Really, I'm shocked that no one has worked on this idea before. I mean, the impressionable Victorian age just wouldn't be the same without our favorite Amelia Peabody. And if you haven't read the books (shame on you!) I'll try to be as explanatory as possible. Based on the comic book, not the movie and set just at the end of MPM's book 'The Snake, The Crocodile And The Dog'. I own nothing. Boohoo.

Chapter 1:

Mina Murray wandered the streets of old Cairo in a fairly disturbed state of mind. One must do all one can for our loving world power Great Britain but...she had already done her share for her country and the world and it certainly hadn't gotten her very far. In fact she was rather worse off. This mysterious 'M' as he called himself now wanted her to recruit three famous personages who had been in the Illustrated London News numerous times and should have been easy to find. Captain Nemo had unknowingly dropped her off in a deserted bazaar in old Cairo where there were no Europeans to be found. Professor and Mrs. Emerson has been at an archaeological site known as Tell El Amarna, but had recently returned and were staying at the famed Shepherds Hotel. The other however, was in a much less reputable spot that she was searching for now.

She could recall that day so well. A rare sunny day in London England, near the wharves with all their sailors and fishmongers where the stench of fish could be smelled right up to the high dock where the carriage was taking her. There was a plain looking (if corpulent) gentleman waiting there, she assumed it must be the prestigiousMoriarty who had contacted her not a month before. He introduced himself, and repeated the plea he had made in his letter.

"Your country needs you Miss Murray."

She didn't know why such a sentiment should affect her so. In the grand scheme of things, what had her country really done for her? After her incident the year previous it had taken all her strength just to find a job as a music teacher and earn far less than any man would have deserved just to support herself. And yet, that famous mantra echoed in her head. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. It is sweet and seemly to die for ones country.

With a sigh she turned and resignedly asked, "What is it you need me to do?"

Moriarty grinned and pulled out a vile cigar. "Well, first of all we need you to recruit three people for our little group before you are to be given further orders. We will be sending you to Cairo with one of your future colleagues to find Allan Quartermain, Professor Radcliffe Emerson and his wife Amelia Peabody. You will then return to England with them and be given further instruction." With that he handed her a package of information and sent her away with Captain Nemo.

The remembrance of it made her sigh again. What a fool I am to take on such a role as this. I swore that I would henceforth lead an ordinary life, and here I am, searching for an opium addict and two egyptological eccentrics. She was thrust back into reality by a jostling fellahin seling fake scarabs. She brushed him away and looked more closely at her surroundings.

She would ask for directions, but unfortunately she knew only enough to say hello and complain that prices were too high. She had refuted Nemo's suggestion that she employ a dragoman, but now rather wished she had.She was certainly getting some odd looks, and recognized one word, Inglizi being spoken quite often. Inglizi. English. It seems that these repugnant Arabs are more observant than the nation gives them credit for.

As she reached yet another dark alleyway she prepared to turn around, but stopped as she saw a familiar inscription. She checked the notes that Moriarty had given her. Yes, this was the place. Rather unclean looking, but she trusted her buisness in it would not take very long.

As she pulled back the curtain in the doorway thehideous stench of opium nearly made her recoil. Why on Earth am I doing this...? Mina wondered and walked as dignified as one may walk into a den of iniquity.

Mr. Quartermain was easily spotted, being the only European in residence, but the weathered man she say was a far cry from the imposing form she had expected. Luckily there were only him and the proprietor of the place there, and he at least was definately in his dreamlike state, lying on the floor with his turbaned head propped up on a chair.

"Mr. Quartermain, I am Wilhelmina Murray." she began, "I come as a representative from the British council. Your country needs you Mr. Quartermain." Could I have been any more like Moriarty? she wondered. Quartermain looked at her disinterestedly with reddened eyes and said something to her in Arabic.

"You must understand Mr. Quartermain, your country-" She cut off and tried to see who had entered the establishment so surreptitiously. Though she was sure she heard someone, she did not see anyone else in the room. Mina turned back to Quartermain and began to resume, but gasped as she felt a strong arm grab her from behind.

There were two natives there in dirty galabeeyehs who thrust her to the ground and seemed to be searching rather violently for any posessions she might have. Mina fought against them, as the one man grabbed her throat, forgetting dignity and screaming for help. In the background she thought she heard Quartermain say something, but only realized he was on her side when he slowly sat up and pulled the gun from his own galabeeyah. Before she knew what was happening, the sound of a gunshot echoed in her ears and saw the blood of the dead fellahin running down her chest. Forcing her eyes away, Mina scrambled up and dragged Quartermain out into the suk.

Quartermain seemed very weak, and Mina nearly had to carry him through the suk, trying to ignore the enthralling scent of the blood on her dress. She was breathing heavily by the time she reached the tourist area of Cairo, and Quartermain let out a wordless grunt of alarm. Looking behind her, Mina saw a score of felahin running after them, a number of which were carrying daggers and pistols. None looked very benevolent.

"Hurry Mr. Quartermain, we must hurry! I have a friend waiting in the wharves, he can-" There she stopped as they reached the end of the dock and looked out into the wide expanse of the Nile, with the Nautilus nowhere in sight.


Ha Ha, cliffie! I do so love them. I'm going away for a week tomorrow, but I will try to continue as fast as I can when I get back. Please tell me what you think! All suggestions/critcism welcome.If you want me to write faster some reviews would be a little incentive...

For those of you not up to date on your Arabic:

Felahin: A common Egyptian man

Dragoman: An Egyptian guide and translator (spoke Arabic and a European language)who was employed by European tourists to show them the sights.

Galabeeyah: A common robe.

Suk: The marketplace.