Cairo, a bit inland from the Nile Delta, feels quite hot as you disembark, and there is still almost a thousand miles left to go toward the equator.

 

Gerhard's first action is to look for a taxi to a decent hotel.

 

Tansy delicately snaps open her parasol and holds it over her with a sigh of relief. "I'll go and enquire about tickets to Khartoum," she tells her companion and ambles off to do so whilst he goes to locate a taxi.

 

Several moments pass before a taxi stops, rapid fire arabic spouting from the driver.

 

Khartoum can be reached either by cruise up the Nile, or by charter plane. A charter is significantly faster, though much more expensive. Waiting for a 'commercial' flight will be several days.

 

Gerhard attempts to communicate with the taxi driver in English or German, and if those fail, in French or Italian.

 

It's bad French, but it's French the driver can communicate in. Of course he knows all the hotels, only the best for distinguished gentleman like yourself.

 

Tansy returns on the tail end of the conversation, hiding a smile at the bad French. "I know how to ask him where the library is in Arabic. I could teach you, if you think it should provide you with some value," she offers in English. "We can either book a charter, take a boat or wait for a commercial plane heading in that direction. If the matter is supremely urgent, I could wire my great-uncle's business manager to provide more money."

 

"Yes," says Gerhard, "the sooner I learn at least one language of this place the better.  Are we still in a hurry?  I think I would enjoy going down the Nile in a boat."

 

"A boat it is then. I am not sure how urgent the matter is at the moment; I know we have to hurry, but excessive hurry might draw as much attention as anything else." Tansy takes a deep breath, walks to book the boat tickets and returns, sinking into the taxi with a happy sigh, before enquiring from the driver what his Greek is like.

 

His accent is Greek is as bad as his accent in French, but it's serviceable. The boat leaves that evening, giving you several hours to explore Cairo before taking your leave.

 

Gerhard uses his hours to have a bath and a haircut and have his laundry done at the hotel.  If there is time left after that, he will happily explore the markets of Cairo, although he does not buy anything since they need to travel light -- except insect repellent and an extra hat.

 

Tansy spends her time watching people and studying the newspapers and relevant language primers (if available).

 

Newspapers are readily available in Arabic, Greek, and French.

 

The afternoon sun drapes over Cairo like an itchy wool blanket by the time your boat is loaded up. A double decker river boat, English maufacture with all the niceties. After shoving off it starts the long journey upriver to Khartoum. The people on board with you all seem vaguely idle rich tourists or the like, headed mostly to see ruins along the way.

 

Gerhard makes sure Tansy is settled, then goes to his own quarters to freshen up.  He suggests that if she has the energy, they explore the boat, and if not, they find a shady spot and some cool drinks and watch the passing scenery -- both inside and outside the boat.

 

"That would be lovely, thank you," Tansy mutters as she gets her cane out. She has stubbornness aplenty, if not loads of energy. "It's warmer than I thought here." She tilts her hat at a somewhat more rakish angle and takes his arm, setting off for the stroll. On the way, she asks, "Have you thought any more on how we are to make our way into the area? I have not read very many tactical memoirs; it is a man's field, I felt, and gave myself leave to ignore the subject. I am sorry now that I did not. Perhaps Hannibal or Tacitus would have come in handily."

 

"I have no such excuse," Gerhard replies ruefully, "but I have not read such things either.  My only plan was to get as close as we can, openly, then examine the possibilities for a closer approach, covertly."

 

The trip up the Nile, while picturesque, is also hot, long, and dull. After one set of five thousand-year-old ruins, they all start to look alike to all but trained archaeologists.

 

Gerhard keeps himself interested for a long time by watching the water and the shore for birds and crocodiles.

 

Khartoum makes its presence felt in the way of ore boat traffic long before it appears on the horizon. The boat reaches its dock safely and without incident.

 

"How many days will the trip take?" Gerhard wonders aloud.

