The Masks of Nyarlathotep:
The Diary of Dr Eliza Jamieson
Monday 6th October
– afternoon
Over
breakfast Robert declared that he and Sgt Hussein intend to return to Al-Wasta and take Ahmed’s tour of the Collapsed Pyramid, explaining
that he believed Ahmed was not who he claimed to be. In Robert’s mind Ahmed had
been eliminated in some way and Ayesha was being
controlled by Ahmed’s replacement. Robert did not exactly tell me what his plan
involved but to me it indicated that he was willing to walk himself and Sgt
Hussein into a possible ambush so that he could reveal the truth to this
supposition and hopefully follow the ambushers to the instigators.
It
also appeared that Robert had convinced Mr Zwaiter to
take part in this hair-brained scheme. I was not sure about this part of the
plan as Mr Zwaiter clearly does not have the sort of
training of either Robert or Sgt Hussein so I could see this ending badly if it
played out this way. I agreed to drive them to back to Al-Wasta
but in saying this had no intention in getting involved other than by
attempting to preserve life if things actually did go pear shaped.
As
to the rest of the team, each was unavailable for a variety of reasons: Daniel
was still busy hunting cats in Cairo; Miss El Ahmed was busy correlating
information in readiness for our trip to the Bent Pyramid; and Edward had
already made it clear during our previous visit that he had no intention of
coming within miles of the Collapsed Pyramid.
We
stopped close to the Collapsed Pyramid and Robert and Sgt Hussein debussed to
take another look around but it soon became clear that the only cover was the
Pyramid itself, assuming of course that the ambushers were not somehow hidden
under the sand. Satisfied by this they returned to the car and we proceeded on
to Al-Wasta, as it appeared they still intended to
take the tour of the Collapsed Pyramid they had asked Ahmed to perform.
Once
in Al-Wasta they debussed and began to approach Ayesha’s hut, however they stated that there appeared to be
a number of the male townsfolk gathering and moving in the same direction and
that they are reacting in a most unusual manner as the chatter that usually occurs
when Egyptian males are walking together is notably absent. Also a sizable
number of the men are well-dressed making the whole scene look somewhat sombre.
Sgt Hussein described it as being similar to when the men are going to prayers
but with the proviso that this was not one of the usual times for Muslim
prayers, plus he felt that this procession appeared slightly more oppressive.
As
they got closer to Ayesha’s shack they observed a
dozen or so men already waiting outside and as they arrived they observed an
old woman, clearly not Ayesha, exit the hut to talk
to one of the men who they recognised as Ahmed and Sgt Hussein reported that it
appeared to be another woman inside the shack and that they had been summoned
to prepare a body.
It
appeared that Ayesha had finally succumbed to her
injuries and had passed on during the night (but that is not to say she was not
assisted on her way) as this was clearly a burial ritual. It should be noted
that four of the men waiting entered the house to carry the wrapped corpse and
Sgt Hussein remarked that Ahmed was not one of the pall bearers but was unclear
if this is normal. The whole procession then gathered behind the pall bearers
and moved off in the direction of the cemetery chanting the funeral cant.
Sgt
Hussein stated later that the funeral itself appeared to follow the usual
pattern and he noted that neither of the two women who prepared the body nor
any other women from Al-Wasta joined the procession
or attended the funeral rites.
Once
the funeral rite was over and the group began to disperse and Robert made his
and Sgt Hussein’s presence known to Ahmed. It should be noted here that Ahmed
appeared to be somewhat irritated and taken aback by their presence.
As
an aside it soon became clear that Ahmed believed his mother had passed on
because she had fulfilled her purpose in this life by handing on the items that
had become her burden to the group the previous day.
Once
Robert had explained to Ahmed why they had returned Ahmed agreed to take them
on the tour of the Collapsed Pyramid they had asked for the previous day. Ahmed
was willing to take the tour and tell them what he knew about the Collapsed
Pyramid but in doing so also asked why they wanted to go there.
