Yami slumped in the back seat of the taxi and tried to roll the tension from his shoulders. The air in the cab stank of stale cigarette smoke, but he drew in a few deep breaths to calm the worry tightening the back of his throat. How had he gotten into this mess? And how was he going to keep Yugi from getting into it any deeper than he already had? The confrontation on the plane proved he couldn't trust Yugi to meekly stay out of the way somewhere safe, assuming Yami could find such a place in which to stash him.
He rubbed a hand over his forehead, trying to banish the ache lodged there, and stared blindly out the window. Maybe after he took care of this thing with Pegasus Tours, he could figure out what the hell to do next.
The Pegasus Tours office was in a blocky modern building on the upper Corniche. As he walked into the spacious lobby, he surreptitiously checked to see if anyone had followed him. His fingers brushed the necklace hidden in his pocket. Would they make the trade here? He could only hope it would be that simple. No weapon, no back-up... and where the hell was Interpol? Gritting his teeth in anger at the position he found himself in, he stalked into the tour company's office.
"Welcome to Pegasus Tours." The young woman at the reception desk greeted him with a bright smile. "May I help you?"
"My name is Yami Viridian. I'd like to speak with Pegasus Crawford about booking passage on the River Horse for its next excursion. Is Mr. Crawford in?"
"One moment, please." Her own smile gone, she moved with alacrity through the wood-paneled door in the wall behind her desk, presumably to find her boss.
Yami took the opportunity to give the office a quick once over. He was new to all this cloak-and-dagger stuff, but the business didn't seem to be anything other than what it claimed -- a tour office. Tastefully framed posters of travel destinations covered the walls. Glossy brochures sat in neat stacks on the polished tables between overstuffed chairs and potted palms. An oriental carpet added a splash of color to the understated earth tones that dominated the décor.
The door opened again, allowing a tall gentleman to step through. His face, at least the half not hidden by a fall of white-blond hair, was handsome, and his one visible eye was a warm brown. Despite the color of his hair, he appeared no more than ten years older than Yami's own thirty. He wore a designer suit and an urbane smile. Yami tried not to stare. Surely this man couldn't have anything to do with a fanatical cult... could he? Maybe he was the contact Interpol had promised?
"Dr. Viridian, such an honor to finally meet you." Crawford's plummy tone was every bit as suave as his smile. The American accent came as a surprise, though not the firm handshake. "Please, step into my private office."
A few moments later, Yami was seated in an elegantly carved wooden chair, with a cushion behind his back and a cup of tea in his hand. He swept his gaze around the room, taking in the elaborate brass tea service, the mosiac-topped table on which it rested, and the rich carpet beneath their feet. It seemed the tour business had treated Mr. Crawford well.
Crawford settled behind his desk -- mahogany inlaid with an intricate rosewood and ebony knot design -- and tilted his head thoughtfully. Yami caught a puzzling glimpse of gold behind the man's white-blond hair. "How may Pegasus Tours serve you today, Dr. Viridian?"
"I'd like to sail on the River Horse tomorrow."
"Ah! An excellent choice, if I do say so myself. The River Horse is the jewel of my fleet." Crawford gestured expansively as he spoke. "The ship embarks for Dendera in the morning. She returns to Luxor to visit Karnak before sailing upriver to Edfu and the glorious Temple of Horus. At Aswan, we will tour the famous Philae temple complex..." He trailed off with a chuckle. "Oh, do forgive me, Dr. Viridian. Of course an esteemed Egyptologist such as yourself would know all about the delights that await us."
Yami managed a strained smile. The guy was good, he had to give him that. If it hadn't been for the enigmatic message telling him to meet with Crawford, Yami would never have taken him for anything other than a successful businessman.
"I cannot imagine what insights into Egypt our humble tour might offer you, Doctor."
Yami shrugged. "Busman's holiday, I suppose."
"Ah, of course. Well, in that case, I do hope you enjoy it."
"There's room for me on the tour, then?"
"Oh, I assure you, we would make room for such a distinguished guest." Crawford rose gracefully to his feet, gesturing for Yami to remain in his chair. "Might I impose upon you to honor us with a brief lecture or two about some of the monuments we'll be visiting?"
Yami sighed. He hated being manipulated, but how could he refuse? After all, he had said it was a busman's holiday. Open big mouth, insert booted foot. "Yeah, why not?"
