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and Tom were the only two men in the tomb who had any kind of idea about that stuff. But in his journal Will says you know more than any kid he’s ever met.So I thought it would be good to bring you back on board and . . .’
    â€˜And what?’ asked Alec.
    â€˜And maybe seeing you might just jog something in Will’s mind. You might strike a chord. You up for that?’
    Alec nodded. ‘Sure,’ he said. ‘I’ll give it my best shot.’
    â€˜That’s the spirit.’ Ethan grinned at him. ‘You know, I get a good feeling about you, Alec. I figure you and me, we’re gonna be pals.’
    They seemed to be heading deeper and deeper into the desert and the horizon had that kind of shimmering, melting quality that happens whenever rays of light refract in fierce heat. Alec reminded himself that, beautiful as this landscape was, it could also be deadly. He had heard countless stories of people who had been stranded out here. Very few of the stories had happy endings.
    After driving for perhaps half an hour, they saw the outline of a small village on the horizon. Ethan headed into it and brought the Crossley to a halt outside a big, dilapidated whitewashed building.
    â€˜This place used to be a governor’s residence,’ he explained. ‘These days it’s a hospital.’ Heopened his door and climbed out. Alec followed his example. They walked towards the entrance of the building – a once grand portico supported by rows of crumbling stone columns. Before they stepped into the shade, Ethan paused and put a hand on Alec’s shoulder.
    â€˜You’d better prepare yourself, kid,’ he said quietly. ‘William is . . . well, let’s just say he’s not the man you’ll remember.’
    And with that he led Alec up the short flight of steps to the entrance.

C HAPTER T HREE
Family Reunion

    A NUBIAN NURSE, CLAD in a dazzlingly white starched uniform, led them along corridors and up a flight of wooden stairs. They crossed a landing, their feet echoing on marble tiles, and finally came to a halt at a large mahogany door. The nurse reached into her pocket and withdrew a key, which she used to unlock it.
    Alec was surprised by this and a thought ran through his mind:
What kind of a hospital locks its patients in?
    The nurse handed Ethan the key. ‘Please secure the door when you leave,’ she told him in fluent English, ‘and hand the key in at reception.’
    Ethan nodded. ‘Has there been any improvement since I was last here?’ he asked.
    She gave him a sad smile and shook her head; then she turned and walked back along the corridor.
    Ethan took a grip on the door handle, then paused and looked at Alec. ‘Ready?’ he asked.
    Alec nodded, but he was now feeling horribly apprehensive. He really didn’t know what to expect. Ethan swung the door open and stepped into the room, removing his hat as he did so. Alec followed, closing the door behind him.
    His first thought was that they had come to the wrong room. Over by the far wall a man was sitting in a bath chair, but this was an old fellow of perhaps seventy or eighty years. He was staring intently at the floor, as though watching something, but when Alec followed the direction of his gaze, there appeared to be nothing there but the bare tiles. Alec noticed that behind the man, the room’s single window was closed, the heavy wooden shutters secured with a stout padlock.
    The absence of any fresh air made it very oppressive in there and Alec immediately felt beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead, yetthe man had a thick woollen blanket over his lap as though he felt a chill. Alec turned to direct a puzzled look at Ethan, but the American’s grim expression made him look once again at the old man: a shock went through him as he realized that this was indeed Uncle Will, but changed dramatically since Alec had last seen him.
    He had been a