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As the two began to ride back through the streets, Harry let his eyes wander over the crowds. They did not blend in as well as they would have before undergoing their charade, but her certainly hoped their increase in speed now that they were horseback would make up the difference as they made their way back toward the barracks. he wouldn't be resting or relaxing much until he knew that Aziza was back in a safe place, and he didn't trust the streets of Cairo at that very moment as his eyes flicked from person to person, crowd to crowd, taking in everything as if he were looking for snipers on the dunes. He had been so intent on his own focus that he had not even noted Aziza's relative silence until she spoke and brought it up.

Glancing back over towards her, he gave a reassuring smile as if to assure her that she need not be apologetic. He cocked an eyebrow at her question, noting the pause but not thinking a great deal of it. It was a reasonable question, Harry had been avoiding putting much thought into the expedition itself, with all that had happened he'd still had much more pressing matters on his mind, and he sighed as he glanced back ahead of them, thinking for a moment before he spoke, deciding to be as honest as he could with his answer. "I don't truly know, to be honest with you. Part of me I'm sure would like to have nothing to do with it. Another part wants to ensure you're as safe as possible, so I suppose I'm committed to it, so long as you are." He spoke with pointed meaning in his words, turning back to her as he gave her a gentle nod.

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William simply sighed as she spoke. Normally, the words that Vera spat at him would have sparked anger in him, her insistence of his motives and his character, her denial of her own feelings which, by then had become abundantly clear even to him. But this time, there was almost an exasperation to his expression, it was as if he'd finally finished a marathon and only learned at the very last meter that he'd been running all this time. He made no resistance as she went to remove herself from his arms. He found he missed the feeling of her warmth, but he was certainly not of the mind to hold her there if she wished to stand away.

He did not bother to answer his question, in his mind he knew it was more bait than anything. It would return them to their usual routine, he would argue against it, the two would snap back at one another for some time and eventually one or both of them would walk off in a huff, only to do it all again when enough time ahd passed. He kept his eyes locked on Vera, a look of what could almost be called concern in his eyes as he reached up, gently setting his hand on her cheek in a feather touch. There was no aggression behind it, and even the movement of his hand there had been slow and gentle enough that she could have easily pulled away should she wish.

"I want you to stop hurting yourself, Vera." He spoke again, that same calmness in his voice as he continued. "I don't want you to feel like you're bound by some tradition, some rule written years ago that says you can't do what your heart wants you to. And by that same logic - I don't want to stand in your way." Deep meaning carried every word from his lips as he refused to let his gaze leave her own, watching her closely as he slowly dropped his hand back to his side. "If you love Peter, tell him, embrace it, you deserve to stop holding yourself back for once." He emphasized the last few words, not daring to say any more. He still felt that he knew Vera's true feelings, but figured in that moment bringing them back up would only make things more tense between them. Shaking his head, he instead just turned back to the bookshelf he stood at, continuing to look through things. If she would speak to him longer he was there, but otherwise - he had given her the choice.

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Reginald decided to stay out of the whole "marriage" conversation. It was something for Peter to torture his American friend with; merely something for him to enjoy from the comfort of his desk chair. The news that his nephew had neglected to eat since coming to Cairo did take him by surprise. The cuisines of North Africa and the Middle East, jumbled together in a cultural gathering place and once world power took on a singularly unique note, here in the capitol. The British influence helped a bit too; were one to ask the Lord Major, the food was probably the only thing that made up for the nigh intolerable desert climate.

Still keeping away from the topic of Peter's courtship to Vera, Reginald sipped his tea and interjected, "Oh my, well you positively must sample Cairo cuisine. Perhaps, if schedules permit, a nice supper this evening? The locals have this wonderful flatbread that pairs exceptionally with coal-grilled lamb and some manner of lentil paste... I haven't the foggiest what it's called at this moment, but it is divine. Of course, closer to the English speaking parts of the city, there are a number of respectable fish & chips purveyors..." His parental instincts kicked in with his nephew, a point that he noticed almost immediately. This was a grown man who had been through much in recent years, who very likely did not need another overly concerned mother hen clucking around him. "Well then, gentlemen. Please enjoy the tea to the fullest of your leisure, but following, I've a couple of short engagements that require my attention. The Officers' Club shall be at your disposal; you might be able to secure a light brunch or the like, if you so desire. I recommend the date bread. It is an experience, you see. Otherwise, I..."

A sharp knock at the door stopped Reginald mid-sentence. He cleared his throat, addressing the visitor, "Yes? You may enter." followed by a quick, "Eyes front, Private! Hold attention." There was no way he was going to have yet another incident in his office. "State your business."

"Supply report, Lord Major!" he piped up.

"Yes, yes quite." Reginald held out his hand to receive the report, snapping it under his vision as soon as it touched his fingers. "Right. Take the surplus goods from the first column and set them aside, itemized, ready for quick loading. Further, these items..." A pen from his desk checked next to a handful of entries elsewhere in the report, "Also set on standby; enough for a diplomatic outing. Do remind the Supply Sergeant to account for this in the weekly requisitions. Quick about it then, Private!"

The soldier snapped a salute and delivered an appropriately decibeled "Yes, Lord Major!" before taking the paperwork back and marching doubletime back out of his office.

"Where was I... Ah yes, appointments aside (which should only last a few minutes), otherwise I shall join you the the Club afterwards, if it be your desire to remain. But for now, we take Tea. So, Mr. Benaszewski, how long do you expect to reside in Cairo?"

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Josephine stood up when the door knocked. She opened it with a warm smile at the man. "Darling, you are a sight for sore eyes. Of course you may come in." She let him in to set up the tea and food. She wasn't partial to tea, but wasn't about to say no when it was freely offered. She let the man finish before he exited out the door. She would have a half hour to enjoy herself, and that was fine.