When
they returned to the car for the return trip to the Collapsed Pyramid, Ahmed
was somewhat taken aback to see that I was driving as it appears Egyptian women
rarely drive. Ahmed directed us to parking place near to the Pyramid and
Robert, Mr Zwaiter, Sgt Hussein and Ahmed debussed to
take the tour. I on the other hand was quite happy to remain in the car park as
I had no intention of getting any nearer to that Pyramid than that.
Ahmed’s
tour appeared to consist of a slow walk around the Pyramid and took slightly
more than one hour as he stated the Pyramid itself is dangerous. Ahmed appeared
to believe that the building of the Collapsed Pyramid was begun by Huni and taken over after Huni’s
death by Sneferu who adapted it in some way for his
own reasons, and he also believed that the Pyramid was actually completed
before it collapsed and it was after the collapse that Sneferu
built the Bent and Red Pyramids for his own purpose.
After
the tour Robert offered Ahmed a generous stipend and I noted that he just
accepted the payment without resorting to any form of haggling. In fact he didn’t
even count the money, which is a little unusual. Anyway, after taking Ahmed
back to Al-Wasta we returned to
Upon
our return to Cairo Edward informed us that he had performed a reading that he
hoped would aid us in the next few days but the answers appeared to elude him
and the information he presented us with was extremely cryptic for it appeared
that several of the cards present in the spread appear to connect to one person
and there appears to be a strong female presence, while throughout it all the
devil hides and works in the shadows, which all leads to an overall feeling of
malevolence. Edward also felt that the reading was telling him that when we
enter the Bent Pyramid we would need to risk something just to break the
illusion and that only this sacrifice would give us what we need to succeed. Edwards’s
exact words were “The truth is what you make it.”
We
took this all on board as we set about the preparations for our visit to the
Bent Pyramid but I felt this told us nothing new as it already appeared to me
that Alpha One is manipulating everything that has occurred so far.
Tuesday 7th
October
Our
preparations also involved another meeting with Professor Khafour
where he informed us of his suspicion that the missing sarcophagus is not
hidden within the Bent Pyramid but the mummy contained within could yet be. He
also added the proviso that were this to be the case we should summon
specialists and not attempt to handle the mummy ourselves.
Professor
Khafour also imparted some more information in regard
to the structure of the Bent Pyramid as it appears that the change in the
inclination also involved a change in the direction of the stones themselves and
this, Professor Khafour emphasized, appeared to
confirm his belief that this pyramid was specifically designed to entrap the
Black Pharaoh.
Apparently
the Bent Pyramid also contains two entire tomb complexes, hence the two entry
points. The west entry appears to be the primary entrance at this stage for
that entry leads to chambers at the centre of the pyramid in a similar way to
all the other pyramids yet the northern entry leads to a separate set of
chambers built below the pyramid which to me doesn’t make any sense. If you are
going to build your burial chambers under the pyramid then why bother with the
pyramid at all because that only leaves a marker for the tomb robbers?
Before
we left, however, Professor Khafour stated that the
Bent Pyramid is noted for having winds blowing through it that appear to
originate where winds should not be forming, indicating to some that there are
yet more chambers within the pyramid that have still to be discovered. We thanked
Professor Khafour once again for this information and
then set out.
Note:
once again Daniel does not accompany us at this stage as he insists he is too
busy with his own investigation, which as far as I can tell is continued
unhealthy obsession with the local cats.
As
we approached the Bent Pyramid Edward reported that he sensed a darkness, which
is only to be expected as he is sensitive to this sort of thing and as far as
we can tell this is the where everything began to go wrong for the Carlyle
Expedition. We also noted on approach that we were not the only visitors as
there were a half dozen people in heated discussion with the military guards
and it was clear from the accents that these people were Americans.
