Author Interviews Character: Del Blackwater Interviews Albion Stanley
Dead Egyptians
“Dead Egyptians takes the reader on a vast, rollicking ride through history, reincarnation, romance and more… ” –Susan Martell Huebner, author She Thought the Door Was Locked
In Egypt, all things are possible. So discovers Albion Stanley, a recent Cambridge graduate and brilliant linguist, newly arrived in Cairo in 1902. Albion sees the unseen, including ghosts. It is a less than comfortable reality, which he tends to with copious amounts of whiskey and numerous other vices.
Also in Cairo is Aleister Crowley, the famed occultist. Aleister is a dangerous man, but not an unsympathetic one and never a dull one. Together, they discover the world of dead Egyptians, some of whom are older than the pyramids.
Dead Egyptians have a lot to say. They are deeply unsatisfied with the state of modern Egypt, yet, for all their wisdom and power, they have limitations. As a Seer, Albion proves indispensable to both Crowley and the dead Egyptians.
Dead Egyptians transports the reader into a glittering turn of the century Cairo, while also addressing the atrocities of colonialism. It is hedonistic, while also exploring the complex world of Ancient Egyptian religious thought. It is historically accurate down to the fabrics, while remaining fantastical at its core.
Del Blackwater interviews Albion Stanley
[Del] Hello, Albion. It’s nice to be back in Cairo. Thank you for suggesting this place – it’s the real thing, isn’t it?
[Albion] Yes; whether it’s coffee, shisha, tahini, opium or Houda’s connections you’re after, it can all be found here.
[Del] Marvelous. Has it changed since your day? You were born in 1880, and it’s 2024 now. That’s got to be a shock to the system. You lived in a much more beautiful and elegant time. We must seem like cave men to you.
[Albion] It’s true that the age you live in is not very romantic. Your generation runs screaming from romance. I don’t even know why.
[Del] Neither do I, Albion. I think that’s one of the reasons people like history so much, though. We think of the past as being simpler, and by some logic, even romance was simpler.
[Albion] I don’t suppose romance is ever simple, but at least we knew to run towards it.
[Del] Is there anything about 2024 you admire?
[Albion] They can reconstruct tombs using machines now!
[Del] Sure – the reconstruction of King Tut’s tomb was made using a 3D printer. It wasn’t even very expensive. Less than a million dollars. Does that make you happy? Less tourists wandering into real tombs? And millionaires can just 3D print the treasure instead of hacking it off the walls?
[Albion] It will make Tutankhamun happy, certainly.
[Del] How is he? He’s still very popular, you know.
[Albion smiles] Tutankhamun lives a very charmed life, as ever. He reincarnated into a family of doctors and is making preparations to study Egyptology in Chicago. He already has thousands of followers on TikTok.
[Del] Lucky devil. Some people have all the luck.
[Albion] You did alright, Del. You live better than most.
[Del] Maybe I did and maybe I do. I wanted to talk to you about Archaeology versus Egyptology. You worked for the Antiquities Service, but you never engaged in any actual digging.
[Albion smiles]. Indeed. Archaeologists are tomb robbers with degrees. And they didn’t do their own digging either, mind you – they paid out for that. I was something else entirely. I knew of the old ways, and I respected the old ways, and I tried to make myself useful to Egypt.
[Del] You were a spy…
[Albion] No. I was Egypt’s servant, which I’ll grant you, did involve a lot of spying.
[Del] You were never tempted to enter a tomb, or view an unwrapped mummy?
[Albion] Oh, no. I was tempted by other things. A little treasure was nothing to me.
[Del] You preferred the Egyptians themselves to their furniture, is that what you’re saying?
[Albion laughs at the implication]. I’m saying that there is treasure in Egypt, and it’s not the treasure.
[Del] It’s the knowledge.
[Albion] Right.
[Del] What advice would you give to the living?
[Albion] Don’t forget to enjoy life. Far too much of it is spent in unnecessary misery. Oh, and send the treasure back to Egypt. The obelisks too.
[Del] It’s only right. What advice would you give a budding Egyptologist? The sort that respects the old ways, I mean.
[Albion] You could have the finest education in the world, but if you’re detestable, all of the doors will shut in your face. You’re much better off with a little Arabic and a little humility. That’s what opens doors in Egypt.
[Del] Says a man who went to Cambridge University. You’re such a hippocrate!
[Albion] I had a fine education, but more importantly, I understood the importance of having tea with a guard, or coffee with a new friend.
[Del] You understood to show respect. But you knew it could still be pleasurable.
[Albion] And that is what the Egyptians do better than anyone on earth. Follow the rules, and you’ll be rewarded with all of the wine, feasting, and lovemaking you can tolerate. Don’t follow the rules, and all of the wine, feasting, and lovemaking won’t save you.
[Del] You did alright in Egypt; I’ll give you that.
[Albion] Thank you, dear. We must meet again soon.
[Del] I’ll hold you to that. Thank you again.
BUY DEAD EGYPTIANS HERE
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Del Blackwater is a novelist and travel writer based in Wisconsin.
Her life vacillates wildly between a quiet existence in the country and a feverish, risk-centric existence when on the road. Her travels have taken her to four continents, and she makes questionable decisions in all of them.
While Egypt is inevitably the high-water mark of both her travels and her writing, she tries to spend time in other places as well.
Del is published many times over as a board game and tarot deck designer, notably as the creator of Playlist Wars, a music game.
When not keeping busy, she unwinds by taking care of a menagerie of critters and enjoying something she calls porch time.
Category: Interviews, On Writing
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