The Eye of the Serpent by Philip Caveney

satisfying. After that I headed down to Mexico and took a post as a mercenary, helping the government put down a revolution.’
    â€˜A mercenary . . . that’s like a hired gun, isn’t it?’
    Ethan grimaced. ‘I’m not particularly proud of it, but I still had debts to pay off and I knew I couldn’t think about heading back to Egypt until they were taken care of. Through it all Will kept in touch. He kept writing me to say there was always a place for me on the team and when was I coming back? Finally, just a couple of months ago, I could see my way clear to do it. I agreed to join up with them for the next season, even let them put my name down on the insurance form, just in case anything should happen to Will or Tom. Then I arrived here three weeks ago todiscover that Will had suffered a complete breakdown and Tom had disappeared.’ He shook his head. ‘Quite a welcome!’
    â€˜So that’s how you came to be in charge?’ said Alec.
    â€˜Pretty much. Heck, I’m sure there are plenty of people more qualified to do it, but nobody else on the team seemed willing to shoulder the responsibility. Believe me, I asked them!’ He shrugged. ‘I feel I owe it to Will to take care of this amazing find that he’s made and make sure everything goes as smooth as I can make it.’
    He seemed to make an effort to change the subject. ‘Devlin’s an Irish name, isn’t it? I always meant to ask Will, but I never got around to it. Neither of you seem like any of the Irishmen I’ve ever met.’
    Alec smiled. It was a familiar question. ‘My great-grandfather came from Mayo,’ he said. ‘A little place called Westport.’
    Ethan grinned. ‘I know it,’ he said. ‘Wonderful people.’ He raised his eyebrows. ‘Wonderful pubs too.’
    â€˜I’ll have to take your word for that. My great-grandfather emigrated to London in the early nineteenth century. He made the family fortunein the building trade. We don’t have much of a connection with Ireland now, though I believe Dad has some money invested in horse-breeding in County Kildare.’
    Ethan shook his head. ‘Poor little rich kid, huh?’ he said.
    Alec nodded. ‘I suppose we
are
pretty well off,’ he admitted. ‘But I’d trade it all to have my mother back.’
    He glanced awkwardly at Ethan, surprised by his own words. He didn’t usually give so much of himself away to somebody he hardly knew.
    Ethan was about to give an answer when something inexplicable happened. There was a last cataclysmic rush of wind and then the sky began to clear as the storm raced on past them across the sand. In just a few moments, everything seemed to be back to normal.
    â€˜Well now, if that don’t beat everything,’ exclaimed Ethan. ‘I never saw a storm come and go so fast!’ He threw open the door and stepped out into the blazing sun, beating some of the sand off his legs with his stetson. Alec got out too and stared after the fast-disappearing clouds of dust on the horizon.
    â€˜Storms like that usually last for hours,’ he said.
    â€˜Yeah, ain’t we the lucky ones?’ Ethan got back into the Crossley and hit the self-starter. All that emerged was a dry rattling cough. He tried a few more times, with the same result, and then got out again, walked round to the front and unlatched the bonnet. He tinkered with the engine for a while, then stepped away from it with a grunt of exasperation. ‘That’s what I was worried about,’ he said. ‘Looks like sand has choked up just about every moving part.’ He slammed the bonnet down and put on his stetson.
    Alec took a long look around, turning slowly through 360 degrees. There was nothing as far as the eye could see – only the white dunes stretching to the horizon in every direction. Ahead of them, the hard surface of the road showed only in