Sands of Time (Out of Time #6) (36 page)

He shook his head. “Elizabeth and I waited a few more minutes and then Jack arrived and we met Hassan and left.”

Diana chewed her lip in thought. “Nothing else? You didn’t bump into someone? The lobbies of these hotels are infected with pickpockets.”

Simon was about to answer when Elizabeth remembered something. She raised a finger in the air. “Yes. There was a man. You bumped into him, but he was just another guest.”

“That’s right,” Simon said. “Little man.” He held up his hand to his mid-chest.

“With a pencil mustache?” Diana asked. “And a weaseley sort of face?”

“How did you know that?” Elizabeth said.

Diana’s eyes narrowed and she glared over at Jack who nodded back. “Nico.”

~ ~ ~

The door gave way easily as Simon and Jack kicked it in. It was cheap and flimsy like the rest of the hotel they’d found out Nico was staying in. It had taken a bribe of all of two pounds to find out his room number. They could have picked the lock, Simon supposed, but he wouldn’t have missed the expression on the little man’s face for all the world.

Sitting in a small metal tub in the middle of the room, his skinny legs dangling over the edges, Nico gave a high-pitched scream as the door flew off its hinges and flattened on the floor in front of him. Jack and Simon stepped inside, followed by Elizabeth and Diana.

Nico squirmed in the tub, water splashing over the sides as he tried to cover himself with a small washing cloth. His eyes darted nervously from one person to the next.

“You have something that doesn’t belong to you,” Diana said.

Nico shook his head rapidly. “No. I-I did as you said. I stayed away from your deal. Ask Alexi. I have nothing.”

In the hallway, a man walked by the broken door, looked in and hurried past, head down.

Simon watched as Diana wandered over to the little man’s suitcase.

“Really?” She flipped open the lid and then dumped out the contents onto the unmade bed. Dozens of wallets and watches and bits of jewelry tumbled out.

Nico laughed nervously. “Those are…those are gifts.”

Simon glared down at the little man and then stalked over to the bed. It didn’t take him long to find the watch and when he did he exhaled some of the tension he’d been carrying.

“Thank God,” he said, as he held it for the others to see before clenching his fingers tightly around it.

Elizabeth came over to him to see for herself, her relief palpable. They would have managed life in 1920s Egypt, but he was glad they wouldn’t have to try. He slipped it into his pocket, but kept his hand around it. He was not going to lose it again.

“So how did you come by that?” Jack asked.

“That was a mistake,” Nico said quickly. “Clearly, that—”

“Save it, “ Jack said.

Diana walked over to Nico and stood above him in the bath. He pulled his legs close to his chest and hunched over them and shivered.

“You’re going to return all of that, “ Diana said, nodding toward the suitcase.

He started to protest, but when Jack took a step closer he reluctantly nodded.

“And then you’re going home,” Diana continued. “Today. Do you understand?”

Nico looked from her to Jack who scowled down at him.

Nico nodded.

Simon didn’t believe the man would do it, but now that he had the watch back, he didn’t really care. In an odd way, he owed the man a debt. If it hadn’t been for the thief, the watch would have been taken by Vale and added to her collection.

“Good,” Diana said and turned toward the door only to stop and turn back. “And if you have second thoughts, Alexi’s men would be happy to convince you.”

Nico swallowed hard and nodded again. “I understand.”

Simon and Elizabeth walked to the door, but turned back as Nico spoke.

“I’ll see you in Italy,” he said boldly.

Diana frowned and shook her head. Jack put his foot on the side of the tub and shoved. It tipped over spilling the water and the naked little man out onto the floor. He spluttered and tried to cover himself.

“Have a safe trip, Nico.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

With the watch now in hand, the group split up. Jack and Diana went to find out what they could about Vale’s mysterious deliveries and Simon and Elizabeth headed for the hospital.

True to his word, Jouvet had taken care of Hassan, even arranging a private room for him. They entered quietly. Hassan looked to be sleeping. As much as Simon hated to wake him, God knew the man deserved his rest and more after all he’d done for them, there were questions that had to be asked.

Hassan lay in his hospital bed, an enormous white bandage wrapped around his head. It would have been comical if Simon hadn’t known how he’d suffered his wounds or why. The risks this man, this relative stranger, had made for them, were humbling.

Despite Hassan’s obvious need for rest, Simon called out his name, softly at first, but then a little louder.

