Tell el-Mukayyar – The sarcophagusColonel Hudson had just finished speaking with General Campbell, his immediate superior at ELSAD, who had finally confirmed that the permit for excavation would be extended by a further fifteen days. Mechanically he performed the procedure for cutting off the encrypted line used for communication, then fell backwards, with all his weight against the back of the leather chair on which he was sitting. The poor chair gave out a faint creak. Fortunately, however, it was not quite ready for recycling and fell silent.
Smugly, Jack took his phone from his pocket and dialled Doctor Hunter's number. He waited a few moments, then a sweet and slightly distorted “Hello, my dear,” issued from the headset that was not yet properly positioned in his right ear. He readju
