“Jolly good, isn’t it? The locals seemed to know that I wasn’t one of them.” Blamey’s pink cheeks glowed. “So they gave me a jolly hard time. Till I bought this. rdquo; He fondly patted the tractor. “Haven’t had a ding since. Anyway, put your cases in the trailer then toot-toot and we’re away.”

Bill stored his bags then sat in the front with Blamey. Ramses sat on the bench behind them. The Professor started the tractor. The engine roared and Bill was delighted to see the other cars immediately dart across the road. For the first time, Bill felt safe in Cairo traffic.

For a while, they navigated past mosques with elegant spires, domed white houses with their own courtyards, and long stretches of boring high-rise. On their way, a dark smudge on the horizon became first pyramidal and then the top of a Pyramid. The houses fell behind them and the red desert stretched out in front of them. Soon, their only companions were four-wheel drives and camels.