Chapter 15
Yami awoke with the sincere conviction his bed was trying to kill him, or at least twist his spine into a pretzel. He shifted, trying to get comfortable, but to no avail. This had to be the worst bed he'd ever slept in -- and he'd slept in tents and caves and, once, a tree. Someone shouted close by, sailors exchanging greetings and instructions, and it came rushing back to him. He'd slept outside on the deck.
Groaning, Yami sat up. His back was stiff from lying on the lounge chair all night, and he had a vague memory of disturbing dreams. He got to his feet and saw they were docked at Aswan. A wooden felucca had come alongside, and the men were shouting back and forth.
He stretched the kinks out of his spine with a satisfying pop, then quickly made his way down below. When he reached Yugi's corridor, he found Mahaad already leaning against the wall near the door to Yugi's cabin.
Mahaad grinned at his ruffled appearance. "Relax. I have been at my post since a few minutes after we docked. All is well."
"Have you checked on him?" A worried frown creasing his brow, Yami eyed the closed door. "Is he okay?"
"It is early. I did not wish to disturb his sleep."
They were momentarily diverted by loud voices coming from the stairway. Both men moved to the end of the corridor and poked their heads around the corner in time to see two fellahin struggling with a large Oriental carpet. It sagged between them, buckling as they maneuvered it toward the stairs.
"No, no! You cannot bring that here!"
"For Mr. Crawford," one of the newcomers told the crewman who blocked his way. He had an odd accent, as if he normally spoke a different dialect, though it was one unfamiliar to Yami's ears.
Pegasus came thudding down the stairs. In his agitation, Pegasus' hair shifted to reveal his entire face. Shocked, Yami saw the golden orb that replaced the man's left eye. Then the long white strands fell back into their usual place, and Pegasus advanced on the men with the carpet.
"I told Karim I would examine the rug when I arrived, but I didn't expect him to send it to the ship! I would have come to his shop." With a long-suffering sigh, Pegasus gestured to the men. "Oh, very well. Since it's here, bring it up to my cabin. I shall inspect it in situ, as it were, before making my decision. However, I make no promises that I shall purchase it." Shaking his head, Pegasus led the two men up the stairs with their heavy burden.
Yami and Mahaad loitered in front of the reception desk, waiting for Yugi to appear. The other tour groups left the ship in clusters, first the French, then the Italians. Finally, several members of their own group trickled into the reception area, followed by Mana, who appeared to be counting heads. For once, she avoided Mahaad's gaze and didn't return his smile.
The others were all talking at once. Ryou wanted to visit the Old Cataract Hotel, which had appeared in the film Death on the Nile, based on his second-favorite Agatha Christie novel. Weevil announced his intentions to go shopping, and got no argument from Rex. Mai and her family trooped down the stairs, talking loudly about their eagerness to explore Aswan's more modern attractions. Looking bored, Bakura trailed after them.
They sounded like typical tourists. They acted like typical tourists. For all Yami knew, they were typical tourists. But one of them almost had to be a cult member. And, surely, at least one of them was from Interpol. Their behavior gave nothing away, however, no matter how closely he observed them.
For the nth time, he peered down the corridor to Yugi's cabin, willing him to appear. What was taking him so long? He glanced at his watch. In the short time he'd known him, he'd never known Yugi to miss a meal.
Intending to check the dining room in case Yugi had somehow slipped past him, Yami found the way blocked by the men returning with the carpet. Pegasus had apparently rejected it, and the rug had been hastily re-rolled. The men struggled down the stairs with the lumpy, uneven cylinder between them.
Pegasus followed behind them, making his displeasure known to all who heard him. "Tell your employer I am shocked at the shoddy workmanship of this... this thing. To think he would even suggest I might acquire such an inferior rug is simply appalling. I shall retract all my recommendations of his shop and, from now, I will be doing business elsewhere."
The men seemed cowed by his ire. Heads bowed, they hurried down the gangplank, carrying the rug as if their lives depended upon getting it back to its proper place.