Elizabeth laid her hand on Hassan’s arm. “Hassan?”

The man’s eyes opened slowly and he looked at them, hazy for a moment, before wakefulness and clarity came.

“How are you feeling?” Simon asked.

Hassan’s hand lifted to touch his bandage and he groaned. “I am all right.”

He closed his eyes and shook his head, but grimaced and stopped. “They came up too quickly to warn you. I am sorry—”

“No,” Elizabeth said quickly. “We’re sorry we got you mixed up in all this. How can we ever repay you?”

Hassan smiled a little. “I have been well paid.”

Simon shook his head. “Hardly, but you will be, I promise you that.” When this was over, every pound they had left would go to him.

“You can get more dance lessons,” Elizabeth said.

Hassan laughed lightly and then winced.

“I hate to bother you with this now,” Simon said, “but it’s terribly important.”

Hassan nodded.

“When you were asking around Cairo about Katherine Vale,” Simon continued, “you said that she was planning something. Do you have any idea where?”

Hassan frowned as he thought. “I do not think so. I am sorry.”

Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “It’s okay.”

“I wish I could do more to help you,” he said.

Simon put a hand on Hassan’s shoulder. “You’ve done more than enough.”

Elizabeth leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Thank you for everything.”

Simon waited for Elizabeth to come around the bed, but she stopped midway and turned back to Hassan. Simon’s interest shot back up when she asked, “Didn’t you say that she arrived in the middle of a ceremony?”

Hassan looked up, trying to remember. “Yes.”

“Do you know where it was?” Elizabeth said hopefully.

Simon leaned forward. Yes. She was brilliant. He’d forgotten that. If they knew where that had happened…

Hassan’s brow wrinkled as he thought. “The vizier,” he said. “They said it was near the tomb of the vizier.”

“What vizier?” Simon asked. If they could narrow it down, they might be able to find Christina in time.

Hassan blinked as he thought, clearly struggling to put his thoughts together. “I am sorry. I am unsure.”

Simon ignored his disappointment and smiled. “It’s all right. You’ve been more help than you know.”

“Thank you,” Elizabeth said and kissed his cheek again.

He smiled. “Trust in Hassan.”

~ ~ ~

“November 24th,” Whiteside said as he consulted his notes. “As near as I can tell, that’s when the Ninth day of Tybi should fall and be the Day of Offerings to Sekhmet.”

“Tomorrow?” Simon said.

Whiteside closed his notebook and nodded. Elizabeth sat down next to him. “It’s good that we know.”

“Is it?” Whiteside said, looking old and lost, not that Simon could blame him.

“There’s still time,” Elizabeth assured him.

In spite of being bone tired, Simon couldn’t sit and paced the room as they spoke. “We know the when, now to figure out the where. We spoke—”

A knock on the door interrupted him and he answered it.

Jack and Diana came in.

“Any word?” Diana asked Simon softly.

He shook his head and she nodded. “You were right about the deliveries,” she said to Elizabeth. “They were outgoing and not incoming.”

“Any idea where to?” Simon asked as he closed the door behind them.

“Cairo,” Jack said. “Where they went from there, we don’t know. They were picked up at the depot.”

“All right,” Simon said. “The cult centers were sacred places.”

Whiteside nodded.

“I think those are our best bets,” Simon continued. “We have three possibilities: Leontopolis, Fayoum and Memphis.”

Two lines appeared between Diana’s eyes. “If it were Fayoum,” she said, “she wouldn’t have everything shipped all the way to Cairo when she could just ship it straight to Fayoum.”

Simon agreed. “That leaves Leontopolis and Memphis.”

“Can’t we check out both?” Jack asked.

Whiteside shook his head. He pointed to a map on the table. “Leontopolis is here, about ninety kilometers northeast of Cairo. Memphis is here,” he said, pointing to another spot about two inches away. “Thirty kilometers south of Cairo. With the Day of Offerings being tomorrow…”

Simon’s jaw tightened. They’d be lucky to get anywhere in time, much less be able to be in two places.

“Hassan said that he’d heard about a cult meeting near the tomb of the vizier,” Elizabeth said. “Does that ring any bells?”

