Night Train to Memphis

‘So the next bridge after Hammadi is at Sohag? The train Schmidt took – might have taken – stops there, doesn’t it?’

‘That’s right. It’s about fifty miles from Nag Hammadi.’

‘And the next crossing is at Asyut.’

‘Right again.’

‘Asyut is the second train stop. After that there’s only one before Cairo.’

‘Minya,’ Feisal agreed.

‘That’s where Schmidt stayed the night before he joined the cruise,’ I said thoughtfully.

John cleared his throat. ‘Are you suggesting he might have left some of his luggage there? My theories may have been a trifle exiguous, but that is really – ’

‘No, listen.’ The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. ‘Schmidt stocked up on spy stuff before he ever left Munich. He even had contact lenses made in various colours! He suspected this cruise was more than a simple vacation. Who would know better than Schmidt that I wouldn’t try to pass myself off as an expert on a subject I know nothing about without good and sufficient reason? I’ll bet he’s been plotting and planning ever since he arrived in Egypt. He’d have done that just for the fun of it. He spotted Max immediately, and that confirmed – ’

‘Bloody hell,’ John said. ‘You mean the little elf’s been on to us all along? Why didn’t you tell me this?’

‘There hasn’t been time,’ I began.

‘Schmidt is bad enough,’ John went on bitterly. ‘The two of you together . . . Feisal, stop the bloody car. No, not in the middle of the bloody road, pull over as soon as you can find a suitable place. Now then, Vicky, perhaps you can bring yourself to tell me precisely what Schmidt said to you and what you said to Schmidt before you sallied forth to rescue me. You did have sense enough to make contingency plans, didn’t you, in case you were held up or Schmidt had to vacate his room?’

The medicine had cleared his head but it certainly hadn’t improved his disposition. I realized, with only faint surprise, that we were back on the old footing. Nothing had really changed except my perception of him. He was the same person he’d always been – neither saint nor sinner, hero nor villain, but a bewildering and exasperating mixture of all of them. Human, in other words. Like me. We were more alike than I had wanted to admit – sarcastic, prickly, defensive, afraid of feeling emotion, much less expressing it. My other self; my dark angel, my dear, deadly companion, my . . .

‘Take all the time you like,’ John said, sneering audibly. ‘We’re in no hurry.’

‘Damn it, how the hell could we plan ahead?’ I demanded. ‘I didn’t know how long it would take me to get into the house, or where in the house you were. It might have taken me all night to locate you.’

‘All night?’

Feisal had turned off onto a narrow dirt road bordering one of the irrigation canals. I could see a dark glimmer of water below. On the other side of the road tall stalks of some kind of vegetation, sugarcane or reeds, blocked my view.

I didn’t need John to tell me I must have been out of my mind to think I could ramble around the house for hours on end without being caught. I had been out of my mind. Since I couldn’t think of anything sensible to say, I kept quiet.

‘All right,’ John said. He sounded as if he were choking. ‘Perhaps this is not an appropriate moment to pursue that subject. We’ve got to come to a decision about where we’re going next. God knows I’m reluctant to follow Schmidt along the chaotic pathways of his imagination, but I hate to think of the havoc he can wreak wandering through Egypt alone and uncontrolled.’

‘He’s done better than we have so far,’ I said indignantly. ‘That message he left was danmed ingenious.’

‘He’s done better than you have, you mean,’ was the unkind reply. ‘And on the basis of the ingenuity he has displayed thus far I’m willing to consider the possibility that he tried to give us additional information.’

‘Johnny,’ Feisal interrupted. ‘No one admires the precision of your syntax more than I, but could you possibly cut it short?’

‘I’m thinking of those travel brochures,’ John said. ‘He wouldn’t dare underline or circle a name, but the one on the top of the pile had been opened and refolded. The sites mentioned were all in Middle Egypt. Beni Hassan, Amarna – ’

‘Nefertiti!’ I exclaimed. ‘She was on the top of the pile too. The bag he bought at the bazaar, with her picture on it –

‘Amarna,’ John muttered. ‘I don’t see how . . . He couldn’t possibly . . .’

‘Johnny,’ Feisal began.

‘Yes, right. We need more information before we reach a final decision as to our route. I don’t suppose this miracle of automotive engineering possesses a radio? No, that would be too much to ask. Stop at the first cafe – or, even better, petrol station.’

When we stopped, not far from the access road to the bridge, I withdrew into the darkest corner and covered my head with a scarf while Feisal got out for a man-toman chat with the attendant and the other guys who were hanging around the pumps.

He wasn’t gone long. When he came back I could tell by his expression he had heard something he didn’t like.

John waited until Feisal had turned off onto a side road. ‘Well?’

‘My career in crime is burgeoning,’ Feisal said sourly. ‘It seems I am now a kidnapper as well as a notorious terrorist.’

‘Who’d you kidnap?’ I asked curiously.

‘You, of course.’ Feisal made another sharp turn. ‘There’s a taftish – checkpoint – ahead, on this side of the bridge. It’s a safe bet they’ll be watching for us.’ He spun the wheel again and the car squeezed itself into a narrow lane between walls that scraped the fenders. ‘We should pick up the east-bank road a couple of miles farther on.’ He let out a thin scream and slammed on the brakes. The rider of the donkey glanced over his shoulder and made a rude gesture. I assume it was a rude gesture.

‘Bad luck, old chum,’ John said insincerely. ‘I had hoped they wouldn’t get on to you so soon, but I suppose it was inevitable, when we all turned up missing at the same time.’

‘So Foggington-Smythe is in Larry’s pay,’ I said.

‘Not necessarily. He might have mentioned in all innocence that he had seen someone resembling you at the hotel.’

‘But I’m in disguise,’ I protested.

‘He was studying your rear view,’ John said disagreeably. ‘I told you those jeans were too tight. Dare I inquire how Foggington-Smythe became so familiar with the contours of your – Christ! Feisal, watch out for that – ’

A splintering crunch announced the destruction of a small shed.

‘Don’t distract me,’ Feisal said between his teeth.

The last few hundred yards of the detour ran along the top of a bank above an irrigation ditch. I think three of the wheels were on the path most of the time. We missed the guy on the bicycle, though.

Once we were back on the highway John cleared his throat. ‘Would you like me to drive for a while?’ he asked tactfully.

I had been about to offer myself. Night driving in Egypt was something no sane tourist would tackle, but I figured I could do better than Feisal was doing at that moment. I think his eyes were closed.

Feisal hit the brakes. ‘Is there anything to drink?’ I handed him a can of soda. He slid over into the passenger seat and John took his place behind the wheel.

‘So what else is new?’ he inquired, returning to the road. ‘They didn’t get the license number, but they do have a description of the car. They aren’t certain whether my motive for making off with Vicky was lust or politics or – ’

‘Kidnapping an American tourist for any reason is enough to stir things up,’ John said thoughtfully. ‘Did you abduct me too?’

‘They know or assume we’re all together, if that’s what you mean. Odd, now that you mention it; they were somewhat vague as to your precise role. It’s been on all the news broadcasts. The government is appalled, shocked, and distraught. They will pursue the hunt with the utmost diligence and punish the perpetrator – ’ He