Turning to the crowd of gaping tourists, Pegasus spread his hands in a gesture of apology. "Please forgive my tardiness. With that unpleasant business attended to, I am ready to accompany any who wish to visit the Aga Khan's mausoleum. We will leave at once, if you are ready."
"Where's Yugi?" Yami demanded, not caring how he sounded. Protective. Possessive. Paranoid. It didn't matter.
Pegasus fixed a stern eye on Mana. "Did you take Mr. Mutou his breakfast this morning?" At her nervous nod, he added, "Did he share his plans for the day with you?"
"He said he wouldn't be joining the group this morning. He said he wanted to rest, and would stay aboard the ship."
"Ah. That's fine, Mana." Pegasus directed his urbane smile at Yami. "You see? Nothing to worry about." His gaze swept past Yami and onto the others. "Now that's settled, I am simply delighted so many of you have accepted my invitation for a felucca ride on the Nile this morning. Please come with me."
Yami watched Pegasus lead his little group toward the wooden sailing boat docked beside the River Horse, and felt his stomach tighten. Something wasn't right. He knew it, could feel it in his gut. A sense of foreboding nagged at him.
Weevil paused on his way past. "Maybe Yugi went shopping. He told me yesterday he hadn't had time to buy any souvenirs yet." Then he hurried after the others.
"Wherever he is, I'm damn well going to find him!"
Yami's growled words startled Mana into immobility. She gulped visibly as she met his gaze. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Mahaad intervened, perhaps sensing it was the only way to avoid possible bloodshed. "I will go with Mana in case Yugi has indeed ventured into town alone. I will check with you later, Yami." He shooed Mana down the gangplank before Yami could respond.
Yami huffed out a breath, and dragged both hands through his hair. Mahaad's defection was unexpected, but understandable. Still, it left him all alone with his increasing agitation. He glanced back down the corridor to Yugi's cabin. First things first...
Twenty knocks later, Yugi still hadn't answered the door, and Yami was getting frantic. After a quick look around to make sure no one was looking, he put to use a skill he'd picked up in college along with his degree and picked the lock.
Yugi's cabin was empty. Yami's gaze swept over the room, but nothing seemed out of place. Nonetheless, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
Leaving the cabin, he made a thorough search of the ship, stem to stern. Finally, dread sinking like a lead weight in his gut, he had to admit the truth -- Yugi wasn't onboard. Resolve settled over him, steeling his nerves. He'd go ashore and search. Nothing was going to stop him from finding Yugi.
"Dr. Viridian?" The man at the reception desk called to him as he stalked toward the gangplank. "There is a call for you from Lieutenant Bahur."
Yami practically snatched the phone from the other's hand. "Mahaad? He's not on the boat."
"Then we shall search the town," came the steady response. "I am at the Cataract Hotel. I will head back your way on foot. Stay off the main thoroughfares and do not ask questions -- you will alert the wrong people if you do. I will contact the local authorities."
He knew Mahaad was right, but it still didn't sit well. He'd turn this blasted town upside down if he had to. One way or another, he was going to find Yugi.
Ten minutes later, he was cursing the cult and Interpol alike as he prowled along the usual tourist spots on the Corniche, hoping for some sign of the other man. When that failed, he ignored Mahaad's advice and went to search the bustling market. He fended off the overzealous vendors with a growled, "Ebed annee! Sebny fi hali." They left him alone as commanded, grumbling under their breath about the irritable Westerner.
After a time, he was unable to resist asking if they had seen anyone matching Yugi's description, but the answer was always no. He asked at the spice stalls, and the jalabiya shop, and of two boys crouched over a makeshift game board playing mancala, all to no avail. Then he noticed the rug shop. That curious tugging, the same one he'd felt at Karnak when Yugi was in danger, was back. Knowing better than to ignore it, he let it lead him into the small shop.
