Name of the Beast

In this Revelations-inspired page-turner, the author of Brotherhood of the Tomb weaves a seamless and authoritative tale of Egyptian lore, Islamic fundamentalism, spy games and terrorism, all headed toward Armageddon in the year 2000. Working at a newly uncovered tomb outside Cairo, Egyptologist A'isha Manfaluti unwraps a mummy and finds the body of her husband, a moderate politician and the latest victim of Islamic fundamentalists. MI5 recruits ex-spook Michael Hunt to protect A'isha and to help track notorious Islamic terrorist al-Qurtubi, who, according to Michael's brother Paul (a priest in Vatican intelligence), may be the Antichrist. When Michael discovers that Western moguls, including a major agent in MI5, have backed a coup making al-Qurtubi president of Egypt, he and A'isha must run for it. As a bloody ``religious cleansing'' sweeps the country of everything non-Islamic, including the pyramids, a plague appears in Egypt--fulfilling several apocalyptic prophecies. After being hidden by Coptic priests and Vatican agents, A'isha and Michael are betrayed and head toward a final dramatic desert confrontation between al-Qurtubi and the Pope. Although the East/West political underpinnings of the plot are somewhat shaky, British writer Easterman, a scholar of Islamic studies, paints a horrific and absorbing picture of unconstrained religious fanaticism. (Dec.)