[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.By the time the squad of police arrived, they were all gone.Perhaps it would be in order for me to remind my less well-informed Readers (a small minority, but nonetheless worthy of consideration) of the historical background in order to explain why a British officer was in command of Egyptian troops, and why Cairo seethed with the spirit of revolt.Though it was formally a province of the Ottoman Empire, Egypt had effectively been under British control since the middle of the nineteenth century.In 1914 it was declared a British protectorate, under military occupation, when the Turks were threatening the Suez Canal and it was feared that Egyptians would support their fellow Muslims against an occupying power they had always resented.These fears had not materialized, except for a single abortive attempt at an insurrection in Cairo.Maternal pride compels me to add that it was aborted by Ramses, who had taken on the role of a radical nationalist leader named Wardani in order to intercept the weapons sent by Turkey to Wardani's group.Had it not been for his efforts, and the equally perilous part played by David, the Canal might well have fallen to the enemy.But as I was saying.What Egypt wanted was independence, from Britain, Turkey, or any other nation.Once the war ended, the demands of Egyptian Nationalists intensified.Britain's response had not been well-thought-out.One bad mistake had been the exiling of Nationalist leader Zaghlul Pasha.A tall, impressive-looking man, he was a splendid orator and much beloved by the Egyptian people.When the news of his summary deportation became known, rioting and demonstrations broke out all over Egypt.Though we were of course deeply distressed by the violence, the uprising in Upper Egypt earlier that year had not affected us personally.Our Egyptian friends were too sensible to engage in such a futile, uncivilized procedure, and naturally no one would have dared inconvenience the Father of Curses and his family.The rebellion was put down by force.Zaghlul Pasha was released and went off to Paris, where the Peace Conference of the Allies was meeting to decide the fate of conquered and occupied territories.Zaghlul's demands were ignored.The British government insisted that the protectorate must be maintained.As a result, disaffection continued to smolder, isolated acts of violence against foreigners still occurred, and orators like Rashad stirred the populace up.Britain had agreed to send out a high-level commission of inquiry under Lord Milner, the colonial secretary, but few people believed that its report would bring about the changes Egypt demanded."There's another complication," Ramses said, as we mounted the stairs to the terrace."No, why should there be?" demanded Emerson."Kamil el Wardani may hold a grudge against you and David, but he is out of the picture, Zaghlul Pasha is the accepted leader of the independence movement.Has Rashad changed allegiance?""It doesn't matter," I declared."We have enough to worry about without becoming revolutionaries, and we must at all costs prevent David from becoming involved with that lot again.Emerson, I strictly forbid you to climb on soapboxes and orate.""They don't use soapboxes," Emerson said mildly.I looked from his smiling, self-satisfied countenance to the hooded eyes of my son, and a strong foreboding-of a sort to which I am only too accustomed-came over me.Sympathy for the rights of the Egyptian people was one thing, and we had always been of that mind.Rioting and instigating riots was something else again.Our rooms on the third floor of Shepheard's were a home away from home; for more years than I care to admit we had dwelled there at least once each season.The suite had two bedrooms, one on either side of a well-appointed sitting room, and two baths.Before she and Ramses were wed, Nefret had occupied the second bedchamber, with Ramses in an adjoining (but I assure you, Reader, not connected) room.Emerson went at once to the balcony of the sitting room, and stood gazing sentimentally out across the roofs and minarets of Cairo.He invited me to join him.I was itching to unpack but I could not refuse; how many times had we stood on that same balcony, on that precise spot, in fact, reveling in our return to the land we loved, and anticipating a busy season of excavation.How long ago it seemed, and yet how recent!Having allowed Emerson (and myself) a few moments of nostalgia, I brought his mind back to the present."If the boat is on time, our loved ones will be here tomorrow evening, Emerson.That gives us only a little over twenty-four hours in which to complete our investigations.""What investigations?" Emerson demanded."If you are thinking of pursuing your favorite sport of badgering the antiquities dealers, dismiss the idea.It would be a waste of time.Martinelli will not dispose of his loot through the usual channels [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]