On to the Holy Land

After we arrived at Cairo, Dr Leicester went to his contact for the British Museum and handed over the sceptre and told them about eth camp and what happened. Wooster went to the British Embassy and handed over the three Europeans. He told them that the camp had been overrun by Arabs and that the carnage must have driven the Europeans mad. When asked if he had seen the Arabs overrun the camp he admitted he hadn’t but that there were no Arabs in the camp when we returned, only the Europeans.

We spend the night in Cairo and then fly out the next morning. We meet at the plane at 6am. Wooster turns up with hot tea and sweet rolls for four. When we arrive we see an Arab that we have never seen before with Alish and Captain Cullen. The Arab is called Alim, and is a business associate of Captain Cullen’s who has acquired items that we need and is accompanying us on our trip to Jerusalem. During introductions, Dr Leicester notes that Alish talks with superiority to Alim, who responds with respect. I note that Alim treats Alish like a Bishop would treat a Cardinal and that when they first meet there is a look of shock on Alim’s face, which he hides quickly.

Captain Cullen and Dr Leicester board the plane. On board they open the strongbox retrieved from the camp. Within the box are documents which mean nothing to us and some cash bonds totalling about £3000. Within the documents, Dr Leicester is noted as one of the authorised signatories for the bonds. There are also maps of the dig, and notes of where things were found. Some of the finds have gone to Britain, others to France. The smaller and more expensive items went to Britain, while the larger and less expensive items went to France.

We leave Cairo and after refuelling on the way we arrive safely in Jerusalem late at night. Captain Cullen goes and finds a car to transport us to the hotel. Today is the 22nd December. Alim turns out to know Jerusalem and so we hire him as a guide for a few days. Once we arrive at the hotel, Alim disappears. Wooster sorts out our finances.

Captain Cullen believes we are looking for a bridge within Jerusalem – one that matches the one in the paintings on the wall of the chamber that we saw in Hamunaptra. Dr Leicester thinks he knows somebody in the city who might be able to help us search for the bridge. I note that the local Catholic priests may be able to help us and that I will seek their aid in the morning. Both Dr Leicester and I believe that the bridge is not a physical object, and that we should be looking for the ‘Gate Keeper’ and the ‘Key’. (Shades of Ghostbusters here I think...)

During our discussions I notice that the main topic of conversation amongst the other patrons of the hotel bar is about the disappearance of an unmarried European woman in her early 20’s. She was travelling with a maid/companion, who has not gone missing and is staying in another hotel in a distraught state.

Captain Cullen decides to head to the hotel that the companion is staying in while the rest of us retire for the night. He finds out the missing woman is called Lady Mariah, and the companion is the ‘Lady’ Caroline. They arrived in Jerusalem six days ago, as Lady Mariah felt the need to travel here. The day after she arrived she was enamoured by a gentleman called Kharkarov, a businessman from the Russian Steppes. He is mysterious and there are rumours that he was ousted from Russia and that he was sent here to administer trade between Jerusalem and Russia. Within the six months he has been here he has become one of the biggest trades in the city. He doesn’t attend church. The Lady Mariah is an English woman raised in India. Kharkarov has been very attentive to her. Since she went missing he hasn’t been seen. Captain Cullen tried to contact the ‘lady’ Caroline but she failed to respond.