di Giacomo approached, carrying something and pointing toward one of the ruined outbuildings. “Capitano, I found this over there.” He presented the object to Cannon. It was still recognizable as a scimitar. “That’s not Egyptian, is it?” said Cannon. Masaracchia … Continue reading →

Behind him, Masaracchia said, “Do you read hieroglyphics?” “By heart, only a few,” said Cannon, kicking himself. His library aboard Inconstant held a copy of Alan Gardiner’s Egyptian Grammar, but without it he was working from memory alone. He ran … Continue reading →

Masaracchia drove a stake deep into the sand and tied the camels to it. Cannon eyed the descent. The face of the hill against which the temple stood bore tool marks. It had been chipped nearly smooth, uncommonly shoddy work … Continue reading →

She laughed. “Only tha’ it was safer than the gallows, but we’re aye explorin’ new sorts of danger, aren’t we?” Cannon couldn’t disagree. A few miles’ ride went by in relative silence, broken by the occasional snippet of conversation between … Continue reading →

In a few minutes more, the Albatross and its escort reached the edge of the floodplain, leaving a trail of puzzled farmers and herdsmen in their wake. They followed the river to a small collection of tan brick houses, toward … Continue reading →