The Eye of the Serpent by Philip Caveney Page A

patches through the fine white sand that had swept in to cover it.
    He looked at Ethan. ‘What do we do now?’ he asked, trying not to think of the terrible stories he’d heard about people who had been marooned in this desert. He could feel the raw power of the sun clawing through his canvas shirt.
    â€˜We start walking,’ said Ethan, sounding calm and positive. ‘As long as westick to the road, we should be all right. And hopefully somebody from the dig might come out to look for us. They must have seen that sandstorm and they’ll know we were on our way back.’ He moved back to the Crossley and, reaching into the back seats, pulled out a couple of canteens. ‘Luckily I never go anywhere without plenty of water,’ he said. He threw one of them over to Alec, who caught it and slung it across his shoulder.
    â€˜What about the Crossley?’ asked Alec.
    â€˜I’ll send Mickey back to have a look at it once we reach the dig,’ said Ethan. ‘He’ll be able to fix it – I never saw a better mechanic. Come on, let’s stride it out. The faster we walk, the sooner we’ll get there.’ He set off as if embarking on nothing more daunting than a stroll in the park.
    Alec hurried up and fell into step alongside him. ‘Coates says you’re a soldier of fortune,’ he observed.
    Ethan laughed. ‘Is that what he said? Well, it’s as good a description as any, I guess. I kind of got the impression that Coates didn’t exactly approve of me.’
    Alec shrugged. ‘He’s like that with everyone when he first meets them,’ he said. ‘I think it’s mostly because you’re an American.’
    Ethan raised his eyebrows. ‘I can’t do much about that!’ he protested. ‘What’s so bad about Americans, anyway?’
    â€˜Oh, well, I think the main problem is that they’re not
English
. Coates dislikes most other nationalities on principle. He’s very old fashioned but he’s a decent sort when you get to know him. Absolutely devoted to the Devlins.’
    Ethan looked at Alec, amused.
    â€˜What?’ asked Alec.
    â€˜The way you talk,’ he said. ‘
Absolutely devoted to the Devlins
. Don’t get me wrong, it’s kind of neat. Like something out of Charles Dickens.’
    â€˜You’ve read Dickens?’ Alec was impressed.
    â€˜Some.
Oliver Twist
 . . .
Great Expectations
. You know, the good ones. What’s the matter, you think us Yanks only ever go to the movie theatres?’
    Alec tried not to look guilty, remembering something that Coates had said back aboard the
Sudan
. ‘Of course not,’ he said.
    â€˜So, what do you read, Alec?’
    â€˜Me? Oh . . . I like H. Rider Haggard.’
    â€˜
King Solomon’s Mines
? Great book. Read it when I was around your age. Loved it. I’ve even been to some of the places mentioned in it. Didn’t find the mines, though.’
    â€˜What did you find?’
    â€˜Trouble mostly,’ admitted Ethan. ‘Though in some cases the trouble came looking for me.’ He laughed and shook his head. ‘So how come you’re out here in Egypt, Alec?’
    â€˜It’s Father’s job, mainly. He’s been stationed in Egypt for quite a few years now. I attend a boarding school in Cairo and twice a year I spend my holidays with him. Except, of course, he doesn’t have an awful lot of time for me, which is where poor Uncle Will came in.’ He thought for a moment. ‘Actually, this might be our last year in Egypt. Dad says they’re planning on making him a roving ambassador, which means he’ll be travelling all over the world. He said something about Mexico, the last time we spoke.’
    â€˜Mexico, huh? Now that’s a wild place. You’ll need to be very careful out there. Bandits around every corner.’
    â€˜Oh yes, you said you’d been