human
I have been to Khartoum on business, he said.
gpt
Last night I returned to the city and found that a family emergency had taken both of my brothers out of town. Fuad left very suddenly, after he had written to you. I apologize on his behalf. However, he must be excused, since a call from Ali, in Beirut, sent him running to the airport to catch the next flight. He simply had no time even to call you. His secretary tried to call you today, without success.
human
We wondered,
gpt
Of course. And you are also wondering how I came into the pyramid at just the right time. A fortunate accident. You see, I came to Sahara Wells hoping to see you, but you were sightseeing. Dr. Winston was kind enough to tell me where you were. I simply went hunting for you. A quick drive around the area told me you must be in one of the pyramids, and the biggest one seemed the most logical place to look for you.
human
Who was the man who pretended to be your brother Ali?
gpt
His chief clerk. He is an arrogant type who often shows poor judgment. Instead of simply explaining to you that Ali was out of town, he apparently told you he was Ali. This was the case?
human
He will be discharged at once. I suspected it when I questioned him last night. He gave some lame excuse about your refusing to hand over the cat to anyone except my brother Ali. He told Fuad the same thing, according to his secretary.
gpt
It wasn't such a lame excuse, Mr. Moustafa, Rick corrected.
human
Mr. Bartouki asked us to deliver the cat to Ali Moustafa. We have no instructions to deliver it to anyone else.
gpt
I see. And I commend your discretion. But my brother Ali will not return for many weeks, and you will not want to take the cat back to America with you. So we will telephone Mohammed Bartouki, and you will hear directly from him that I am a suitable substitute for my brother.
human
Why is the cat so important?
gpt
Why not? The creature will open a new industry in Cairo. It will employ a number of people. It will make a profit for the Moustafa-Bartouki enterprises. It will please the tourists. Obviously the cat is important.
human
How did you know the cat in the pyramid wasn't the cat we brought from America?
gpt
It was obvious, was it not? The broken cat was made of colored concrete. The cat Bartouki took such pains to develop was of a plastic that does not have the graininess of concrete. If you tell me the one in the pyramid was indeed the original, I will be very disappointed. Such a model would not be suitable.
human
It wasn't,
gpt
Ah. And where is the original?
human
Perhaps the answer to that had better wait until we have talked to Bartouki.
gpt
Discretion in one so young, he proclaimed,
human
You will excuse me? I have business in the city. But tonight at seven I will come to your hotel and we will phone our friend in New York. It will then be noon in New York, and we will find him reading the Koran at home. This is his custom. Until then, _Assalamo alaikum_, which is to say, 'Good day to you.'
gpt
he quoted,
human
I haven't heard you volunteering to hand the poor creature over. Besides, our pal Kemel is not all that he seems.
gpt
And how do you know?
human
Easy. Did he ask us who jumped us in the pyramid, or why? Did he explain why he carries a Luger? Nope, to both. He carries a Luger because there's danger in this business. And he knows why those Arabs jumped us. He may not know them by name, but he knows what they were after, and he knows why.
gpt
Which is more than we know,
human
For now, Rick agreed.
gpt
But we'll find out before we're through, one way or another!
human
It takes some time to get a call through, he said,
gpt
According to my watch, we have only a few seconds to wait. Mr. Brant, you will answer the phone, if you please. Identify Bartouki to your own satisfaction, then ask him about Kemel Moustafa. Then turn the phone over to me, and I will talk with him. After that you take the phone back again, and he will give you final instructions. This is acceptable?
human
Absolutely,
gpt
Rick Brant speaking.
human
On your call to New York. Mr. Bartouki is on the line. Go ahead, please.
gpt
Mr. Bartouki? This is Rick Brant.
human
Good morning, Rick. Ah, but this is evening in Cairo, is it not?
gpt
Mr. Bartouki, please forgive me, but I must establish your identity beyond any doubt. Can you tell me what color dress my sister Barbara wore at your reception, and the color of her hair and eyes?
human
Of course. Her dress was a very attractive blue wool with a red leather belt. She is very blond, with dark-blue eyes, and she is about my height.
gpt
Thank you, sir. The reason I had to be careful is this. We went to Ali Moustafa's shop, and a man who did not answer your description of Ali Moustafa pretended to be him. We refused to give up the cat. Then our room was searched. We received a letter from Fuad Moustafa, and when we went to his house it was padlocked. Last night a man came to our room with a pistol and demanded the cat. We gave him a copy we had made in concrete. I should add we also were attacked in front of the Egyptian Museum by men who searched us. That was why we made the copies in concrete. The real one is hidden. Then, this morning, we were attacked again, inside the pyramid. We were rescued by Kemel Moustafa. He is here with us now. If you approve, we will give him the cat. If not, tell us what to do with it.
