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“But has anyone ever found Nefertiti’s tomb?” Jemmahor’s eyes glittered with excitement.

“It has never been discovered,” Sayyid replied meaningfully.

“Did the tablet say anything more about where at Amarna the tomb might be found?” Zeinab demanded.

“I don’t know,” Ellie admitted. “I was only able to pick out part of the first line.”

“Will your brother be able to read the rest of it?” Zeinab pressed.

Ellie glanced from Sayyid to Adam. “His Akkadian isn’t as strong as mine, but he’s familiar enough with it that I think he could manage, if he had a few books on hand.”

“And Dawson travels with a library… and tea sets. Cutlery. Special outfits. What?” Adam protested when everyone turned to look at him. “The guy had a carpet in his tent!”

“Then if the tablet does contain further information about where to find the tomb, your Mr. Forster-Mowbray will go after it,” Zeinab concluded grimly.

A veiled and cloaked woman hurried into the church, escorted by one of the young nuns. She dashed to Umm Waseem and Zeinab, exchanging a few low words in Masri.

“We know where they have taken Dr. Fairfax and Miss Tyrrell,” Zeinab announced as the messenger darted back outside.

“Where?” Ellie felt a sharp prick of worry at the notion of her hapless brother trapped in Julian Forster-Mowbray’s clutches.

“They were loaded onto a great dahabeeyah anchored just north of the city,” Zeinab replied.

Ellie straightened in her seat. “We will have to slip on board and free them. We can hire a smaller craft in Luxor and go in under the cover of darkness.”

“Like pirates?” Jemmahor elaborated hopefully.

Sayyid groaned.

“Absolutely not,” Zeinab retorted crossly. “Do you think that is not the first thing Mr. Forster-Mowbray would expect?”

“We could use a small explosion as a diversion!” Ellie countered with a hopeful look at Umm Waseem.

The old woman had closed her eyes as though deciding to take a nap.

“No explosions,” Adam cut in. “And The Mustache might not expect us to play pirates, but Jacobs sure as hell will. If we’re crazy enough to come, he’ll be waiting for us.”

“But—” Ellie began.

Adam cut her off with a meaningful look. “They took your brother with them for a reason, or they’d have left him to be skewered with the rest of us. Until Fairfax has outlived his usefulness—which I’m guessing means translating the rest of that tablet—he’s probably safer than we are. Maybe he’ll even be smart enough to take his time about the job. It’s not like Dawson’s going to figure it out first—or know what the hell to do with the information once he does. I’ve seen how he reads a map.”

His tone was drier than the arid landscape outside.

“And Julian still thinks he’s going to marry Constance,” Ellie reluctantly allowed.

“Which means she’s safe enough with him, as long as she doesn’t show all her cards,” Adam filled in.

“But she can be terribly impulsive,” Ellie pushed back worriedly. “And Neil is… er…”

“I know,” Adam agreed wryly. “Look, I’d feel better too if I knew there was a way to get them out of there, but from where I’m sitting it looks like they’re safer with Julian—for now—than they would be in some half-cocked rescue scheme. Even assuming we convince the rest of these ladies to put their necks on the line again to help us.”

“Not to give any offense, but we did not come here for you,” Jemmahor pointed out with a slightly apologetic look. “We are here to stop those Englishmen from making off with the Staff of Musa.”

“Or the contents of another tomb.” Zeinab’s green eyes were hard. “They have stolen enough of Egypt’s treasures already.”

“We already know where they’re going to go,” Adam added. “And that’s the tombs at Akhenaten’s capital city. We’ll have a hell of a better chance reaching Neil and Constance while The Mustache is distracted with tomb hunting than we will on a boat in the middle of the Nile.”

“Mr. Bates is right.” Zeinab gave Adam a look of wary respect.