A quick but thorough search of the interior turned up no sign of Yugi. Disappointed, Yami stalked back onto the street. He was missing something; he could feel it. The tugging remained, but it was too vague to give him a sense of the direction he should go. Frustrated, he called the River Horse, but there was no news. Next he tried the police station. They informed him that Mahaad had been there and alerted them to the disappearance of a tourist. Belatedly, it occurred to him to check the local hospital, only to find Mahaad had already been there, as well. His friend, always good at his job and clearly thinking more logically than Yami was capable of at the moment, had covered all the bases. But, like Yami, he'd found nothing.
The fear that shot through him was anything but logical. What if the cult had taken Yugi, too?
They didn't need another hostage, he thought, jaw clenching so tightly it sent a stab of pain through his temples. He had the damned Millennium Necklace, all they had to do was come and get it! His hands curled into impotent fists. He hated feeling so helpless, but he could only keep searching.
There was a lot of ground to cover. He went to every place he could think of that Yugi might be, including the granite quarries on Elephantine Island, and the Museum of Aswan. On Kitchener Island, north of Elephantine, he ran into Mana showing the four New Yorkers, Weevil, and Ryou around the botanical gardens.
"Have you found Yugi?" they all asked, with varying degrees of concern. They were seated around an outdoor table, sipping glasses of dark red karkade -- sweet hibiscus tea -- and enjoying the breeze.
"No." He snapped out the word, his eyes roaming around the flower beds and hedges. "I hoped he might be here."
Mana looked everywhere but at him, her trembling fingers shredding the guide brochure she was holding. "I'll h-help you search. I will check to the east, then meet you back here in thirty minutes." Before Yami could say anything, she bolted around a stand of flowering bushes, startling some birds into noisy flight, and disappeared.
Like a lion faced with fleeing prey, Yami instinctively gave chase. He'd already checked the other side of the island, and the tugging was back, urging him to follow her. He darted around bougainvillea and hibiscus heavy with bright blooms, dogging her steps. She seemed thorough in her search; by the time they returned to the terrace, they'd covered the entire east side of the gardens. Mana quickly convinced the others to leave.
"Of course, we must go at once," Ryou said firmly. "If Yugi is missing, we must return to the ship and notify the proper authorities."
"Maybe he's already returned." Serenity looked hopeful. "He might've gone sightseeing or shopping, and we just haven't run into him. There are a lot of places he could be..."
With no other option immediately apparent, Yami accompanied the group back to the River Horse. Weevil was so loaded down with purchases, it took three of them to cart his haul back to the boat.
By the time they reached the Nile cruiser, the sun was setting and Yami was fuming. If anything had happened to Yugi, he didn't think he could be held accountable for his actions when he got his hands on the guilty party. He hung back as the others boarded, trying to figure out what he had missed. Maybe he was worried for nothing. Maybe Interpol had simply decided to remove Yugi from harm's way...
Mahaad met him in the reception area, defeat evident in the slump of his broad shoulders. Before Yami could question him, Isis approached them. With some chagrin, Yami remembered he had agreed to help her inspect Philae for damage. "I'm sorry--"
She waved off the apology. "I have been informed of Mr. Mutou's disappearance. Such a terrible thing." She appeared genuinely distressed by the news. "I spoke with all my diplomatic contacts in the area, but... I'm sorry to say, I have had no results."
"I am afraid my own efforts have been no more successful," Mahaad said. His searching gaze swept over the group gathered in the lobby and paused on Mana.
"I don't care what it takes." Yami's voice was a low growl. "I'll comb through every inch of sand in Egypt and the Sudan if I have to, but I will find him."
"We have no time for that," Mahaad reminded him. "We need assistance."
That reminded Yami... "What about Interpol? Could this be their doing?"
Mahaad pulled him aside, not far from where Mana was standing. "I considered that possibility, so I made a call. They claim no knowledge of Yugi, either his disappearance or current whereabouts." He cast a sidelong glance at the young woman hovering nearby, then said, "Also, it appears Mr. Crawford was forced to cut his river excursion short. When I returned, I found the part of the tour that had accompanied him already dining. They informed me Mr. Crawford was called away on a business emergency."
