could come with you.

"As well, before we visit the Clive expedition we could look up the mother and son that rescued Warren Besart when he had his nervous breakdown after the cultist ceremony that snapped his mind."

"How would you possibly look up the mother? He mentioned them in passing--I had assumed their relationship was only brief contact. Regardless, he didn't give us much to go on."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 189):

"He mentioned the general area, and it is out in the countryside. It is not like the city. People here see things. I think we stand a decent chance of tracking them down, insh'Allah."

In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 190):

"Let us try the mosque first before we venture on another road trip to either the dig or the mother. It is closer and we may find a more receptive audience if we are able to identify a sympathetic ear."