The Hippopotamus Pool - Elizabeth Peters [181]
‘Who else?’ Emerson repeated musingly. ‘Any one of – let me hazard a guess – five hundred princes, priests and high officials who were living at that time. Confound it, Peabody, you don’t even know for certain when the fellow died! Mummification techniques are of no use in dating him, since he was not mummified! Five hundred be damned! Five thousand is more like it!’
‘I am in complete agreement with Amelia,’ Evelyn said firmly. ‘Senmut is the most logical candidate.’
Walter, who had opened his mouth, closed it again. Finding no support in that quarter, Emerson looked hopefully at his son. ‘You follow my reasoning, Ramses?’
Ramses’ expressionless black eyes moved from Evelyn to Nefret to me. ‘Yes, Father, I do. However, I believe Mother has made a strong case. Hmmm. Yes. On the whole, I agree with her.’
We sailed from Alexandria on the thirtieth, and I must say it was pleasant to feel the sea breezes after the extreme heat of April in Upper Egypt. It was also pleasant to have several able-bodied adults (not to mention David and Nefret) looking after Ramses, instead of being solely responsible for him. Terrible things happened when Ramses was on board a ship. Evelyn and Walter had agreed to come out with us again next year; they would collaborate on reproducing the decorations of the tomb, Evelyn doing the artwork and Walter copying the inscriptions.
Emerson and I were strolling the deck one afternoon shortly after our departure when I observed that a frown darkened the smooth surface of his noble brow.
‘Unburden yourself,’ I urged. ‘You are not worried about the tomb, I hope? Riccetti is safely tucked away in a prison cell and his henchmen are incarcerated or have fled; Miss Marmaduke will remain in Dr Willoughby’s care until she is recovered from her nervous collapse; and after the lecture you gave her, Layla will not dare interfere with us again. You let her off too easily, Emerson. Women always know how to get round you.’
‘And what would you have done with her?’ Emerson demanded. ‘We had not a shred of proof that she was criminally involved. If you had not let Bertha get away –’
‘You would have done the same.’
‘Hmph,’ said Emerson.
‘Proving her complicity would have been difficult. Her sisters in crime were, and if Layla is any example, still are, loyal to her. Perhaps,’ I said musingly, ‘the tender influences of motherhood will soften her and turn her from evil to good.’
‘Hmph,’ said Emerson, even more emphatically.
‘At any rate we needn’t worry about her for the immediate future, and the tomb is as secure as we could make it. Abdullah and the others will guard it well.’
‘It is Abdullah I was thinking about,’ Emerson admitted. ‘I don’t doubt he and the men will keep careful guard. But he is getting old, Peabody. One of these days I will have to bully him into retiring before he injures himself. I can’t think how to do it without hurting his feelings.’
‘If you replaced him with one of his sons –’
‘They are all good men, but none has the necessary quality of leadership. I had thought of training David to take his place.’
‘Why not?’
Emerson stopped and turned, leaning against the rail. ‘Because the boy is too good for the job. There are others like him in Egypt, but there is no chance for them, not so long as our ignorant English prejudices keep them from being properly educated. We can give David that chance.’
‘And we will!’ I cried. ‘Emerson, I am with you heart and soul. Evelyn and Walter will feel the same.’
‘I have already mentioned the possibility to Walter.’ Emerson added with a laugh. ‘He proposed starting to teach the boy hieroglyphs this summer while David is staying with them. I imagine Evelyn has other schemes in mind.’
‘It would be better for him to learn to read and write English first,’ I agreed. ‘Ramses will see to that; he has set aside four hours a day for lessons.’
Emerson offered me his arm and we walked on. ‘Peabody, I have a bone to pick with you.’
Oh dear, I thought. Now what? There were a few minor matters I had kept from Emerson, for his own good. Which of them