This is the public description of the characters in The Idol Hands
of Death. This information is general knowledge and may be
radically different than that in the personal biographies.
Abbas Ibn Abbas:
(AH-bah-ss IB-in AH-bah-ss) The most
respected digger in Egypt, Abbas is courted by archaeologists from
every nation. If you need a digger in Egypt, Abbas is the man to talk
to. Long considered a good-luck charm, Abbas has been the target of
some recent malicious rumors about artifact thievery.
Ras Akbar:
(RAH-ss AH-kk-bar)
A mover and shaker in Cairo,
Ras is an official in the Egyptian government. He is the man that all
archaeological expeditions must get permission from before a single
grain of sand can be moved. He is not a man to annoy.
Neville Balfour:
(NEH-vil BAL-fer)
A rising star in the
home offices of the Hammermill business empire, Neville has come to
Cairo to escort and chaperone the recently-widowed Winona Williams
Hammermill. He undoubtedly has Hammermill business to conduct as
well. He arrived in Cairo a few days ago aboard the tramp steamer
Southern Cross.
Professor Alistair Chadwick:
Professor of archaeology from
Greystoke College, Alistair has made several minor discoveries in the
past. However, the big find has always eluded him. He seems to be
getting a little desperate to put his name on a major find. He has a
lot of experience in the field.
Camille Chesterfield:
An American from Texas, Camille is an
explorer, adventuring about the Middle East. She dresses like the
nomads, spits and swears like a man, and speaks passable Arabic. You
suspect that some of the locals she talks to have no idea she is not a
man. She wanders out in the wilds for weeks at a time.
Althea Williams Enfield:
Professor Enfield's wife seems
rather bored. Many people are quite surprised that she would even
come to Cairo on the expedition. After all, she is the heiress of the
Williams fortune of America, and she is married to one of the richest
men of England. She could afford to go wherever she wants, just by
using the money she always carries with her.
Professor George Edward Enfield:
Professor of archaeology
from Greystoke College, George has a top-notch reputation as an
archaeological scholar. After years of research, he's convinced he's
on the track of a major discovery. He's put up some family money,
arranged for the rest, and convinced the experienced Professor
Chadwick to be his partner in this highly publicized expedition. This
is his first full-fledged field dig.
Hassan Nur Faroukh:
(HAW-san NOOR FAR-ook) A merchant, a
dealmaker, and a local expert on Egyptian antiquities, Hassan has
uncles and cousins and other connections everywhere. Archaeology is
his passionate hobby.
Kala Nur Faroukh:
(KAY-lah NOOR FAR-ook) The only surviving
adult child of Hassan, Kala is also passionate about archaeology. She
is an expert at the fine detail work. Kala is also passionate about
her own mind. She refuses to let anyone make choices for her,
including resisting her father's efforts to marry her off.
Winona Williams Hammermill:
Recently-widowed, Winona is
still suffering from the loss of her beloved Bernard. Winona has come
to Cairo to be with her loving elder sister Althea Williams Enfield.
Winona, still wearing black after several weeks of mourning, arrived a
few days ago after a difficult passage aboard the tramp steamer
Southern Cross.
Beatrice Haversham:
A respected buyer and appraiser for the
Higginbotham Museum of Ancient History in London, Miss Haversham is at
the dig to look over the newly-discovered artifacts. Miss Haversham
arrived a few days ago aboard the tramp steamer Southern Cross.
Narat Ibrahim:
(NAH-rot EE-bra-heem)
A weasel of a man,
furtive and suspicious, Narat is also greedy, which makes him the
perfect middleman. He is involved in many of the deals that take
place in Cairo. He has connections to many in the government, often
finding ways around the red tape and roadblocks that are found in
bureaucracies. He is also Jewish, and is known to be involved in the
Zionist movement.
Katya Irinova:
(KAH-tcha EER-ih-no-vah)
A visitor from
Russia, Katya is here to raise funds to buy food for the starving
children back home. The War and the Revolution have made times very
difficult for the young. Katya and her friends have pooled their
meager resources to help those less fortunate. Miss Irinova also
arrived a few days ago aboard the tramp steamer Southern Cross.
Jefferson Davis Jackson:
Another American from Texas,
Jefferson is an explorer, adventuring about the Middle East. He
wanders out in the wilds for weeks at a time, dressed as a native.
Henry Jones:
An undergraduate student of archaeology and
ancient languages at Greystoke College, Henry has a keen mind and and
an eye for detail. This is his first real archaeological expedition.
Jeanne L'Enfant:
(ZH-onn LEN-font)
Little is known about
this woman. She arrived on the Southern Cross after a difficult
crossing. She was very sick and remained in her cabin most of the
time. There is something about her that unsettles people.
Isabella Mercier:
(IS-a-bell-a MARE-see-yea)
A striking
young Frenchwoman, Isabella is one of the most eligible young women of
Paris, courted by handsome young nobles and aristocrats from across
the Continent. She's known for her sense of high fashion and her
ability to enliven the stuffiest of parties.
Madame Alexis Sokolev:
(AH-lex-is SOCK-oh-lev)
A Russian
emigre, Madame Alexis is an aristocrat. She is a lady of taste and
refinement, living in luxury - waiting for the day that she can safely
return to her estate. She is convinced that the difficult times of
the War and the Revolution will soon end. Madame Sokolev and Calliope
Thompson have become quite good friends.
Ilse Steinmetz:
(IL-seh STINE-mets)
The loving wife of
Karl, they are here in the Middle East as part of an extended vacation
celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. She is hoping to return
home carrying a child. Their dream trip has not been without
incident; they have been threatened by thugs on two occasions.
Karl Steinmetz:
The loving husband of Ilse, he is a chemist
for Sprengstoff-Gipfel, the large German chemical and munitions firm.
Calliope Thompson:
The wife of Colonel Thompson, she plays
an important role for the Army. She helps to organize the dances.
She helps the soldiers to mix with the few single British women
available. In short, she is the perfect wife for a Colonel in the
British Army.
Colonel Gillette Thompson:
The head of British forces in
Egypt, he is the second ranking Englishman in Egypt, which is a
Protectorate of the Crown. He is a pleasant, friendly commander who
dotes on his wife and his troops.
Professor Oliver Undercroft:
Professor of archaeology at
Livingstone College, Oliver is known in academic circles for his
careful research and a few recently-published papers. This is his
first trip away from England. He and his older brother arrived a few
weeks ago in Cairo.
Stanley Undercroft:
An adventurer and dilettante, warrior
and humanitarian, and an officer and a gentleman, he is always
searching out new and exciting experiences around the world. Major
Undercroft was awarded the Victoria Cross during the War for
"gallantry of an outstanding nature" at the Battle of Marais Lâche.
With the incredible tales coming out of Egypt, it's no surprise that
Stanley has come to Cairo!
Miriam Voight-Wellesley:
The ace reporter for the London
Royal Observer, Miss Voight-Wellesley is here to do several stories
about Egypt and the search for artifacts. Miss Voight-Wellesley
promises to spend time interviewing each and everyone here, so that
she can inform all of her readers back home. Miss Voight-Wellesley
also arrived a few days ago aboard the tramp steamer Southern
Cross.
© 1991-2005, by Jeff Diewald, all rights reserved.