"Elliott, I told you no," Julie said.
"Father, I didn't realize ..."
"Yes, my dear," Elliott said to Julie, "but I couldn't take no for an answer. Besides, this may be the last time I see Egypt. And Alex has never been ther
e. Surely you won't deny us the pleasure. Is there any reason why we should not all go?"
"Yes, I suppose I should see it," Alex said, by this time thoroughly confused.
"Well, your trunk's packed and on its way," Elliott said. "Come on, now, or we're all going to miss the boat, so to speak."
Julie was staring at him in a silent fury.
Ramsey gave a soft laugh behind him.
"So we all go to Egypt," he said. "I find this most interesting. We shall talk on board, Lord Rutherford, as you have said."
Randolph looked up after tucking the power of attorney into his coat.
"Well, that solves everything, doesn't it? Have a pleasant journey, my darling." He kissed his niece tenderly on the cheek.
The dream again, but he couldn't wake up. He turned over in Daisy's bed, into the scratchy lace pillow with its cloying perfume. "Just a dream," he murmured, "have to stop it." But he saw the mummy coming towards him, the long strips of darkened linen trailing from its shuffling feet. He felt the fingers lock on his throat.
He tried to scream, but he couldn't. He was suffocated, the smell of the filthy cerements choking him.
He turned over, thrashing at the bedcovers and suddenly striking out with his fist, only to feel fingers locked on it tightly.
When he opened his eyes, he saw his father's face.
"Oh, God," he whispered. He fell back on the pillow. The dream locked around him again for an instant, but he shuddered and stared again at his father standing over the bed.
"Father," he moaned. "What are you doing here?"
"I might ask you that question. Get out of that bed and get dressed. Your trunk's waiting downstairs, along with a cab to take you to the P and O docks. You're going to Egypt."
"The hell I am!" What was this, another stage of the nightmare?
His father removed his hat and took the bedside chair. When Henry reached for his cigar and matches, his father knocked them out of his hand.
"Damn you," Henry whispered.
"Now you listen to me. I have things in hand again and I intend to keep it that way. Your cousin Julie and her mysterious Egyptian friend are setting out for Alexandria this afternoon, and Elliott and Alex are going with them. Now you will be on that ship, too, do you understand? You are Julie's cousin, and therefore the only proper companion. And you will see that things remain seemly, that nothing intervenes to prevent Julie's eventual marriage to Alex Savarell. And you will see ... you will see that this man, whoever he is, does not hurt my brother's only child."
"That man! You're mad if you think I'll--"
"And you are disinherited and penniless if you don't!" Randolph lowered his voice as he leaned forward. "I mean this, Henry. All your life I've given you everything you ever wanted. But if you don't toe the line now, and see this thing to the bloody end, I shall remove you from the board of Stratford Shipping. I shall terminate your salary and your personal income. Now you will be on that ship. And you will keep an eye on your cousin and see she doesn't elope with that revoltingly handsome Egyptian! And you will keep me posted as to everything that is going on."
Randolph removed a slim white envelope from his breast pocket. He laid it on the bedside table. There was a thick wad of money in the envelope. Henry could see that. His father rose to go.
"And don't wire me from Cairo that you're broke. Stay away from the gaming tables and the belly dancers. I shall expect a letter or a telegram within a week's time."
Hancock was beside himself.
"Left for Egypt!" he sputtered into the telephone. "But the whole collection is still there in that house! How could she do this!"
He motioned for silence to the clerk who meant to disturb him. Then he slammed down the black receiver in its hook.
"Sir, the newspapermen are here again, about the mummy."