NO CARS IN OR OUT OF THE TOWN
Driving back to Hamdayya, they found a barrier at the edge of the town. No cars were allowed in or out. So they walked, then took another car waiting for them into the town.
THE SEARCH IN THE MORNING
They met the Colonel. The streets were empty because people had left that part of the town. The next morning, Captain Ahmed would start the search. Stronger protective suits would be used. The Colonel thanked the Professor and asked to join them in the search. He asked Ayman to tell them about the place where he saw the spider.
ONE OR MORE SPIDERS
In the morning, Captain Ahmed led the search. He asked the Professor whether they would search for one or more spiders. The Professor was of opinion that there was one female spider. It was unlikely there were more spiders as no one had been bitten.
THE DANGER OF THE FEMALE SPIDER
The Professor said that the female spider was more dangerous. In addition to its stronger bite, it had a nest and usually produced two thousand young. Perhaps the spider seen by Ayman produced such a number and were then spreading through the town.
THE PLACE OF THE SPIDER'S NEST
The Professor pointed out that spiders usually had their nests in dark quiet cool places, in an empty building or below the ground level. Ayman said that he saw the spider going to the empty house near his home. In fact, the spider was there and its eggs hatched and it had got a family of about 2000 young spiders.
THE ATTACK OF THE SPIDERS
When light entered the place where the female spider hid, two thousand small spiders moved. The men filled the room with clouds of poisonous insecticides and the small spiders jumped as a stormy sea, some died and others escaped through the door. They climbed into the men outside, covering their face masks and blinding them.
THE FEMALE SPIDER APPEARS
The big female spider appeared and attacked a man in the doorway. It couldn't bite him. The captain knocked it down. It fell at the foot of another officer who lifted his insecticide tank and brought it down on the spider. A leg was caught. The spider cut its own leg with its fangs. Then it jumped with its seven legs on Ayman's face. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
AYMAN BITTEN BY SPIDERS
Small spiders ran over Ayman. His suit was torn and he was bitten by the spiders several times. An ambulance took Ayman to hospital. All the spiders were at last killed by the insecticide. The captain ordered his men to search for the dead body of the female spider.
AYMAN WAS IN DANGER
Ayman had a few hours to live. The plant which the ancient Egyptians used as antivenom had to be brought in time. Wafaa found the plant in Sinai. She would arrive in Hamdayya in two hours by helicopter to give the plant to Ayman and save him.
A BAD STORM
A telephone call came. A bad storm blew in Sinai and the helicopter could not get to the cars. They had to drive through the storm and would take a longer time.
الخميس أبريل 10, 2008 8:39 pm