Ms
El Ahmed took the lead at this point and led us to the guards stationed at the
north entry where she showed them our documentation to allow entry. After
checking our papers the guard then allowed us through, much to the chagrin of
the Americans and I clearly heard some comment about letting ‘damn limeys’ in.
The
inside of the Bent Pyramid is quite remarkable as there is no plaster on any of
the internal walls, which also means there are no hieroglyphs anywhere in the
pyramid, which makes it look like the pyramid was never finished. Miss El Ahmed
informed us at this juncture that Professor Khafour
is not convinced this is the case and believes the lack of decoration only
confirms his belief that this is some form of prison.
Whatever
the case, the lack of hieroglyphs makes the entire expedition into a bit of an
anti-climax. In the lower complex we came upon a pair of traps that appear to
be stylised portcullises and while one of the gates is down the second still awaits its trigger. The trap that is deployed has a hole cut
through it which allows passage but the team were not willing to explore this
passage any further.
We
finally arrived at the central chamber which is some twenty-five feet wide and
the roof is fifty feet high with a corbelled ceiling. Once again there is no
plaster so hence there are no hieroglyphs. However there are two large
alabaster columns at the far end of the chamber which looked to me to be
slightly suspicious. Miss El Ahmed believed that this is yet another dead end
but suggested that we should search this place anyway just to be sure. I chose
to search between the alabaster columns and was soon rewarded by the discovery
of what can only be described as an obvious door with a central hinge, much
like a rotating door.
The
door itself opened rather easily and appeared to be counter weighted. On the
other side of the door there was a small square chamber some six feet across
with a set of stairs leading off. Miss El Ahmed seemed
to be remarkably excited about this discovery and began taking photos. She also
insisted that she should lead the way at this stage and the group seemed
willing to conform to her wishes. Robert would take the next place then me,
Edward and Mr Zwaiter, while Sgt Hussein would bring
up the rear.
I
suspect that this may have been where the Carlyle expedition members went when
they could not be found, however I noted that while it has been three years
since this incident and the best part of a year since the Bent Pyramid had been
closed to the public there was no dust anywhere in this chamber.
The
team quickly came to the conclusion that whatever is in this in this chamber is
the key to our investigation into the fate of the Carlyle Expedition. So with
Miss El Ahmed at the forefront we entered the chamber and climed
the steps. Surprisingly we found that there are only twenty steps before the
ascension transformed into a tight spiralling ramp,
After
a period of climbing we come upon a kind of platform akin to a rest area, which
I felt Miss El Ahmed seemed to appreciate because in my opinion even though she
tries not to show it her fitness level is not quite up to level of the rest of
the team.
After
several of these climbs and rest stops I lost all sense of how high we had
climbed. I feel that we should be close to the summit of the pyramid, if not
somehow above it, so with this in mind I tried to use the global positioning
device in my phone but I was unable to get a signal. Some of the others said
this may be due to the amount of stonework and I conceded to this but was
suspicious as I felt we should not have that much stonework above us, however I
do regret leaving the main satellite phone in my room.
Anyway,
my suspicions to one side, after a further climb we arrived in what I assumed
was the final platform, for on this occasion instead of another ramp the far wall
contained an open archway leading into a darkened room. Most unusually however
the angles on the archway appear somewhat wonky and wrong. To be honest I was
not keen to move through that archway as I sensed we had somehow been led to
this juncture and that whatever led us here is just waiting for us beyond that
archway.
Looking
through the archway we were able to see a large chamber of dimensions twenty
feet by thirty feet apparently made entirely of obsidian. The ceiling of the
chamber was fifty feet above us and in my opinion at least this would not
appear to fit within the confines of the Bent Pyramid. Even though it was dark
inside the chamber we were able to observe six large columns in two neat rows
forming an aisle as such and at the far end we could just about see there was a
large throne on a raised dais.
I
am not overly keen to step over the threshold into this chamber as I sensed
there was something intrinsically wrong about this entire chamber. However
Edward, Robert and Sgt Hussein made their way into the room while Mr Zwaiter, Miss El Ahmed and I remained in the ante-chamber.