She sat down and poured herself some tea with a healthy portion of honey and cream. Then she tried the food. It was simple, sure, but considering she hadn't eaten since that morning, and the whole prison fiasco, she was starving. It was delicious, regardless. She ate quite a bit while she relaxed. She wondered what was going on back home. Surely she was missed. However, all of this was so exciting! She could only imagine what everyone would say about all of this.

Then she remembered she couldn't talk about it. Damn it all. It would make for a really good movie.

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Haakon turned in a sharp fashion towards the door. For the briefest of moment he wondered who in the world it could be, seen as they had just arrived at the base. But of course it was a guard, though again this time a much welcomed sight indeed. "Come in!" Haakon said loudly, watching the guard enter and then leave him with a tray of tea and various food items. Very British, even the message left for him.

30 minutes for him to make his tea, eat whatever of the two foods he wanted and get ready before meeting with the Lord-Major. It was more enough time for him to peacefully eat and drink, but still didn't feel long enough for him to gather his thoughts about the coming conversation. He hadn't forgotten the scolding he'd recieved the day before from both the Keystones and the soldier ransacking his personal belongings. If they found anything they'd see as classified information, and they surely would mean that themselves, Haakon presumed he wasn't going to have a nice chit-chat with the bubbly British Lord-Major.

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Circumstances? Mahendra could already imagine what that meant, but it was far from what he had expected. Far from being about him, his background and race, it was their situation that Mr. Kohn partly warned Mahendra of; a woman. Mahendra sat quietly, an inquizetive look on his face as he listened intently to what Mr. Kohn told him about the woman, related to the main financier behind the Dig of the Century, her clumsines and temper. In the end Mahendra smiled at Mr. Kohn, his moustache too forming after his smile and copied in his voice.

"If those are the circumstances that must surround my possible employment, I think I am ready to handle it to the best of my abilities. I might already have been given a good sign from above today, so consider my answer an 'Yes'."

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Chuckling slightly, Peter shook his head. "God willing, I will be turning in my bachelorhood to Lady Munn," Peter said and the single brow that was visible on Georges face rose.

"Mmmm, the one you spoke of often? Vera?" he asked as he sat there, palming the saucer of his tea on one hand as he held the cup in another. Peter nodded in confirmation. "After all this time...mmm, Lucky man I would say if she is half the woman you spoke of."

"My words could never do her justice, could they uncle?" Peter sat up in his chair and slowly set his cup of tea down. "And as much as I would love to try the local cuisine. I do have a task at hand. I still wish to check in on Vera at the museum considering the happenings of this morning. I do worry. Once she is attended to, then perhaps I shall."

George turned his head slightly. "mmm, not sure. Will depend," he said answering the Lord Majors question.

"Well why don't you be a right good man and come with me for now to the museum? I would adore to introduce you to Vera and uncle does have work to do." George looked over towards Peter and let out a breath. It took a moment but he nodded and rose from his place, extending his thanks and his hand to Reginald. Peter followed suit and gave his uncle a hug. "I will return later today, but for now, on to the museum." With that both men excused themselves, leaving the office and making their way to Peter's room in the officers area so he could retrieve a his hat.

A knock came to the doors of Josephine and Haakon. A guard at each waiting to escort them down to the Lord Majors office. "This way if you will," they instructed and waited to be joined by the two before leading them down to the Lord Majors Office. George was not sure he was wanting to be out and about to meet someone else today but probably it was a good thing that the two of them were already in Peter's room before Josephine and Haakon had arrived. Another knock, this time at the Lord Majors door and they had arrived. "Lord Major, Miss Clark and Mr. Elvsgaard to see you sir," the guard said as he opened the door.

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Neema looked over towards Nora and gave half a nod. It was a possibility but she had known the curator for probably more years than these girls had been alive. He had always been meticulous about keeping the museum in order, even before he became the curator. Details were everything to him. From what Neema could see of Lady Munn, she didn't think she would have misplaced them. Though it was still a chance. "Perhaps she will let us check the archives," Neema said as she glanced over in the general direction to where Vera had stormed off too. She wanted to find out but she wasn't about to go over there and interject. Hopefully the woman would be back shortly so they could ask. Seemed that her new acquaintance Lauren had the same idea. Just wait right there for Lady Munn.

Vera's lips curled into a veritable snarl as William spoke. "How dare you presume to tell me how to live my life. What I do and for what reason I do that is none of your concern. Who are you to dictate to me how to live? You know nothing about me. All you seem to know is that you take joy in causing me pain. Telling me to tell Peter how I feel? I have been nothing but open and honest with him. How about you? Can you say the same? Stand there and tell me what to do? Have you ever felt anything real in your life? Beyond the joy you get from carving another notch in your bed post! Love? Ha! Who have you ever loved in this life but yourself?" she spat.

The woman didn't wait for an answer. It was all rhetorical to her. Turning on her heel she stormed off, nearly toppling over a stack of books waiting to be put back in place as she did but her anger would not allow her to slow down even though she was tripping as she went. Her chest hurt desperately right then, each step she took it hurt more. She had allowed herself to get flustered once again by the man. Why would he even say such things to her? She could not fathom it. It reminded her of the boys when she was younger, pulling on her curls. They only ever did that to see her flustered. Didn't they?

Stepping back over to the trio of women examining the tiles, she took a deep breath. Her eyes were misty and her voice had carried freely through the stacks of books even in such a large room. Clearing her throat she tried to act as if everything was fine as she plastered on a brave face and tried to get back to business. "Have you been able to determine anything in my absence?" she asked in a shaky voice.

The curator nodded curtly and rose form his desk. "I see, then let us give you a trial run shall we? There will be a ninety day probation period. We will see how you do between now and then, then there will be a review period. If everything goes well, then you will have the job on a permanent assignment. Pay during the probationary period is as it would be normally. The American Hospital is where you go should you need medical assistance. You will have a desk in the archives library with Lady Munn. I guess I should take you over there at this time to introduce you," he said as he adjusted his coat and motioned for the door. "This way if you would."

