is a practical woman,’ Emerson declared. ‘I suppose now we’ll have to find him and turn him over to the police, which will be cursed embarrassing for
everyone concerned, especially his father. We’ve left him alone, and instead of taking to his heels he has the effrontery to challenge us! He must be mad.’
‘Or mad for revenge,’ Nefret said, her brows furrowing.
‘No,’ I said judiciously. ‘He’s too much of a coward. However, his true motive is not difficult to discover. One of his most notable traits is greed. He also has an
uncanny instinct for locating lost tombs. Depend on it, that is why he hasn’t left Luxor. He hopes to find another; good Gad, perhaps he has already done so!’
An all-too-familiar glint brightened Emerson’s sapphirine orbs, but after a moment’s thought he shook his head regretfully. ‘Pure conjecture, Peabody, born of your rampageous
imagination. It’s more likely that he hasn’t the courage to leave familiar surroundings and strike out on his own. He made enough from his share of the princesses’ treasure to
live comfortably for a while; I would guess that the money has been squandered, and that he approached Jumana as a last resort. He won’t try it again. As for attacking Ramses – stuff
and nonsense!’
‘Yes, but he might try and get back at Jumana,’ I said. ‘Especially if he learns she told us he is still in Luxor. She probably won’t believe that she could be in danger
from him, so we must make certain she is not allowed to go off alone. Katherine and I had agreed she would come to us; we will bring her back with us tonight. I will ask Fatima to get a room ready
for her. David’s old room, I think; it is next to ours, Emerson, with windows that open only onto the courtyard. It will not be easy for anyone to get at her there – or for her to creep
out unobserved.’
‘Are you going to tell Cyrus and Katherine about Jamil?’ Nefret asked.
‘I am glad you raised that point, Nefret. I will explain the situation to them eventually, but I do not believe it would be advisable to mention it this evening. The walls have ears and
the tongues of Luxor wag at both ends. We certainly don’t want Jamil to find out that his sister has informed on him.’
‘There you go, trying to make a mountain out of a molehill,’ Emerson declared. ‘In my humble opinion, the sooner Jamil learns that we are aware of his pathetic threats, the
better. He won’t dare show his face again.’
‘In your opinion?’ I repeated. ‘Humble? I trust that you agree that Selim and Daoud must be informed. Harmless the wretched boy may be, but he is their cousin – of some
degree – and – ’
‘Here is Cyrus’s carriage, come for us,’ Nefret said quickly. ‘Are we ready? Mother, where is your hat?’
Cyrus’s carriage was a handsome open barouche, drawn by a splendid pair of greys. A brilliant sunset washed the western sky, and across the river the lights of Luxor began to shine. When
the carriage turned into the narrow way that led to the Valley of the Kings, the hills rose up around us, cutting off the last of the sunset light. Few spots on earth are as magical as the Valley;
it is not only the grandeur of the scenery, but the romance of its history. In the grey twilight one could easily imagine that the shadows cast by the carriage lamps were the ghostly forms of the
royal dead, and that the howling in the hills came from the throat of the divine jackal Anubis, god of cemeteries.
‘Now that we are settled here for a long time, we must think seriously of getting our own carriage,’ I remarked. ‘I don’t like depending on Cyrus or on the rattletraps
for hire at the dock.’
Emerson said something under his breath, and I said, ‘I beg your pardon?’ and Emerson said, ‘Motorcar.’
That subject caught everyone’s attention and we had a nice little argument that lasted all the way to the Castle. I pointed out that the utility of such vehicles was
everyone concerned, especially his father. We’ve left him alone, and instead of taking to his heels he has the effrontery to challenge us! He must be mad.’
‘Or mad for revenge,’ Nefret said, her brows furrowing.
‘No,’ I said judiciously. ‘He’s too much of a coward. However, his true motive is not difficult to discover. One of his most notable traits is greed. He also has an
uncanny instinct for locating lost tombs. Depend on it, that is why he hasn’t left Luxor. He hopes to find another; good Gad, perhaps he has already done so!’
An all-too-familiar glint brightened Emerson’s sapphirine orbs, but after a moment’s thought he shook his head regretfully. ‘Pure conjecture, Peabody, born of your rampageous
imagination. It’s more likely that he hasn’t the courage to leave familiar surroundings and strike out on his own. He made enough from his share of the princesses’ treasure to
live comfortably for a while; I would guess that the money has been squandered, and that he approached Jumana as a last resort. He won’t try it again. As for attacking Ramses – stuff
and nonsense!’
‘Yes, but he might try and get back at Jumana,’ I said. ‘Especially if he learns she told us he is still in Luxor. She probably won’t believe that she could be in danger
from him, so we must make certain she is not allowed to go off alone. Katherine and I had agreed she would come to us; we will bring her back with us tonight. I will ask Fatima to get a room ready
for her. David’s old room, I think; it is next to ours, Emerson, with windows that open only onto the courtyard. It will not be easy for anyone to get at her there – or for her to creep
out unobserved.’
‘Are you going to tell Cyrus and Katherine about Jamil?’ Nefret asked.
‘I am glad you raised that point, Nefret. I will explain the situation to them eventually, but I do not believe it would be advisable to mention it this evening. The walls have ears and
the tongues of Luxor wag at both ends. We certainly don’t want Jamil to find out that his sister has informed on him.’
‘There you go, trying to make a mountain out of a molehill,’ Emerson declared. ‘In my humble opinion, the sooner Jamil learns that we are aware of his pathetic threats, the
better. He won’t dare show his face again.’
‘In your opinion?’ I repeated. ‘Humble? I trust that you agree that Selim and Daoud must be informed. Harmless the wretched boy may be, but he is their cousin – of some
degree – and – ’
‘Here is Cyrus’s carriage, come for us,’ Nefret said quickly. ‘Are we ready? Mother, where is your hat?’
Cyrus’s carriage was a handsome open barouche, drawn by a splendid pair of greys. A brilliant sunset washed the western sky, and across the river the lights of Luxor began to shine. When
the carriage turned into the narrow way that led to the Valley of the Kings, the hills rose up around us, cutting off the last of the sunset light. Few spots on earth are as magical as the Valley;
it is not only the grandeur of the scenery, but the romance of its history. In the grey twilight one could easily imagine that the shadows cast by the carriage lamps were the ghostly forms of the
royal dead, and that the howling in the hills came from the throat of the divine jackal Anubis, god of cemeteries.
‘Now that we are settled here for a long time, we must think seriously of getting our own carriage,’ I remarked. ‘I don’t like depending on Cyrus or on the rattletraps
for hire at the dock.’
Emerson said something under his breath, and I said, ‘I beg your pardon?’ and Emerson said, ‘Motorcar.’
That subject caught everyone’s attention and we had a nice little argument that lasted all the way to the Castle. I pointed out that the utility of such vehicles was
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