"Excellent." Crawford clapped his hands, a pleased expression lighting the visible half of his face. His hair shifted as he moved, and again Yami caught that flash of something gold. "If you will excuse me for one moment, I'll get the necessary forms from the outer office."
The door closed behind Crawford with a soft snick. Yami groaned. Damn. He had really hoped this would be the end of all this madness, but it looked like it was just the next step along the primrose path. The sooner he got out of here, the better. He slung an unhappy look at the door and made up his mind.
To hell with Interpol and the damn cult, too. He would do what he should've done in the first place.
Find Sugoroku himself.
--------------------------
Yugi peeked over the top of the brochure -- 'Tour the mysterious Nile! Be enthralled by the beauty of ancient ruins from the time of the Pharaohs!' -- he was pretending to read when the white-haired man glided into the outer office.
"An honor, indeed..." The man practically purred with satisfaction as he gloated to his assistant. "That an esteemed Egyptologist such as Dr. Viridian should grace our tour on the River Horse. Why, I'm sure I'll be far too nervous to guide someone so much more knowledgeable than I."
"I've never seen you so flustered, Mr. Crawford," cooed the young woman behind the reception desk. "Would you like a glass of fruit juice?"
He ignored the suggestion. "Quickly, Mana! Fetch me the necessary forms for the cruise, and for the Old Winter Palace hotel. We'll put him in the best room available. Luckily it's the off-season, so we should be able to get the presidential suite overlooking the gardens."
Not sparing even a glance Yugi's way, Crawford snatched up the papers Mana offered and disappeared back behind the expensive-looking door. Yugi sat very still, trying not to gape. He'd recognized that flamboyant personality and unmistakable hair, though the over-the-face style was new. Pegasus J. Crawford had been a giant in the gaming industry until eighteen months ago. After the death of his pregnant wife in an automobile crash, he'd liquidated his company, Industrial Illusions, and disappeared. No one had seen him since. And no one would ever believe Yugi had seen the missing mogul heading a tour company in Egypt.
"I'm sorry for the delay." Mana's chirpy apology shook him out of his musings. "Would you like me to help you decide on a tour, now that you've had time to look at the brochures?"
Yugi had followed Yami with no preconceived notion of what he would do when they got to wherever they were going. He'd just wanted to know what Yami was up to; he certainly hadn't expected to end up at a tour company. This was supposed to be Institute business? Why the heck would a man who knew Egypt as well as Yami did need to go on a Nile cruise?
None of it made sense. Of course, when he thought about it, nothing else Yami had done made sense either. He was a very confusing individual, part of a puzzle Yugi needed to solve if he was ever going to find out what was going on. The strange thefts, Sugoroku's disappearance, this cruise... He turned the pieces over in his head, but they refused to take on a meaningful shape.
"Um, I'd like to go on the River Horse cruise," he said, hoping Mana would ignore his momentary lapse.
Mana's bubbly laughter made him smile in spite the tension gnawing at his gut. She began assembling the forms for him to fill out. "You're the second person to book passage today. Fortunately, there's a vacancy -- this is our most popular tour, you know, so you're very lucky we still have an opening. The River Horse leaves Luxor for Dendera in the morning."
He took the forms she handed him, grabbed a pen, and began scribbling in the required information. He didn't want Yami to know he was going along on the cruise until it was too late to stop him, so he wanted to get out of the office before Yami finished his meeting with Pegasus. If Yami came out and spotted Yugi, his plans might be ruined before they could even get underway. Hastily, he scrawled his name on the last form and slid the stack across the desk to Mana.
"Perfect!" Mana beamed at him. "Now I'll just make your reservation at the Old Winter Palace and--"
"I can do that myself, thanks." Yugi shot a nervous glance at the door to the inner office, willing it to remain closed for a while longer. He'd make the reservation himself; he knew exactly which room he wanted. "When does the tour start?"
"This afternoon. All passengers will meet for orientation at two o'clock in the private parlor at the Old Winter Palace. I'll look forward to seeing you there, Mr. Mutou."
"Yes. Thank you."
With a quick glance at his wristwatch, Yugi nodded to himself and scurried out of the building, back into the oppressive heat. He didn't have to be at the hotel for another hour. That gave him just enough time to carry out a plan of his own.