That morning, the group (Dan'l Boom, Rupert Madasheck, Alisa Blankstone, Nell Parker, "Sister Sarah Marie", Brother Paul O'Leary, Maude Derringer Daniels, Rick Grant, and Nurse Hilda Goodbody) took taxis to the harbor at Piraeus, where they met Sydney Bedard and Oswald Van Dreisen.  Rupert introduced Sydney and Oswald to the group.

Oswald explained that he was traveling to Egypt on behalf of his family's import/export business.  He was looking for modern merchandise in the style of ancient Egypt, hoping to capitalize on the "King Tut" craze.  He proudly explained that business had been booming, especially exports of Canadian goods to the Midwest.  He wasn't quite sure why maple syrup sold so well in Chicago, but he was happy to oblige.

Sydney explained that she had worked in Egypt previously, on an expedition sponsored by NYU, but had had to return home because of malicious gossip by wives of some of the faculty.  She had been hired by Oswald to assist him in Cairo.  She spoke fluent Arabic, Greek, and could read hieroglyphics.

 Rupert suggested that they might work together while in Egypt.  Everyone agreed that this was a good idea.  Nell took a photograph of the group and commented that it was too bad that Niles would not be accompanying them.

After boarding the Khedivial steamship Rhadames, the group settled into their cabins.  The accommodations were definitely not as nice as the Mauretania, and the cuisine was definitely British.  Greek wine was served with each meal, though.

The group gathered in the lounge and began discussing the events of the last few months.  "Sister Sarah" went through her notes and explained to Sydney and Oswald the reason they were travelling to Egypt.  In reviewing the notes from New York and London, several clues fell into place, such as references to the "Black Pharaoh", inverted ankh, and pyramids.  Of particular interest were Jackson Elias' notes, Dr. Huston's files, the dinner with Erica Carlyle, the seance on the Mauretania, and the interview with Edward Gavigan.  Sydney and Oswald brought a fresh insight into the discussion and much progress was made.

They noted that when Erica Carlyle showed them the library at her mansion, she spent several minutes alone inside before allowing them to enter.  Might she have been hiding something?  And hadn't Roger's death given her control of the Carlyle fortune? And what was her connection to Hypatia Masters?  Her role in all this seemed ambivalent at best.  Lya noted that Jackson Elias had intended to look at something inside a safe at the Carlyle mansion.  What might it have been?  Alisa commented that she had received a telegram from Erica Carlyle in Vienna (it had been forwarded from London via Paris and Zurich).

Alisa asked Oswald if he knew Herbert Atherton, since he was also an art dealer.  Oswald said that he knew Atherton and that he had been a patient of Dr. Huston in New York after suffering some kind of nervous breakdown.  Sydney questioned why Erica Carlyle had referred Roger to Dr. Huston.  Rupert commented that not enough research had been done on Dr. Huston.

The Rhadames steamed through the blue waters of the Aegean.  In the distance the island of Crete could be seen just before nightfall.

Nell spends the evening reading a book on American travellers in Egypt (1837-1903) that she purchased two months ago in New York.

The Rhadames continued steaming through the Mediterranean.

The day was spent resting and discussing the Carlyle Expedition.  It was noted that clues pointed to several possible survivors of the massacre in Kenya:  Dr. Huston, Aubrey Penhew, and Jack Brady.

Oswald sent a telegram from the ship to London to his brother John Van Dreisen, asking him to see if there had been an estate sale for Tewfik Al-Sayed.

Syndey finished her translation of the Szeged scroll.  She commented that it appeared to have been written by a priest during the 12th dynasty.

There was much discussion about the possible meaning of the scroll.  Lya thought that the cat might have been an emissary of Bast and an enemy of Dr. Huston.

In discussing the Szeged episode, Oswald commented that hashish might have been slipped into the wine sent over by the anonymous gentleman.  Sydney agreed and  thought someone, possibly the night conductor, had been whispering ideas and suggestions while they were in a drugged sleep.  The fact that Lya was included in the dream was difficult to account for, though, since she had not drunk any of the wine.

The next morning, the group prepared to disembark at Alexandria.  Lya informed the group that she was dropping the "Sister Sarah" disguise and would henceforth be "Sarah Brightman".   Nell read the section on Alexandria in the Baedecker's guidebook she purchased back in New York.

