The Cult of Osiris (25 page)

Nadia handed the tall glasses, ice clinking, to Nina and Osir. 'Is there anything else you want?' she asked in a suggestive tone.

Osir grinned. Always, my dear . . . but not just now. Perhaps after the party at the casino.' He gave her backside something between a brush and a swat as she turned to leave, making her giggle.

You got a hunky guy in Speedos for me?' Nina asked. She had seen several other young women in similar states of near-undress since boarding - along with numerous green-blazered guards, some armed with silenced MP7 sub-machine guns.

I'm sure we could arrange one.

She got the feeling he wasn't joking. 'So, tell me,' she said, wanting both to change the subject and to pass the time until she could legitimately go for another 'bathroom break' - her first attempt to contact Eddie from the yacht had failed because the head she chose had zero cell phone reception, how does a guy go from being a baker to founding his own religion? With a spell as a movie star in between, too.'

Osir sat up and muted the flatscreen, pleased at the opportunity to talk about his favourite subject: himself. 'I said in Switzerland that I like to gamble, yes? Well,
I
became an actor because I took a gamble. I was only fourteen, and a movie was being shot in my town. From the moment I saw the actors, and the crew attending them, I knew I had to be a part of it -somehow. But they were only on location for three days before going back to the studio. So every day I sneaked out of school and hung around the shoot, talking to people between takes

including the lead actor, FadiL I tried to convince Sebak to come with me - he was twelve -but he was afraid of being caught, and thought our father would be furious.'

And was he?'

Osir smiled. 'Oh, yes. But
I
'll come to that. On the last day, they were shooting a scene where the two leads get out of a car and go into a hotel, and they needed some extras in the background. Because one of the people I had befriended was the assistant director, he called me over/

And so began a movie career,' said Nina. For all her distrust of Osir, with his rich voice and expressive face she couldn't help warming to him as a storyteller.

Not quite,' he said. 'Skipping school was only a small gamble. The
big
gamble was when
I
gave myself a line during the take.'

Ooh. I bet the director was mad/

He smiled again, no longer looking at Nina but somewhere off into the sky.
I
can still remember it - Fadil was having trouble getting a big case out of the car. I saw that the director was about to say "Cut", so
I
stepped forward and said, "Help the gentleman with his case? Only ten piastres," and held out my hand like Oliver Twist!'

And what happened?

The director was so surprised, he forgot to call for a cut,' he said, laughing, and Fadil, since he knew me, improvised rather than getting angry. He said, "If you take
all
the lady's cases, I'll give you twenty!" Everyone laughed, and the director decided to keep it in the film. I even got paid! You will never guess how much.

Twenty piastres?'

Out of Fadil's own pocket. So that was my big gamble, and my first screen appearance. Of course, Sebak was incredibly jealous, so he told my parents what
I
had done. And yes, my father was furious. But a few days later he got a letter from the director. After he saw the dailies from the location he realised there was a later scene where he could follow up my little

joke in a way that helped build Fadil's character. To do that, though, he needed me again . . . so he asked if I would come to Cairo to shoot the new scene/

Wow,' Nina said, impressed. It really did payoff.'

More than I could ever have dreamed. My father took a little persuading, but I got my way; there are advantages to being the first-born son! So
I
went to Cairo, and since I was working at the studio,
I
needed to sign a contract. My birth name, Khalid Shaban, was the same as another actor's, so they asked me to pick a stage name. I chose Osir - after Osiris, of course. I thought it would bring me luck.'

And it did.'

It certainly did. By sixteen,
I
was in regular work as an actor - small parts at first, but building my skills and making friends on both sides of the camera. By eighteen, I had starred in my first film, which was quite successful by Egyptian standards. The studio wanted more, but I was due to start my three years of national service in the army. So the studio head, who had friends in the government, pulled a few strings.

Nina sipped her martini. And got you out of military service?'

He nodded.
I
would have done it, but I'm glad I didn't have to.
I
was having too much fun! I was only eighteen, but I was famous, making lots of money, travelling - and meeting many beautiful women.' Osir smiled broadly - a smile which, to Nina's surprise, quickly faded. All this only made Sebak even more jealous . . . and then he had his accident.'