I noticed that Edward moved to the right hand wall and was soon hidden from
view by the columns on that side. Robert also disappeared from view when he
moved to study the wall behind the dais. This left only Sgt Hussein visible and
he just appeared to be examining the throne.
After
a few seconds Robert reappeared saying that there was
writing on the back wall that looked like it could be hieroglyphs but he appeared
unsure. Hearing this I suspected that it could be Tsath-Yo
so I willed myself to cross the threshold. Mr Zwaiter
and Miss El Ahmed also chose to enter the chamber just before this. I noted
Miss El Ahmed made her way to Edward who was examining the right hand wall
while Mr Zwaiter moved off to the left.
Once
inside the chamber I made my way to Robert to see if I could translate the
symbols but on this occasion the symbols were just standard hieroglyphs so with
this in mind I asked Miss El Ahmed to join us and tried to take a photograph of
the symbols. Initially I thought I had a clear shot but when I checked the
image it was blurry and out of focus. I tried again only to get the same result,
so it appeared to me at least that we would be unable to use electronic devices
to record anything in this chamber. With this in mind we set about trying to
gain a rubbing of the symbols but fate was yet to play its part.
However,
I am jumping ahead of myself. Miss El Ahmed came over at our request and began
attempting to define the hieroglyphs Robert had found. She got as far as to
discover that the writing was a prophesy of some kind
before we were all distracted by the sound of screaming from the centre of the
chamber.
Quickly
coming to my feet and moving past the dais I saw Edward and Mr Zwaiter as they moved towards me and I noted that both of
them were looking towards to foot of the dais. Looking down, I quickly spotted
the final member of our team, Sgt Hussein, curled into a foetal position on the
floor just in front of the dais and it was from him that the screams were
emanating. We were later to discover Sgt Hussein had touched the jewel
encrusted throne and it was this that brought upon his seizure.
Grabbing
my medical pack from my back I moved to assist and it did not take more than a
cursory glance to realise that while Sgt Hussein had not suffered any real
physical damage he was showing all the symptoms of going into shock as his
pulse had gone through the roof and his eyes looked like he was staring into
the depths of hell. It should be noted that shock can be just as dangerous to
the system as major injury so essentially I had to calm him down as best as I
could so that he could recover.
As
I was treating him, however, Sgt Hussein said something strange, ‘He is coming!’,
As he said this the whole chamber appeared to become lighter and I noticed for
the first time that each of the six columns was topped with a large crystal in
the shape of a flame, making the columns look like huge stone candles with each
light was a different pastel shade. More worryingly, Edward noted that the
entry we had come through to get to this chamber had disappeared!
Suddenly
I sensed a presence within the chamber and noticed that I was not the only one
to feel it. Looking round it did not take long to discover from where this is
presence was emanating as the throne was no longer empty.
Seated
upon the throne was an effete adult male with ebony skin dressed as a pharaoh
with the crossed crook and whip and a golden mask similar to the death mask of Tutankhamun.
It
didn’t take a genius to work out who this was as he had already promised we
would meet again in
So
it was clear the chamber where we stood belongs to Alpha One and hence it
technically does not exist and only manifests due to his will.
Alpha
One, as is his way, informed us that both he and the Black Pharaoh are one and
the same, hence the reason why the body could not be destroyed and that the
walls depict prophesies. Alpha One, also lets slip that he is also both the God
of the Bloody Tongue and the God of the Black Winds, much as we had suspected.
The
wall behind the throne, for instance, told of the birth of Alpha One’s son at
the foot of a black mountain; and the walls to the left and right showed a date
which forecasts a major eclipse that covers a large portion of
By
the positions of constellations and a depiction of relative positions of the
planets the solar system we were later able to discern that the date in
question is
There
was also a quote on one of the walls which I am informed was taken directly
from the Necromonicon…
‘Man
rules were they once ruled.