Mana gasped, her face draining of all color.
That was apparently the reaction Mahaad had been waiting for. He spun and grasped her by the arm, preventing her from bolting. "You know something, Mana. You must tell us what it is, at once!"
The room fell silent as, all around them, conversations died. Everyone waited to hear what Mana would say. Yami felt a flare of returning hope.
"C-can we go somewhere more private to talk about this?" Mana asked in a small voice. She hung her head, not daring to meet Mahaad's disapproving gaze. "I'll tell you everything I know, I promise."
Yami didn't give a damn about privacy, but if that's what it took to pry the truth out of her, he'd provide it. "Fine. We'll go to my suite."
Before allowing Mahaad to steer her toward the stairs, Mana offered the tour group a watery smile and urged them to enjoy their dinner. Most of them headed toward the dining room, but Ryou lingered.
"I should like to know what's going on. I'm worried about Yugi, of course, but if the rest of the tour is in any danger, we should be informed--"
"I appreciate your help looking for Yugi today," Yami interrupted, "but there's really nothing you can do right now except let us speak with Mana in private. Go have dinner. If we find out anything, we'll let you all know."
"Very well." Worry still shining in his eyes, Ryou followed the others up the stairs.
As Mahaad angled Mana toward the stairs for their own trek upward, Rex trotted downward, complaining loudly in his gravelly voice about Weevil's purchases. His audience consisted of Mai and Bakura, one behind the other on the stairs. Bakura did a blatant double-take when he saw Weevil standing in the bulwark created by his packages.
"What did you do, buy a build-your-own pyramid kit?" Bakura's gaze shifted to Yami. "Any luck finding the shrimp?"
"No." Yami's basilisk glare should've left Bakura a small pile of smoking ashes. "And just what do you know about Yugi's disappearance?"
"Me?" Bakura had several inches on Yami, but, faced with the other's fury, he fell back a couple of steps and raised his hands as if to ward off an attack. "I have better things to do with my time than keep up with Mutou's comings and goings. Besides, I've been with Mai all day."
Mai favored them with a cool nod. "We were sightseeing. Didn't see Yugi, though."
"Dude, what's all the fuss?" Rex slouched half-over the railing. Today's t-shirt was another tyrannosaurus design, this time with a logo reading Dinosaur King. "Yugi's not a kid. Maybe he just wanted some time alone."
"Please don't concern yourselves," Mana said, surprising Yami with her soothing tone. She seemed to have gotten a grip on her nerves. "All will be well. Enjoy your evening."
They extracted themselves from the group, leaving Rex to loudly inform Weevil that he was not going to be responsible for shipping "all this junk back to the States." Once they reached Yami's cabin and closed the door, Mahaad crossed his arms and looked down his nose at Mana, who cringed. Somehow, they'd picked up Isis along the way. Perhaps she thought her SCA post leant her an authority the other woman would respond to. Mana's eyes shifted uncertainly between her three interrogators.
"Sit down, Mana." Yami bit out the words. He was keeping a tight rein on his temper, but it wasn't easy. All he wanted was to lash out, demand she tell him where Yugi was. He knew he couldn't risk scaring her into silence, so he dug his short nails into his palms and tried to moderate his tone. "We just want to hear what you know about Yugi."
Before Mana could speak, Isis cleared her throat. "What exactly is going on? If there is an international incident brewing, I need to be informed." Egypt was dependent on its tourist income. Vanishing visitors were bad for the country's image, and the government would have to do damage control as quickly as possible.
"Miss Ishtar, I assure you..." Mana swallowed heavily, and started again. "Mr. Crawford had nothing to do with Mr. Mutou's disappearance!" Her hands clutched nervously at the arms of her chair.
"You are not as sure of that as you would like to be, are you?" Mahaad challenged. He leaned over her. "You begin to wonder why Mr. Crawford asked you to watch Yugi so diligently."
