atch of
concrete in a wooden tub. "We mix, more dry than for the floor, so
easier to make cats. Now we start?"

"Any time," Rick said. "Thanks, Hassan." The resourceful dragoman had
realized the concrete mix being used for the floor was too liquid for
easy handling and had prepared a drier batch.

The plasterer went to work at once. He worked rapidly but skillfully,
using the wire and knife to cut through the plaster until he reached the
cat. Rick worried that he might cut or scratch the original, but the
Egyptian was deft. In a few moments he lifted the upper box and the cat
came to light, still gleaming from its coating of oil. Rick lifted it
out of its plaster bed. The two boxes now contained perfect half
impressions.

The boys, Hassan, and the workman shook hands all around. It was a job
well done. The rest was easy. Rick oiled the form while the plasterer
put the new concrete mix through a screen to remove lumps, then the two
halves were filled slightly overfull and put together. Pressure was
applied simply by standing on the upper box.

The workman lifted the upper box off with great care, disclosing a
perfect half-cat in fresh concrete. The dry mixture kept its shape, but
made great care necessary. The Egyptian workman held out both hands and
Hassan turned the bottom box over. Working gently, the plasterer
released the casting from the mold. It dropped into his hands. The boys
watched eagerly as he used his knife to trim the flashing from the cat
replica, then he wet his fingers from a bucket and smoothed out a few
rough spots. The man grinned with pleasure, and the boys grinned back.

"Perfect," Scotty said.

Rick added, "If I didn't know its mother personally, I'd think this was
it."

The first kitten was put gently aside to dry while others were cast. The
next two castings broke, but three perfect kittens resulted from six
tries.

Rick was satisfied. "By tomorrow they'll be hard," he said with a grin.
"Then we'll work out a cat distribution program. I may go back to El
Mouski and hand one to the phony Ali Moustafa, just to see what
happens."

"Not while I'm healthy enough to stop you," Scotty said positively. Then
he grinned, too. "But there's nothing more fun than kittens, and we'll
have plenty of laughs with these. You wait and see!"

CHAPTER VII

The Egyptian Museum

Rick hung up the room phone and joined Scotty at the breakfast table.
The ex-Marine was munching on a Lebanese tanger