Page 69 (1/2)

"Oh, surely you don't mean the old felloas a ressive

"Perhaps it's not possible for a modern mind to comprehend an ancient mind so easily," Elliott conceded "I wonder if the opposite is true Whether a ain, in this era, could understand our values"

"You're not so difficult to understand," Ramses said "You've learned to express yourselves too well for anything to remain veiled orYet you are not so different from your ancient ancestors You want love, you want coyptian farmer wanted when he went out to till his fields That is what the labourers of London want And as always the rich are jealous of what they possess And greed leads to high crimes as it always has"

He turned his eyesback at him directly Julie looked in desperation to Samir

"Why, you speak of this era as if you have nothing to do with it!" Alex said

"So what you're saying," Elliott said, "is that we're no better and no worse than the ancient Egyptian"

Henry reached for his drink and suddenly knocked it over Then he reached for the wine and drank it down His white face was nowHe looked for all the world like a man about to be seriously ill

"No, that is not what I'htfully "You are better Better in a thousand ways And yet you're still human You haven't found all the answers yet Electricity, telephones, these are lovely ain by their own labour How to share the ic, the riches, the secrets, that is still the problem"

"Ah, there you have it Marxism, I told you," Alex said "Well, at Oxford they told us Ramses the Second was a bloody tyrant"

"Be quiet, Alex," said Elliott dismissively He turned to Rareed and power?"

"Oxford? What is Oxford?" Raain at Henry, and Henryon to the table as if to steady himself The waiters,down the roast chicken and potatoes Someone poured another drink for Henry, which he emptied at once

"You're going to be ill," Elliott said to him under his breath

"Wait a minute," Alex said "You've never heard of Oxford!"

"No, what is it?" Ramses asked

"Oxford, egomania, aspirin, Marxism," Elliott said "Your head is in the clouds, Mr Ramsey"