19
Taxi Ride
The cab made a right turn from the Victoria Embankment on to Northumberland Avenue and headed north towards Trafalgar Square. Indiana Jones sat in the back of the London taxi, deep in thought.
He was returning from Scotland Yard to Professor Allenby's residence where he and Marcus were staying. Again and again he turned over in his mind the recent events, and what Vadoma had confided in him. He wondered what his next move should be.
Obviously they didn't see any need for his services in the investigation of Lord Malboury's disappearance. Davies had made that clear. But Jones wanted to stay involved, if only to try to help Vadoma in some way. The woman was in a tough spot, and Indy still thought she knew something that she wasn't saying. But if he came out and told the police what she'd confided in him, well, who's to say she wasn't right about the Nazis being able to get to her here in England, and kill her? He didn't want to be responsible for the unfortunate woman's death, or her sister's. And yet if they deported her back to Germany.....
Jones now almost wished he hadn't spoken to her; wished he hadn't felt such an overwhelming curiosity to meet 'Queen Nefertiti'. Now he couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible for her welfare. What was it about women? He asked himself the maddening question even as he remembered the way Vadoma had squeezed his hand tightly, and her tearful plea for him to help her.
He glanced at the taxi driver's calendar taped to the dashboard of the vehicle. Tomorrow was New Year's Day. Was 1937 over already? Only two more weeks until classes would open at Barnett; and he'd barely started on the first of the syllabuses for the three courses he was supposed to be teaching this spring semester. Maybe it would be best to just go home.
The taxi passed through the rotary of Trafalgar Square and moved up Charing Cross road on its way north towards Allenby's home just above Bloomsbury. Jones continued to think through the problem. He wasn't even sure if he should tell Marcus about it or not, which for him was the sign of a true dilemma. And Marcus would be leaving for Cairo in the morning, so he'd have to make up his mind before then. Maybe it would be best not to tell Marcus. He didn't want to burden his good friend; he would have enough to deal with, helping Agent Elliot in Egypt.
Eventually the taxi made a right turn on to New Oxford Street, and a bit later a left on to Bloomsbury Street. A short time after that Indiana Jones watched out the window of the cab as the British Museum passed by on the right. As he rode on Jones couldn't help wishing that he could make all of his vexing thoughts disappear for a while and just immerse himself in the museum's library. Sometimes such meditative studying was the best kind of therapy. Or maybe he could just spend a whole day rummaging through the museum's fascinating basement, looking for some glorious artifact that even now waited to be re-discovered.
"The basement!" Jones nearly shouted.
The cab driver looked back, "What's that sir?"
Indy was momentarily embarrassed, "Oh, um, nothing...nothing, I'm sorry."
The basement; Malboury's office; ...the picture on the wall of Malboury standing in front of the Temple of Karnak. Indiana Jones had a sudden revelation.
He leaned forward and spoke to the driver, "Excuse me sir, but could you please turn around and drive back to the British Museum? I'd like to get off there."
The driver angled his head back, "Sure mate. No difference to me."
"Thank you," Indiana Jones said as he glanced at his pocket watch. It was just after lunch time and Jones hoped that Allenby would be in his office.
After a quick turn around it was a short ride back to the museum. Indiana Jones got out, paid the taxi driver and jogged up the steps to the main entrance. Allenby's office was located on the ground floor, on the back side of one of the older wings. Indy approached the door, which was closed, and knocked.
"Come in," Allenby called from behind his desk where he was eating a sandwich and reading the London Daily.
Jones entered, "Hello John, I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch but..."
"Oh nonsense Indy, no bother, please come in and sit down. Care to join me?" Allenby motioned towards a bowl of blood pudding.
"No thanks, I'm not really hungry."
"So what brings you back here to the museum?" Allenby said as he put down his newspaper, "I thought you might already be back at my residence preparing to return to America."
"I was on my way to your house actually. But on the way it hit me," Jones said.
