The Golden One - Elizabeth Peters [0]
We praise the Golden One,
the Lady of Heaven, Lady of Fragrance,
Eye of the Sun, the Great Goddess,
Mistress of All the Gods,
Lady of Turquoise, Mistress of Joy, Mistress of Music . . .
that she may give us fine children,
happiness, and a good husband.
—Epithets of Hathor,
compiled from various sources
* * *
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
To err is human, and I am and I do, despite the fact that I go to considerable effort to get even small details right. I do not scruple to make use of my friends in this endeavor; several of them have read all or part of the manuscript and made suggestions. I am particularly indebted to Tim Hardman and Ann Crispin, for setting me straight on the (to me) esoteric subject of horses and cavalry. Catharine Roehrig, one of the few Egyptologists who have visited the area of the southwest wadis, was good enough to tell me where I went wrong in my initial description. Donald Ryan, one of the few others, also corrected mistakes in his usual tactful manner. Dennis Forbes, George Johnson, and Kristen Whitbread read the entire bulky manuscript and offered advice. If errors remain, they are mine, and not those of my advisers.
Contents
HarperCollins E-book Extras:
Egyptian Diary: The Amelia Expedition
A Nice, Practical Career for a Woman: A Conversation with Elizabeth Peters
The Amelia Peabody Mysteries
Epigraph
Acknowledgments
Preface
Maps
Part 1
1 When I am in one of my philosophical moods, I am inclined to wonder whether all families . . .
2 “How many times have I told you not to attack an opponent with that damned parasol?”
3 “Bah,” said Emerson.We were seated on the veranda drinking tea.
4 We retreated some distance down the wadi before opening the baskets of food.
5 Emerson and I and Sennia were halfway through breakfast when the children made their appearance . . .
6 I cannot recall ever seeing Cyrus Vandergelt so angry. Even Emerson sat in silence . . .
7 FROM MANUSCRIPT H
When the citizens of Deir el Medina abandoned their houses they took their most valued possessions . . .
8 We sat up late that night, going over and over the astonishing revelation . . .
Part 2
9 We arrived in Cairo on a misty gray morning. The city was swathed in fog and there was not a breath of air stirring . . .
10 FROM MANUSCRIPT H (CONTINUED)
It was a very pleasant dream. The surface on which he lay was soft and faintly perfumed.
11 The night passed without incident, but in some discomfort. I felt it incumbent upon myself to keep the girl with me.
Part 3
12 Sped on by every assistance the military could provide, we reached Cairo in less than two days.
13 “Really,” I said in exasperation, “I cannot decide which of this evening’s outlandish activities to discuss first.”
About the Author
Books by Elizabeth Peters
Books by Michaels-Peters-Mertz
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
Maps
* * *
PREFACE
The Editor is pleased to present another of the journals of Mrs. Amelia Peabody Emerson, Egyptologist, adventurer, wife, and mother. (She would, the Editor believes, approve that order.) Editing her prose is no easy task, for the original text contains some misinformation, a great deal of repetition, and certain omissions. In order to repair the latter fault, the Editor has, as before, inserted sections from Manuscript H, begun by Ramses Emerson at approximately the age of sixteen, and continued by him and his wife after their marriage. This manuscript describes events at which Mrs. Emerson was not present, and gives a viewpoint differing in significant ways from hers. She was an extremely opinionated lady.
The rest of the Emerson papers are still being studied, collated, and edited. Material from these sources has appeared in earlier volumes (and may appear in the future), but none of it adds anything relevant to the present volume.
PART ONE
* * *
The Cemetery
of the Monkeys
1
When I am in one of my philosophical moods, I am inclined to wonder whether all families are as difficult as mine.
I was in such a mood as I dressed for