'Look,' he said after a few moments. 'There's another lorry down there. And its bigger than the first lorry.'

'Is it travelling with the first lorry?' asked the pilot.

'I don't know,' replied Salahadin slowly. 'It's about three kilometres south of the first lorry, but it's travelling in the same direction.'

'That's interesting,' said the pilot. 'If people are together in the desert, they keep close to one another.'

But who could be in this other lorry? said Salahadin to himself.

Salahadin carefully marked the positions of both lorries on the map. The pilot got ready to land at Luxor airport.

Police Inspector Musa Angheli was waiting for Salahadin at Luxor airport. The Inspector had met Salahadin many times. Salahadin had often come to visit the ancient monuments around Luxor. The two men shook hands.

'A telex has just arrived for you from Chief Inspector Ahmed in Cairo,' said Inspector Musa. 'You'd better read the telex in my office in the airport building. It's too hot to stand out here in the sun.'

On their way to the airport building, Salahadin told Musa about the two lorries he had seen in the desert.

'Perhaps this telex will explain why there are two lorries in the desert,' said Inspector Musa.

There was a small fan on the desk in Inspector Musa's office. The fan moved the air around, but it did not make the office cooler. Salahadin sat down and read the telex from Ahmed.

ATTENTION: INSPECTOR SALAHADIN EL NUR LUXOR AIRPORT

RECEIVED REPORT ON THE BLACK MERCEDES. NO – REPEAT - NO - FINGERPRINTS OF THE AMSTERDAM RING IN THE CAR. BUT ONE SET OF PRINTS THOSE OF DR JUSEF STRENGEL - REPEAT DR JUSEF STRENGEL. NO NEWS YET OF CHRISTINE FARROW.

AHMED ABBAS

'So, Dr Jusef Strengel is back in Egypt,' said Salahadin. 'A black Mercedes followed us in Cairo,' Salahadin began. 'Ahmed has found out who owns it. The Mercedes belongs to Dr Strengel.'

'We know a lot about Dr Strengel,' Salahadin went on. 'His father was German and his mother was Lebanese. He smuggles antiquities. But he's different from the other smugglers. People like the Amsterdam Ring smuggle antiquities and sell them to make money. Strengel has lots of money of his own. He has one of the largest private collections of Egyptian antiquities in the world. He's not interested in making money - he wants the antiquities for his own collection.'

'And he wants the treasures of Queen Axtarte for his collection,' added Inspector Musa.

'That's right,' replied Salahadin. 'And I'm sure that he's out there in the desert in one of those lorries. I think that the Amsterdam Ring is in the first lorry with Farrow. Farrow is taking them to the tomb and Strengel is following them.'

Salahadin discussed the situation with Inspector Musa. There were now two gangs of smugglers out in the desert. Salahadin and Musa could not fight them by themselves. They would have to have help.

'We have a new Range Rover here,' suggested Musa. 'It's the best kind of vehicle for moving over rocky ground in the desert. And I've got a good driver who knows the desert tracks . We can take three policemen with us.'

Salahadin agreed to Musa's suggestion and soon the Range Rover was ready to leave. The three policemen had rifles with them. Salahadin and Musa had revolvers and there was a box of dynamite in the back. Salahadin got it from a store at the airport.

'What's the dynamite for?' asked Musa.

'We may need it,' replied Salahadin. 'I'll explain why later.'

Salahadin showed the driver the map. He pointed to the place he had marked.

'How long will it take us to get there?' he asked the driver.

'It's very rocky ground out there,' replied the driver. 'If we're lucky, we may get there in three or four hours.'

'Drive as quickly as you can,' said Salahadin. The driver started the engine and the Range Rover set out into the desert.

CHAPTER NINE

The House in Heliopolis

Back in Cairo, Ahmed and Leila were searching for Christine Farrow.

Policemen were questioning all the shopkeepers - especially those who sold cigatettes or food in small street shops.

Leila had policewomen working for her. They were visiting the small markets in the parts of Cairo where Europeans lived. The servants who work for the Europeans often shop in these markets in the afternoon.

In a small market in Heliopolis, a new servant began to do her shopping. No one had seen her there before. But servants are always friendly and they smiled at the new servant and spoke to her.

'Be careful of Ismael - he charges too much money for vegetables,' one woman said.

'Count your change carefully at Abdul Rahman's, the butcher's,' said another.

Some women were sitting talking in the shade of a large tree. Leila, the new servant, sat down beside them and listened to their talk.

Most of the conversation was about prices and wages.

Leila sat and listened. She knew that she must not ask the women questions. If she asked them about their work, they would become suspicious and tell her nothing.

After a few minutes, a young woman sat down beside them. One of the women said, 'How are you, today, Fatima? And how's the sick European woman?'

'I think she's still there,' replied Fatima. 'She hasn't been out of the bedroom once. What a wonderful life she has! Her husband does all the work in the house.'

All the women laughed.

'Is she very beautiful?' someone asked.

'I've told you before - I've never seen her,' replied Fatima. 'But she must be very beautiful. He does all the housework and she stays in her bedroom. I'm not allowed in there - the door is always locked. My job is to do the shopping and clean the kitchen - that's all.'

'And you're well paid for it too,' said another woman.

Everybody laughed loudly.

Fatima picked up her shopping basket. 'I must go back now. He'll be waiting for me.'

There was more laughter and Fatima walked way. Leila stood up and said goodbye to the women. She followed Fatima for about ten minutes. Fatima stopped in front of an old house and knocked at the door. A man's face appeared at an upstairs window. Fatima stood waiting at the door.

Someone is being very careful, Leila thought to herself.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Fatima went inside. The door closed immediately.

Leila hurried to a small shop at the end of the street and asked to use the telephone. Half an hour later, Chief Inspector Ahmed arrived with two policemen. They stopped the car where Leila was waiting for them.

Leila told Ahmed about the servant in the market. Then she showed Ahmed the house.

'Fatima, the servant, says there's a sick European woman in the bedroom,' Leila explained to Ahmed. 'Fatima has never seen the woman and the bedroom door is always locked. Perhaps this is the house we are looking for.'

'But we must make certain,' said Ahmed cautiously. 'It may not be Christine Farrow. Perhaps it is a sick woman.'

'We must make certain,' said Leila. 'I must get inside the house and find out who she is.'

'But how are you going to get inside?' asked Ahmed.

'Let's wait until Fatima comes out. Perhaps she will help us.'

They sat in the car waiting. Just after five o'clock, Fatima came out of the house again. She had a basket in one hand and a bunch of keys in the other. Leila and Ahmed got out of the car. Leila stopped Fatima and spoke to her. She showed Fatima her police identity card. 'We want to ask you about the man you work for,' said Leila.

'He's a foreigner,' replied Fatima.

'And what about the woman in the bedroom?' asked Leila.

'I've never seen her,' replied Fatima. 'The bedroom door is always locked.'

'But if you haven't seen her, how do you know it's a woman in the bedroom?' said Ahmed.