"I see Francois in the distance. He is ahead of us." Said Martin. Marie followed his gaze. "Unless he is following the tracks of Paul and Sofia, he is headed in the wrong direction for the Triaxial Temple. I find it strange that there are no troops with him." She replied.
"I heard a rumour, when we were following Paul and Kieran last night, that many of his men think he has lost the plot. They think that, he was part of the plan to attack Paul and Saska, knowing that most of the men on that mission would lose their lives; including the General, Marc De la Cre. My own men would not follow his orders." Martin said. John stood up and watched Francois. " He is looking for tracks, if they are Paul's he is searching for, he will find none, unless he was stupid enough to take that route." He said.
"Why would that route be stupid?" Said Martin.
"Because that route, which runs right past the entrance to the Triaxial Temple, was the one he was taking to the temple of Isis when Saska lost her life. It is a well known route. Last year the bodies of 6 tourists were found on that route, disfigured, their throats and hearts ripped out. Their bodies were found on top of the sand that covers the Triaxial Temple, exactly where the altar is. There is suspicion amongst those of us who serve the temples that Paul sacrificed them himself, as their punishment for mocking the traditions of appointment for a High Priest." Said Marie, stretching. "So, why would Francois think to take that route? Unless Paul left tracks of some sort leading him in that direction." Said Martin.
" A trap. That is the only explanation. Paul expected Francois to try and follow him. Saska is his daughter, he would allow nothing to happen to her that he did not know would happen, hence his anxiety at what happened last night. Kieren is his nephew, again, Paul has vowed to protect him until he is appointed High Priest of the temple of Amun-Ra. Francois is out to kill Kieran. Francois' death would buy Paul a lot of time - enough to bring his daughter back to full health and appoint her and Kieran in their rightful role with in Amun-Ra's temple." Said John.
"We should move, Francois is heading in our direction, he will see us quite soon." Said Kieran, moving behind one of the dunes, the others following him and starting for the Triaxial Temple.