What happened to him? I mean, he obviously got burned, but. . .'

It happened in the army.' Osir shook his head sadly. 'Unlike me, he was conscripted. So he was already angry about that. Then, only a few weeks into service, he was in a truck that crashed and caught fire. He was in hospital for two months, with one side of his face, and more, burned away . . . then he was made to go straight back into his unit to serve the rest of his three years. He was understandably bitter.

'I'm not surprised/ The revelation did nothing to make Nina more sympathetic to Shaban, but she could understand his constantly simmering rage at the world.

When he came out of the army, I did what any elder brother should, and took care of him. I found him work as my assistant, and when I established the Osirian Temple
I
made him a key part of it.'

How
did
you establish the Osirian Temple? Setting up a religion isn't exactly something you can buy a Dummies' Guide for.'

Osir chuckled. T made a movie called
Osiris mid Set,
eighteen years ago.
I
played Osiris; it was destined, I suppose! It was very successful - it even had a release, a small one, in America, which is very rare for Egyptian films. Because of it,
I
was for a time the biggest star in Egypt. Everyone knew me, everyone wanted to hear what
I
had to say ... it was like being worshipped, just as
I
had been as Osiris in the movie.' He regarded Nina knowingly, clinking the ice in his glass. 'You've been famous - in a different way, but you know what it's like. And how it is . . .
addictive.'

T wouldn't say that, exactly.'

A sly smile. 'Oh, Nina. The first time you saw yourself on television, the first time you saw your own face on a magazine cover . . . wasn't it a thrill? The world was watching
you,
listening to
you.
There is no feeling like it. And no one is immune to its siren song - not even a scientist. You can't tell me that after having experienced those heights, you are happy to fall into obscurity.

I wouldn't mind, so long as it's
wealthy
obscurity,' Nina said, playing her role. But she reluctantly had to agree that he had a point.

Osir saw her doubt, and smiled again. But as for me, I wanted more. Not just as an actor, or even as a star. I wanted to be loved,' he thumped his heart,
'here.
To have people believe in me, follow me—'

Worship you?'

What can I say?' He raised his hands in mock apology. 'Yes, I wanted to be worshipped. So I quit acting, and founded the Osirian Temple - and, more quietly, also founded the company that would become OIG.'

Another gamble/ said Nina.

The biggest of my life. I am a Muslim, after all/ Nina noted that he used the present tense, and to Islam's more fundamentalist followers, who are unfortunately growing in strength in Egypt, apostasy is a crime that deserves death. I received my share of threats. Which was why I put Sebak in charge of protecting me, and the Osirian Temple as a whole. He is very good at his job.'

Maybe too good,' Nina said. Shaban was now talking to Diamondback on the upper deck, a hand on his shoulder.

Again, I apologise. Events got out of control.' Something on the screen caught his eye, and he jabbed at the button to unmute it. Second fastest! We are on the front row!' He looked back at Nina. 'Yet more apologies, but this is extremely good news.'

That's okay,' she said, putting down the glass. T need to take a quick break anyway.' She headed into the ship to find another bathroom.

Where are you?' Eddie said, answering the phone.

In Monaco,' came Nina's whispered reply. 'I'm on his boat. Ship. Whatever the dividing line is. Where are you?'

On an autostrada in Italy.' He was speeding, doing thirty over the 130 kilometre per hour limit, but this being Italy impatient locals were flashing past him.

'/fa/y?What the hell are you doing there?'

It's the fastest route to Monaco.
I
always wanted to go to the grand prix there, but this wasn't how I planned . . . What about you? Have you seen the zodiac?'

Not yet. Osir's people are still reassembling it; they won't be done until tonight.'

Arse,' he muttered.
I
'd sort of hoped you'd got everything sussed by now.' A thought struck him. This boat, is it in the harbour,?'

No, it's off the coast.

Buggeration and fuckery! How're you going to get off?

