I was reluctant to disenchant her, but I could think of no way to ignore her question. “Many Egyptologists are aware of his skills. I cannot say whether or not any of them have used his services, but it is likely that a few museum pieces are forgeries. Emerson and I have heard rumors since we first came to Egypt. I would never malign our fellow Egyptologists by mentioning their names.”

“Morgenstern must have heard the rumors, too. Did he intend to keep the original?”

I shrugged. “This morning I asked him, and it seemed as if he illegally wanted to keep the original and leave a copy in its place here in Egypt. According to others, including Harun, he was more than passionate about the bust. He was obsessed with it.”

“So,” Nefret said pensively, “Mr. Dullard could have induced Morgenstern to drink schnapps and suggested the possibility of a duplicate. Dullard followed him to Cairo and then kept supplying him with laced schnapps. When you spotted Morgenstern across from the hotel, he was dazed and in horrific physical shape from wandering around the city without food or shelter. After he spent some time without access to the drug, he became rational, if confused about what had happened. Memory loss is one of the symptoms.”

“Yes, and when he returned to Amarna and surprised us at breakfast, he was fine. Then he took up residence at the dig house, and soon after that began to display bizarre symptoms again. That blasted schnapps!” I forced myself not to dwell on the unwise camel ride into the Eastern Desert. “I am beginning to feel confident that Dullard is the culprit, but I cannot think why or how he got his hands on the stolen MDMA. What could be his motive for such sabotage?”

“To acquire the bust of Nefertiti, but he claimed to be an amateur enthusiast. On the other hand, Morgenstern might have chortled about its value on the black market. Dullard took a vow of piety. He may not have taken one of poverty, and he clearly did not take one of abstinence.”

“Or celibacy,” I added tartly.

Nefret’s cheeks reddened. “You don’t believe that he and Miss Smith . . . ? I shudder to imagine it.”

“No, I do not, but their relationship was deepening, and might have led to an engagement. I cannot predict what might have occurred had that disastrous scene not taken place last night. This morning Dullard pleaded for my forgiveness for his inebriation. Miss Smith attempted to visit Morgenstern, but was thwarted and has remained in her mud hovel. I dearly hope she has been packing her belongings in order to depart to Minya and await the next steamer—or take the earliest train to Cairo. I have no problem with either of those options. She has been a source of headaches from the moment of her arrival.”

“Perhaps I should offer to help her pack,” Nefret murmured.