Whiteside almost smiled. “Yes. Aperel, the vizier to both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten is buried in Saqqara. That’s where the necropolis is, the tombs and pyramids for the ancient capital—Memphis. There are undoubtedly other tombs of viziers he might have been referring to, but…”

Simon felt a surge of anticipation, excitement and dread. “Well, then…”

Jack grimaced and flexed the hand of his injured arm. “It’s taking an awful risk, rolling the dice on one place,” he said. “Maybe we should split up?”

“No way,” Elizabeth said. They’d been there one too many times and nearly bought the farm each time.

“Whatever those supplies were,” Diana said. “There was enough for an army.”

“And it seems that’s just about what she’s raised,” Simon muttered. He glanced up at Diana. “Up to thirty cult members, at least.”

“I guess we’ll need an army of our own then,” Elizabeth said. “Where’s Ahmed?”

~ ~ ~

“You what?” Whiteside said angrily as he strode toward Ahmed. “You rode with bandits? Kidnapping!”

Normally, Simon would have happily let Whiteside have his way with the boy, but there were more pressing matters. “Arthur—”

The young man lifted his hands. “I am sorry, Mr. Whiteside. I would never do anything to endanger Christina. You must believe me.”

Whiteside grunted.

“That is why I told her we should not see each other. I did not want her involved in such things.”

“And yet here you are,” Whiteside bit out.

Ahmed shook his head helplessly. “I love her.”

“You—” Whiteside started, but Simon intercepted him.

“There’ll be time for all this later. Right now, we need to know if you can get those men to help us.”

Ahmed frowned. “I do not think so. To risk their lives to save an English girl does not help the revolution.”

“Money does,” Diana said.

Whiteside looked at the boy with disgust, but swallowed his feelings. “I will give them everything I have if it will help save my daughter. I can have a draft sent—”

Ahmed looked at him with sorrow. “They do not take checks, Mr. Whiteside.”

Whiteside was desperate now. “I can sell the estate, but it would take time.”

Ahmed shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I, too, will offer all I have, but I am afraid it will not be enough. Not for what we are asking.”

Diana sighed. Everyone’s attention turned to her and she offered Whiteside a smile. “I might have something. Back in a minute.”

“We have a thousand pounds or so in the bank in Cairo,” Elizabeth said.

Ahmed shook his head. “That might get us a few men, but none that I would trust.”

“There has to be something we can do,” Whiteside said. “What about the army? The British army?”

“It would difficult to explain to them and there’s far too much red tape for them to get through even if they if they did believe us,” Simon said. “There just isn’t time. I think we’re on our own.”

“Maybe not,” Diana said as she came back in and set something heavy and wrapped in brown burlap down on the table. She untied the ropes that bound it and pulled the wrappings off.

“Holy moley,” Elizabeth said.

A golden statue of Horus as a falcon glimmered on the table. It was at least a foot tall and with green jeweled eyes and red jeweled feathers.

“Are those—” Elizabeth asked.

“Emeralds? Rubies?” Diana filled in for her. She nodded, a little sadly. “Yeah.”

“Is that what you were picking up last night?” Jack asked, his voice suitably tinged with awe.

“Been looking for it for two weeks,” Diana said.

Jack picked it up. “Must weigh sixty pounds.”

Diana sighed again. “Solid gold.” She turned to Ahmed. “Will that do?”

Ahmed was too dumbstruck to do anything but nod for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. “I think so.”

“Diana,” Arthur said, but she stopped him.

“It’s just a thing.” She looked at it sadly. “A beautiful, nearly priceless thing, but just a thing.”

“What will you tell your client?” Whiteside asked.

“That I nearly had it, but it got away from me,” she said.

Whiteside hugged her. “Thank you, my dear. Thank you.”

Simon turned to Ahmed. “Well?”

“It should be more than enough,” he said and then frowned. “Now, I just have to find them. And hope we are not too late.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Elizabeth dealt herself another hand of solitaire and stared down at it. It was a losing hand, she could already tell. She thought about just dealing the cards again and sighed.

“You should try to rest,” Simon said as he stretched out on the bunk in their train compartment. His legs were so long, his feet dangled over the edge.

He was right of course. They’d spent a mostly restless night waiting for the morning train. She’d never wished for more mass transit, but she did yesterday. After the whirlwind of discovery, they’d had their legs cut off. They knew where and when, or at least they thought they knew, but they couldn’t do a darn thing to get there fast. There were no planes to charter, no cars to rent. They could only take the train and pray they made it in time. It would be close.