The story takes place six months after the events of The Green Diamond. Jack and Joan sail the seas for six months as lovers, all the way to the French Riviera. At a banquet in Cannes, Joan meets Omar Khalifa, an emir who has been promoted to “Emperor of the Nile”. Lacking inspiration for her next novel, she agrees to write his biography. Omar invites her to his palace. The romance turns sour and Jack decides to continue the cruise alone. But on the way out, he runs into Ralph, who wants to take revenge on him, and then narrowly escapes having his ship bombed. A terrorist asks for his help to find Al-Jawhara, “The Jewel of the Nile”, a sacred object stolen by Omar to legitimise his despotic power and his plan to invade Egypt. Ralph decides to go with him to make him pay off his debt…