Egyptian customs officials boarded the ship and examined passports and luggage.  They informed the travellers that it would be necessary to apply for a visa in Alexandria before proceeding to Cairo.  Temporary visas (good for 48 hours) were issued on the spot.  Those travellers desiring to bring rifles into Egypt were required to purchase hunting licenses (Nell, Rupert, Alisa, Dan'l).  There were no restrictions on pistols.  The hodgepodge of currencies (pounds sterling, drachmas, marks, schillings, francs) that the group had accumulated were converted into Egyptian pounds and piastres.

After disembarking, the group split up.  Since Maude, Rick, and Brother Paul had already procured visas, they decided to proceed to Cairo.  Rupert went to the Windsor Hotel, while the others took rooms at Claridges'.  Visa applications were submitted at the hotel, along with the recommended amount of baksheesh.  Oswald sent a second telegram to his brother John in London, asking him to enquire about the Penhew Foundation and warning that it might be involved in smuggling.  He also telephoned the shipping firm used by his family (P&O) and inquired about the political situation in Egypt.  He was told that Egypt was calm but that there was a war in Arabia, between King Abdullah and Sheikh ibn-Saud.  Oswald also sent a telegram to his mother, informing her of his safe arrival in Alexandria.  Alisa sent a telegram to Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo, instructing them to hold their baggage and that they would arrive in a few days.

Rupert sent a telegram to Half-Truths and Lies, asking for information about Dr. Huston, specifically his connection with Erica Carlyle, his professional papers, and the status of his former wife.  He then came by Claridges' and, along with Sydney, Oswald, Nell, and Lya, went shopping.  They noted that Alexandria was a curious mix of French, Greek, and Egyptian architecture.  There were European-style boutiques along with Egyptian bazaars.  Nell commented that it might be a good idea to stay for two days in Alexandria, since shopping might be more limited in Cairo.

Rupert bought native robes, a tarboosh, a dagger, and a secure money belt.  Sarah bought native clothes, a safari hat with netting, new shoes, a wig, and stylish European-style clothes (since she was no longer wearing the nun's habit).  Sydney advised Oswald to buy comfortable yet dignified clothes, which he did, along with a flask and canteen.  Nell purchased additional photographic supplies and clothes suitable for the desert.

Alisa visited Barclay's bank and checked to see if there were any messages from her firm and was relieved to find that there were none.

Back at the hotel, Lya borrowed some Max Factor makeup from Sydney and darkened her complexion.

That evening, Oswald and Rupert visited the Sporting Club (near the racetrack) and made inquiries about recent events in Cairo but learned nothing of consequence.

Nell, Dan'l, Alisa, and Sydney visited the King Tut night club, near Claridges'.

Lya spent the evening in her hotel room, writing up her notes.  She sent a telegram to her publisher, Jonah Kensington, in New York.
 

The next day the group took a half-day tour of the city.  Alexandria had been one of the great cities of the ancient world.  Founded by Alexander the Great, the city had been the capital of Ptolemaic Egypt and the center of Hellenistic civilization.  It had been the home of the Great Library, which had contained over a half million scrolls and the complete works of the great philosophers, poets, dramatists, and scientists of antiquity.  Unfortunately little of this past glory had survived the ravages of time, and most of the tour was spent viewing sites where things had once been.  They saw Pompey's Pillar (one of the only surviving columns of the Serapeum),  the Graeco-Roman catacombs, the fortress of Pharos (where one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Lighthouse, had once stood), the site where the Great Library might have been, the site where the palaces of the Ptolemaic rulers (including Cleopatra) might have been, and the Mosque of the Prophet Daniel (where the tomb of Alexander the Great might have been).  They also heard the story of the murder of Hypatia, mathematician and philosopher at the Great Library.

After lunch at a Greek cafe, the group split up.  Lya went to the Egyptian market to observe how native women walked and behaved.  Alisa dropped by Barclay's and got an introduction to the exclusive Sultan Hussein club, frequented by the elite of Alexandria.  Nell, Sydney, and Oswald went shopping.  Rupert went to the railway station and noted the times of trains to Cairo and Burg el-Arab.

Later that afternoon the visas were delivered to the hotel.  Rupert decided to spend one more day in Alexandria, while the others were ready to move on to Cairo.

That evening, the group went to the Sultan Hussein club as guests of Alisa.  Dress was formal - black tie for gentlemen, gowns for ladies (Lya had to borrow one of Nell's, since her previous wardrobe had been burned in Paris).  The club was furnished in a mix of Edwardian and Arabian-Nights decor.  There was a reading room, a casino, and a dance floor with a band.