"I--"
"And you wonder why he told you to take breakfast to Yugi at such an early hour this morning," Mahaad persisted. "You wonder if, perhaps, things are not quite as you thought they were."
Mana flinched, and stared hard at her shoes.
"Where's Pegasus?" Yami demanded, halting his pacing in front of her. "Where has he gone?"
"I... I can show you, if you'll let me. He conducts business from his home on Elephantine."
"I will arrange transportation at once." Mahaad cast a last, hard look at Mana, then turned purposefully and strode from the room.
"I must insist that I accompany you," Isis said.
Yami understood her concerns as an official of the Egyptian government, but in that moment, he didn't give a damn about anything but finding Yugi. "Do whatever you want. I don't have time to argue with you."
"I know you're worried about Mr. Mutou, but I'm confident we will find him unharmed." Isis gestured to Mana, and moved to the door. "Come. Let us find the officious Lieutenant Bahur. No doubt he has secured us transportation by now."
Yami ran down the gangplank toward the police car Mahaad had commandeered to take them to a nearby dock. As they drove, he tried to clear his head and think. Yugi had come to Egypt to rescue his grandfather. Maybe he had figured something out from Sugoroku's notes and gone after the old man on his own. After a second, Yami rejected the notion. Yugi was brave, but he wasn't foolish. If he'd discovered a clue, he would've come to Yami first, or at least left a message.
A small motorboat took them across the moonlit Nile. In the darkness, he could just pick out the looming forms of the rocks, worn by nature into the shape of elephants, which gave the island its name.
On the island, Mana led them down a graveled path to an elegant colonial era mansion surrounded by a well-tended garden. The house was peaceful and dark, except for a light shining from a second-story window near the back.
Yami's breath quickened with anticipation. He firmed his grip on Mana's arm and hastened her up the walk.
A tall, gray-haired man opened the door when Mana rang the bell. "Good evening, Kemo. We've come on urgent business to see Mr. Crawford."
He bowed them into a long center hallway. Silk carpets covered the pink granite floor, and heavy English antiques lined the walls, but Yami scarcely noticed the décor. The tug was back. It was only by a supreme effort of will that he refrained from charging up the stairs to investigate on his own.
Kemo led the way, not appearing to notice Yami's anger or Mana's murmured, "You'll see. I've spoken only the truth."
Suddenly, Pegasus appeared at the top of the stairs. He wore an exquisite, silk brocade robe that wrapped about his slender body and trailed on the floor behind him as he descended the steps with all the dignity of a pharaoh holding court. The visible half of his face was expressionless, revealing neither surprise nor guilt.
"Mana? What is this 'urgent business' that's brought you here at such a late hour?"
"Yugi is missing and we want to know what you know about it." Yami advanced on him, utterly unintimidated by the other's height or deliberately imposing stance on the stairs above him.
"Oh, how utterly dreadful!" Pegasus clapped a hand to his cheek in exaggerated dismay. "We must find Mr. Mutou at once -- without, of course, provoking an embarrassing 'incident', as I'm sure Ms. Ishtar will agree. I assume the proper authorities have been notified, therefore, my humble resources are at your disposal."
Yami had never wanted to punch anyone as much as he wanted to punch Pegasus at that moment.
"What 'urgent business' called you away from the River Horse and your passengers?" Mahaad interjected. Despite his controlled expression, there was a certain hint of a similar pugilistic impulse in his tone as well.
"Pegasus Tours does business with a number of establishments up and down the Nile, which we recommend, in turn, to our clients. To that end, I consider it my duty to personally insure they continue to deliver quality workmanship and service. Hence my need to travel to each establishment periodically. Unfortunately, I have found an exception here in Aswan whose product simply does not meet our high standards, and I have been forced to terminate the relationship." He tossed his hair. "It's most distressing."
That jogged a memory loose. Yami took the final step that put him on equal footing with Pegasus. "The carpet this morning. That came from an unsatisfactory source?"
