feel like I’m just being herded around, like we’re kids on a field trip or something.”
“What did you think a tour was?”
She glared at me again. “Aren’t these people driving you crazy?”
I thought about it. “Not really. This is a pretty good bunch overall. And we’d never be able to do everything we’re doing without a tour guide. It’s worth it.”
“Ah, there you are!”
We both jumped. Out of the bushes stepped a very small Egyptian man, wearing khaki pants, a white cotton shirt open at the collar, and a relieved expression. “I have been looking for you everywhere. Come with me.”
Kyla and I looked at each other. “I don’t think so,” we said in unison.
He looked taken aback. “But I have the items you wanted.”
“We don’t want anything,” I said. I looked around uneasily. Although I could hear voices in the distance, at that moment I could see no one else along the path. The dense foliage made a very nice screen for a private meeting.
“No, no. There is a misunderstanding. I am Aladdin,” he added, as if that explained all.
We just stared at him. I was hoping he would go away, or that someone else would come around the corner.
“Sisters? You are sisters? From Utah, yes? You must come with me. I am Aladdin,” he repeated, and reached out as if he were going to take Kyla’s arm.
With one swift movement, Kyla jumped to her feet and poked him in the chest. She was a tall girl, and her eyes looked down into his, shooting fire. “I don’t care if you’re Ali fucking Baba himself. We’re not going anywhere with you, you got that? And if you don’t leave us the hell alone, I’m going to start screaming, and then I’m going to beat the shit out of you. Do you understand that?” She was quivering with rage.
I rose also, not entirely sure whether I was presenting a united front with Kyla or whether I was getting ready to save this strange little man’s life. Fortunately, Aladdin staggered back a few paces and held out his hands.
“Sorry. I am sorry, pretty ladies. I meant no offense.” He backed away and then turned and ran. A wise man.
We watched him disappear around a corner. The world returned to normal. The sun was still shining on the water. The wind rustled in the branches overhead. I drew a deep breath of relief. “What in the world was that about?”
Kyla shot me a look that made me think Aladdin had the right idea.
I went on. “Did you hear him ask if we were from Utah? That’s the second guy who’s done that. Remember the freaky carpet guy in Cairo? He asked me about Utah too. Don’t you think that’s odd?”
She ran a scathing eye over my clothing. “Maybe he thought you were a Mormon.”
I flushed. I was wearing my travel uniform. Jeans, oxford shirt with matching tee underneath, and sneakers. I looked fine. The fact that I wasn’t wearing sky blue capris and suede flats did not mean I was a frump. It didn’t.
“You know, if you’re so interested in Alan Stratton, you only had to say,” she went on.
My jaw must have dropped a little. “Because I talked to him on the boat? He was sitting next to me. Besides, I didn’t realize you had called dibs. In fact, I seem to recall you saying something about the size of the stick up his ass.”
“At least it’s not as big as the one up yours.”
Okay, that was a good one. Still, I couldn’t let her distract me or make me laugh. That would send her over the edge, and besides I was getting really angry.
“Look, he’s a nice guy, and I admit he’s very attractive. But that’s it. I’m not trying to steal him away from you. For one thing, I didn’t know you wanted him and for another, that’s really more your style. Not mine.”
For a moment I thought she would explode, then she shut her mouth and almost visibly regained control.
“We could probably both use some alone time,” she said. Her tone was reasonable even if her teeth were clenched. “I’m going down to this market and see if
“What did you think a tour was?”
She glared at me again. “Aren’t these people driving you crazy?”
I thought about it. “Not really. This is a pretty good bunch overall. And we’d never be able to do everything we’re doing without a tour guide. It’s worth it.”
“Ah, there you are!”
We both jumped. Out of the bushes stepped a very small Egyptian man, wearing khaki pants, a white cotton shirt open at the collar, and a relieved expression. “I have been looking for you everywhere. Come with me.”
Kyla and I looked at each other. “I don’t think so,” we said in unison.
He looked taken aback. “But I have the items you wanted.”
“We don’t want anything,” I said. I looked around uneasily. Although I could hear voices in the distance, at that moment I could see no one else along the path. The dense foliage made a very nice screen for a private meeting.
“No, no. There is a misunderstanding. I am Aladdin,” he added, as if that explained all.
We just stared at him. I was hoping he would go away, or that someone else would come around the corner.
“Sisters? You are sisters? From Utah, yes? You must come with me. I am Aladdin,” he repeated, and reached out as if he were going to take Kyla’s arm.
With one swift movement, Kyla jumped to her feet and poked him in the chest. She was a tall girl, and her eyes looked down into his, shooting fire. “I don’t care if you’re Ali fucking Baba himself. We’re not going anywhere with you, you got that? And if you don’t leave us the hell alone, I’m going to start screaming, and then I’m going to beat the shit out of you. Do you understand that?” She was quivering with rage.
I rose also, not entirely sure whether I was presenting a united front with Kyla or whether I was getting ready to save this strange little man’s life. Fortunately, Aladdin staggered back a few paces and held out his hands.
“Sorry. I am sorry, pretty ladies. I meant no offense.” He backed away and then turned and ran. A wise man.
We watched him disappear around a corner. The world returned to normal. The sun was still shining on the water. The wind rustled in the branches overhead. I drew a deep breath of relief. “What in the world was that about?”
Kyla shot me a look that made me think Aladdin had the right idea.
I went on. “Did you hear him ask if we were from Utah? That’s the second guy who’s done that. Remember the freaky carpet guy in Cairo? He asked me about Utah too. Don’t you think that’s odd?”
She ran a scathing eye over my clothing. “Maybe he thought you were a Mormon.”
I flushed. I was wearing my travel uniform. Jeans, oxford shirt with matching tee underneath, and sneakers. I looked fine. The fact that I wasn’t wearing sky blue capris and suede flats did not mean I was a frump. It didn’t.
“You know, if you’re so interested in Alan Stratton, you only had to say,” she went on.
My jaw must have dropped a little. “Because I talked to him on the boat? He was sitting next to me. Besides, I didn’t realize you had called dibs. In fact, I seem to recall you saying something about the size of the stick up his ass.”
“At least it’s not as big as the one up yours.”
Okay, that was a good one. Still, I couldn’t let her distract me or make me laugh. That would send her over the edge, and besides I was getting really angry.
“Look, he’s a nice guy, and I admit he’s very attractive. But that’s it. I’m not trying to steal him away from you. For one thing, I didn’t know you wanted him and for another, that’s really more your style. Not mine.”
For a moment I thought she would explode, then she shut her mouth and almost visibly regained control.
“We could probably both use some alone time,” she said. Her tone was reasonable even if her teeth were clenched. “I’m going down to this market and see if
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