The recovery of the Heart of Egypt at the docks

The recovery of the Heart of Egypt at the docks turns Theodosia’s effort to reclaim the stolen relic into a covert operation that nearly collapses into gunfire. Henry’s improvised distractions draw a crowd’s attention away from Will, who searches von Braggenschnott for the Heart; after an empty-handed first attempt and a dangerous confrontation, he retrieves it. The victory brings the artifact back to Theodosia, but its curse reaches her as soon as she takes possession of it.

Causes and Approach

The plan depended on reaching the docks before the Germans boarded. Theodosia had arranged to meet Will at the Duke of York Column at 10:30 a.m., reasoning that the ship was not due to leave until 1:00 p.m. A slow start made her uneasy. On arriving at the museum, she and Henry slipped away through its east entrance and hurried to Pall Mall, where Will emerged from behind the column. Their meeting began with the practical urgency of people trying to catch a narrow window, not with any assurance that their timing would hold.

At the docks, the Germans’ motorcar was parked on the wooden dock beside the ship, and the group saw that the Germans had only just left it. The delay had not yet cost them their chance. Will, Henry, and Theodosia blended into the milling crowd and moved toward the boarding area. Theodosia directed the operation from above, choosing a balcony outside a shipping office so she could watch the crowd and signal the others. Henry took up a position behind cargo containers, while Will worked his way toward the German delegation. The different positions made the plan possible, but left Theodosia responsible for coordinating it without being able to intervene directly.

Distractions and the First Attempt

Theodosia’s signals set the plan in motion. When Will indicated that he was in place, she caught Henry’s eye and flipped her hair over her shoulder. Hidden behind the containers, Henry used a long, flexible stick with a small leather pocket at its tip to scatter birdshot over the crowd. People slapped at their faces and necks and began looking around. While the Germans searched the sky for the source, Will slipped behind von Braggenschnott and reached into the back pocket of his morning coat.

His hand came out empty. The failed pickpocketing changed the character of the operation: Theodosia now had to consider that the Heart might be in von Braggenschnott’s luggage instead. Her worry was not only that the attempt would fail, but that Will might be exposed to danger while searching a man who had armed followers nearby. She nevertheless continued directing the plan. Her next signal was to adjust her left shoe, prompting Henry to release small paper twists weighted with pebbles over the crowd. The new disturbance gave Will another opportunity to approach von Braggenschnott.

Panic at the Boarding Area

The second distraction did not draw von Braggenschnott away. He turned toward the commotion and collided with Will, who grabbed at his coat to keep his balance. Von Braggenschnott struck him, and the Germans drew their guns and fired at the paper objects. The threat of the shots sent people to the ground, turning a crowded boarding area into a scene of confusion. The diversion had succeeded in disrupting the crowd, but it had also raised the danger for everyone nearby and left Will visibly vulnerable.

From her position, Theodosia had little control over what followed. The careful signals and staged disturbances had brought Will within reach of the target, but not safely out again. Henry’s participation had been framed for him as an exciting game; Theodosia, by contrast, understood that the Germans might discover the attempt and that the consequences could be serious. The episode makes that difference in perspective concrete: from above, she can direct the timing, but she cannot prevent the collision, the blow, or the gunfire once the plan breaks open.

Recovery and Consequences

After the panic, Will reappeared with blood on his face and a black eye beginning to form, yet grinning. His manner made his success difficult to read at first. Theodosia was reluctant to ask whether he had found the Heart, while Henry asked directly. Will answered by patting his front trouser pocket. The Heart had not been in the back pocket he first searched; he had managed to take it during the confusion and keep it on himself despite the confrontation.

Will then took a velvet pouch from his pocket and placed it in Theodosia’s hand. Her relief at his success was immediately overtaken by the force of the curse, which struck as she received the relic. The recovery therefore resolves one immediate problem—the Heart is no longer with the Germans—but does not make the object safe. Its return to Theodosia carries the danger with it, sharply contrasting the ordinary mechanics of the theft, concealment, and handover with the supernatural consequence that follows. The event’s decisive reversal is not simply that Will succeeds after an empty-handed attempt; it is that recovering the Heart transfers the crisis back to the people trying to protect it.