They
shall soon rule were man rules now.
Summer
becomes winter, winter becomes summer.
They
wait patient and potent for as they shall reign again.’
Alpha
One went to inform us that the walls were depictions of future history and that
these are his prophesies for he is the messenger of the Outer Gods. Apparently
Sgt Hussein’s present condition came about when he touched the throne as this
resulted in him sharing the dreams of Alpha One and as such his mind only
remained whole due Alpha One’s benevolence.
As
we appeared to be in a similar situation to the Carlyle Expedition I asked what
was their role in this. In answer Alpha One swept his
left hand in the direction of the wall, which turned into a large window which
appeared to depict an African Expedition from the nineteen-thirties. The group
appeared to consist of a small group of European types followed by numerous
Africans carrying their baggage.
However
the illusion was lost when it became clear that the female European was Hypatia Masters and she was using a mobile phone. We were also
able to identify the other European participants as the members of the Carlyle
Expedition, I also noted Mr Brady was present, yet I did not notice if
Carlyle’s voodoo woman was also there. What I could not understand, however,
was why where they on foot for surely a man of Carlyle’s wealth would have been
able to procure transport?
The
group appeared to be approaching a large black mountain when Miss Masters
pointed to the sky and screamed as large single-winged creatures emerged from
the mountain, easily identifiable as Hunting Horrors. They were joined by other
creatures rising from the ground, creatures which we could also identifiable as
Ghouls and Shoggoths. The creatures swiftly fell upon
the Expedition and all the humans were swiftly torn to shreds. However, none of
the bodies were devoured which was in my opinion out of character for these
creatures.
However,
once the picture show was over Alpha One (or to use his Egyptian name Ny Har Rut Hotep)
offered to assist us. While I am unsure what he gave to each of the others,
only one item was physical and that was a copy of the Necromonicon
(Al-Azif version the so-called Book of Revelation)
which he handed to Robert with the statement that it is Alpha One’s personal
copy! I only know of this because Alpha One attempted to offer me a gift but I was
unwilling to accept anything from him.
However,
during this discussion he made a strange statement, to whit he remarked that my
present occupation could soon be somewhat curtailed but I was able to counter
that I still have skills I can fall back on. Realising that I was not going to
take anything from him he gave up at this stage with the statement ‘There is
always one’. I remarked about this later to the team and they felt Alpha One
was referring to Mr Brady but I am not convinced as Mr Brady was not with the
rest of the Expedition members when they disappeared and apparently met up with
Alpha One.
There
is something about this in the Bible however. The story of when Jesus was
wandering the desert only to encounter the Devil who offered many things but
was rebuffed on every occasion.
After
this Alpha One just vanished from his throne and the only evidence he was ever
there were the crossed crook and flail lying upon the throne. Both of these
items appeared to be made of gold but were clearly not solid as they would have
been considerably heavier than they actually are. These two artefacts were
picked up by Edward and Sgt Hussein before we made our way back out of the
chamber through the original archway which had reappeared once Alpha One had
left.
However
as we left we all apparently heard a final question forming in our heads; ‘Why
did I let you live? Who is the thousandth face?’ The question I have to ask
myself, however, is this, why did Alpha One let us out? Does this imply that
one of our team is actually the thousandth face or is this just another attempt
by Alpha One to seed unrest within the group?
Once
out of the chamber we made our way back down though the series of ramps and
platforms until finally we were back in the original chamber with the two
alabaster pillars. As the door closed behind us all evidence of the doorway
vanished and, baring the three items carried by the team, all evidence that it
was ever there went with it and no trace could be found of it ever existing.
Leaving
the confines of the pyramid we found that while the Americans had moved on the
same soldiers were still on duty and it was clear from the size and position of
the shadows that several hours had passed. We of course checked and it was
still the same day.
