Egypt! She's always been interested in Egypt, because it was one of the great empires of her world that ended up falling, and it was also the home of Ptolemy, who was a close friend of Bartimaeus. And she's seen sort of...romanticized, Orientalized views of Egypt through popular theater and the like, and she thinks it looks like a really beautiful and intriguing place. So she'd like to go there!

So, what started Simon in on his gambling addiction? When did he start, and when did he realize it was a problem?