The Hippopotamus Pool - Elizabeth Peters [44]
‘Oh, damnation,’ said Emerson. Thrusting his hand into his pocket he pulled out a handful of coins and flung them.
This would have been a fatal error coming from anyone else – the only way to avoid repeated demands is to give nothing – but Emerson was well known to the Gurnawis, even the children. After scrabbling for and squabbling over the coins, the onlookers reluctantly dispersed, and we started back down the hill.
‘Now then, Abdullah,’ said Emerson, in a more moderate growl, ‘what the devil do you mean by failing to warn me that one of your descendants was in the employ of that old villain? Had I but known I would have proceeded differently.’
‘I did not know that is where you were going,’ Abdullah muttered. ‘I thought you intended to visit our house.’
‘I do. We will go there now. Well, Abdullah? Who is the boy?’
‘The son of my daughter.’
‘Where is his mother?’ I asked.
‘Dead.’
‘And his father?’
‘Dead.’
‘Really, Abdullah,’ I said in exasperation. ‘Do we have to wring every word out of you? Never mind, I believe I am beginning to understand. You called him David, not Daoud. Was his father a Christian – a Copt?’
‘He was nothing,’ Abdullah burst out. ‘Even Christians are People of the Book, but he gave himself up to drunkenness and cursing God.’
‘Hmph,’ said Emerson. ‘He sounds a very sensible – ouch!’
I had just given him a little pinch. Emerson’s opinions on the subject of religion are somewhat unorthodox. (Heretical might be a better word.) Freedom of conscience is the right of every human being, and I would never dream of questioning Emerson’s, but there are occasions on which a frank expression of opinion may be counterproductive as well as rude.
Plodding along ahead of us, Abdullah threw the phrases over his shoulder. ‘My daughter was here, living with her uncle. He was arranging a marriage for her – a fine marriage, a marriage any girl would want. Michael Todros stole her away, and by the time my brother found them out, she was to bear his child. What other man would have her then? And she . . .’ The words came hard to him, even now. ‘She would not leave him. When she died bearing the child I tried to take it, but Todros would not consent, and now – now he too is dead, dead of the drink and drugs given him by Abd el Hamed in payment for David’s work, and still the boy will not give up his evil ways. Todros taught him to hate his mother’s family, and he stays here, in the village of his kin, shaming them before their faces.’
Nefret, close behind us, said, ‘Don’t be sad, Abdullah. We will get him back.’
‘Quite right,’ I said firmly.
‘Hmph,’ said Ramses.
Abudullah had exaggerated only a trifle when he said (though not in those precise words) that his renegade grandson lived too close for comfort. The house he and our men had hired was on the outskirts of the village; the residence of Hamed was visible from its door. We paid a brief call on them so that I could inspect the premises, for I felt obliged (by friendship as well as duty) to make certain they were comfortably housed. Since men seem to measure comfort by the degree of dirt and confusion that prevails, I deduced that they were very comfortable.
After the obligatory consumption of tea and bread, we mounted our donkeys. ‘So long as we are here, we may as well have a look round, eh?’ said Emerson. ‘And show Nefret something of the area. She has not been here before.’
‘The nobles’ tombs,’ Ramses suggested.
‘No, no, it is too fine a day to spend underground,’ Emerson said, in a voice that brooked no argument. There are many sights of interest in Western Thebes, but I knew what was in his mind; his eyes were fixed on the hills to the north of where we stood – the brown, barren slopes of Drah Abu’l Naga.
We passed the temple of Deir el Bahri, where Emerson dismounted in order to walk with Abdullah and Daoud, who had accompanied us. His intention, I am sure, was to spare the poor donkey, but the truth is Emerson looks ridiculous mounted on a small donkey and superb when he is striding boldly forwards, shoulders squared and head bared