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Aziza looked over towards Harry and couldn't help but smile to herself, her cheeks warming slightly. He didn't want anything more to do with this than she did it seemed but he was willing to go along with it for her. It wasn't something she was accustomed to, some one willing to be there for her despite his own personal feelings on the situation. Had he been her her husband he would have told her to shut up, or even worse, silenced her with a swift backhand to her cheek to let her know it didn't matter what she wanted he would do as he pleased. Yet Harry wasn't her ex husband, and she was forever thankful for that.

"I have no doubt that as long as you are near me I am safe," she said in a confident voice. She had no doubt in her mind that whatever happened, whatever or whomever came for her, he would protect her. It was odd feeling safe with a man next to her. To feel protected the way she did with him. She wasn't complaining, it was just something she was not used to but something she hoped wouldn't end anytime soon.

Looking back forward she continued to move through the crowd on her stallion, keeping next to Sgt. Walsh as much as she could, only dropping back when the streets were too crowded or too narrow. She found herself enjoying the short trip back to the barracks but as safe as she felt with Harry next to her she was still glad to return to the military installation. Not only for herself, but for him. When they were within the walls she knew he was safe as well and not having to put himself out there. "Yes, over there you can house them," one of the military personal explained as they were let back into the barracks, pointing out the stables. Aziza thanked the man as the gate closed behind them and she nudged Drahl ahead. Seemed this was her home, for now.

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It was excellent to have Peter in his office for a visit and a little late morning tea, even to meet his friend from the war. It was an awkward meeting, that much was certain, but he hoped a generally positive experience for both his nephew and his new guest. Aside from his little ...incident... and that of his favorite Corporal, it seemed to go along swimmingly. Sadly, their time together had to come to a temporary close, seeing as both he and the Lord Captain had matters of business to attend. "Positively, my boy. Meanwhile, I shall see to issues of our little Fellowship and the Barracks. Speaking of which, the first matter should be arriving any minute. Do have a pleasant day, Peter. I shall see you again soon. Oh, and it was a rare pleasure meeting you, Mr. Benaszewski. My best to you and your family."

After the pair left, Reginald signaled for a steward to clear away tea service and bring around a tall pitcher of cool water with a set of tumbler glasses. It promised to be a series of lengthy conversations, and a gentleman tried to be prepared for any eventuality he or his guests may require.

What occurred next began a chain of events that would give the venerable Lord Major a sense of droll satisfaction. It was the plan, at any rate. But the perpetual smugness that ordinarily came with being a ranking officer in His Majesty's Armed Forces would have to build a bit first. One does not flash boil tea, no, one brings the water to a gentle simmer before allowing it to politely cross the border into a low, murmuring boil, then introduces the proper amount of just the appropriately oxidized tea leaves to steep, thusly creating that nectar of the gods, English Tea.

When the guard knocked and announced the presence of the Reporter and the Starlet, Reginald responded with an authoritative, "Excellent. Do show Miss Clark inside, and have Mr. Elvsgaard take a chair in the lobby. Wait just outside my door in the interim, soldier." As the door swung open to admit the first of what promised to be two interesting exchanges, the Lord Major exclaimed warmly, "Please Miss Clark, come right in. Welcome to my professional sanctum, spartan as it is. Take a seat. Do help yourself to a glass of water or a vanilla crisp. Oh, unless you would prefer something more ...fortified? We have much to talk about."

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Soon she heard the knock at her door. She got up and opened it to her escort. She wished she had more time to settle her mind, but she would have to face this battle sooner or later. A growing sense of dread hit her. Surely this wasn't an ordinary talk. Were they to be treated like children again? Even after their horrendous adventure at the prison, they were to be interrogated even more so? And she had a feeling her feminine wiles wouldn't do so well with the Lord Major.

She looked over to Haakon with a smile though. A knowing smile. She wouldn't let this place or anyone get to her. After all, she was clearly invested in this and whatever powers were at work here wanted her involved. That should be more than enough for them.

As they got to their destination, she was told she had to go in alone. Separating them was a strong move, but she was confident in her own abilities. Maybe not so much for Haakon, but that was a different case entirely.

As she walked in, she was met with a kindness she hadn't experienced from the man since she arrived here. That put her more on edge than ever, but she would not show weakness. "Most kind of you, Lord Major, but I just came from a lovely tea service and am filled to the brim at the moment." She took a seat and crossed her legs and looked squarely into the Lord Major's eyes. No hint of concern in them. "Let's get down to it then. What do you wish to know?"

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The sun was shining the bird's chirping... well not really the exact mood an atmosphere Mosi was experiencing since well... she was in Egypt, but she felt happy about it so close enough. It was warm, sunny and very enjoyable so far. She felt the desire to pull a cat one and just hide in some nice shadow lazying about without care in the world. She let out a pleased sound as she stretched out her arms upwards for a moment. Sometimes she wished to be a cat indeed, though she was told that seh resembles one a lot already by friends and family.

“Mhhh... yeah.” She mumbled to herself as she resumed walking towards the alley where she met Rosheen. She did feel like checking the stalls she was pointed out there with the higher quality cloths and other general things to sell. She wanted to check the antiques too! Unable to contain her excitement about the whole thing in the end she hastened her pace almost to a jog.

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As Lauren stood there she looked over towards Neema for a moment and nodded, she was pretty sure that Vera would be more then willing to let them snoop around the archives for the other tiles that were missing. She slowly ran a hand through her hair as she curiously ran a hand over one of the tablets. Just out of curiosity on how it actually felt, she hadn't seen these things that were so ancient looking, as she turned her head she heard Vera's voice as she came back into the room asking if they had found anything off of the tablets that were in the office. "Theres a few missing here from what they have said, that's about all I know really. There might be some more in the archives or something like that." Lauren replied.