"What hit you? You weren't involved in an accident were you?"
Jones chuckled, "No, no...I'm sorry, poor choice of words. No, what hit me was an idea, and I'd like to go back down to Malboury's office in the basement to check it out. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think we may have missed something when we were searching down there for the Roman scrolls."
"What could we have possibly missed?" Allenby asked, "We conducted a thorough search, and Scotland Yard was in there before us."
"Like I say John, I could be wrong, but I've just got a hunch."
Allenby smiled at him, "Yes, you Americans and your 'hunches'," he stood up, opened his desk drawer, and retrieved a key, "well then, to the basement I suppose," he said, and gestured toward the door.
The two men made their way through the artifact laden halls of the British Museum. As they walked past rows of sculptures, works of art, and display cases filled with treasures of the ancient world Jones noted how much more vibrant and alive everything looked in the abundance of natural daylight supplied by the skylights located in the high ceilings above; so very different from the previous evening. Allenby smiled with satisfaction as he observed several museum patrons intensely studying and enjoying his new display of 4TH Dynasty sculptures, of which he was justly proud.
At length they reached the curving stairway leading down to the basement and descended. A few moments later they stood before the door to Malboury's office. Allenby turned the key in the lock and opened the door.
Indiana Jones entered, walked over to the far wall and stood before the photograph of Lord Richard Malboury standing in front of the Temple of Karnak in Upper Egypt.
It was a twelve by fourteen inch framed photo probably taken within the last five years. Malboury was smiling broadly, apparently enjoying the day. Beside him was an unidentified Egyptian, probably one of his diggers. Off to the side were two other unidentified men, one a European, and the other apparently an Egyptian; there was also a camel standing not too far behind those men.
Jones moved closer to the photo and appeared to be examining it in close detail. Allenby watched him curiously, "Well, have you found what it is that you're looking for Indy?"
Indiana Jones turned to him and nodded his head, "I think so."
Taxi Ride
The cab made a right turn from the Victoria Embankment on to Northumberland Avenue and headed north towards Trafalgar Square. Indiana Jones sat in the back of the London taxi, deep in thought.
He was returning from Scotland Yard to Professor Allenby's residence where he and Marcus were staying. Again and again he turned over in his mind the recent events, and what Vadoma had confided in him. He wondered what his next move should be.
Obviously they didn't see any need for his services in the investigation of Lord Malboury's disappearance. Davies had made that clear. But Jones wanted to stay involved, if only to try to help Vadoma in some way. The woman was in a tough spot, and Indy still thought she knew something that she wasn't saying. But if he came out and told the police what she'd confided in him, well, who's to say she wasn't right about the Nazis being able to get to her here in England, and kill her? He didn't want to be responsible for the unfortunate woman's death, or her sister's. And yet if they deported her back to Germany.....
Jones now almost wished he hadn't spoken to her; wished he hadn't felt such an overwhelming curiosity to meet 'Queen Nefertiti'. Now he couldn't help feeling somewhat responsible for her welfare. What was it about women? He asked himself the maddening question even as he remembered the way Vadoma had squeezed his hand tightly, and her tearful plea for him to help her.
He glanced at the taxi driver's calendar taped to the dashboard of the vehicle. Tomorrow was New Year's Day. Was 1937 over already? Only two more weeks until classes would open at Barnett; and he'd barely started on the first of the syllabuses for the three courses he was supposed to be teaching this spring semester. Maybe it would be best to just go home.
The taxi passed through the rotary of Trafalgar Square and moved up Charing Cross road on its way north towards Allenby's home just above Bloomsbury. Jones continued to think through the problem. He wasn't even sure if he should tell Marcus about it or not, which for him was the sign of a true dilemma. And Marcus would be leaving for Cairo in the morning, so he'd have to make up his mind before then. Maybe it would be best not to tell Marcus. He didn't want to burden his good friend; he would have enough to deal with, helping Agent Elliot in Egypt.
