Lord of the Silent - Elizabeth Peters [139]
“No!” I moderated my sharp tone. “There won’t be time. You can finish your shopping in Luxor.”
“Supposing I bring back a few bones from Giza,” Emerson offered. “You can wrap them up for Aunt Nefret.”
“I would rather pick my own bones,” said Sennia. “Can’t I go with you?”
“No! Er . . . there will not be time. Fatima will need your help too.”
“Amazing,” Emerson said to me, after she had gone dancing off to visit Gargery and begin her packing. “I had expected she would be timid about returning to Giza.”
“It is a testimonial to her strong character and, I would like to believe, to her trust in us. A trust,” I added firmly, “that will not again be misplaced. We must make certain she is guarded at all times without arousing new apprehensions in her. This was really a very good idea of mine, Emerson. With all the excitement she won’t have time to brood about her experiences.”
As soon as Emerson had taken his leave, I wrote out several telegrams and sent one of the men to the telegraph office, instructing him to stop at the railroad station afterward and purchase our tickets. A consultation with Fatima came next; I felt a slight touch of uneasiness when I found her in the kitchen gathering the ingredients for her famous plum pudding. For such a self-effacing, soft-spoken little woman she could be extremely stubborn about what she considered to be her duties and privileges, and preparing Christmas dinner was one of them. Cyrus’s chef might not take kindly to having another cook underfoot.
By midday matters were well in hand at the house, so I took a picnic basket and set out for Giza, after warning everyone in the house to make certain Sennia had someone with her at all times. I placed my greatest trust in Kadija; she was as strong as a man and as dependable as one could wish.
I found Emerson with William Amherst finishing the survey of the site and persuaded them to stop for a bite of lunch.
“The Professor has told you of our plans?” I inquired of the young man.
“Yes, ma’am. Do you mean me to go with you? I wouldn’t want to be in the way . . .”
In fact, William had been the furthest person from my thoughts, but his wide, moist eyes held a look of appeal I could not resist. To leave such a friendless individual alone over the holiday seemed cruel in the extreme. He would be of no use here, since Emerson would not allow anyone to shift a single basket of sand without his supervision. He was well acquainted with the Vandergelts and Cyrus had always spoken well of him . . .
I weighed these factors with my customary quickness, and I believe there was scarcely a moment’s pause before I replied. “Naturally I had counted on your joining us, William. Cyrus will be glad to have you.”
“You are too good,” the young man exclaimed.
Emerson had been muttering over his cucumber sandwich. It usually takes him awhile to get his mind off the work he has been doing. The exchange caught his attention. He looked up, scowling. “In her own characteristic fashion. Curse it, Peabody, did you come alone?”
“Certainly. I have my parasol.”
Emerson did not pursue the subject. He had found another that gave him an excuse to complain. “You ought not have left Sennia.”
“Emerson, there are eight people in the house, not counting the cat. I do think you ought to stop work for the day, though. We have a number of minor matters to clear up.”
“Yes, and one of them is here at Giza,” Emerson said. “I want to have a closer look at the scene of yesterday’s crime.”
“What, the murder scene?”
“I was thinking of the crime of abducting our ward. But you are in the right; we had better see what, if anything, is left of Saleh.”
He gave me a challenging smile. Needless to say I remained unperturbed. It was William who turned pale. “Left of . . .”
“The jackals and wild dogs will have been at him,” Emerson said cheerfully.
“I am surprised you haven’t already attended to that,” I said, watching William’s countenance take on a greenish hue. What the devil was wrong with the man? He ought not be so squeamish after so many years in Egypt.