Yeah, I was wondering that myself. But listen, Osir said he was going to a party at a casino this evening.
I
think he wants to take me along.'

A party? Do you know which casino?'

No, but it's connected with his racing team, so it shouldn't be too hard to find. Maybe you could hire a boat and follow us back to his ship. It's called the
Solar Barque -
oh, crap, someone's coming. Bye!'

Bye,' said Eddie, but again not quickly enough to beat the click of disconnection.

Is she okay?' Macy asked.

Yeah, but she's on his bloody yacht, and somehow
I
don't think there'll be much chance of us finding a boat for hire the night before the biggest event of the year.'

What was that about a party?'

Eddie chuckled sarcastically. 'You sound a bit keen. Why, you wanting to go?' No. Well, I don't know. What sort of party?' For his grand prix team.'

Her face brightened. 'Oh! Racing drivers? We should
definitely go.'

It's not going to be a social visit,' he reminded her. 'Besides, we're hardly dressed for a flash do at some fancy casino.' He nodded at his jeans, T-shirt and leather jacket, and her travel-crumpled shirt and khaki combat trousers.

She smiled and took out her credit card. Dressing for a night in Monte Carlo? Priceless/

15

167

For all the resort's glamorous reputation, the majority of Monaco's casinos are surprisingly mundane. While the image from many a movie - and the one the Tourist Office wants to present - is of tuxedos, diamonds and fortunes won on the turn of a card or the spin of a wheel, for the most part the reality is rank after rank of computerised slot machines. Like Las Vegas, Monaco has found that while high-rollers look attractive on the big screen, much more profit can be made from a steady flow of ordinary tourists with no clue about the intricacies of gambling and a hunger and thirst ready to be sated in the casinos' own pricey restaurants and bars.

The principality's newest establishment, however, had opted to hearken back to the idealised fantasy of the Riviera. The Casino d'Azur was a deliberate throwback to the days when being a member of the jet set was an exotic aspiration and not an everyday drudge of tiny meals and confiscated nail clippers. The slot machines were still present, but relatively discreetly, putting the more traditional gambling pursuits front and centre.

Nina looked round as she and Osir entered one of the casino's main lounges. Though she had little interest in gambling beyond the occasional lotto ticket, she couldn't help but be impressed by the architects' efforts. The d'Azur was a rococo homage to the era when Monaco first became a draw for the rich and risk-inclined, and no expense had been spared in making it as authentic as possible, from the low-hanging crystal chandeliers to the darkly lacquered hardwood of the gaming tables. 'Wow. This place looks amazing.'

'As do you, Nina,' said Osir. Despite herself, she felt her cheeks flush. On the one hand she felt silly and self-conscious, dressed in a blue silk evening gown with her hair styled in an elegant twist. On the other, she
was
being taken for a night out in Monaco, which was undeniably exciting . . . even if the company wasn't to her taste. As well as several burly bodyguards, Osir's entourage included Shaban and Diamondback, the latter having reluctantly donned a tie with his snakeskin jacket to meet the evening's dress code.

'Thank you,' she said. Osir himself made a striking figure in a white tuxedo, the confident way he carried himself ensuring there would be absolutely no chance of his being mistaken for a waiter. He

led her through the games to a side exit, a member of the casino staff recognising him and waving them through.

The doors led to a courtyard, one roped-off end opening on to Casino Square and the racing circuit. With qualifying over, the track had been re-opened to the public; part of the crash barrier had been removed to allow access to the casino. Nina glanced at the passing people in the hope of seeing Eddie, but there was no sign of him or Macy.

An earsplitting noise caught everyone's attention. A sleek racing car in the green and gold livery of Team Osiris had just had its engine started, the chiselled young blond man in the cockpit grinning up at Osir as he blipped the throttle.

Ladies and gentlemen! It seems one of the drivers is impatient to get to the race!' boomed Osir, to laughter from the partygoers. Cameras flashed as he went to the car and shook the driver's hand. Mikko Virtanen, everyone - who I am sure will be not only the winner of tomorrow's grand prix, but soon the world champion!