Omar placed the magazine back on the coffee table. “Dr Turner, political and ideological differences aside, I would very much appreciate it if you could enlighten me.” He crossed his legs, clasping his knee with both hands as he leant back into the sofa.

His body language, tone of voice and even the look on his face told her that she had little choice. And the safety of her friends, husband and son might hinge on her cooperating.

She sighed. “There was a second book, one that was hidden as soon as it was found. I myself only learnt of it shortly before the Chaos, nine years after the discovery of the Library.”

He leant forward once more, already fascinated by this new information.

Gail wasn’t a betting person, nor had she ever had a keen eye for business, but she knew this might be her only chance. “If you reconsider our request for a boat, so that our companions can leave Egypt, I will tell you everything that was contained within the second book.”

There was silence for several minutes, before he replied.

“You would need food, and boats large enough are difficult to come by these days, even for us. You would also need some of our knowledge of safe areas to go to and travel through. It goes without saying you would also need some medical supplies,” he said pensively, listing the items on his fingers. “However, we are good people, as you have seen, and I am a good man. More importantly, I am a scholar at heart, and your promise has whetted my appetite.”

Chapter 98

Jake stood on the deck of the large trawler that Omar Abdel-Rahman had, seemingly out of nowhere, decided to let them use. He looked out over the docks where men busied themselves ferrying various crates and odds and ends from the large warehouses on the dockside to the bowels of the ship.

Before long, the last bundle had been stowed away, and Omar Abdel-Rahman joined Gail, George, Zahra and Ben on the dockside. The man with the hook-nose reported briefly to Omar, but the stiff sea breeze made it impossible for Jake to hear what they were saying.

Jake looked on as hook-nose boarded the ship and disappeared below deck, then looked to his mother in interest. Most of the travellers were now already on board, and had been preparing their living quarters. It did not occur to Jake, until he saw six more men boarding, that none of his own people knew how to pilot such a craft, nor knew how to navigate the high seas.

It dawned on him that they would not be making their trip on their own, and that the vessel was a loan, and not a gift.

“You look confused?” a voice said behind him.

Jake turned with a start and saw hook-nose standing on deck, with a length of coiled rope in one hand and a nonchalant smile drawn across his face.

“It seems,” he continued as he extended his hand, “that we are to be ship-mates for the foreseeable future. My name is Mehmet.”

Jake shook the hand despite himself. This was the detestable man that a day earlier had threatened his mother and had held them all in dire conditions with little to eat or drink. The man who had looked down on them all from the walkway inside the warehouse and held his mother at gunpoint was now shaking his hand.

“Why –” Jake began, withdrawing his arm sharply.

“This is our ship,” Mehmet interrupted. “And you require passage to Italy. And yet none of your people know how the ship works. So you need a crew. The ship is valuable, but the fuel we will use is even more so. We are also keen to communicate and trade with Europe, and so you will be our passengers.”

Jake looked back at his mother and father, who were now talking quietly to each other on the docks.

“Your mother and Omar Abdel-Rahman are responsible for this. If it were up to me, then my hospitality would not have been so far-reaching. And yet,” he nodded towards the dockside, “they appear to have quite a lot in common, at least academically.”

Something about the way in which his parents were talking, their body language, the way in which they were looking at the ship, and at him, suddenly made Jake feel uneasy.

He started towards the gangway, leaving Mehmet behind him.

“I don’t know how to do this, George,” Gail gasped, fighting back her emotions. “It was difficult knowing I would have to say goodbye, but now –”

“We can go with them?” George suggested, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

She hesitated, but not long enough for George’s hope to remain intact. “No,” she swallowed and evened the creases in her shirt with her palms. “I have to do this.” There was finality in her voice, and it still weighed down on them both as Jake reached them, the one word on his mind escaping on a breath.

“Mum,” he pleaded.

She said nothing, but opened her arms wide and accepted his embrace.

“Mum!” he sobbed as he buried his face deep into her shoulder and collapsed against her. “I’m staying with you,” he said suddenly, holding her at arms’ length. His face was a mess of tears and hurt.

“No, Jake,” she said softly. “You’re not. You have to go and live your life. This may be your only chance.”

“Then come with us! There must be enough room on the boat, and if there isn’t then we’ll make room!”

Gail looked at him, this man who had suddenly become a frightened little boy again. She had spent her life caring for him, making sure he was safe, making sure he didn’t stray too far, and yet here she was pushing him away. She broke down, unable to fight back the flood of emotions she’d been building up for days now.

As she sobbed into Jake’s chest, George put his hands on both their shoulders, comforting them.

“Jake, you must go with the group to Europe,” he tried desperately to fight back his own tears. “They’ll need your language skills, and your strength. Your mother has to return to Amarna. There’s something very important that she has to do.” He didn’t mention the fact that neither he nor Gail had any idea what that important thing was.

They held each other tightly in a circle. George let his statements sink in for a few moments before continuing, his voice more steady now.

“Once we have returned from Amarna, we will be safe here in Abu Qir. Omar has assured us of that. And then we can meet again, here or in Europe.” George didn’t expect his son or his wife to believe that, but nonetheless it seemed to calm some of their nerves down and they were able, somehow, to enjoy their last few hours together, speaking more than in the past few weeks combined.

There was something quite hypnotic about the boat as it left with the tide, diesel fumes and engine noise bringing back memories of a long-gone era of technological advancement that Gail would probably never see again.

The sun broke through the clouds on the horizon just long enough for the boat to be picked out by its rays, like a tiny insect in the undulating sands of the desert.

And then it was gone, the sea descended into darkness.

She looked on long after it was out of sight and the sun had set, following it in her mind’s eye. Willing, and wishing, it well.

George covered her shoulders with a blanket and rubbed them gingerly. She continued to look into the darkness in silence, the cold wind playing with her hair and cooling the warm tears as they ran down her cheeks.

She closed her eyes and wept “I love you, my baby.” A gust of wind took the words from her lips and carried them out to sea towards the lonely vessel.

Chapter 99

The journey south was far quicker, due in no small part to the role of four of their donkeys, which they had been allowed to keep, and a two-wheeled cart. The last two donkeys had been given to Omar Abdel-Rahman, in part exchange for the safe passage of their people to Europe. The academic in him wanted to go with Gail, to see the wonders that she had described. But with his second-in-command on a ship to Italy, he couldn’t afford to leave their stronghold without a leader.