The Cult of Osiris (46 page)

The Egyptian Mil Mi-8 helicopter approached from the west, silhouetted against the bloated red sun on the horizon. It kicked up a swirling vortex of sand as it touched down near the Osireion at Abydos.

Nina, Eddie and Macy stood by the battered Land Rover, Berkeley sitting sullenly in its rear seat, shielding their eyes from the blowing dust. Hatches opened, six men emerging. Five were soldiers, but their uniforms were not the standard tan of regular Egyptian troops: these were the darker camouflage pattern of a special forces team.

The sixth man was a civilian - Dr Ismail Assad, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Dr Wilde,' he said as he reached the Land Rover.

Dr Assad,' Nina replied. She looked past the helicopter to the desert from where it had come. I'm guessing you checked out the GPS co-ordinates I gave you on the phone before coming here.'

I did. It was . . . incredible.' He shook his head in near-disbelief. 'And I only had time to examine the entrance chamber. How much more is there?'

A lot,' said Macy. 'All the way down to Osiris's tomb.'

Incredible,' Assad repeated. T left a team from the Antiquities Special Protection Squad,' he nodded at the soldiers,
^l
to secure the site - the SCA will send a full expedition as soon as possible.'

Shaban won't be going back there,' Eddie warned. 'He's got what he wanted from it.'

Yes, the canopic jar you told me about,' Assad said to Nina. Are you serious? You believe Shaban is going to use it to make a biological weapon?

He
certainly believes it,' said Nina. 'And he's got the resources of the Osirian Temple -well, the Setian Temple now, I suppose - to back him up. From what I saw in Switzerland, he might be able to do it.

Assad frowned. Maybe so, but weapons of mass destruction are a little out of my field. And without proof, I can't persuade higher authorities to take action.

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'

Eddie regarded the soldiers. You'd send this lot in to extradite him?

I'm afraid I can't comment on whether the ASPS have ever carried out missions outside the country,' the Egyptian said with a small but meaningful smile.

And if along the way you also happened to find proof that he was manufacturing biological weapons,' said Nina, well, then you'd
have
to do something about it, wouldn't you?'

I suppose I would. But first I would need proof that he has the zodiac.

Nina looked at Eddie. 'Which means getting back inside the Osirian Temple's headquarters.'

How are you going to do that?' Macy asked. T mean, we saw the place - it's like a fortress. Because it literally
is
a fortress! They won't let you walk right in this time.'

Maybe not,' Eddie said thoughtfully, but there's someone they might. . .'

There's something that
is
in your field, though,' said Nina. 'The zodiac from the Sphinx. I'm sure Shaban has it - Osir would have shipped it back to Switzerland. He even had a space picked out for it in his Osiris memorabilia collection.'

If Shaban has the zodiac,' Assad mused, 'that would definitely justify taking action. He's an Egyptian citizen, after all - and our government takes a very dim view of archaeological thieves.'