Summary of Events in Cairo
==========================
6th March 1925
The party journeyed from Instanbul to Egypt arriving in Alexandria on Saturday morning. Customs restrictions meant that many of the firearms, so beloved of the party, had to be shipped separately. From Alexandria they traveled by train to Cairo arriving early evening that same day.
Accommodation was found at Shepheard’s Hotel 8 Sharia Kamil; a first class hotel with excellent staff. Conveniently it is opposite the offices of the Cairo Bulletin. Since the party had left England in anticipation of hostile pursuit, it was felt to be prudent to operate under false names from this point onwards.
7th March 1925
Discrete enquiries were made at the hotel regarding the exploits of the Carlyle Expedition during their stay in Egypt. The desk staff could recall little except that roger Carlyle had held a reception at the Turf Club. Rupert and Tom decided to visit the club but obtained little relevant information. However, they were followed by an Egyptian beggar-boy (called Ma’Muhd) who, in broken English, persistently offered his services as a guide. They politely refused and were only able to rid themselves of him by giving him money.
Sebastian, Lucius, Bill and George spent the day being shown around the sites at Giza by the professional guide Saleem Naziz. They also attempted to gain access to the Clive Expedition site (another Penhew foundation expedition – like the Carlyle Expedition), but were rudely rebuffed. Nevertheless an enjoyable and educational day was had by all.
8th March 1925
Lucius spent the day trying to find anyone who had been a digger for the Carlyle Expedition when it was in Egypt. Unfortunately he turned up nothing, as people seemed reluctant to talk to him about the subject in question.
George and Rupert spent the day looking around the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. There they learned that the most prominent Egyptologist in Cairo is the museum’s director Dr.Ali Kafour. They were unable, however, to meet with him.
Sebastian and Tom spent the day following up their other Egyptian lead, namely a letter to Carlyle written by an antiquities dealer by the name of Faraz Najir who’s address was in the Street of Jackals. Finding said street proved to be very difficult.
9th March 1925
Sebastian, Rupert and Bill went to the museum of antiquities to try to meet with Dr.Kafour. Fortunately. he did not have an available appointment until the following day.
With some help from Naziz the Street of Jackals was eventually found in the Old City. However, Faraz Najir’s premises turned out to be no more than a burned-out, rubble-strewn hole in the ground. Locals said that five or six years before a hideous demon descended on the shop and set it aflame. All was not lost though, as it was soon learned that Faraz Najir was alive and had new premises in the Khan el-Khalili, and ancient marketplace off the Sharia Muezzeddin Allah.
That evening Rupert, George and Sebastian found Faraz Najir whose face was horribly disfigured (see picture). At the first mention of the Carlyle Expedition Najir’s eyes bulged and he went into a terrible rage telling the investigators to leave his shop immediately. However, after some monetary persuasion he reluctantly agreed to talk to them.
Roger Carlyle, according to Najir, sought information about the reign of the Black Pharaoh, a reign supposed to have been ended by Sneferu, first pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. Najir had come into possession of a number of items related to the Black Pharaoh, including an ancient scroll detailing the entrance to a hidden room in an unnamed pyramid, within which the Black Pharaoh was supposedly entombed; a bust of the Black Pharaoh; a small drum bearing odd symbols supposedly of mystical power; and a strange circlet with a large zircon which was said to be the crown of the Black Pharaoh and to be the key to his triumph over death.
With Carlyle’s agreement, Najir sold the item to Carlyle’s agent, Warren Besart. When pressed as to where he’d obtained the items, Najir eventually let slip that he’d actually stolen them from Omar Shakti, a wealthy Egyptian businessman.
Najir claimed that his injuries were sustained when the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, a cult, took revenge upon him (he was visibly terrified at this point). Furthermore, the Brotherhood were rumoured to be involved in the recent theft of a mummy from the Clive Expedition; currently in Egypt. He also heard that the Brotherhood wanted an item located in the Mosque of Ibn-Tulun, but he did not know what it was or why the Brotherhood wanted it.