was he to do it, when he could scarce breathe and his left leg was almost useless? He planted his right foot firmly on the step and swung himself up with his right arm. And then, near to collapse as ever he'd been in his life, he slumped down beside the hunched figure and told the driver where he must go with his last breath.
The cab shot forward, the driver shouting at the pedestrians and cracking his whip. The poor creature beside him cried brokenheartedly, drawing the veil completely over her face.
He embraced her; he ignored the cold hard bone he could feel through the thin black cloth. He held tight to her and, gradually catching his breath, told her again in Latin that he would care for her, that he was her friend.
As the cab sped out of the British district, he tried to think. But shocked and in pain, he could achieve no rational explanation for himself for what he'd witnessed or what he'd done. He only knew on some inchoate level that he'd seen a miracle and a murder; and that the former meant infinitely more to him than the latter; and he was set now upon an irrevocable course.
Julie was only half-awake. Surely she was misunderstanding the British official who stood in the door.
"Arrested? For breaking into the museum? I don't believe it."
"Miss Stratford, he's been wounded, badly. There seems to be some confusion."
"What confusion?"
The doctor was furious. If the man was badly wounded, he should be in hospital, not in the back of the jail.
"Make way," he shouted to the uniformed men in front of him." What in God's name is this, a firing squad?"
No less than twenty rifles were pointed at the tall blue-eyed man standing against the wall. Dried blood covered the man's shirt. The shoulder had been blown away from his coat. There was dried blood there as well. Panic-stricken, he stared at the doctor.
"Come no closer!" he cried." You will not examine me. You will not touch me with your medical instruments. I am unharmed and I want to leave this place."
"Five bullets," whispered the officer in the doctor's ear." I saw the wounds, I tell you. He can't possibly have withstood such a - "
"Let me have a look at you!" The doctor attempted to move in.
Instantly the man's fist shot towards him, knocking the black bag to the ceiling. One of the rifles went off as the man charged the policemen, slamming several of them backwards, against the wall. The doctor fell to his knees. His glasses fell on the ground before him. He felt the heel of a boot come down on his hand as the soldiers stampeded into the hall.
Again the rifle cracked. Shouts and curses in Egyptian. Where were his glasses! He must find his glasses.
Suddenly someone was helping him to his feet. The glasses were in his hand and quickly he put them on.
A civilized English face came into focus.
"Are you all right?"
"What the devil's happened? Where is he? Did they shoot him again?"
"The man's as strong as a bull. He broke the back door out, bars and all. He's escaped."
Thank God, Alex was with her. No one could find Elliott. Samir had gone on to the police station to find out what he could. As she and Alex were ushered into the office, she saw with relief that it was the governor's assistant. Miles Winthrop, and not the governor himself. Miles had gone to school with Alex. Julie had known him since he was a little boy.
"Miles, this is a misunderstanding," Alex said." It has to be."
"Miles," she said." Do you think you can get him released?"
"Julie, the situation is more complicated than we realized. First off, the Egyptians aren't too fond of those who break into their world-famous museum. But now there's a theft and a murder to be considered as well."
"What are you talking about!" Julie whispered.
"Miles, Ramsey couldn't murder anybody," Alex said." That's patently absurd."
"I hope you're right, Alex. But there's a maid dead in the museum with her neck broken. And a mummy's been stolen from a display case on the second floor. And your friend has escaped the jail. Now, tell me, both of you. How well do you really know this man?"
Running at full sprint across the roof, he took the alleyway before him in one leap. Within seconds, he covered another roof, and dropped down to another, and then cut