The Ape Who Guards the Balance - Elizabeth Peters [134]
So we talked of Mr. Davis’s tomb instead. It is a rare pleasure to be in the company of individuals who are as well informed about and interested in a subject as oneself. Lia was not as well informed as the rest of us, but her eager questions inspired the gentlemen to elaborate and explain, which gentlemen always enjoy doing.
Howard, who had not yet been inside the tomb, was mightily intrigued by our description of the coffin. “Who else can it be but Akhenaton himself? Oh, yes, I know he had a tomb at Amarna, but his mummy wasn’t there; after the city was abandoned, the royal dead may have been moved to Thebes for safekeeping.”
“Possibly,” Emerson agreed. “But there are a number of pharaohs of that period missing. How is that you haven’t been asked to participate in the so-called clearance, Carter? You’ve worked for Davis before; I would have thought he’d ask you to make drawings or paintings of some of the objects in situ.”
“I’d give a great deal to be allowed to do that,” Howard declared. “But—well—Mr. Smith is an artist and a close friend of Mr. Davis; I suppose he’ll be asked.”
“He hasn’t your touch,” Nefret said.
“So long as someone does it,” Emerson muttered. “Thus far Davis hasn’t done a cursed thing about copying or preserving the objects. Supervision is criminally inadequate too. Keep your eye on the antiquities dealers, Carter, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if objects from the tomb start turning up in Luxor.”
“Nor would I,” Howard said. “I was talking with Mohassib the other day . . .” He broke off long enough to explain, “He is the most respected of the antiquities dealers in Luxor, Miss Lia, been in business for over thirty years. He asked to be remembered to you, Mrs. Emerson. He’s been ill, you know, and I think he’d appreciate a visit.”
Though he had concealed his chagrin with gentlemanly courtesy, I thought Howard had been hurt by Mr. Davis’s employing another artist, one without his experience or his need. I found an opportunity later that evening to speak an encouraging word.
“Do not be discouraged, Howard. Contemplate the future with courage and optimism.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Howard sighed. “I’m trying. I do get discouraged at times, but I cannot complain when I have friends such as you and the Professor. You know how much I admire him.”
“Er—quite,” I said. Emerson is the most remarkable of men, but certain of his characteristics are better avoided. Howard’s stubbornness during the affair of the drunken Frenchmen had been only too reminiscent of the way Emerson would have behaved under those circumstances.
I patted Howard’s hand. “This is not the end of your career, Howard, it is only a temporary hiatus. Take my word for it. Something is going to turn up!”
With the tact I had come to expect of him, Sir Edward excused himself as soon as we got home. Yawning in an unconvincing manner, he declared he was excessively fatigued and would retire at once. In my opinion, several of the others looked as though they could do with a rest. Lia was not one of them. She announced she did not intend to waste her few precious hours sleeping.
“You must have some rest,” I said sympathetically but firmly. “Tomorrow will be another tiring day.”
“I don’t want to go to bed,” declared Lia, sounding like a spoiled child and looking, in the chin area, alarmingly like Emerson.
“Come and talk for a while,” Nefret said, slipping her arm through that of the other girl. “I haven’t shown you the new robe I bought in Cairo.”
With the hour of leave-taking so close upon us I was reluctant to part from my dear Evelyn, and I believe Emerson felt the same about his brother. They were deeply attached to one another, though their British reticence prevented them from saying so. At Walter’s request Emerson got out the papyrus again, and they began an animated and amiable argument about the reading of certain words. After a time I noticed that Ramses was not taking part.