As Lauren eyed Vera for a moment she could tell that there was something that was bothering Vera, she could tell that her voice was pretty shaky. She thought about pulling her aside and trying to find out what was wrong with her, but Lauren had an idea that it had something to do with William yet again since they were along for awhile there. "Is everything alright Vera?" Lauren asked, she was pretty concerned for her friend, she had gotten to know her pretty well now at this point and she wanted to make sure that her friend was going to be alright.

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From the way Vera's voice was carrying, Nora couldn't help but imagine that she would be quite some time. It appeared to be an endless cycle that she and Mr. Drake were caught in. The previous evening, she had heard a bit of a shouting match between the two and the topic appeared to be similar on this occasion. Nora frowned ever so slightly. While she couldn't hear Mr. Drake's words, she had no doubt that he was in the wrong in this situation. Lady Munn was as sensible as Mr. Drake appeared to be sexual.

She considered mentioning to Neema and Lauren that they may as well begin a search on their own, only to see Lady Munn reappear. Lauren beat her to the chase in explaining the outcome of their short conversation. Truthfully, all they learned was that there were more tiles to be found and that they likely were somewhere inside the museum. The best case scenario was that Lady Munn had simply misplaced them. There were several ideas of horrible scenarios that came to mind, yet Nora couldn't adequately decide which one would be the absolute worst.

She nodded in agreement at Lauren's concern for Vera. She wasn't sure if there was much else to be said - Lauren had summed just about everything up.

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Harry smiled softly towards Aziza as she spoke, her confidence in him was comforting, if not daunting. He had every intention of keeping Aziza safe on their expedition, and indeed for whatever other things were to come, but Harry knew better than most that sometimes good intentions were certainly not enough. His mind went back to the war as they made their way back to the barracks, and as they began to continue along to the barracks Harry found himself following mindlessly, his thoughts far away as he lingered on memories better left forgotten.

He had seen youthful boys come and go, he had seen men die moments after arriving on the front, or days before they went home. In his earliest days he had assured all those under his command that he would do everything in his power to ensure their safety, to ensure their safe return home at the end of the war. By the last few months of the war he had stopped making such a promise, he knew he could not keep it then, and the pain of failing each time one of his fellows fell would have consumed him otherwise. Harry was oblivious of the grim demeanour that had crossed his face, sighing as he continued to make his way to the stables with Aziza, but she would likely recognize it with ease, it was the same look he had had the night before when his thoughts returned to the war. It was a look of pain, of regret.

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It took every ounce of William's willpower to retain his mask of calm until Vera left the room, and the moment she did it took that same willpower not to smash the closest thing in sight. He fought back a pang of rage, fury and frustration boiling in him. William was a scoundrel, a liar, a bastard even, he had never spoken to anyone in his life the way he had just spoken to Vera. He had poured his heart out, into his hands and he had offered to her, and she had spat and stomped on it like it was a kind of sick joke. William's anger hardly held, and before long he threw a few tomes as hard as he could across the room, not caring for the damage he caused as he clenched his fists.

Finding a chair nearby, he sat and put his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair and gripping it tightly, struggling not to tear it out as the frustration, the anger, and the sorrow tore through him, attacking every fiber of his being. He had spent his life steeling himself, never had William opened himself up so much and he knew now the reason why, it hurt in the kind of way that was unfathomable to explain. Sighing as he lingered on the pain in his heart, he sat in silence, all other desires or thoughts purged from his mind as he sat in agonizing silence.

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Haakon had surely forgotten how hungry he had actually been, for the sandwiches and scones did not take long to be consumed. The tea however he would take his time to enjoy while did his best to use the time he had to think; think of what to say to the honourable Lord-Major Keystone in just a few minutes time. Not that he came to any conclusions except the same Josephine had adviced in the prison; tell the truth. As far as he was concerned, they were all in the same boat now, regardless of their past mischiefs and disagreements. Especially the content of his letters. So perhaps if he put it on the table, then maybe...

Like said earlier, there wasn't much time left for him to think this through as the guard came back and escorted them to the Lord-Major. Josephine's smile didn't go unnoticed for him, and he gave her the same kind of knowing smile back. She would pull through, just like back at the prison. At least the British were gentlemen...well, most of them anyway.

He shouldn't have been surprised at the order that Josephine were to be 'chatted' with first, while himself were to wait in the lobby. Smart move on the Lord-Major's part, cross-checking their statements one at a time. If some much of Haakon's work weren't at stake, he'd praise the elder Keystone. But right now Haakon did little else but give Josephine one last look and smile, before waiting patiently where he was told to.

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The Bengali geologist could do nothing but smile, once again feeling the weight of his whole life gently trickle off his chest and giving him a sense of confidence to stand up tall. It might not entirely have looked that way to the Curator, but it sure felt like it. But Mahendra didn't let the words spoken to him go unnoticed, knowing that small mistakes could grown massive like elephants later.

"I'll be more than happy to accept those terms, Mr. Kohn. I have a few belongings at my current lodging that I'd like to bring to my desk later, if that would be possible? But yes, meeting this woman of erratic behaviour sounds proper. Thank you Sir." Mahendra spared no time finally standing up from the table and following his gesture towards the door.

If she was half as a wacky character as she sounded like, Mahendra would have to pray to the Gods to help him and her journey.

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Lead Reason: Interviews with Reginald
Secondary Reason: Don't get killed?
Recruiting: Nope
Time: 1-2 hours, depends
Group: Reginald, Josephine, Haakon

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Vera looked shaken and a bit perplexed when she was informed that tiles were missing. "Are quite you sure?" she asked, not so much in denial but still confused. Neema gave a curt nod of her head before responding.

"Very. I removed the tiles myself," she informed Vera.