 

"From Khartoum?" Tansy asks as she gets out a map. "That would depend on how fast the camels are that we choose, and how long you can go without water." She says it with such a straight face too.

 

"I meant," clarifies Gerhard, "the trip along the river.  Or is this the last of it?" He adds with irrepressible interest, "Will we really ride camels?"

 

Tansy grins down at the map. "Only if we're very unlucky. I understand that they spit a lot. Or would that be llamas? In any case, most uncomfortable, I would wager." Her hmm is thoughtful. "Well, Lake Tana is one of the sources of the Nile, so we can conceivably go a good deal higher up before we have to switch to alternate transport, but I'd think that that would be quite slow. We should see whether we can get tickets directly to Gonder here, if they have an airstrip, or whether we should go via Addis Ababa first."

 

Gerhard nods in agreement and suggests that unless their boat tickets include food, they will soon need to seek out a place for dinner.

 

Tansy nods. "Perhaps once we have the tickets we could go and get something to eat? I would hate to miss out on an earlier trip, should it pass during the time we're eating."

 

There are roads into Ethiopia. Dirt for the most part, but roads. The fastest way is to charter a plane and fly there, but the nearest airstrip is in the capital. The area around the lake is largely mountainous. Your best bet, after a light lunch and some inquiries, is to see if the local planes with pontoons will make the trip and land on the lake. They have before, years ago, but there's not enough traffic in and out to make a regular route worthwhile.

 

Unless they speak a language unknown to him, Gerhard starts making inquiries, including how much it will cost, how long it will take, and if there is a hotel at the end of the trip.

 

It takes a bit of doing, but the end result is a vague consensus. Somewhere between four and five hundred miles to get there. Overland, be at least three days, given the shoddy road conditions. By plane to Lake Tana then overland to Gonder proper is all of fifty miles by decent roads. There are a few planes for hire, but it will be at least a day to get one hired, outfitted, and ready to fly.

 

Gerhard definitely favors the plane trip.  Even with the wait of a day, it will still be faster than travelling overland, and much easier on both of them, especially Tansy.  He does inquire about accommodations at the end of the trip, and about how to arrange a return trip.

 

Tansy lets Gerhard handle the negotiations for once, as she contents herself with jotting down a few notes in her travel diary.

 

Gerhard makes sure he gets satisfactory answers, especially about cost, accommodations, and a return trip.

 

Accomodations will be available, but rates are impossible to tell. Since the area is a fishing and farming community, most likely accomodations will be rough, but affordable. The few pilots and agents spoken to will agree to a short wait before returning, but only if their stays are paid for. Room and board, though they are negotiable in price to a per diem basis. Once their per diem runs out though, they will start looking to negotiate a return trip with anyone.

 

Gerhard does not want to find himself in the middle of nowhere, without access to his or Tansy's funds, and with no way to get back.  He is willing to pay reasonable rates, but not to agree to unknown rates or agreements that are subject to change without notice.  He explains these misgivings to Tansy.

 

Tansy snaps her diary shut after the explanation. "Hm." She directs her gaze to the horizon, frowning slightly. "It's important enough that we absolutely have to go, Gerhard. Grand-uncle gave us that duty. Despite the rough accomodations, despite the fact that we might be stranded there, we would still have to go. With that in mind, there isn't much room to argue in. If the planes are the only way of getting there quickly, then we should consider that, and try to hurry up on the other side." Her mouth twitches as it tries to prevent a smile. "If we are stranded, then you shall have your camel ride, perhaps. Shall we go and make arrangements for the plane then?" She stands slowly to stretch, stiff from sitting for so long. "After all, as Cervantes said, 'He who loses wealth loses much; he who loses a friend loses more; but he that loses his courage loses all.'"

 

"If you feel that way," says Gerhard, "then I think we need to acquire some actual cash to take with us. Discreetly hidden, of course. And that may delay us at least a few hours."

 

Tansy considers Gerhard for moments, then nods. She makes her way to the bank to see what can be had in the direction of money from her father and uncle's accounts.

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