When he emerged, he was damp but not perceptibly cleaner. He had not spoken a word since our encounter on the street. I led him to a chair, gently pushed him down, and began my ministrations. “This does not appear to be infected,” I said soothingly, “but it must be painful. Whatever happened?” He looked blankly at me. “I am sure you will feel better once I’ve tended to this,” I continued, “and you have had a hot meal. Would you care for a glass of wine?”

I had had livelier conversations with a camel. I taped the bandage in place and urged him to take off his coat. When he failed to respond, I jostled him out of it and placed it by the door in hope that the odor might be less potent. There was no point in attempting to interrogate him about the location of Harun’s current workshop until he was fed. My expectation that I would learn something of use was diminishing by the minute, based not only on his physical condition but also on his piteous plea to be reunited with the statue of Nefertiti. It was ironic that Ramses, David, and Daoud were out searching for him in order to find the location of the workshop, while he had come to Shepheard’s in anticipation that we might share that same information.

At least that was my theory, and I am rarely wrong.

Six

It would not become me to gloat over my success in locating and isolating Herr Morgenstern, especially since I had no idea what to do with him. A hot meal might revive him, but I doubted it. He remained slumped in the chair, mumbling under his breath and twitching as if he was infested with fleas. The alleyways of Cairo provided cruel sanctuary for stray cats and dogs, and his wound might well have come from predators fighting for garbage behind a restaurant. I had never entertained warm feelings for him, but it was impossible to avoid feeling compassion for a colleague who has plummeted to his nadir. Compassion is not to be confused with partiality, even for the most devout Christian. Herr Morgenstern had stolen an invaluable discovery. I winced as I envisioned Emerson’s likely response in the current situation.

I had come up with a plan of action when Ali arrived with the dinner tray. I waited until he readied the table, and then said, “My guest requires a robe while his clothes are cleaned and pressed, and I am sure you can find something adequate in the hotel laundry room. When you go through the lobby, please inform Mr. Baehler that I require the immediate services of the hotel doctor.”