Anyway
I needed to get back to
In
my opinion both Miss El Ahmed and Sgt Hussein have suffered an epiphany while
within the chamber and as to Mr Zwaiter, he had
encountered Alpha One so all three are potential recruits to the international
ranks of MI13 so I gave them a number to ring, which when I think about it was
not exactly a well thought out decision.
Yet
I must note that upon analysis of the images Alpha One showed us in regards to
the fate of the Carlisle Expedition, some things just do not appear to add up in
my mind. For one, most of the creatures shown are essentially nocturnal by
nature. Evidenced by our previous encounters and judging by the evidence we have
already uncovered, Alpha One has invested a lot of time and effort into
manipulating the members of the Carlisle Expedition and getting them to follow
the path to this juncture, so it would appear counterproductive to just have
them torn apart.
Once
back at the Embassy I asked Mr Zwaiter if he could get
me a secure line back to
I
reported all the incidents within the Bent Pyramid, including our encounter
with Alpha One, and I also reported my suspicions in regard to the rest of the
team’s mental state. After I have finished Contessa
instructed me to return to ‘The Hub’ forthwith.
With
this in mind I attempted to find Mr Zwaiter and
finally discovered him in the presence of the rest of the team. With my present
suspicions in regard to the rest of the team I requested a private discussion
with Mr Zwaiter where I asked him to book me on the
next flight home and then left for the airport.
However
while I was awaiting my flight I received a call from Robert where he informed
me of a few relevant facts which affect my own decision to return home (and
also my opinion of his mental state) as it appeared that he has arranged for
the Necromonicon he was given by Alpha One to be
transported back to ‘The Hub’ via diplomatic bag and that he had no intention
of reading it.
Robert
also revealed why Tulip had not been available when I had phoned as he had been
in a meeting with our new head, apparently Cruella
has finally succumbed to her lung cancer and we are now under the direct
control of the Prime Minister and he has ordered that all operatives be reeled
in. So with this in mind I felt it would not be appropriate to return to ‘The
Hub’ at this time as the case was entering into a critical stage.
Apparently
the team now had the location of Mr Najir’s (Knickknack’s)
remains and Miss El Ahmed and Sgt Hussein were already in the process of
preparing to commit a necromantic ritual upon the body much like the one they
had performed on Mr Besart (Frogger).
It appeared Knickknack was buried in a cemetery which as of yet had not
acquired squatters. I was still cautious however and requested a new room at
our hotel under my real name.
Tuesday 7th
October – after dark
Once
again with the team I agreed to take part in the group’s night-time activity
which involved Miss El Ahmed committing her blood ritual over Knickknack’s remains.
Note when we uncovered Knickknack it was very noticeable that all of his long
bones were badly broken so I suspect he was beaten in much the same way as Frogger and then burnt together with his shop.
The
ritual I was later informed went off in a similar manner as it had with Frogger but on this occasion the spirit had awakened on
fire and screaming, making it clear he was still alive when the shop had been
burnt down. The spirit soon calmed down and we are able to discover several
vital pieces of information.
Knickknack
was apparently targeted in revenge because he had arranged for two thieves to steal
certain artefacts from the home of Mr Rifaat Abasi (Hyena) who was apparently a priest within the Cult
of the Black Pharaoh (Hookies) and these items were a
bust of the Black Pharaoh (which appeared to be the one we had found at the
home of Sir Aubrey [Thebes]), a drum and a strange circlet. Apparently one of
the thieves had died during the theft after being attacked by a dead man and
the other had been killed the following week. Knickknack in the meantime had apparently
sold the items to Frogger.
Knickknack
had hired someone to follow Hyena, a Mr Omar Shafiq, and
Mr Shafiq reported that he had observed Hyena in a
clandestine meeting with a number of men believed to be Hookies
and that one of the men had been recognisable as being Gamal
Mubarak (Prince). Mr Shafiq
had continued to follow Hyena after this but had lost him near the paws of the
Sphinx (Big Cat).
