Part 3 of Indiana Jones and the Ring of Ra...
Previous parts: I / II

The University was much calmer than the rest of the city. Cairo was such a bustling place, with its narrow streets and excitable vendors. The University was quiet and orderly, like academic retreats all over the world. Indy's problem was that he didn't look orderly. Not in the slightest. He needed a disguise.

He walked along the nearby streets, looking up at the washing lines stretched across between the buildings. Walking down into a side road, he reached for his whip. Moments later he had a small collection of Arab garments piled in front of him. The loose fitting clothes were ideal to hide what he was carrying underneath, and they'd be quick to discard if things turned nasty.

Having chosen a robe, he wrapped some cloth around his head, drawing it around his nose and mouth as if he'd been working out in the desert all day. He didn't know if the enemy were watching the professor's daughter, and he didn't know if the enemy would know who he was, but he wasn't taking any chances.

Striding purposefully into the University courtyard, he looked for the guest accommodation. The way in was guarded, and the guards carried revolvers. He hadn't expected anything less. Indy grabbed a box from the back of a truck, hefted it onto his shoulder, and kept on walking. He walked straight past the men guarding the door, nodding to them in greeting, and dumped the box in the first empty room he came to.

Readjusting the cloth over his face, he jogged down the corridor, then up the stairs. The rooms were spacious and airy, but most of them were empty. He crept along, keeping as quiet as he could. There were no sounds of pursuit. He had to find the professor's daughter before the guards wondered where he'd gone.

Rounding a corner, he saw two more guards at a door. It had to be Miss Langford's room. Indy reached into his pocket and drew out a battered packet of cigarettes. Slowly he walked towards the men, greeting them as he drew near. Holding the packet in his left hand, he offered the man nearest a cigarette. As the man took one, Indy punched him in the stomach.

The man bent over, groaning and clutching his stomach, but the second guard was paying more attention. He pointed his gun at Indy and gestured for him to move down the corridor. For a moment it looked like the game was up, but then the door they were guarding opened. A dark haired young woman stood in the doorway, and started to ask what all the noise was about.

As the second guard looked at her, Indy grabbed the vase on the windowsill and smashed it over his head. The guard staggered backwards before collapsing onto the floor.

Indy unwrapped the cloth from his face.

"Are you Professor Langford's daughter?" he asked.

"It depends who's asking," said the girl.

"Dr Indiana Jones, at your service," said Indy.

"You do know that they were guarding me," she said.

"Yeah, that was kinda why I knocked them out. It's about your father..."

posted by Fiery Fred @ 7:02 PM