‘Pray it doesn’t. We don’t have much rain here, but when it comes it comes hard and the water is all funnelled through these wadis. A flash flood would be the end of us.’

‘Say something positive,’ I suggested.

‘I’m trying my damnedest,’ Feisal said morosely. ‘All right, let’s take stock of where we stand.’ Clearing a patch of sand with a sweep of his hand, he took a pen from his pocket and used the blunt end to sketch a rough map. ‘Here’s the river, here’s the wadi we’re in. And this is the one we’re heading for. It passes the Hatnub Quarries and comes out eventually into the Amarna plain near the southern tombs.’

I studied the sketch doubtfully. ‘The two wadis don’t connect.’

‘Not according to the standard maps, no. But it’s barely possible to get a vehicle through,’ Feisal said, rubbing his prickly chin. ‘At least it was five years ago. I can’t be more specific about the route because it’s too hard to describe. If anything happens to me – ’

‘It will happen to all of us,’ John said evenly. ‘At this point you’re the least expendable member of the party. More precious than diamonds, more precious – ’

‘Than gold,’ I said. ‘One point for me.’

John grinned, or tried to. Feisal rolled his eyes.

‘You two are a pair, I’ll say that. Can’t you keep your minds on essentials?’

Laughter is one of the two things that make life worthwhile. Another of John’s sententious sayings, delivered one morning after he had demonstrated the importance of the other one. He was right on both counts. There are times when you have to laugh to keep from screaming, and if I’m in a tight spot I’d rather be with someone who makes bad jokes instead of big dramatic scenes.

‘If anything happens,’ Feisal repeated, ‘keep heading west.’

John’s hand obliterated the sketch. ‘Forget that. Will we make it today?’

‘We’ll have to,’ Feisal said curtly. ‘With luck, sometime this afternoon. That’s the next question. We don’t want to come bursting onto the scene while the site is crowded with tourists and guides and guards, do we?’

‘No,’ John agreed. ‘Let’s set our ETA at nine p.m., when people will be inside eating and watching telly.’

‘We’ve missed Schmidt,’ I said.

My voice was steady, I think, but John said, with unexpected gentleness, ‘Don’t worry about him, Vicky. I have a feeling we’ve both underestimated the old boy rather badly, and even if they catch up with him they won’t harm him so long as we’re on the loose.’

‘I hope you’re right.’