Vera nodded in acceptance but it still bothered her to know that some, most, were missing. She turned her head slightly as Lauren asked if she was okay. Then she heard the crashing sounds from behind the stacks. Obviously William was not happy with her response. To her it was because he didn't like being called out on the truth. She had no idea he had meant more by it. He hadn't mentioned how he felt, only told her what do to. Part of her wanted to go back to him, ask why he was acting that way but she refused. Her feet becoming rooted in their spot. She wasn't going to give in to a temper tantrum.

"Yes, of course. I am perfectly well," she lied as she looked down, trying to focus on the tiles and the task at hand. "Let us continue. I am rather sure that I retrieved them all and we here at the museum, from what I know have not lent out any to another museum. I will double check the records. Yet I will need to be off to the permits office shortly to get our papers in order. Nora, would you be so kind as to come with me? I feel you could be most useful in helping me present why we must go there, your discovery will give us wonderful footing for a permit to be granted by the Egyptian Government," she said kindly towards Nora. She was sure that the discovery would go over far better than trying to convince these bureaucrats of mystical origins.

Mr. Kohns gave a nod to his newest probationary hire and made his way through the museum and up to Vera's office. Not bothering to knock when he entered. He stopped as he did and looked at the women in the room. "Tea time?" he asked.

"Oh, Mr. Khons, yes and no. We are conversing about the upcoming expedition."

The man quirked a brow. Four women and no man in sight since William was behind the stacks planning this out? Shaking his head a bit Vera went onto explain the newest discovery and that they were missing tiles. That combined with the fact she needed to leave to go to get permits gave the curator a chance finally to introduce the newest member of the expedition. "This is Mahendra Huq Zalil. He has been hired on a probationary level as our newest junior archeologist."

Vera looked the man over and grunted under her breath. She didn't feel she needed anymore hands in the pot but she said nothing about it. She knew what she would face if she did, it was better to just let it go. "Yes sir."

"Now that that is taken care of I bid you good day, try not to break anything Lady Munn," he said with a chuckle before showing himself out.

Taking a deep breath Vera looked over towards Nora and sighed, she didn't want this new man to get in their way at the permits office. "Well then, since we have an extra set of hands. Mr. Zalil? Please escort Miss Ridgeway and Neema down into archives. "They are needed to see if they can located a few missing tiles," she said quickly and nearly started back tracking since she hadn't asked if Lauren and Neema would be willing to do so first. Neema though spoke before she had a chance.

"Yes, of course. A young strapping man will be just the ticket to help us women folk move things around with out worry that we may break something," she said in a grandmotherly voice as she stepped over to Mahendra and took his arm before he would even have a chance to offer it or not. "I can show you the way if you do not know how to get there. This museum was my second home for ages."

Vera let out a breath of relief as Neema took charge. She had questions for the woman but they could wait. Neema seemed to know things about the museum and the tiles and it would allow her to go with Nora to take care of the permits. Better to get things moving. She was just about to suggest they leave when she heard a knock at her door.

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Aziza moved Drahl into a stable and closed the door before glancing over towards Harry. She knew that look on his face, or at least knew it couldn't be anything good that was going through his mind. Stepping over to him her hand came up slowly and cupped his cheek. She wasn't sure what to say since she didn't know what was bothering him. Maybe words were not needed just yet. Coming up on her toes a bit she brushed her lips against his softly, placing a lingering kiss. As she leaned back she gave him an understanding and caring smile. Just gazing into his eyes as she stood there looking up at him adoringly. While she had pulled away from the kiss, her hand remained, her thumb running gently along the line of his jaw.

"If you want to talk, I will listen. We can go back to my room here, be alone?" she said before blushing deeply as she lowered her head, letting out a soft nervous giggle. "I mean if that is okay with you. If not, we can do anything you wish," she said before her eyes came back up to meet his slowly. The blush had faded some but there was still warmth on her cheeks as she let her hand fall to his chest.

Maybe it would have been best if she had stepped away at that point but she just couldn't bring herself to. She didn't want to move and more than that seeing such a look on Harry's face made her worry and she wanted to comfort him in anyway she could. Even if she didn't feel like she owed him kindness because of everything he had done for her so far to ensure her safety she still wanted to just be there for him, be someone he could lean on and confide in. Someone she wished she had had for herself when her world had been flipped upside down all those years ago. She never wanted Harry to feel as if he was alone with anything he was dealing with internally. She had never been in a war and would never be able to fully understand what he was going through but that didn't mean that she couldn't be there for him.

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"Yes, I give you my word." Peter's voice was a bit morose as he spoke but he was firm with his words.

"Hrm, very well. You know the deal, so let's get on with it, mmm,.." George said as he stuck his hand out to Peter and they shook. They had come to an agreement. One that George wasn't completely satisfied with but it would do for now. Peter brightened a bit when George agreed. A grin coming to his face as he let his friends hand go and leaned against his cane a bit more.

"Yes yes, of course." Peters grin grew as he headed for the door and made his way, with George in tow, out of the room. Down the stairs and across the courtyard George made sure that he walked with Peter on his right so if anyone looked at him from the left they wouldn't see the mask and Peter blocked the view from the right. Peter noticed Harry and Aziza in the stables and gave them a slight wave before they managed to get to the gate.

George was forced to stop and gather his things. "You brought all of this?" he asked as George took weapon after weapon back from the guard at the gate. George just nodded as he put them back in place on various parts of his body. "Always prepared for anything aren't you?" he joked as they were finally able to leave the barracks and start to head for the museum.

"Mmm, I'm no boy scout," George said in passing as he kept his head down. Last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to himself right then.

