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.He simply didn’t have time for the history of Africa.‘Fast forward please.’‘Yes, of course,’ Ulster said, racking his brain for the best place to restart.‘In 525 BC, a Persian army of more than fifty thousand men was ordered to lay siege upon the Oasis of Siwa in western Egypt.Not a single soldier arrived at their destination.How is it possible that no one – not a single soul in fifty thousand – survived a direct march across Egypt? Are you telling me that the sun and sand ravaged an army that was well stocked with food, water, and supplies? Or were there other forces involved?’Cobb jumped in.‘Petr, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.What does any of this have to do with the brand?’‘I was just getting to that,’ he assured him.‘As far back as the Persian Empire, there have been stories about the Sahara and the people who defended it.Warriors who could overwhelm any army.Warriors who bore this mark.Nowadays, it’s probably hard to fathom why someone would still worship an ancient deity like Amun-Ra, but ancient religions – Christianity, Islam, and so on – are still widely practiced throughout the world.As a general rule, the more isolated a community, the more fervent their culture.’‘Meaning?’‘Isolation breeds purity.Purity breeds devotion.Devotion breeds fanaticism.And based on everything I’ve seen, the bombing in Alexandria was the work of fanatics.’‘No need to tell me.’Ulster flushed with embarrassment.‘Yes, of course.I didn’t mean to suggest that I know more about the devastation than you.I mean, you were there in the rubble, and I was here on my sofa, and—’‘Petr, relax.I wasn’t insulted by your statement.In fact, I found it insightful.I’ve been trying to wrap my head around the extreme nature of the blast ever since I left the tunnels, and now it makes perfect sense.These men weren’t just protecting symbols on a wall; they were protecting their way of life.’‘Exactly,’ Ulster said.‘It also explains the other attack.’‘Which attack is that?’Cobb filled him in.‘We think these warriors were involved in the slaughter of an archaeological team near the Bahariya Oasis.We also have reason to believe that the expedition leader survived the attack.If so, we’re hoping that he has information about the men who took our historian.’Ulster nodded.‘You’re referring to Cyril Manjani.’‘Wait! You know about the Manjani expedition?’‘You could say that and a whole lot more.The truth is I actually know the man himself.And so do you, on some level.After all, what is a man but his life’s work?’Cobb was certain that he had never met Manjani, and all of that other nonsense about a man’s work went directly over his head.‘Honest to God, I have no idea what you’re talking about.Absolutely none.Please explain it.’Ulster nodded.‘The map of Alexandria I gave to you in Geneva?’‘What about it?’‘It’s his map.He found it on his expedition.’The words hit Cobb like a sucker punch, so much so that his brain kept interrupting one thought with the next as he tried to piece everything together.If Manjani knew—Then that must mean—And Jasmine found—Then the symbols might—After several seconds of utter confusion, Cobb eventually settled on a single question.‘How did you get the map?’‘How?’ Ulster said with a chuckle.‘By opening my mail! Believe it or not, Cyril sent it to me here at the Archives.At first I thought it was some kind of sick joke – after all, I thought he had perished in the attack at the Bahariya Oasis – but once I saw the level of detail, I realized that it wasn’t a prank.It couldn’t be.It was authentic.’‘But why? If the map was so valuable, why would he give it away?’Ulster shrugged.‘I don’t know for sure, but I’d imagine it had to do with the tragic outcome of his expedition.At least that’s what I gathered from his note.’‘What note? You didn’t say anything about a note!’‘I didn’t?’ He laughed at himself.‘Sorry about that.Like I said, sometimes I live my life with blinders, and when I get too involved in one thing, I tend to forget—’‘Petr! Do you still have it?’‘Yes! As a matter of fact, I do.Hang on, I’ll read it to you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]