The view from the Window

 Professor Loft stood, balanced precariously on a chair, upon a table, looking out of the attic window.

From his viewpoint he knew he was somewhere in Cairo, near The Museum of Antiquities, Craning his head he could just see the steps of St Geralds.

     Even as he watched he could see a series of suspicious characters lingering there.

Perhaps they were not truly suspicious, it was indeed a renowned meeting point, but after the past few days his feelings of paranoia were high.

 Two fiendish Orientals, could one be the nefarious Dr Wu?

A lone man, his dress reminiscent of a Leprechaun.

He was in fact known by that title, well known to the police  that is  as a latterday Raffles.

The next to appear reminded him of the Sterling brothers, or was it the Lewis Twins, something like that. Talking to El Masoudhi of the Museum of Antiquities.

Even the French were here.

And the Chinese in the person of Colonel Wang and his daughter Tsu Tsi.

A Medical convention was obviously taking place nearby.

Some poor demented soul with delusions of adequacy.

The French police too ?

The Japanese ambassador.

A Mexican ? (perhaps he was getting delirious, he took a swig of water.._.

A couple who he thought looked like his daughters old school friends; Diana Jones and her sister.

Definitely trouble. Klaus von Wittemheim and his military advisors.

That man again.

Another mis-matched pair. Russians perhaps.

Obviously a school trip, a girl from his daughters old finishing school St Geraldines.

Is it?

Yes it's Clara, she is safe and free. Now he can make his escape.

To be continued.......

In Warmer Climes ...Cairo

Outside an annex of the Eyptian Museum in Cairo. Dr Diana Jones and Professor Rodrey Bilton, were in conversation...

Rodrey: Nelly is sending some men to help guard the dig site today.
Diana: That is a relief, I think we are close to finding it.
Rodrey: What about the telegram from Clara ?
Diana: I have to go out to the dig. Can you and Nelly meet them and see what you can do to help them ?
Rodrey: Yes of course.
Diana: If all goes well at the dig I may be back in Cairo soon and I can help as well
Rodrey: Good luck at the dig, bye.
Diana: Good bye...

As Diana Jones walked across to a waiting car....

a  journalist from the Daily Gazette intercepted her and asked how close they were to finding the the pyramidion of Senusret.  She fobbed him of saying they were just doing a routine investigatory dig at the ruins of a temple founded by Amenemhet I, but had not found anything of significance.

She walked over to the waiting car,

"Sorry for the wait Joe,  can you take me to the Excelsior, 

I'll change there then we can go out to the dig site"..

Seeking some assistance.....

Aware they were being followed, the Sterling brothers had arranged for doubles to lay a false trail; the bait was taken and the men who were following them were led into a trap (see here).

---oXo---

At Somington aerodrome, a quarter of an hour after their doubles left; Kit Campion and the Sterling brothers slipped out the side of the passenger terminal to a waiting taxi ...

They set off at a leisurely pace, once they were sure they were not being followed they turned south ...

Half an hour later they passed through Snodbury, a little way out of the town they turned off the main road up towards a large country house, the residence of the traveller & adventurer - Sir Ray Landsmith..

Come in gentlemen, you are expected...

They were shown into the study, introductions were made, after a bit of a chat Sir Ray offered them some tea and cake..

   A bit later on the conversation turned to more serious matters. They discussed the 'Rule of Six' organisation's activities and the spate of disappearing linguistics & archaeology professors; the current information available to them pointed to the conclusion that they had some special project in progress in Egypt. 

   Sir Ray said he was unable to investigate or assist them personally as he was soon to leave for the far east to investigate the activities of the inscrutable Mu Fanchu. He did however give them some reliable contacts in Cairo who would be able to help them  - 

Dr Diana Jones (archaeologist and adventurer), 

Professor Rodrey Bilton (of the Egyptian museum), 

and Colonel Nelson ('Nellie') Polkington.

  While Sir Ray went to find his butler to arrange for them to stay the night, Kit and the Sterling brothers discussed travel arrangements ..........

The Chase is On ....

 continued from here ....

The Sterling brothers have returned to England, with Kit Campion they are in a fast car heading to London and are being followed ...

---oXo---

The van in pursuit kept with pace with the grey car.  As they neared the outskirts of Chipping Melbury the car took a sharp left ....

The van following them only just managed to get round the corner, nearly missing an oncoming lorry as it screeched round the corner over the grass verge ...

The car went wide to avoid a woman pushing a bike as it took a right turn, its rear end skidding somewhat; the van was not far behind ...

the car headed into the industrial area not far from the railway station....

as it got near the next junction it slewed across the road coming to a halt, the van slammed its brakes hard on and stopped...

a man jumped out of the car ( a wig and a bowler hat fell on the ground), he aimed a rifle at the van.  A man jumped out the van with a pistol, a large van slowly rolled up and stopped blocking the road behind...

more men got out of the car and van; gunfire erupted, the driver got out of the large van and fired too...

Eventually a couple of shots found their mark, one man down...

With nobody firing from behind them, the men from the van started to fall back down the road (two of them had been wounded)..

The agents from the grey car follow them, 

more shooting as they try to cross the hedge to safetly

one of them gets across and away ...

another makes a run for it ...

while the last of them is wrestled to the ground, another looks like he his about to get away ...

a well aimed shot and he is down, a couple of minutes late one of the agents reports to their superior Parry Halmer who was watching the proceedings from a factory window...

'Good work' says Halmer , 'take the wounded man away for questioning and I'll have the local police to look for the one who got away and get the tidy-up crew here; then let the Sterlings know how things went ..'

---oXo---

....but where are the Sterling Brothers and Kit Campion ?

The Sterling Brothers return ...

The Sterling Brothers return to England (after investigations in Europe) ..

---oXo---

The plane landed with a bit of a bump and taxied from the grass runway up to the hard standing at Somington aerodrome...

Kit Campion had gone to meet the Sterling brothers and was waiting by the passenger terminal to greet them, he watched as the aircraft moved to its parking position ...

After a couple of minutes the passengers disembarked ...

Kit met the Sterling brothers and they went on into the passenger terminal; a man watched their arrival with interest ....

the man watching them slipped back between the buildings and saw them get into a waiting car...

as the car left, he headed for a parked van ...

the van started up and followed the car ....

The car speeded up and the van matched their speed ...

to be continued...

Are We Nearly There Yet?

It seemed more like 5 weeks they had been travelling, rather than the 5 days it had taken.

Train to Paris, thence to Marseille, ferry to Alexandria and now train to Cairo, Just a few short hours.

As Dawn broke across the sandy wastes, the train stopped to take on water at a small village.

Clara and Darcy took the opportunity to stretch their legs, and whilst Clara went to send a telegram Darcy spoke to  a French Officer.

As the sun crept higher a vultures eye view would reveal a bustling market in a small village apparently in the middle of nowhere.

Telegram sent, the pair re-boarded the train. Darcy was asking Clara if this Doctor Jones  she had contacted would be likely to help them.

Entering their carriage they found their companion of the past few days had disappeared, luggage included.

She had left in the same enigmatic way she had arrived, indeed they had learnt virtually nothing of the lady, a brief wistful smile whilst Dublin or The Raffles Hotel had been mentioned and a scowl when the subject had been Hatton Garden or Amsterdam.

As the train moved off thoughts turned to what they would find in the hours and days ahead.

Would they meet Madam Givenchy again? Would the find the Professor? Would Diana Jones help?