Crocodile on the Sandbank - Elizabeth Peters [62]
“Perhaps you underestimate his intelligence”
“I think not. His motive is equally obscure to me. Why should he go to so much trouble for a petty revenge? Our presence brings income to the village—money these people badly need, however small it may seem to us.”
“But if Walter is correct in claiming that Mohammed never left the village—”
“I cannot accept that. Who else could the Mummy be?”
“Then you think we must search for some power behind Mohammed. Who could that be?”
“That is equally difficult to understand. Unless some wealthy amateur excavator covets the site—”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!” I exclaimed. “Next you will be accusing M. Maspero of planning this, in order to discredit you.”
This injudicious remark ended the discussion. Emerson shot me a hateful look and started back toward camp.
Our spirits were at very low ebb that morning; if it had not been for Emerson’s stubbornness, I think we would have taken our leave of Amarna. Only Evelyn’s intervention prevented a full-scale battle at breakfast, and it was she who insisted that we all get some sleep before discussing the matter again. All our tempers were strained by fatigue, she said; we could not think clearly. This was, of course, Evelyn’s tact; her temper was never strained, and I am rational under all circumstances. It was Emerson who needed rest in order to be sensible, although I doubted that sleep would improve his disposition very much.
We were all sleeping, then, when a shout from Abdullah, on guard below, roused us to the realization that some new factor had entered the scene. Stumbling out of the tomb and blinking against the brilliant sunlight, I made out a procession approaching us from the direction of the river. The leading figure was mounted on a donkey. It was soon clearly indentifiable.
I turned to Evelyn, who stood shading her eyes with her hand. “Reinforcements have arrived,” I remarked. “It will be interesting to see what Lord Ellesmere makes of our little mystery.”
“Lucas!” Evelyn exclaimed.
Walter, followed by his brother, came out in time to hear our exchange. At Evelyn’s exclamation he gave her a piercing look. The surprise in her voice might well have been taken for another emotion; and Walter turned to view the newcomer with a frown. Lucas had seen us; he raised his arm and waved vigorously. We could see the flash of his white teeth against a face that was now tanned almost as deeply as the skin of the natives. Walter’s frown became a scowl.
“So you are acquainted with this infernal intruder?” Emerson inquired. “I might have expected he would be a friend of yours, Peabody.”
“After all, Emerson, this site is not your private property,” I replied spiritedly. “It is surprising that we have not had more visitors.”
This reasonable comment seemed to strike Emerson; he nodded thoughtfully. I went on to give the explanations I felt were his due.
“Lord Ellesmere is a distant relative of Evelyn’s. We met him in Cairo just as we were about to sail, and he told us of his intention to take the same trip. We were expecting to meet in Luxor. No doubt he recognized the Philae at her moorings, and inquired as to our whereabouts.”
I was rather pleased with this account, which seemed to me to convey the necessary information without adding any extraneous facts. I intended to caution Lucas not to betray his real relationship with Evelyn, or hers with the late Lord Ellesmere. Neither of the Emersons were interested in scandal, unless it concerned the love affairs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs, so it was unlikely that they should have heard of the escapade of the late Lord Ellesmere’s young heiress; but there was no point in taking chances.
Then I looked at Evelyn; and my heart sank down into my scuffed boots. How could I try to shield her, when she was fully determined to expose the whole affair if it became necessary? She had paled a trifle as she watched her cousin’s advance; her lips were set in an expression I had come to know very well. Young Walter’s face, as he looked from Evelyn to the newcomer, gave his own feelings away more clearly