(Session 11)
Last time I wrote, we had just experienced a horrible moment in Giza, when the earth opened and swallowed both Mr. Griswold and Mr. Borel. I was fortunate enough to jump to safety, and travel to our hotel with utmost haste to seek help in recovering our companions from the abyss.
I did write a message to Dr. Jusupov, who received it when he arrived at the hotel. We had arrived just momentarily before him, and the despair on his face changed into shock as he saw as sandy and dirty. The mad stody of Mr. Griswold did not do much to convince Dr. Jusupov that we were aldight – Mr. Griswold did exclaim having been at the gates of hell.
Afterwards we planned our retribution on Mr. Shakti, dispatching the local authorities on his den of evil. Meanwhile, Mr. Walker and Mr. Jones rented a ship, SS Porta Coeli, and its crew, headed by Captain Thomas Baird for us. We are going to travel to Kenya with the ship, but need some strong men to accompany us there. According to Mr. Walker, we are about to hire a platoon of mercenaries, lead by captain Mycroft Eaton and his second-in-command, lieutenant William Aiken.
On friday evening, Mr. Barrington hints Mr. Culverton about Shakti’s evil business. Me and Mr. Walker seek Mr. Nazir in the hospital. He had been in the mosque when it collapsed, and I’m worried about him. We find him in a hospital bed, and it is immediately clear, that he won’t be in this world for long. While talking to him, he recognizes the name of Omar Shakti, and tells us that Shakti’s men and creatures, that rose from the ground, came and burned everything, stealing the belt of Nitokris. He mumbles something about Akmallah’s sword and Desimeht, but I can’t grasp the meaning behind his words.
Mr. Moore and Mr. Borel devise a plan against Mr. Shakti. The local chief constable al-Bada and his aid, Ahmad Raziya are worried about the smuggling of egyptian artifacts abroad. Mr. Jones, Mr. Barrington and Mr. Walker sneak into the night, hiding the egyptian scrolls in Shakti’s compound, just before the raid in the morning.
Our plan works, Mr. Shakti is apprehended, since the police found multiple items ready to be shipped abroad, and a ledger with over five years of his smuggling business documented. The weirdest part in their findings is a receipt, and on the back of it some handwriting:
“My dear Omar, the scarab is magnificient. If the matching piece is found, I’d be most interested. -AP”
Professor Ali Kafour had been writing to Aubrey Penhew, and we get to lend one of his letters – the handwriting is a match. This proves, that Aubrey Penhew is alive, and hiding somewhere! The scarab had been sent from Randolph Shipping Company, Australia. It had been sent to Mr. Shakti, and he had received it January 2nd 1925. Kafour also tells us of his student, Jean-Baptiste Descours, who could join us as a translator and a guide in our travel to Kenya.
We pack our bags and prepare ourselves for a long journey on the sea.