“What is curious,” I mused, “is his appearance here. Could he have come to visit Herr Morgenstern and been surprised by his friend’s inexplicable absence? It may be that he was the sort who cannot tolerate idleness. He might have taken it upon himself to put the crew back to work.”

“Despite the presence of Biddle?” commented Emerson.

“Buddle,” I said. “We know that Mr. Buddle has no qualifications in the field of Egyptology. He claims to be here to represent the proprietary interests of Ridgemont but has proffered no proof. We must interview him as soon as possible.”

Emerson nodded. “We know that he has rented chambers in a private house north of Minya. Rather than spend the evening knocking on doors, I think it might be less burdensome to interview him tomorrow morning at the city site.”

“He does tend to skulk in the shade and scribble notes,” Nefret said.

“Octavius Buddle is a cocky little man with an elevated sense of self-importance,” I said.

“If he is so dedicated to protecting and maintaining the integrity of the site, he is the one who should have demanded that Maspero find an adequate substitute to continue the dig.” Emerson’s expression left no doubt as to identity of the most obvious candidate.

“Which is why M. Maspero invited you to his office as soon as we arrived in Cairo, if you recall.”

Nefret put down a half-eaten sandwich. “Are you forgetting about the slip of paper you came across in Judas’s pocket after he expired in your bath chamber? What on earth can be the link between the Godwin brothers and Mr. Buddle? If they intend to assassinate him, they are doing a very poor job of it.”

“Buddle could not defend himself against a dust devil,” said Emerson.

“Or a jerboa,” I added. “If Mr. Buddle is not an intended victim, I am at a loss to come up with an alternative theory as to his involvement. I cannot envision him socializing with a lower-class family of murderous thugs.”

“A jerboa?”

Thirteen

From Manuscript H

As loathsome as the concept was, Ramses forced himself to acknowledge that his best expectation of rescuing David lay in an alliance with Sethos. They remained in the hotel lounge for a long while, mulling over options until they finalized their scheme.

“I am still worried that Gunter will recognize me,” Ramses said.

Sethos scoffed. “You have your sobriquet, my dear boy, but do not forget that one of mine is Master of Disguises. You need to go to the weaver’s shop and instruct him how to make the item we discussed. I must organize some of my less scrupulous associates, ascertain the location of the hospital nearest the German embassy, and purchase a few items. I suggest we meet in your room in an hour.”

“How do I know that you will not break into my room as soon as I leave the hotel?”