The Mummy Case - Elizabeth Peters [47]
“I know the location of Dahshoor, young man,” snapped Emerson. “But I don’t know you. Who the devil are you?”
“Emerson!” I exclaimed. “Such language to a man of the cloth!”
“Pray don’t apologize,” said the young gentleman. “It is my fault, for not mentioning my name earlier. I am David Cabot—of the Boston Cabots.”
This formula seemed to have some significance to him, but it meant nothing to me—nor, I hardly need add, to Emerson, who continued to glare at young Mr. Cabot, of the Boston Cabots.
“But I am forgetting my manners,” the latter went on. “I am keeping you standing in the sun. Will you enter and meet my family?”
Knowing him to be unmarried, I assumed he was referring to his parents, but when I inquired he laughed and shook his head. “I refer to my spiritual family, Mrs. Emerson. My father in the Lord, the Reverend Ezekiel Jones, is the head of our little mission. His sister also labors in the vineyards of the Lord. It is almost time for our midday repast; will you honor our humble abode?”
I politely declined the invitation, explaining that the other members of our expedition were waiting for us, and we took our leave. Before we were quite out of earshot, Emerson said loudly, “You were confoundedly polite, Amelia.”
“You make it sound like a crime! I felt it necessary to be overly cordial to compensate for your rudeness.”
“Rude? I, rude?”
“Very.”
“Well, I call it rude to walk into a man’s house and order him to leave off worshiping his chosen god. What effrontery! Mr. Cabot and his ‘father in the Lord’ had better not try their tricks on me.”
“I hardly think even Mr. Cabot would try to convert you,” I said, taking his arm. “Hurry, Emerson, we have been too long away. Goodness knows what mischief Ramses has got into by now.”
But for once Ramses was innocent of wrongdoing. We found him squatting in the sand near the monastery, digging. Already a small pile of potsherds had rewarded his efforts. At the sight of his dedicated labors Emerson’s expression lightened, and I hoped the irritation produced by the presence of the missionaries had been alleviated.
v
Shortly thereafter the arrival of a contingent of men from the village assured us that the priest did mean to cooperate with our endeavors. This first levy consisted of craftsmen—masons and brickmakers, carpenters and plasterers. Emerson beamed when he saw his augmented audience; he may and does deny it, but he loves putting on a theatrical performance. His exorcism that day was one of his best, despite the fact that he turned his ankle while capering around the house chanting poetry and prayers. The audience applauded enthusiastically and declared themselves relieved of all apprehension concerning evil spirits. Before long the place was swarming with activity, and I had high hopes that by nightfall we would have a roof over our heads and a cleared floor on which to place our camp cots, tables and chairs.
The men from Aziyeh did not fraternize with the villagers. Their professional skills and the parochialism of the peasant mentality, which regards a man from a village two miles off as a foreigner—not to mention the religious differences—made them view the “heretics” with haughty contempt. I knew there would be no trouble, however, for Abdullah was an excellent foreman and his men were guided by him. No less than four of them were his sons. They ranged in age from Feisal, a grizzled man with grown children of his own, to young Selim, a handsome lad of fourteen. He was obviously the apple of his father’s eye and the adored Benjamin of the family. Indeed, his infectious boyish laughter and pleasant ways made him a favorite with all of us. In Egyptian terms he was already a man, and would soon take a wife, but since he was closer in age to Ramses than any of the others, the two soon struck up a friendship.
After I had watched the lad for a while and assured myself that my initial impression of his character was correct, I decided to appoint him as Ramses’ official guide, servant and guard. John’s unsuitability for the role was becoming only