The Hippopotamus Pool - Elizabeth Peters [149]
‘Yes. He said he was making it for me.’ I touched the rounded cheekbones of the face with a reverent finger. ‘It is lovely, isn’t it?’
Emerson’s eyes went again to Nefret. ‘Uncanny would be nearer the mark. It is Nefret, and it is also Tetisheri. What did he see or sense, that made him produce a thing like this?’
‘Why does it disturb you?’ I asked in surprise. ‘It is a beautiful piece of work and he is a talented artist.’
‘It does not disturb me,’ Emerson said shortly – but he was quick to return the head to the box and close it. ‘The boy has talent, I grant you. That does not prove his innocence.’
‘I told Mahmud to make coffee,’ I said. ‘I suggest we dress and –’
Nefret, who had been pacing restlessly around the room, whirled to face me. ‘Coffee? Why are we wasting time? Let us go after him!’
‘Where?’ I asked. ‘Calm yourself, Nefret. There is nothing to be gained and a great deal to be lost by premature action.’
‘Quite right,’ Emerson agreed. ‘You can’t go rushing off to Gurneh in your nightgown, Nefret, your aunt Amelia would never allow such a thing.’
I never linger unnecessarily over my toilette, but I do not suppose I have ever dressed as quickly as I did that day. Emerson delayed only long enough to add a shirt and boots to the trousers he had assumed earlier. He and Nefret were on the deck when I got there.
Never (hardly ever) have I admired my dear Emerson so much as I did when I beheld the touching tableau. Nefret knelt at his feet, her face raised imploringly, her hands warmly clasped in his. Fear for his son raged within him; but he had put it aside in order to comfort his daughter. There was – to his infinite credit I proclaim it – there was even a note of amusement in his calm voice as he spoke, and a reassuring smile on his face.
‘My dear, Ramses does this sort of thing all the time. No doubt he has got himself into another scrape. We will get him out, that’s all.’
‘You won’t try to prevent me from helping?’
‘I depend on it.’
So great was her agitation she had not been aware of my presence until Emerson glanced in my direction. Rising, she smiled self-consciously. ‘I apologize, Aunt Amelia, if I spoke rudely to you. I was not worried about Ramses, you know. I was only angry because he had been so inconsiderate.’
‘Yes, Nefret, I know. Try to eat something.’
When the younger Emersons joined us I noticed Evelyn was carrying the black parasol and that Walter was rather red in the face. They had been arguing again, and it was not difficult to deduce what about. Walter’s first remark made no reference to this, however.
‘The evidence does seem to indicate that Ramses went off on one of his mysterious expeditions. I don’t see how he could have been carried off, even with David’s connivance, without the kidnappers being seen or heard by Ibrahim.’
‘Not to mention by the cat Bastet,’ I said, pouring coffee with a steady hand. ‘She would not have stood by in silence while someone knocked Ramses on the head.’
‘She must have gone with him,’ Nefret said. ‘She usually comes to my room after Ramses has fallen asleep. She was not on my bed this morning.’
‘Was it in quest of her that you went to Ramses’ room?’ I asked. I had not thought of asking her how she had discovered Ramses’ absence.
‘No. Something woke me. A sound, a voice, a dream . . .’ She hesitated, looking down at her clasped hands. ‘It must have been a dream. I thought I heard . . . someone . . . call my name.’
‘Who?’ I asked.
Still she avoided my eyes. ‘Just someone. You know how vivid dreams can be. I went immediately to Ramses’ room, and . . . Oh, but what does it matter?’
‘Never mind that,’ Emerson said. ‘Walter is right, Ramses must have gone off on his own. He took the cat, or it followed him. As for David . . . I am sorry, Evelyn, but we must consider the possibility that it was David who lured Ramses away. If David suddenly “remembered” something he had seen while he was with Abd el Hamed, he could easily persuade Ramses to investigate. You know Ramses’ cursed reckless – er, adventurous