Rupert, Oswald, Sydney, and Lya went to the reading room, settled into comfortable chairs, and ordered newspapers and drinks.  Rupert ordered port, the Times of London, the Cairo Times, Cairo Bulletin, and Le Temps du Alexandre.  Oswald ordered Turkish coffee, a tonic water, and the Cairo Bulletin.  Syndey ordered a scotch and soda, a hookah, and an Arabic newspaper from Cairo.  Lya ordered a glass of white wine and the Cairo Bulletin.   The thick smoke from the cigars and pipes in the room soon gave Oswald an asthmatic attack and he had to go out on the verandah, accompanied by Sydney.

Rupert came across an item in the Society column in the Times, stating that Mr. Edward Gavigan was embarking on a Mediterranean cruise to improve his health.

Alisa (scotch, neat) and Dan'l (whiskey and soda) went to the dance floor.  Alisa made discreet inquiries about Cairo but learned nothing.

Nell (gin and tonic) went to the casino and sought out wives of the British garrison.  She made inquiries about the Clive expedition, Carter, and other happenings in Cairo but instead heard much gossip about Alexandria.   She did learn that Nigel Wassif (editor of the Cairo Bulletin) knew a great deal about things in Cairo.

On the verandah, Oswald spoke with a British businessman and inquired about traveling overland from Cairo to Kenya via the Sudan.  He also heard that travel to Jiddah and Mecca was quite hazardous now, because of the war in Arabia.

Sydney returned to the dance floor and tried unsuccessfully to gather information about Cairo, although she did get an offer of a guided tour of the desert by moonlight...
 

The next morning Rupert took the train from Alexandria to the village of Burg el-Arab, on the edge of the Western Desert.  Here an eccentric British governor had constructed houses for retired military officers in the style of a Bedouin village, using stones from nearby Roman villas.  From there he hired a taxi for the day and drove out to the ruins of the city of  St. Menas.  On this site a basilica and city dedicated to the memory of St. Menas had once existed but had been destroyed by the Arabs.  In recent years a group of Coptic monks had re-established a monastery amidst the ruins.

Rupert asked for a private discussion with the Abbot of St. Menas (the conversation was conducted in French since the Abbot did not speak English).  Rupert showed the Abbot the inverted ankh taken from a cultist and asked him what it represented.  The Abbot told Rupert that it was a symbol of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, an organization of evil ones dedicated to the return of the False Gods.  He advised Rupert to avoid any further contact with the Brotherhood, lest his soul be corrupted by Forbidden Knowledge.  Rupert told the Abbot about his investigations into the Carlyle expedition and the dream-attack on the Orient Express.  At this point he already knew too much to draw back, said Rupert.  Whatever plots the Brotherhood had sponsored must be stopped, at whatever cost to himself or his group!  Rupert asked the Abbot if he could offer any protection.  The Abbot told Rupert to fill his canteen at the sacred spring of St. Menas.  The water, if applied to the door posts of the room in which he slept, would protect him from attacks of the evil ones.  Rupert thanked the Abbot and filled his canteen with water from the spring.

Rupert then returned to Alexandria late that night and telephoned Oswald to let him know that he planned on arriving in Cairo tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Nell, Alisa, Lya, Sydney, and Oswald took the morning train to Cairo.  After a 3 1/2 hour journey through the rich fields of the Nile delta, they arrived at the Main Railway station in Cairo.  From there they took a taxi to Shepheard's Hotel, located on the northwest side of the Ezbekiyah Gardens.

The area around Ezbekiyah Gardens reflected British rule: the European hotels (Shepheard's, Continental, Bristol, Eden, Paris, Metropole), Central Post Office, Police HQ, the Eastern Telegraph Office, the Anglican church, the Cairo Opera House, the banks, travel agencies, embassies, legations, and fashionable shops.  A few blocks away, however, and the Arabic city began - a maze of twisting streets and teeming crowds.

After checking in, Alisa went to Barclay's to check on messages, then returned to the hotel for a massage.  After sending his mother a telegram that he had arrived safely in Cairo, Oswald asked the concierge for a list of reputable dealers in wall hangings, jewelry, brass work, and reproductions of antiquities.   Nell inquired about the bazaars.

