Children of the Storm - Elizabeth Peters [184]
Nefret raised her head and turned in the circle of his arm. She held out her hands to me. “He is alive, Mother. I spoke with him early this morning. I didn’t want to leave him, but he—”
“You did the right thing, my dear,” I said. The situation was still grave, but I felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders. “Now come and rest, and eat something.”
“I’m not hungry,” Nefret said. “They fed me and washed my clothes and dried them. They—”
David had been talking with the boatmen. They were so pleased with themselves they were reluctant to go, but after we had showered them with praise and thanks, and all the money we had in our pockets, they tore themselves away. Ahead the lights of Qena shone through the gathering dusk.
It took a little while for us to get underway, since every man on the Amelia had to see Nefret and touch her before they could believe she was safely back. Nasir burst into tears and flung himself at her feet. The sight of Selim, oily, weary, and smiling, brought a cry of protest from his physician but he would not let her examine him.
“Tell us,” he said. “Everything.”
After Nasir had been restored, he stumbled round lighting the lamps and the rest of us crowded round Nefret, who was seated on the divan, with Ramses’s arm round her. I am not ashamed to admit that the whiskey flowed freely. Nefret shook her head when Cyrus offered her a glass.
“My stomach is still a little queasy, and you know how the stuff affects me. I’ll tell you everything in due time, but you must hear this first. They are planning to take the princesses’ treasure!”
The announcement fell a little flat. “Curse it,” Nefret said. “You knew? How? I didn’t find out until last night.”
“Walter figured it out,” said Sethos. “Do you know when they plan to strike, and how?”
“No.”
“Damnation. If Lacau has already left Luxor, they could seize the steamer tonight.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Walter said.
This time his announcement got more attention. “Yes?” Sethos said respectfully.
“Certain of my initial assumptions may have been in error,” Walter explained in his precise schoolmaster’s voice. “One takes it for granted that dastardly deeds are done under cover of darkness, but they cannot travel at night, can they? Surely they would want to get underway as soon as they are in possession of the treasure.”
“It would take ’em a while to unload the cargo,” Cyrus said, stroking his goatee.
“No, no,” Walter said excitedly. “Why should they do that? It would, as you say, take a great deal of time, and the dahabeeyah is certain to be seen, however she changes her appearance. Every craft on the river would be on the lookout for her. The government steamer, on the other hand . . .”
“Of course,” I breathed. “They will board the steamer—massacre the crew—sink the Isis . . . Oh, my. What will they do to poor M. Lacau?”
No one seemed especially concerned about poor M. Lacau. Sethos shook his head. “I’ve been out of the business too long. Lost my touch. It’s a pity Walter is an honest man. What a partner he would make!”
Walter beamed. “You think I am right, then?”
“I know you are right.” Sethos slammed his fist into his palm. “That’s exactly how I would have planned it, supposing I were cold-blooded enough to murder a dozen innocent men. We’ve got until morning, then. Someone must go ashore at Qena and try to find out whether Lacau has left Luxor, and if so, when.”
“I’ll go,” Ramses said. It was the first time he had spoken since he took his wife into his arms, and his face was still alight with joy and disbelief.
“We must hear Nefret’s story first,” I said, with a fond smile at the pair. “She may have seen or heard something that will affect our plans. Start at the beginning, my dear, if you will be so good, and don’t leave anything out.”
It was, to say the least, an absorbing tale. The faces of the listeners reflected their feelings—surprise, indignation, admiration—but no one interrupted until she described the transformation of Mrs. Fitzroyce.
“Good Gad,” I