'This pillar from the Temple of Karnak . . .' Salahadin began. 'Is there really such a pillar in the Museum?'
'Yes, there is. And it's got some marks on it which might be writing. But no one is certain.'
'It seems that Dr John Farrow is certain,' said Salahadin.
'Who is Dr Farrow? Why haven't I heard his name before?' Peter Earl told Salahadin what he knew about Dr Farrow.
'Farrow is about twenty-eight years old. He was a brilliant student at Cambridge. One of the best there has ever been. But after he got his doctorate, he changed completely. He left Cambridge about three years ago and went to live with some friends in Wales. He didn't write any letters. He didn't tell anyone about his visits to the British Museum and his interest in the pillar from Karnak. He has written this book and now he has gone off to Cairo.'
'And his wife has gone with him,' said Salahadin.
'I didn't even know that he was married,' said Peter Earl.
'And he's never been to Egypt before,' went on Salahadin. 'He doesn't know how hot it is. It's too hot to search for a tomb near Luxor at this time of the year.'
'Yes, he's not going to find it easy.'
'Who else knows about the writing on this pillar?' asked Salahadin.
'The man who knows most about it is your friend, Professor Gomouchian. And he's in Cairo.'
'Perhaps I ought to be in Cairo too,' said Salahadin slowly and thoughtfully. 'Many people would like to know where the tomb of Queen Axtarte is. And I'm not speaking about scholars and archeologists. I'm thinking of smugglers like the Amsterdam Ring.'
'Yes, you could be right,' Peter Earl agreed. 'The Amsterdam Ring would like to know where the Queen of Death is buried. The treasure in her tomb will be worth millions of pounds.'
'And here is a report in The Sunday Times, where everyone can read about it,' said Salahadin.
The two men sat silently for a few moments.
'I'll be late coming to the Museum tomorrow,' said Salahadin. 'I'll have to go to our Embassy and get in touch with my assistant, Leila Osman.'
CHAPTER THREE
Salahadin is Suspicious
Early next morning, Salahadin was at the doors of the Egyptian Embassy in London. It was not long before he had sent off a telex to the Ministry of the Interior in Cairo and another telex to his assistant, Leila Osman.
The first telex was to his friend, Chief Inspector Ahmed Abbas. Salahadin had worked with Inspector Ahmed before.
The telex said:
ATTENTION: INSPECTOR AHMED ABBAS
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR/CAIRO
DR JOHN FARROW AND WIFE REPORTED ARRIVING IN CAIRO LAST THURSDAY. PLEASE CONFIRM ARRIVAL AND INFORM ME NAME OF THEIR HOTEL.
SALAHADIN EL NUR EGYPTIAN EMBASSY/LONDON
The second telex, to Leila Osman, said:
ATTENTION: INSPECTOR LEILA OSMAN
ANTIQUITIES PROTECTION DEPARTMENT/CAIRO
DR JOHN FARROW (ARCHEOLOGIST) REPORTED ARRIVING IN CAIRO LAST THURSDAY. PLEASE INFORM ME OF HIS PLANS AND MOVEMENTS.
SALAHADIN EL NUR EGYPTIAN EMBASSY/LONDON
Then Salahadin went to the Visa Section of the Embassy and looked at the Visa Applications. He soon found Farrow's application. Salahadin noticed a number of unusual things about the application.
Now this is interesting, thought Salahadin. He has left out his doctorate and he says he's a school teacher. Very strange. And why does he say he's going to Egypt as a tourist?
Salahadin realized that Leila would know nothing about Dr Farrow. Farrow had not written on his visa application that he was an archeologist. His arrival in Cairo would not be reported to Salahadin's office.
The replies to his telex messages came in shortly after each other. Leila's telex confirmed what Salahadin had already guessed.
Good, thought Salahadin. She has got in touch immediately with Inspector Ahmed.
ATTENTION: "SALAHADIN EL NUR
EGYPTIAN EMBASSY/LONDON
NO ONE CALLED DR JOHN FARROW HAS REPORTED TO THIS OFFICE. NOTHING KNOWN OF HIS MOVEMENTS OR PLANS. HAVE REPORTED MATTER TO INSPECTOR AHMED.
LEILA OSMAN
The telex from Inspector Ahmed confirmed Salahadin's suspicions.
ATTENTION: SALAHADIN EL NUR
EGYPTIAN EMBASSY/LONDON
CONFIRM ARRIVAL OF MR JOHN FARROW AND HIS WIFE AS TOURISTS IN EGYPT. FARROW'S OCCUPATION GIVEN ON IMMIGRATION FORM AS SCHOOL TEACHER. FARROW AND WIFE STAYED ONE NIGHT - THURSDAY 4TH AUGUST HOTEL MIRABEL. LEFT FRIDAY WARNING. NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE THEY ARE NOW. TRYING TO FIND THEM. PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR INTEREST IN FARROW.
AHMED ABBAS
It was two o'clock when Salahadin received the telex messages. It was too late to get a plane for Cairo that day. Also, Salahadin had some things to do in London. He wanted to find out as much as he could about Dr John Farrow from Peter Earl. And he wanted to know if Interpol - the International Police - had anything about the man on their files.
First, Salahadin booked a flight to Cairo for the following day. Then he sent off two further telex messages.
ATTENTION: INSPECTOR LEILA OSMAN
ANTIQUITIES PROTECTION DEPARTMENT/CAIRO
RETURNING CAIRO IMMEDIATELY. URGENT YOU MEET ME AT CAIRO AIRPORT TOMORROW - TUESDAY 9TH - FLIGHT MEA 435 FROM LONDON ARRIVING CAIRO 20.45.
SALAHADIN EL NUR
Second message:
ATTENTION: INSPECTOR AHMED ABBAS
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR/CAIRO
ARRIVING CAIRO TOMORROW TUESDAY 9TH - FLIGHT MEA 435 FROM LONDON ARRIVING CAIRO 20.45. URGENT YOU MEET ME. URGENT - REPEAT - URGENT YOU FIND FARROW AND WIFE. WILL EXPLAIN WHEN WE MEET.
SALAHADIN EL NUR
Salahadin thanked the officials in the Embassy and hurried out to get a taxi to the British Museum. As he sat in the taxi, Salahadin asked himself over and over again: Why had Farrow tried to deceive the Egyption officials by saying that he was a teacher and not an archeologist? And why had he said that he was in Egypt as a tourist? Farrow had written all these things in his visa application four weeks ago. But then he had told someone that he was going to Egypt to find the tomb of Queen Axtarte. He had told someone about this, because it had been reported in The Sunday Times.
Peter Earl had also been busy that morning. He had phoned up everyone who knew Dr Farrow. Everybody said that Farrow had left Cambridge and gone to live with some friends in Wales. But nobody seemed to know anything more. Someone had heard that Farrow was using drugs. Another had heard that Farrow had been in trouble with the police. But no one knew anything for certain.
Finally Peter Earl phoned up The Sunday Times and spoke to the reporter who had written about Farrow going to Cairo.
When Salahadin arrived at the British Museum, Peter told him about the calls he had made to Farrow's friends.
'I'm interested in the remark about drugs,' said Salahadin. 'The people who sell drugs in England often smuggle them from the Middle East. And the people who smuggle drugs sometimes smuggle antiquities. Perhaps Farrow is involved with a gang of smugglers.'
'You'd better ask Scotland Yard and Interpol,' suggested Peter Earl. 'They may know something more about Farrow.'
'That's what I'm going to do now,' said Salahadin. 'But first - a question which you can answer - do you believe that Farrow has discovered the burial place of Queen Axtarte?'