Guardian of the Horizon - Elizabeth Peters [8]
They would never have made it if it hadn’t been for Kemit, who went ahead to bring a rescue party. As they learned when they reached the isolated oasis, ringed in by cliffs, Kemit’s real name was Tarek, and it was he who had carried the message from Forth to England. It was some time before they found out why.
He would never forget his first sight of Nefret, wearing the white robes of the High Priestess of Isis, with her hair flowing over her shoulders in a river of gold. She had been thirteen, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Now that he was older, he was better able to assess the flagrant romanticism of that image and its effect on a ten-year-old boy; but he still thought she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen, as brave and clever as she was lovely. Tarek had been in love with her, he had as good as said so: “For who could see her and not desire her?” Yet he had kept his word to her dead father, who had wanted her to return to her own people. Realizing he could not get her away without help, Tarek had made the long, perilous journey to England in order to bring the Emersons to the Lost Oasis. In doing so he had risked his life and his throne. He had been a fine-looking young man, chivalrous as a knight of legend; it wouldn’t be surprising if Nefret still cherished his memory.
Goddamn him, Ramses thought; how can I or anyone else compete with a hero like that? Tarek had fought like a hero too, sword in hand, to win his crown. They had repaid part of their debt to him by helping him in that struggle, each in his or her own way. Emerson had been at the height of his powers then—not that he had lost many of them—and some of his exploits rivaled the achievements of Hercules and Horus.
Another hero, thought Emerson’s son. And now I’ve got to tell him I won’t go with him this year.
So vehement was Emerson’s initial reaction to Ramses’s news that his shouts brought Gargery, John the footman, Rose, and several of the housemaids rushing in to see what had happened. Our relationships with servants are somewhat unusual, thanks to Emerson’s habit of treating them like human beings and their profound affection for him; once they learned what had occasioned his wrath, every single one of them felt entitled to join in the conversation, on one side or the other. Rose, of course, supported Ramses, and so did Gargery (offering himself as Ramses’s replacement, which infuriated Emerson even more). The housemaids were swept off by Rose before they had a chance to say very much. Still, the consensus was clear, and Emerson had some justice on his side when he shouted, “You are all against me!”
Nefret had warned me in strictest secrecy of what Ramses meant to do, so I had had a little time to get used to the idea. I was somewhat surprised at the strength of my initial disappointment. I had got used to having Ramses around. He was a great help to his father.
However, a mother wants what is best for her child, and at least the news explained why Ramses had been behaving so oddly. So I had promised Nefret I would help persuade Emerson, and of course my arguments carried the day.
“He’ll get himself in trouble all alone over there, you know he will” was Emerson’s final attempt to sway me by appealing to my maternal instincts. “He always does.”
He always did. However, as I pointed out to Emerson, he did anyhow, even when he was with