Following
the death of the thieves, Hyena had himself visited Knickknack’s shop demanding
that the circlet be returned to his possession as it appears the circlet is in
fact the crown of the Black Pharaoh. Knickknack informed Hyena that the item
was no longer in his possession but he that he would try and re-acquire it.
Knickknack
was also convinced that Hyena required another item that was important to the
Black Pharaoh but was unclear as to what this item actually was. However he was
able to inform us that the item in question is stored within the Ibn-Tulun Mosque.
Apparently
Hyena either did not believe or trust Knickknack as that night he arranged for
several Hookies to severely beat Knickknack, all of
his long bones were shattered and the store was then set alight by a winged
creature.
It
was decided then that it was too late to do anything further and we would
arrange to meet up after a night’s sleep as we needed to see both Professor Khafour and this Ibn-Tulun Mosque.
Saying this, however, I suffered a troubled night and found I was unable to
fall asleep and the following morning was struck by the thought ‘To sleep
perchance to dream’!
Wednesday 8th
October
After
breakfast I noted that Sgt Hussein still bore the crook and whip they had
acquired the previous day so we decided to see what Professor Khafour (Jackal) could tell us about the items. With this
in mind we made our way to the museum where we were swiftly ushered into the
conference room we had used previously.
Once
there we informed Jackal of what we had learned the previous day. Jackal seemed
to consider what we had said regarding the ‘thousandth face’ and surmised that
while Alpha One does have many cults under his sway this statement would imply
that his thousandth face is within our group.
Note:
even though Jackal truly believed that the items borne by Edward and Sgt
Hussein were in fact genuine Egyptian artefacts and as such should not be
removed from the confines of
Yet
beyond all of this I cannot understand why Alpha One would wish to see the end
of the world as without our world many of his worshippers would be lost and
without worshippers a god does not exist and I notice that during our meeting
with Jackal that with the exception of Robert and myself the group’s opinion in
regard to Alpha One appeared to have improved significantly.
After
our meeting with Jackal we decide to attempt to ascertain what the mysterious
item is that Hyena has been attempting to acquire for his master.
But
first some facts about the Ibn-Tulun Mosque: it was
built eight hundred years ago by Ibn-Tulun and hence
bore his name and it is the largest mosque in
As
we approached the Mosque, however, we noticed that there was a significant
number of Egyptian tourist police in evidence and that a lot of armament was on
display. In fact I am convinced that there were more armed tourist police in
evidence than actual tourists. Apparently there was an attack upon the Mosque recently
and several scholars attending the Mosque where injured. This had been reported
in the papers but had been relegated to page eight due to the rescue of eleven
tourists and eight Egyptians who had been taken prisoner in the desert by
criminals.
The
attack was apparently instigated by half a dozen men who had come into the
Mosque bearing sticks with hooks on the end (Hookies?)
who had then set upon a number of worshippers. The tourist police reacted
swiftly to this attack and the six perpetrators were swiftly eradicated. We
decide to ask one of the scholars of his opinion and he informed us that the
initial belief in regard to this was that the six men were terrorists but
judging from the angry reaction of one of the other scholars this is but a
story. To me this seems like a diversion created to allow someone to achieve
something and was always planned to fail – the classic illusion used by stage
magicians the world around.
We
could try and use Roberts’s ability to sense magic in the Mosque but the
limited range means that large areas would not be covered and there are
considerably areas here that are marked as private.
Note:
the tourist police are not allowed within the areas of prayer for this is where
the greybeards instruct the acolytes in the ways of the Koran. As tourists we
are allowed to observe these areas and, just like every other classroom in the
world, we can observe the students working hard. There are still the
daydreamers and the bored who stare into space and do
not pay attention.
Once
again I observe one scholar staring at us with anger in his eyes. Maybe he can
sense something much like the woman Ayesha and, if so,
maybe he believes that we have followed a similar path to the Carlisle
Expedition and in doing so have all lost our souls!