“He is across the street, unsuccessfully attempting to conceal himself in a doorway. Your scowl must frighten him, Brother of Demons. You look as though you might rip off the head of anyone who comes within range.” David waved at the small figure crouched in the shadows.

Latif scampered between the cabs and carriages, and approached with a wary look. “Masa el-kheir,” he whispered, his eyes lowered respectfully.

“Good evening to you,” said Ramses. “Have you seen or heard of anything that might be of interest to me?”

Latif nodded. “I have been watching the shop around the corner from the museum. A young man, very nervous, with only a few whiskers on his chin, went inside with something wrapped in a kaffiyeh. It was this big.” He held his hands at shoulder width. “When he came outside without it, I followed him. He bought fruit from a vendor, stopped at a corner to gossip with his friends, and finally made his way to a building on the edge of the river. A big building, not so big as the Citadel of Saladin or Ismailia Square, but big. Shall I take you there?”

“You are a clever boy,” said Ramses. “Please tell us more about the location of the building and what surrounds it.”

David beckoned a waiter. “Bring this boy a glass of tea and a large slice of basbousa.”

“Shukran,” Latif said as he sat down. “The building is near where the ships dock to unload crates. There are many warehouses, some of them vacant, some not. I saw the man go into one, but I dared not go near it. It is built of brick and the windows are covered with pieces of wood.” He licked his lips as the waiter put down the tea and pastry. “I will be happy to take you there in only one minute.”

“Take your time,” Ramses said, amused by the crumbs already accumulating on the boy’s ragged shirt. “David, do you think we should retrieve this latest bust of Nefertiti before we visit Harun?”

“It could be the original, stolen by an apprentice,” David said with a shrug.

“I was merely wondering if we should add it to our collection. This apprentice would not have dared return to the workshop if he had taken it. On the other hand, he cannot be of exemplary intelligence. One would think Harun should have realized the steady depletion of the copies by now.”

“Unless Harun is responsible for sending the apprentices to sell the copies before we locate him. He was threatened by the Father of Curses, and surely is aware that the Brother of Demons is searching for him all over Cairo.”

“Along with the Master Criminal,” Ramses said glumly. “Latif, has anyone else been inquiring about the location of Harun’s workshop?”