must be better ways."

"This way hasn't been very successful," Rick agreed. "Anyway, here's the
hotel. Let's ask Kemel Moustafa."

Over coffee, Rick asked the third Moustafa brother many questions, and
received answers to most of them--although the answers were not always
satisfactory.

Moustafa anticipated some of the questions. As the waiter brought
coffee, he pulled out his wallet and showed the boys his identity card,
driver's license, and business card. Clearly, he was Kemel Moustafa.

"I have been to Khartoum on business," he said. "Last night I returned
to the city and found that a family emergency had taken both of my
brothers out of town. Fuad left very suddenly, after he had written to
you. I apologize on his behalf. However, he must be excused, since a
call from Ali, in Beirut, sent him running to the airport to catch the
next flight. He simply had no time even to call you. His secretary tried
to call you today, without success."

"We wondered," Rick said.

"Of course. And you are also wondering how I came into the pyramid at
just the right time. A fortunate accident. You see, I came to Sahara
Wells hoping to see you, but you were sightseeing. Dr. Winston was kind
enough to tell me where you were. I simply went hunting for you. A quick
drive around the area told me you must be in one of the pyramids, and
the biggest one seemed the most logical place to look for you."

Rick believed him. Moustafa wouldn't tell a tale that a moment's talk
with Winston would disprove.

"Who was the man who pretended to be your brother Ali?" Scotty asked.

"His chief clerk. He is an arrogant type who often shows poor judgment.
Instead of simply explaining to you that Ali was out of town, he
apparently told you he was Ali. This was the case?"

Rick confirmed it.

"He will be discharged at once. I suspected it when I questioned him
last night. He gave some lame excuse about your refusing to hand over
the cat to anyone except my brother Ali. He told Fuad the same thing,
according to his secretary."

"It wasn't such a lame excuse, Mr. Moustafa," Rick corrected. "Mr.
Bartouki asked us to deliver the cat to Ali Moustafa. We have no
instructions to deliver it to anyone else."

"I see. And I commend your discretion. But my brother Ali will not
return for many weeks, and you will not want to take the cat back to
America with you. So we will telephone Mohammed Bartouki, and you will
hear directly from him that I am a suitab