human
This is incredible! I must know the meaning of this. May I speak to Kemel?
gpt
Can you speak in English please?
human
Of course. Forgive me. He spoke into the phone.
gpt
Your young American friends want me to speak in English, Mohammed. They are cautious, and they have reason. I did not know of their room being searched, the man who came with a pistol, or the attack in front of the museum. I arrived this morning because I had gone to the radio telescope to look for them.... Yes ... yes, most certainly I will try to find out who has caused them such trouble. Ali and Fuad are in Beirut. It is because of our father. You know that he has been very ill? Yes, by all means send a cable. It will be appreciated. And now, if you will tell Mr. Brant ... yes ... _ma'e salamet Ellah_, Mohammed. Allah protect you.
human
Yes, sir?
gpt
My dear boy, I am very upset by this affair. Bartouki sounded agitated, even across the miles.
human
Kemel will try to find out what has been going on. Meanwhile, please give him the model. And accept my apologies for getting you into such a situation, and my thanks for your loyalty to our model cat. I hope to show my appreciation when you return, and I shall certainly want to hear all about this. But for now, trust Kemel. He is my friend and associate.
gpt
Mr. Bartouki agrees. We turn the cat over.
human
Yes. But first, I must know of these attacks. Can you describe the men who attacked you at the Egyptian Museum?
gpt
I'm afraid the descriptions mean nothing. They did not harm you?
human
They could have, Rick stated.
gpt
But they only searched us. We didn't have the cat with us, and it took only seconds for them to find out.
human
I can make no sense of this. Why would anyone want the cat?
gpt
That's exactly the same question we asked ourselves a thousand times,
human
And you made copies of concrete? That was extremely clever of you. I believe you gave one to a man who showed up here?
gpt
I recognize this man! From your description, it can only be one Youssef. He is a well-known thief, and the leader of a gang. My brother Fuad was once requested to defend him, and refused. Another lawyer with less scruples took the case and got him off.
human
But why would a thief want the cat?
gpt
I do not know. Unless he intends to sell the model to a manufacturer, or to produce cats for sale himself. Or, if he knows how much time, money, and planning we have invested in this cat, he may see it as a means of revenge on the Moustafas because Fuad would not take his case.
human
Why do you carry a pistol?
gpt
I have enemies, he explained.
human
I will not bore you with an explanation of why this is, but the reasons are not related to this cat.
gpt
How did you know the cat in the pyramid was not the right one?
human
I have been a contractor. I know concrete. The cat you brought is of plastic, which does not break. Or, if it does, it breaks differently. From your questions, I see you still harbor suspicions. Was not Bartouki's word enough?
gpt
It was, Rick said.
human
Only we'd like to know about these attacks. Who were the men, and why did they want the cat?
gpt
Then my explanation does not seem sufficient. I am truly sorry, because we are in your debt. But I cannot tell you more, because I know no more. The only thing I can do is talk to some people I know who may have more clues to Youssef's behavior.
human
Now, where is the cat?
gpt
It's in the Egyptian Museum,
human
What!
gpt
That's right, Scotty added coolly.
human
We saw the men trailing us, so Rick hid the cat in the museum. If he hadn't, the thieves would have it now.
gpt
But this is terrible! We can never recover it! Surely by now the museum curator has it.
human
I don't think so. And I'm sure we can recover it.
gpt
But how? Guards swarm everywhere. They are alert, because there was a big robbery not long ago. Everyone is watched. Everyone! I don't understand even how you could hide it without being seen.
human
We have our own methods, Rick assured him.
gpt
And we'll get the cat back. If you will come here tomorrow night it will be waiting for you.
human
It had better be, he said flatly.
gpt
If you are caught by the museum guards you had better say it was a joke. As Americans, you may be believed. Do not connect me, or my brothers, or Bartouki with this thing! But get that cat! I don't care how. But get it!
human
Get it, or else?
gpt
Or else, Scotty confirmed.
human
He didn't say it, but he meant it.
gpt
No one gets that excited over a plastic model. The cat is important for some other reason. But what?
human
I'll ask a different question for a change. Who would you rather have on your trail, Moustafa or Youssef?
gpt
I see what you mean, he said finally.
human
There are two groups after the cat. Right? I've wondered about that myself, since we were rescued by Kemel this morning. So we're caught between a pair of tough characters, like eggs in the jaws of a vise.
gpt
And right now the jaws are closing. Fast.
human
How about scrambled eggs for New Year's Eve dinner?
gpt
What?
human
It's New Year's Eve.
gpt
Hey, you're not kidding!
human
Nope. So, as the year closes, where are we? Caught between Kemel and Youssef.
gpt
Maybe next year will bring better things,
human
Uhuh. But for whom?
gpt
That, Scotty said,