Collins Chillers

‘You are sure it was tetanus?’

‘Dead sure.’

‘It couldn’t have been a case of strychnine poisoning, for instance?’

‘No, Monsieur Poirot, I see what you’re getting at. But it was a clear case of tetanus.’

‘Did you not inject anti-serum?’

‘Certainly we did,’ said the doctor drily. ‘Every conceivable thing that could be done was tried.’

‘Had you the anti-serum with you?’

‘No. We procured it from Cairo.’

‘Have there been any other cases of tetanus in the camp?’

‘No, not one.’

‘Are you certain that the death of Mr Bleibner was not due to tetanus?’

‘Absolutely plumb certain. He had a scratch upon his thumb which became poisoned, and septicaemia set in. It sounds pretty much the same to a layman, I dare say, but the two things are entirely different.’

‘Then we have four deaths—all totally dissimilar, one heart failure, one blood poisoning, one suicide and one tetanus.’

‘Exactly, Monsieur Poirot.’

‘Are you certain that there is nothing which might link the four together?’

‘I don’t quite understand you?’

‘I will put it plainly. Was any act committed by those four men which might seem to denote disrespect to the spirit of Men-her-Ra?’

The doctor gazed at Poirot in astonishment.

‘You’re talking through your hat, Monsieur Poirot. Surely you’ve not been guyed into believing all that fool talk?’

‘Absolute nonsense,’ muttered Willard angrily.

Poirot remained placidly immovable, blinking a little out of his green cat’s eyes.

‘So you do not believe it, monsieur le docteur?’

‘No, sir, I do not,’ declared the doctor emphatically. ‘I am a scientific man, and I believe only what science teaches.’

‘Was there no science then in Ancient Egypt?’ asked Poirot softly. He did not wait for a reply, and indeed Dr Ames seemed rather at a loss for the moment. ‘No, no, do not answer me, but tell me this. What do the native workmen think?’

‘I guess,’ said Dr Ames, ‘that, where white folk lose their heads, natives aren’t going to be far behind. I’ll admit that they’re getting what you might call scared—but they’ve no cause to be.’

‘I wonder,’ said Poirot non-committally.

Sir Guy leant forward.

‘Surely,’ he cried incredulously, ‘you cannot believe in—oh, but the thing’s absurd! You can know nothing of Ancient Egypt if you think that.’

For answer Poirot produced a little book from his pocket—an ancient tattered volume. As he held it out I saw its title, The Magic of the Egyptians and Chaldeans. Then, wheeling round, he strode out of the tent. The doctor stared at me.

‘What is his little idea?’

The phrase, so familiar on Poirot’s lips, made me smile as it came from another.

‘I don’t know exactly,’ I confessed. ‘He’s got some plan of exorcizing the evil spirits, I believe.’

I went in search of Poirot, and found him talking to the lean-faced young man who had been the late Mr Bleibner’s secretary.

‘No,’ Mr Harper was saying, ‘I’ve only been six months with the expedition. Yes, I knew Mr Bleibner’s affairs pretty well.’

‘Can you recount to me anything concerning his nephew?’

‘He turned up here one day, not a bad-looking fellow. I’d never met him before, but some of the others had—Ames, I think, and Schneider. The old man wasn’t at all pleased to see him. They were at it in no time, hammer and tongs. “Not a cent,” the old man shouted. “Not one cent now or when I’m dead. I intend to leave my money to the furtherance of my life’s work. I’ve been talking it over with Mr Schneider today.” And a bit more of the same. Young Bleibner lit out for Cairo right away.’

‘Was he in perfectly good health at the time?’

‘The old man?’

‘No, the young one.’

‘I believe he did mention there was something wrong with him. But it couldn’t have been anything serious, or I should have remembered.’

‘One thing more, has Mr Bleibner left a will?’

‘So far as we know, he has not.’

‘Are you remaining with the expedition, Mr Harper?’

‘No, sir, I am not. I’m for New York as soon as I can square up things here. You may laugh if you like, but I’m not going to be this blasted Men-her-Ra’s next victim. He’ll get me if I stop here.’

The young man wiped the perspiration from his brow.

Poirot turned away. Over his shoulder he said with a peculiar smile:

‘Remember, he got one of his victims in New York.’

‘Oh, hell!’ said Mr Harper forcibly.

‘That young man is nervous,’ said Poirot thoughtfully. ‘He is on the edge, but absolutely on the edge.’

I glanced at Poirot curiously, but his enigmatical smile told me nothing. In company with Sir Guy Willard and Dr Tosswill we were taken round the excavations. The principal finds had been removed to Cairo, but some of the tomb furniture was extremely interesting. The enthusiasm of the young baronet was obvious, but I fancied that I detected a shade of nervousness in his manner as though he could not quite escape from the feeling of menace in the air. As we entered the tent which had been assigned to us, for a wash before joining the evening meal, a tall dark figure in white robes stood aside to let us pass with a graceful gesture and a murmured greeting in Arabic. Poirot stopped.