Eventually the taxi made a right turn on to New Oxford Street, and a bit later a left on to Bloomsbury Street. A short time after that Indiana Jones watched out the window of the cab as the British Museum passed by on the right. As he rode on Jones couldn't help wishing that he could make all of his vexing thoughts disappear for a while and just immerse himself in the museum's library. Sometimes such meditative studying was the best kind of therapy. Or maybe he could just spend a whole day rummaging through the museum's fascinating basement, looking for some glorious artifact that even now waited to be re-discovered.
"The basement!" Jones nearly shouted.
The cab driver looked back, "What's that sir?"
Indy was momentarily embarrassed, "Oh, um, nothing...nothing, I'm sorry."
The basement; Malboury's office; ...the picture on the wall of Malboury standing in front of the Temple of Karnak. Indiana Jones had a sudden revelation.
He leaned forward and spoke to the driver, "Excuse me sir, but could you please turn around and drive back to the British Museum? I'd like to get off there."
The driver angled his head back, "Sure mate. No difference to me."
"Thank you," Indiana Jones said as he glanced at his pocket watch. It was just after lunch time and Jones hoped that Allenby would be in his office.
After a quick turn around it was a short ride back to the museum. Indiana Jones got out, paid the taxi driver and jogged up the steps to the main entrance. Allenby's office was located on the ground floor, on the back side of one of the older wings. Indy approached the door, which was closed, and knocked.
"Come in," Allenby called from behind his desk where he was eating a sandwich and reading the London Daily.
Jones entered, "Hello John, I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch but..."
"Oh nonsense Indy, no bother, please come in and sit down. Care to join me?" Allenby motioned towards a bowl of blood pudding.
"No thanks, I'm not really hungry."
"So what brings you back here to the museum?" Allenby said as he put down his newspaper, "I thought you might already be back at my residence preparing to return to America."
"I was on my way to your house actually. But on the way it hit me," Jones said.
"What hit you? You weren't involved in an accident were you?"
Jones chuckled, "No, no...I'm sorry, poor choice of words. No, what hit me was an idea, and I'd like to go back down to Malboury's office in the basement to check it out. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think we may have missed something when we were searching down there for the Roman scrolls."
"What could we have possibly missed?" Allenby asked, "We conducted a thorough search, and Scotland Yard was in there before us."
"Like I say John, I could be wrong, but I've just got a hunch."
Allenby smiled at him, "Yes, you Americans and your 'hunches'," he stood up, opened his desk drawer, and retrieved a key, "well then, to the basement I suppose," he said, and gestured toward the door.
The two men made their way through the artifact laden halls of the British Museum. As they walked past rows of sculptures, works of art, and display cases filled with treasures of the ancient world Jones noted how much more vibrant and alive everything looked in the abundance of natural daylight supplied by the skylights located in the high ceilings above; so very different from the previous evening. Allenby smiled with satisfaction as he observed several museum patrons intensely studying and enjoying his new display of 4TH Dynasty sculptures, of which he was justly proud.
At length they reached the curving stairway leading down to the basement and descended. A few moments later they stood before the door to Malboury's office. Allenby turned the key in the lock and opened the door.
Indiana Jones entered, walked over to the far wall and stood before the photograph of Lord Richard Malboury standing in front of the Temple of Karnak in Upper Egypt.
It was a twelve by fourteen inch framed photo probably taken within the last five years. Malboury was smiling broadly, apparently enjoying the day. Beside him was an unidentified Egyptian, probably one of his diggers. Off to the side were two other unidentified men, one a European, and the other apparently an Egyptian; there was also a camel standing not too far behind those men.
Jones moved closer to the photo and appeared to be examining it in close detail. Allenby watched him curiously, "Well, have you found what it is that you're looking for Indy?"
Indiana Jones turned to him and nodded his head, "I think so."