Death on Tour - Janice Hamrick [47]
We left together and followed Anni toward the smaller temple, dedicated to the cow goddess Hathor and to the beloved wife of Ramses, Queen Nefertari. Two thirty-foot-tall statues of the queen were carved into the rock on either side of the doorway of the temple. Of course, for each statue of his wife, Ramses built two statues of himself, one on either side of hers, but at least her statues stood as tall as his.
As we walked over the flat between the two temples, the group fanned out a little. DJ and Keith swung wide to take a look at the lake. I overheard Keith saying something about fishing. Mohammad followed a few paces behind Flora and Fiona. It made an amusing picture. He was so large and they were so oblivious, zigzagging across the ground, bumping against each other, then self-correcting and steering away again. Mohammad looked like a sheepdog trying to herd two uncooperative ducks. He was sweating in the heat, and I could see the shine on his forehead and the wet patches under his arms. He was not enjoying himself. I wondered again why he had come.
Kathy Morrison was just pointing at the temple and turning to say something, probably completely fatuous, to her father, when she stumbled and fell. I’m sure her platform sandals had nothing to do with it, and I was able to suppress my concern and alarm remarkably well. In fact, I would have continued on to the temple without so much as breaking stride, but everyone else hurried to her side and clustered around. Alan gave me a look that almost made me laugh out loud, but he took my hand and we joined them. I didn’t mind at all.
Kathy’s face was already streaked with tears, and she was holding her ankle, lip quivering. Her father was trying to pull her up by her elbow, but she jerked away from him and waved him off. Dawn Kim knelt by her and firmly pulled her hands away, revealing an ankle that was already swelling. She clicked her tongue and lifted Kathy’s leg, moving the foot back and forth, asking questions.
“A sprain,” she announced. “You really should get some ice on it.”
Anni looked around, her eyes pausing briefly on Alan before settling on her colleague. “Mohammad, you can take her to the first aid station?”
He looked over his shoulder as though she were addressing some other Mohammad. “Perhaps you should go. After all, a woman … going with another woman…” His voice trailed off.
Anni laughed. “But I cannot carry her. You and Jerry can take her, while I finish the tour.”
For a moment, I thought he was going to refuse. His black eyes glittered with suppressed frustration, but then he seemed to realize we were all staring at him and gave an ungracious shrug. He and Jerry each took an arm and hoisted her up between them. Fortunately for them, she didn’t weigh any more than a wet cat, but I could hear her whiny voice complaining nonstop until they were out of earshot.
“Now what was that about?” Alan asked. He was also looking after the departing figures.
“Maybe he really wanted to see inside the temple,” I answered.
But I didn’t think so. Not wanting to be around someone like Kathy Morrison was easy to understand, but, after all, taking care of us was his job.
The second temple was much smaller, and after only a few minutes, Anni made a quick circuit, then left us with orders to meet in the marketplace restaurant in thirty minutes. Kyla slipped out a few seconds after Anni, and the others began trickling away. I was just starting to point