Lya, Nell, Oswald, and Sydney then took a taxi to the Egyptian Museum.  After seeing the spectacular collection of ancient artifacts (including the recent discoveries from the tomb of Tutankhamun), Lya and Sydney decided to seek out Dr. Ali Kafour.  Lya had twice been referred to Dr. Kafour: once at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and later by Edward Gavigan.  Lya told the secretary that she would like to talk to Dr. Kafour about the Carlyle Expedition, then quickly regretted it - that second reference made her somewhat distrustful of Dr. Kafour.  After a short wait, they were told that Dr. Kafour would talk with them.

Dr. Kafour was an Egyptian of about 60 years - thin, bespectacled, with a tendency to become animated while discussing matters pertaining to ancient Egypt.  In response to questions from Lya and Sydney, he said that the Carlyle Expedition had behaved very strangely.  They had not spent enough time at any of the sites they "excavated" to do little more than preparatory work - 10 days at Giza, 8 days at Saqqara, and 30 days at Dhashur.  Unlike his previous expeditions, Sir Aubrey Penhew had not consulted with him while in Cairo.  When he visited the site at Dhashur in June, Penhew seemed to have undergone a change in personality - withdrawn, aloof, curiously malicious, and inwardly gloating over some great secret.  The objects discovered by the expedition were eventually turned over to him for cataloguing but there was almost nothing of interest.  He contradicted Gavigan's assertion that the cataloguing process was still incomplete - everything had been sent on to the Penhew Foundation three years ago.  Nothing was deemed worth keeping in Egypt.

Dr. Kafour had never met Penhew's successor as Director, Edward Gavigan, and characterized him as a bureaucrat, not a field archeologist.

Encouraged by Dr. Kafour's candor, Lya mentioned the Black Pharaoh.  This brought quite an animated response from Dr. Kafour.  He told Lya and Sydney that the Black Pharaoh had been a subject of particular interest to Sir Aubrey.  According to legend, there was a shadowy period between the 3rd and 4th Dynasties, when a sorceror called the "Black Pharaoh" had ruled Egypt.  The "Black Pharaoh" had inculcated the worship of a dark god, sometimes called the Black Pharaoh also, and sometimes referred to as Nyarlathotep.  Eventually a hero named Sneferu, aided by Isis and Bast, had overthrown the sorceror.   The body of the sorceror had been buried in a pyramid at Meidum, which was unable to withstand the evil emanations and collapsed.  A second pyramid had been built at Dhashur using an unusual design and had succeeded in imprisoning the ka of the sorceror.  A third pyramid, the color of blood, had been built nearby as an additional guardian.  (Sydney recognized these as the Collapsed, Bent, and Red Pyramids).  Dr. Kafour thought that Penhew had found something relating to the Black Pharaoh at Dhashur.

A later ruler, Queen Nitocris, had also been rumored to be a follower of the Black Pharaoh.  Dr. Kafour suggested they read Herodatus for an account of her reign.  He asked Lya and Sydney if they had ever heard of a book called "Al Azif"?  He appeared relieved when they denied any knowledge of it and he warned them against reading tomes written by mad Arabs.

In response to a question about the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, Dr. Kafour said that it was a secret organization dedicated to the worship of the Black Pharaoh and was still active in Egypt.  Cult activities had recently taken on aspects of nationalist opposition to British rule, as a means of gaining adherents.  He warned Sydney and Lya to be extremely discreet in making further inquiries.

Lya asked if he knew anything about Tewfik al-Sayed, who had been the guide for the Carlyle Expedition.  Dr. Kafour said that Tewfik was a member of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh and had worked for a man named Omar Shakti.  He counseled Sydney and Lya to avoid this man at any cost as he was extremely dangerous.  Lya asked about Warren Besart, who had been Roger Carlyle's purchasing agent, and was told that Besart had suffered a nervous breakdown several years ago and was in seclusion.  Since all foreigners are required to register with the police it should not be too difficult to find him, said Dr. Kafour.

Dr. Kafour confirmed that there was currently an expedition in Egypt sponsored by the Penhew Foundation, led by a Dr. Henry Clive.  The expedition included a psychic among its roster, which Dr. Kafour considered peculiar.

Lya and Sydney thanked Dr. Kafour and rendezvoused with Nell and Oswald at the museum gift shop.

The group then returned to Shepheard's and spent the evening discussing what they had learned from Dr. Kafour.  Lya showed the others "Sarah Brightman's" new business card.