He Shall Thunder in the Sky by He Shall Thunder in the Sky

He Shall Thunder in the Sky by He Shall Thunder in the Sky

Author:He Shall Thunder in the Sky [Sky, He Shall Thunder in the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-11-05T00:59:55+00:00


From Manuscript H

The Turk was late. Ramses, lying flat beside one of the monuments, had been there for some time before he heard the creak of wagon wheels. He waited until the slow-moving vehicle had passed before getting to his feet, and he was conscious of a cowardly reluctance to go on as he approached from an oblique angle, stepping carefully over fallen gravestones. Farouk and the others had already arrived, singly or in pairs as he had taught them.

He watched the proceedings for a while through a break in the wall. The Turk was in a hurry, so much so that he actually took a hand in the unloading. He started and swore when Ramses slipped in.

“Don’t bother inspecting the merchandise,” he growled. “It is all here.”

“So you say.”

“There is no time.” He heaved a canvas-wrapped bundle at Ramses, who caught it and passed it on to Farouk.

“Shall I open it, sir?” Farouk asked.

“No,” Ramses said curtly. “Get on with it.”

He went to stand beside the Turk. “There has been trouble. Did Farouk tell you?”

“I thought I should leave it to you, sir,” said Farouk, in a voice like honey dripping.

Ramses moved back a step. “We cannot use Aslimi’s place again. It was raided by the police last night. Every merchant in the Khan el Khalili is talking about it.”

The Turk emitted a string of obscenities in a mixture of languages. “Who betrayed us?”

“Who else but Aslimi? He has been on the verge of cracking for weeks. How did you get away from them, Farouk?”

“You were surprised to see me here?”

“No. Every merchant in the Khan knows the police left without a prisoner. Were you warned in advance?”

“No, I was only very clever.” He let out a grunt as the Turk passed a heavy box into his arms. “I know the alleys of the Hoshasheyn as a lover knows the body of his mistress. They came nowhere near me.”

“They?” Ramses echoed the word.

“The police. Who else would I mean? No one came near me.”

That settles that, Ramses thought. If Farouk were loyal to Wardani he would have mentioned his meeting with the Emersons and bragged of his cleverness in duping the formidable Father of Curses out of a thousand pounds in gold. He might be vain enough to think he could get the money without giving anything in return.

“Well done,” Ramses murmured. “Aslimi cannot tell the police very much, because we did not tell him very much, but we must arrange for another drop. Do you know the Mosque of Qasr el-Ain? It’s not much used except on Friday, when the dervishes whirl, and there is a small opening beside one of the marble slabs on the left wall as you go in. It’s the one just under the text of the Ayet el-Kursee. You know your Koran, of course?”

“I will find the place. One more delivery. It will be the last.”

“Is the time so close, then?”

“Close enough.” The wagon was empty. The Turk got onto the seat and gathered the reins.



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