"Don't remind me!" Pegasus brushed long fingers into his hair, giving them a glimpse of his strange artificial eye. "I'm afraid I can no longer, in good conscience, recommend Karim's Carpet Emporium. Now." He clasped his hands. "How may I be of further assistance?"
Behind Yami, Mana made a small, distressed sound. He flashed her a look, just as Mahaad said, "Mana? What is it?"
"Mr. Crawford... I'm sure he's only forgotten, but..." Mana took a deep breath, and spoke the rest in a rush. "Those men were not from Karim's Carpet Emporium. It is a family business, and I know them all by sight, right down to the delivery men."
"Shit!" Yami spun around and grabbed the front of Pegasus' robe. "You son of a bitch. You used that fucking carpet to get Yugi off the boat -- What did you do, drug him first? If he's hurt in any way, I swear I'll kill you!"
Mahaad had to pry Yami's fingers loose from where he was twisting the fabric of Pegasus's robe under his chin, choking him. As Pegasus clutched his throat and wheezed, they heard someone at the door. Kemo reappeared, escorting Rex and Weevil, who was carrying a large, flat package wrapped in brown paper.
The pair froze at the sight of the tableau on the staircase. Weevil dropped the package, backing up so that he stumbled into Rex. They fell all over themselves trying to get back out the door, but Mahaad was down the steps in a flash, blocking the way. "Stop!"
"Why should we?" Rex's bravado failed him when a gun appeared in Mahaad's hand as if by magic.
"Because if you do not, I may forget that I am arresting you and simply shoot," Mahaad said.
"Good reason." Rex and Weevil raised their arms in surrender.
Before anyone could react, Kemo scooped up the fallen package and tossed it to Pegasus, who turned and fled up the stairs. At the top, he pressed a spot on the wall, and ducked into the passage a section of wood paneling slid aside to reveal.
"Secret passage!" Yami yelled down to Mahaad before diving after Pegasus. Unfortunately, the panel closed before he could get to it. He ran his hands over the wall, but couldn't find the trigger mechanism. Cursing, he spun on his heel and dashed along the hallway, hoping to spot Pegasus -- or anything useful. After a few minutes, he was forced to give it up as futile.
He returned to the foyer to find Isis examining the wall for the secret panel. Mana was sitting on the lower steps, her face in her hands. He thought she might be crying. Mahaad still had Rex and Weevil at gunpoint; the two were losing more of their composure with each passing second. Yami stalked over to them and grabbed Weevil by the collar.
"What was in that package?"
Weevil cringed as if anticipating a blow. Yami felt he might have to oblige him. He gave the shorter man a shake. "Well? What was it?"
"Just some old thing that turned up in our antique shop," Weevil blurted. He tried to wriggle free, but Yami's grip was unbreakable. "Looked like a gold dreamcatcher or something."
"Shut up, you moron!" Rex hissed, then took his own advice when Mahaad glowered at him. The expression on the police lieutenant's face was frankly more intimidating than the gun.
Yami shoved Weevil toward his partner. "Mahaad... Do you know what the Millennium Ring is supposed to look like?"
"I would say it might be described as a golden dreamcatcher."
Fuck. "That's what I was afraid you'd say." Yami turned his ire on Rex. "How did an ancient Egyptian artifact just 'turn up' in your antique shop?"
Rex blanched at the implication. "I'm a legitimate antique dealer!"
"I am certain the authorities will be happy to talk to you about that." Mahaad glanced up the stairs, but his gun never wavered. "Miss Ishtar, if you would call the Aswan police, I would be most grateful."
Yami pinned the two antique dealers with a glare that made them clutch at each other in sudden fear for their lives. "Where. Is. Yugi?"
"I don't know!" Rex shouted. "I just came to sell that stupid ring to Crawford!"
Unfortunately, Yami believed him. He cursed -- long, loud, and eloquent. Mana sobbed aloud. Weevil wet himself.
"Keep an eye on these idiots," Yami said to Mahaad, who nodded. "I'm going to look upstairs."
"Good luck, my friend."
Yeah, thought Yami. He had a feeling he would need it.