Over in a certain alleyway Rosheen was behind the counter serving a new group of men who had come since Mosi had left. Yet Mosi wasn't alone, or so it seemed. Half way to the side street a black cat with bright amber eyes started following her and meowing slightly. The place was clearer than it was before. Less people. Seemed most were grabbing meals at the various booths lining the street instead of at the merchant. So every merchant Mosi passed tried desperately to get her attention. Showing her clothing, crafts, fabrics, and more. She was a good twenty feet to Rosheens food booth when she couldn't go anymore. Half a dozen vendors were really trying to get her to buy.

Walking into the museum Peter and George made a round about way towards Vera's office. Peter knowing just how much George tried to avoid being stared at or getting even worse reactions from people. "Just give me a minute," Peter said to George as he motioned to the bench by the office door. George took a seat and nodded slightly. He knew the drill, it was something he preferred. To let people be warned before they met him usually helped with reactions. Peter turned and opened the door slightly with a bit of a knock as he entered. "Vera darling?" he said brightly as he stepped into the room.

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While moving towards Rosheen to grab something else to much on since hse kind of didn't finish her meal properly last time and maybe a drink before focusing on a good old shopping, she heard a meowing! Turning around she saw an elegant black cat with amber eyes! She loved all things feline. She smiled and nodded respectfully to the cat. Cats were smart creatures, one ought to treat them with respect and she knew that full well.

Well her plans for a quick meal were interrupted when it appears she caught the eye of all the merchants she walked by. Given how calmer it appeared right now with less customers for them, it seemed they decided to grab her attention and get her to buy! Well job well done on their side because... she was surrounded! No way to get free outside of pushing her way and she didn't want that. A little bit she actually enjoyed the attention, not that she will show it overly so.

“Alright, alright, some space please.” She said with an amused voice making gestures with her hands to get them to spread out a little.” I will see everyone's merchandise~”

“I need nice soft cloth... and maybe a robe.” She added, switching her attention to focusing on all the things that were proposed to her, trying to judge the quality of them all and to see if there was anything truly interesting like old trinkets and the like.

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Lauren gave Vera a concerned look, she knew that her friend was lying as she quickly went back to work at staring at the tiles that were on Vera's desk. She decided to not say anything about it, as she heard something crash in the other room she had a feeling that it was probably William having a temper tantrum like a little child. She would have loved to have seen the sight of that as she heard a knock on the door Lauren turned to look at Mr. Kohns, she hadn't seen the man before and assumed that he was the curator of the museum Vera's boss essentially. Lauren gave him a friendly smile and nod towards the man as Lauren listened to Vera talk about getting some permits to start digging.

Lauren also gave the other man named Mahendra a friendly smile and wave, Vera quickly asking if he could escort herself and Neema down to the archives to try and find those tiles. Lauren didn't have any issue with going, she really didn't know much about getting the permits stuff so she agreed to go. "I don't have any problem with it." Lauren said with a soft smile as she watched Neema quickly going over and wrapping her arm around Mahendra. "Please do lead the way." Lauren said as she gave her a friendly smile.

Lauren started to make her way towards the door nearly bumping into Peter in the process, she gave him a slight smile. "Sorry." Lauren said softly as she started to head outside of Vera's office. The moment she stepped outside of Vera's office she came face to face with George sitting on one of the chairs just outside of Vera's office, she gave him that deer in the headlights look before letting out a rather loud yelp. Lauren wasn't sure if she was actually seeing a person, there or it was something that was from her head or dreams that she had been having. Lauren quickly dashed back inside of Vera's office heading directly over towards Vera's desk as she leaned over taking in several deep and heavy breathes as she muttered a few incoherent words at what she had just seen.

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Harry's expression remained somewhat grim and blank as he moved Roach into her stable and climbed down off her, carefully beginning to work on getting her saddle off. His thoughts were far away, and they only did return to him when he felt Aziza's soft hand on his cheek and her lips against his own. Though the dark thoughts lingered, he leaned slowly into the kiss, savouring the warm feeling in the moment. She was like sunshine in a storm, like good times forgotten and suddenly remembered, she was everything he could have possibly desired and everything he could ever need. She was far better than he deserved.

As she pulled away, his focus was on her, in only moments she had drawn him back from the darkness, shown him the way to the light and kept him from being swallowed up. He found a smile slip upon his face as she spoke, and it was not a fake one. "You do more than enough just by being here..." He knew each word he said was true and from the heart. Harry had come back to Egypt to write and to remember, hoping dearly that it would bring some peace to him, and yet she had done just that in a heartbeat. As Harry stared into Aziza's eyes, he knew that he had not come to Egypt to write his story, he had come to find her.

"But, a quiet place to sit and rest wouldn't be remiss..." Harry admitted quietly, catching himself before he said or did anything far too bold for that moment. He did not know how much time they may have had before they would eventually be off on their expedition, or before they were dragged away into some other danger, but in what time they had he didn't wish to leave Aziza's side. And perhaps more importantly than that, he wanted to rest.

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Silence engulfed William for a while, hundreds of thoughts running through his head as he sat behind the stacks. He tried his best to ignore them all, the frustration and the irritation had been more or less commonplace but now it was different. It took time, far longer than William would have liked, but eventually, he let out a long sigh as he lifted his head from his hands and sat up straight, looking over the shelves.

He knew a distraction would prove far better than anything at dealing with the frustration in his mind then, and so he chose to get to work. Standing, William moved to the shelves, searching for any tomes of use to their expedition. He figured Vera would have already found some and likely had them with the others, but he set about finding whatever might have been of use anyway. Though he was certainly not a traditional Archaeologist, William was no stranger to a library hunt.

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Nora raised an eyebrow as she heard the crash. Surely, Mr. Drake had more control of his faculties than to simply smash things in a fit? Those were priceless artifacts back there from what she could understand, pieces of information that were rather dear to Lady Munn and countless others. She sighed, annoyance flashing across her usually well collected and composed visage. She was never one to be louder than was required, yet she had half a mind to go smack Mr. Drake herself and then personally escort him from Lady Munn's place of business.

