can you suggest to us where it may be situated, and where we should
direct our search?'
'I believe that we should not consider the stele in isolation, Herr von
Schiller. We should look at the other Polaroids that Colonel Nogo was
able to recover for us, and which Frdulein Kemper has so ingeniously
copied.' Nahoot set aside the one print and selected another from the
pile in the folder in front of him. 'This one, for example.'
The others riffled through their own folders and selected the same print
as he was displaying.
'If you study the background of this copy, you will see that in the
shadows behind the stele there appears to be the wall of some type of
cave or cavern.' He looked up at von Schiller, who nodded encouragement.
'There also appears to be some type of barred doorway.'Nahoot set the
print aside and selected another. 'Now, see here. This is a photograph
taken of another subject. It is, I believe, of a mural decoration
painted upon either a plastered wall or the bare rock of a cave,
possibly an excavated tomb, It seems to have been taken through the
grille of the gate which I pointed out to you in the first photograph of
the stele. This mural is almost certainly Egyptian in style and
influence. In fact it very strongly reminds me of those murals that
decorated the tomb of Queen Lostris in Upper Egypt in which the original
Taita scrolls were uncovered.'
'Yes. Yes. Go only' von Schiller encouraged him.
'Very well, then. Using the barred gate as the connecting factor, there
is every reason to believe that both stele and murals are located in the
same cave or tomb
'If that is so, what indications do we have as to where Quenton-Harper
photographed these Polaroids7' Von still frowning angrily as he looked
at each of Schiller was jl them in turn. They all tried to avoid his
blue, penetrating scrutiny.
Colonel Nogo,' von Schiller singled him out, 'this is your country, You
know the terrain intimately. Let's hear our thoughts on the subject.'
Colonel Nogo shook his head. 'This man, this Egyptian-' he used the
epithet disparagingly, 'is mistaken. This is not an Egyptian tomb in the
photographs.'
'Why do you say that?' Nahoot challenged him angrily.
'What do you know about Egyptology? I have spent twenty five years-I
'Wait,' von Schiller silenced him peremptorily. 'Let him finish.' He
looked at Nogo. 'Go on, colonel.'
'I agree that I don't know anything about Egyptian tombs, but these
photographs were taken in a Christian church.'
'What makes you so sure? Nahoot demanded bitterly, his authority
challenged.
'Let me explain to you that I was ordained as a priest fifteen years
ago. Later, I became disillusioned with Christianity and all other
religions, and left the Church to may believe become a soldier. I tell
you this so that you that I know what I am talking about.' He smiled
with ilious malice at Nahoot, before going on. 'Look at superc and you
will be able to make out on this first print again, the wall in the
