and Aswan to view the monuments.
As soon as she was alone in her single room she phoned British Airways
reservations. There was a flight to Heathrow the following morning at
ten 'clock. She booked a one-way economy seat and gave them the number
of her Mastercard.
It was after six 'clock by then, but the time difference between Egypt
and the UK meant that it would still be office hours there. She looked
up the number in her notebook. Leeds University was where she had
completed her studies. Her call was answered on the third ring.
'Archaeology Department. Professor Dixon's office,' said a prim English
schoolmarm voice.
:Is that you, Miss Higgins?'
Yes, it is. To whom am I speaking?'
'It's Royan. Royan Al Simma, who used to be Royan Said :, Royan! We
haven't heard from you for an absolute age. How are your They chatted
for a short while, but Royan was aware of the cost of the call. 'Is the
Prof in?' she cut it short.
Professor Percival Dixon was over seventy and should have retired years
ago. 'Royan, is it really you? My favourite student.' She smiled. Even
at his age he was still the randy old goat. All the pretty ones were his
favourite students.
'This is an international call, Prof. I just want to know if the offer
is still open.'
'My goodness, I thought you said that you couldn't fit us in, whatr
'Change of circumstances. I'll tell you about it when I see you, if I
see you.'
'Of course, we' love to have you come and talk to us.
When can you manage to get awayr
'I'll be in England tomorrow.'
'my goodness, that's a bit sudden. Don't know if we can arrange it that
quickly.'
'I will be staying with my mother near York. Put me back to Miss Higgins
and I will give her the telephone number.' He was one of the most
brilliant men she knew, but she didn't trust him to write down a
telephone number correctly. 'I'll call you in a few days' time.'
She hung up and lay back on the bed. She was exhausted and her arm was
still hurting, but she tried to lay her plans to cover all
eventualities.
Two months ago Prof Dixon had invited her to lecture on the discovery
and excavation of the tomb of Queen Lostris,. and the discovery of the
scrolls. It was that book, of course, and more especially the footnote
at the end of it, that had alerted him. Its publication had caused a
great deal of interest. They had received enquiries from Egyptologists,
both amateur and professional, all around the world, some from as far
afield as Tokyo and Nairobi, all of them questioning the authenticity of
the novel and the factual basis behind it.
At the time she had opposed letting a writer of fiction have access to
the transcriptions, especially as they had not been completed. She felt
that the whole thing had reduced what should have been an important and
serious academic subject to the level of popular entertainment, rather