"Of course, Lady Munn," Nora replied. She had been to the Permit's Office on one or two previous occasions, accompanying her father as he requested to begin one expedition or the other. Yet due to the fact that her job as an assistant was largely superficial and designed to keep her out of the eye of the press, she was not altogether familiar with the process. She had to craft her own understanding and her own work - hence her amateur expertise with cryptography and deciphering other tongues.

She remained largely silent as the newcomer joined them, noting that Lady Munn did not appear thrilled at the prospect of another archaeologist in the museum. Yet no sooner had Lauren left the room and Peter entered than did Nora hear a yelp from outside. Nora tilted her head quizzically. From her vantage point, she could not see outside of Lady Munn's office.

"Is Miss Ridgeway quite alright?" Nora asked. She doubted Neema had made such a sound.

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Mahendra wasn't sure what he had expect, but what he did see as he peered past Mr. Kohn and into the office was more than that to say the least. A group of four women was assembled in the office belonging to the woman called Vera Munn, his new superior so to speak. Alongside her were the three others; a rather pale-looking woman of frail appearance, yet some high intelligence lurking in her eyes if he wasn't wrong; a fair lady called Ridgeway, and the woman named Neema.

Of all the woman present, Vera seemed to be the one least cheerful about his presence in their company. Mahendra couldn't help feel an old familiar sense of predidjuce coming from the woman, her sighs and heavy breaths giving away her annoyance. Why? It couldn't be because he was Bengali, or 'Indian' as the white man called him?

Her annoyance didn't stop her from giving him a task to do at least. He was to escort Miss Ridgeway and Neema down to the archives in search of some lost tiles. The Bengali smiled to Vera, trying to not let her annoyed demenour get to him. The bigger problem was that he had no idea were the archive was. Luckily that problem lasted for as long as a liars life in Nirvana when Neema, taking hold of his arm, offered to show the way for him on account of her long life in the museum. "That would be most kind of you dear. But I'll be sure to remember for next time."

Before Mahendra could get moving however, two things of interest happened: firstly the door was knocked upon and revealed a man calling for Vera. The second was Miss Ridgeway walked past said man and out of the office, just to have her return with a loud call for help and incomprehendable words. Mahendra broke free from Neema's captive arms and halfway ran to Laura. "Miss Ridgeway, are you okay? What happened?"

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*Note: Previous case is on day 5/6

Streets Of Cairo: "Get back ya parasites," Rosheen bellowed as she pushed her way through the crowd and over to Mosi. "She will get to ya when she wants. What ya tryin' to do? Scare her out of here? Get back ya lot," she added as she rested her hand on Mosi's shoulder and shook her head. "Surprised they didn't try to mug ya like this when ya where first here," she scoffed a bit before shooting the vendors various looks to get them to finally at least give Mosi enough room to breath but they were far from actually going back to their respective sales fronts.

"Him and her," she whispered to Mosi, pointing out an old couple that hadn't moved from their stall. It was duller looking than the rest and the couple seemed well beyond their prime. Maybe it was why they hadn't come rushing over to Mosi like all the others. They just were too old to move as quickly as the rest of the group was able. "Theirs is the finest in Cairo," she added as the man that ran the stall with Rosheen came over and started speaking in Arabic to the group. A lot of huffs and voicings were made but they eventually went back to their own personal stalls, even if it was reluctantly. "Thank you," Rosheen said and she got a friendly nod from the man before he went back to pushing his own wares.

"After that you will need to eat, give yourself strength for the buying ahead!"

"Allah help me... Enough!" Rosheen snapped and he just chuckled before walking back over to his personal stall and getting back to cooking. "So, what brings you back here?" she asked gently.

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The assumption that William had made about Vera having pulled nearly every tomb on the subject of Bastet was correct. Each time William went to find one, it was missing from the shelves. The woman may have been a klutz but she was thorough. Though the longer William looked it would quickly become evident that he was finally starting to pick up where she had left off the night before. The more obscure tombs and translations were still there. It seemed that she had started at the most obvious ones and was working her way through them first. Odd for Vera, she was normally one to start with the out side of the box thoughts and only refer to the common texts as a reminder or last resort if she couldn't find anything else. Had last night really gotten her mind that befuddled?

"Thank you, all of you. It will be a tremendous help in this venture to have your able assistance," Vera said in a polite voice.

"Think nothing of it," Neema said before turning her attention to the man whoms arm she was on. "You will know this museum like the back of your hand within two shakes of a lambs tail. The curators system of organization cannot be beat. I should know, I developed it," she said with a slight snicker and a wink in Nora's direction. "Now, you ladies be off and we will tend..." she began to say as Peter came in. Her voice going quiet as she spotted Peter entering the room. She had not yet met him but from the look that came across Vera's face, it was obvious she knew him.

"Peter? What are you doing here?" she asked as she looked over to him quizzically.

Walking over to Vera, Peter leaned on his cane a bit as his arm slipped around her waist and he pulled her in for a short embrace. Vera returned it awkwardly and it caused him to lean back and look at her in worry. "To see how my beloved is faring. Are you feeling quite well?" he asked concerned.

Vera straightened herself and nodded. "Oh yes, just surprised to see you is all."

"I do hope it is a pleasant one."

"Quite," she said as she smoothed out her skirt and pushed her curls back from her brow.

"Wonderful. I wished to see you how you were holding up and to..." he began as he noticed that Lauren was leaving the room. "Miss... Miss!" he tried to call out to her.

George looked up slowly and found himself face to face with Lauren. He had expected Peter to be the one leaving the room to retrieve him, had he known another would be exiting he would have kept his head down. He looked away from her as quickly as he could but from her reaction he knew it had been too late. Sighing he shook his head slightly and kept it down now, staying seated to see if Peter would come get him. He was half sure it would be a good time to slip out of the museum but they had come to an accord so he remained planted right where he sat.

