well after that. Despite his firm stand Jackson still managed to stay on good terms with the others. She watched him with interest, fascinated by his expertise as he led the cameras over the ruins of Khentkaus’ tomb and delivered a eulogy.
‘After thousands of years,’ he said, ‘there are still many questions. How many of her children took the throne? How many of her descendants walk the world today? Truly she was a woman of mystery, and the mystery lingers even now. Will those questions ever be answered? Probably not. Like many a woman of mystery, she prefers to keep her secrets to herself.’
He gave the smile that had done so much to win him an audience of eager fans.
‘But one day—who knows?—perhaps she will choose to open her heart to us.’
‘Cut!’ Larry yelled. ‘That’s great. All right, everyone. Time to go.’
* * *
Dinner that night was cheerful. Debra even made a jokey comment about the argument she and Freya had witnessed.
‘You won, then?’ she teased Jackson.
‘Of course,’ Jackson declared, raising his glass in Larry’s direction.
‘It’s got something to do with him being a Falcon,’ Larry said, ‘and there being a falcon god. I had to make use of that.’
‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Freya said.
‘Of course. After all, your own name is an invitation all by itself.’
‘My name?’ she echoed, puzzled.
Larry regarded her quizzically. ‘Don’t say you don’t know?’
‘Know what?’
‘That you’re a goddess?’
‘Oh, come on—’
‘No—really. Freya comes from Norse mythology. She’s associated with fertility and she rides a chariot pulled by two cats. You actually didn’t know you’re a goddess?’
‘No, and I don’t believe it. Mum—?’ Freya turned to Janine. ‘Surely not.’
‘It’s possible. Your father chose your name. He was fascinated by mythology, and he said he’d found it in a book, but that was all. It might be true.’
‘There’s another thing,’ Larry said, clearly enjoying every moment. ‘The great goddess Freya wears a cloak of falcon feathers, so in a way you’re a falcon too.’
Amos gave a crack of laughter. ‘How about that? You’ve been a Falcon all the time.’
‘Hardly,’ Freya said. ‘I think it takes a bit more than wearing a cloak.’
‘You’d better watch out, Dad,’ Jackson said. ‘You’ve met your match.’ He raised his glass to Freya. ‘I salute you.’
Amos immediately did the same, and everyone joined in.
‘You should do a programme about her,’ Amos asserted.
‘And perhaps Khentkaus as well,’ Larry agreed. ‘I remember once hearing somebody say that the most interesting crimes were committed by women.’
More laughter—except from Freya, whose face grew suddenly darker. But nobody seemed to notice except perhaps Jackson, who became suddenly intent on clinking glasses with everyone near him. Except Freya.
When it was time to retire Freya accompanied Amos and Janine to their room and made sure Amos was comfortable. Returning to her own room, she went outside onto the balcony to take a last look at the pyramids glowing against the night.
‘Are you all right?’
Jackson’s voice, coming from a few feet away, startled her. She could just make him out on his own balcony, standing quietly in the darkness.
‘I—I didn’t know you were there,’ she stammered.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I was just a little concerned in case you were upset. You went quiet very suddenly at dinner, and I think I knew why. It was what Larry said about women committing the most interesting crimes. I suddenly remembered Dan saying the same thing. It came out of a book he’d read.’
‘Yes, he talked to me about it. It just reminded me of him. But it’s nothing.’
‘Nothing? It was like he’d suddenly appeared in front of you and you were shattered.’
‘No, I wasn’t. Just a little surprised. But he doesn’t trouble me any more.’
‘I’d be glad to believe that, but I
‘After thousands of years,’ he said, ‘there are still many questions. How many of her children took the throne? How many of her descendants walk the world today? Truly she was a woman of mystery, and the mystery lingers even now. Will those questions ever be answered? Probably not. Like many a woman of mystery, she prefers to keep her secrets to herself.’
He gave the smile that had done so much to win him an audience of eager fans.
‘But one day—who knows?—perhaps she will choose to open her heart to us.’
‘Cut!’ Larry yelled. ‘That’s great. All right, everyone. Time to go.’
* * *
Dinner that night was cheerful. Debra even made a jokey comment about the argument she and Freya had witnessed.
‘You won, then?’ she teased Jackson.
‘Of course,’ Jackson declared, raising his glass in Larry’s direction.
‘It’s got something to do with him being a Falcon,’ Larry said, ‘and there being a falcon god. I had to make use of that.’
‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Freya said.
‘Of course. After all, your own name is an invitation all by itself.’
‘My name?’ she echoed, puzzled.
Larry regarded her quizzically. ‘Don’t say you don’t know?’
‘Know what?’
‘That you’re a goddess?’
‘Oh, come on—’
‘No—really. Freya comes from Norse mythology. She’s associated with fertility and she rides a chariot pulled by two cats. You actually didn’t know you’re a goddess?’
‘No, and I don’t believe it. Mum—?’ Freya turned to Janine. ‘Surely not.’
‘It’s possible. Your father chose your name. He was fascinated by mythology, and he said he’d found it in a book, but that was all. It might be true.’
‘There’s another thing,’ Larry said, clearly enjoying every moment. ‘The great goddess Freya wears a cloak of falcon feathers, so in a way you’re a falcon too.’
Amos gave a crack of laughter. ‘How about that? You’ve been a Falcon all the time.’
‘Hardly,’ Freya said. ‘I think it takes a bit more than wearing a cloak.’
‘You’d better watch out, Dad,’ Jackson said. ‘You’ve met your match.’ He raised his glass to Freya. ‘I salute you.’
Amos immediately did the same, and everyone joined in.
‘You should do a programme about her,’ Amos asserted.
‘And perhaps Khentkaus as well,’ Larry agreed. ‘I remember once hearing somebody say that the most interesting crimes were committed by women.’
More laughter—except from Freya, whose face grew suddenly darker. But nobody seemed to notice except perhaps Jackson, who became suddenly intent on clinking glasses with everyone near him. Except Freya.
When it was time to retire Freya accompanied Amos and Janine to their room and made sure Amos was comfortable. Returning to her own room, she went outside onto the balcony to take a last look at the pyramids glowing against the night.
‘Are you all right?’
Jackson’s voice, coming from a few feet away, startled her. She could just make him out on his own balcony, standing quietly in the darkness.
‘I—I didn’t know you were there,’ she stammered.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. I was just a little concerned in case you were upset. You went quiet very suddenly at dinner, and I think I knew why. It was what Larry said about women committing the most interesting crimes. I suddenly remembered Dan saying the same thing. It came out of a book he’d read.’
‘Yes, he talked to me about it. It just reminded me of him. But it’s nothing.’
‘Nothing? It was like he’d suddenly appeared in front of you and you were shattered.’
‘No, I wasn’t. Just a little surprised. But he doesn’t trouble me any more.’
‘I’d be glad to believe that, but I
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