"Oh dear, I fear that is my fault..." Peter said as he watched Lauren dart back into the room. Neema rushed over to her and knelt down to try to see if she could calm her. "Miss, I assure you that he would not harm a hair on your head."

"Who?" Vera asked as she looked to the door, it was still left open and while she couldn't see who was out there she could see the very edge of the bench and a shadow that seemed to show that someone was sitting in it.

"George," Peter said frankly. "A dear friend of mine from during the war. He had come to visit me and I do wish for you to meet him. Yet I must prepare you, as I had wished to do before she exited the room. George, he was injured in the line of battle and his appearance can be jarring until you become accustomed to it but please believe me when I say that he is the most kind hearted, gentle, and brave man I have ever had the privilege to know." Peter tried to explain but Vera still looked confused. How badly had the man been damaged to cause such a reaction from Lauren? Maybe it was just because she had been startled. With everything else going on, yes, that had to be it. It couldn't be as bad as all that.

"I see, well then yes of course. Please do show him in. It would be an honor," she said in a courteous voice. She had seen crypts, mummies, and more in her time at the museum. With Reginald being in charge of the barracks, she had seen her fair share of wounded men over the yeas. It couldn't be all that bad.

Peter smiled and nodded before walking over to the door. It wasn't long before he stepped back in with George coming in behind him. George kept his head down and the damaged half of his face turned away from the group. His shoulders slumping slightly as he gripped at his page boy cap in his hands, pulling at the threads nervously. "May I introduce George Benaszewski," Peter said as he stood there.

Slowly he rose his head and turned in the direction of the group. "mmm, hello," he said quietly as he looked at them through the one moving eye, the tin painted one just staring off blankly in their direction. Neema looked over towards the man and cocked a brow. Yes, he seemed to be injured and apparently he was covering his disfigurement with some sort of mask that half covered his face but it didn't seem to really affect her that much. She was taken aback at first but really showed no signs that it bothered her.

Vera on the other hand did not react in the same way. As much as she had told herself it couldn't have been that bad, that Peter had braced her, that she was ready to meet whoever this man was, it didn't help. Vera might have been of high breeding and a lady but she was also very skittish at times. Things easily made her jump and squeal. So when her skin went pale, her mouth opened, and she shrieked like a banshee before turning, darting off, stumbling over a stack of books only to half way crawl across the floor and get back up to run off to the stacks screaming like she had just seen a ghost... It didn't surprise Peter in the slightest.

"She had the same reaction last time I witnessed a butterfly land on her shoulder," Peter said to George, trying to cover for the woman whom he was courting.

Vera gasped as she rounded the stacks, trying to hide from what she had just seen. Spotting William she tore towards him as if she was trying to outrun death itself and flung herself against him, wrapping her fingers into his shirt as she clung to him. She was shaking like a leaf at this point and looked completely terrified by what she had seen.

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Aziza smiled softly towards Harry, running her fingers along his cheek for a moment before her hand slipped down to his arm and eventually her fingers laced with his. "Then let us go so you can clear your mind," she said in a gentle voice before turning with her things, managing them as best she was able and started to make her way through the barracks up and up the stairs to her room. She half wondered where everyone else was but on thinking about it she figured they were all off getting things together. Perhaps it would have been best if she were to check in with the Lord Major and let him know they had returned, or head over to the museum to see if there was something she could help with.

Yet, she kept her path simple and headed towards her original destination. Above all things, Harry was her primary concern right then. She wanted to help him. Seeing those expressions come over his face, how grim they were, it tugged at her heart strings and she wanted to do whatever she could to stop them from creeping back. If that meant listening, she would until the Nile ran dry and the Sarah sprouted a rain forest. Reaching her door, she fumbled a bit but managed to get it open before finally being able to step inside and set her things down. At home she removed her shoes but not here. There were not enough carpets on the rough wood for her to feel safe enough to walk barefooted. Last thing she wanted was a splinter.

Turning back over to Harry she pulled her shawl from her shoulders and tossed it lightly over the back of a chair. "Come, talk to me," she said as she held her hand out to him. "What keeps plaguing you?" she asked in a worried voice. She hoped it was not her that was causing this melancholy to keep appearing within his eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him any strife but she was worried she was. With everything that was happening, a large part of her was still very surprised that he was even willing to escort her anywhere. The fact he was showing her kindness constantly and even affection now seemed to be an oasis in the desert.

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Well even for someone who did enjoy the attention well enough, this was a little overboard. Mosi was swarmed so much it was actually impossible to move, not to mention even turn easily. Some people would probably have panicked, but she didn't. She was just about push her way through when Rosheen came to the rescue like a guardian angel.

“Thank you, I was surprised... haven't actually had people swarm me like that before.” She smiled and thanked Rosheen for the help as they were still around her, but give her the space to breath. With Rosheen's hand on her shoulder she followed where the woman pointed her at and noticed the two vendors. A couple by the looks of it... “ Now that you mention it. Thank you for the advice as well, Rosheen.” Mosi added, noting the logic and agreeing with it. Finally the man from the food stall working with Rosheen came over and the swarm scattered rather reluctantly by the looks on their faces, but it allowed her to finally take a deep breath of relief.” My thanks to you too.” She quickly thanked him when Rosheen did so too, but needless to say... the proposals for meals came fast as well. Which made Priscilla burst into laughter, taking off her hat planning to follow and get a grub again. This sun made her feel hungry... or was it the walking. She could never tell.

“Well, my visit at the museum ended early since some arrangements arrived. “ She smiled to Rosheen.” I have an arranged visit to a smith that will be making a display of his craft, so I needed to get back to the hotel and get changed and the like.” Mosi explained.” Still it's a few hours away, so I decided might as well pass by here, get a meal and seek out something interesting to buy on the trinket front. Maybe also piece of good cloth to make myself a robe of sorts.” She added.