Whispers in the Sand (17 page)

“You’ve saved my life!” Taking the coffee, she sat down on the bed and sipped it gratefully. She was feeling awkward suddenly, having him standing there watching her. Then the ludicrousness of the situation hit her, and she gave a burst of laughter. “I’m sorry. I’m not used to entertaining men in my cabin. Please, sit down. I’ll only be two minutes.” The croissant was warm, oozing butter and jam. Not a thing to eat with dignity either.

He watched her, his eyes alight with amusement. “You could have another shower before we leave,” he said after a moment.

She laughed again. “Nothing so drastic. I’m sure a quick wipe round with a flannel will do! I’m normally quite house-trained.” She drained the coffee gratefully and turned to the bathroom. Her washbag was still on the floor where she had put it when she turned on the shower earlier. In such a tiny space there was nowhere else to store it. She glanced down at it and froze. It had been fastened. She remembered. Only moments before, she had opened it, forgetting the little bottle, and rummaged for some lipsalve. Her fingers had closed over the polythene in the bottom of the bag. She had left it there, pushing it back, letting it nestle under the unused cosmetics and spare lotions. And now the bag was open, and shreds of polythene were hanging out. For a second she was too paralysed by fear to move. She stared at it, her stomach lurching into her throat. Then common sense kicked in. She had been in a hurry. Andy had been at the door. The polythene had caught in the zip. There was no more to it than that. The bottle was still there. She could see where the shreds were sticking out between the metal teeth. Calming herself with an effort, she reached for the flannel and wrung it out under the cold tap. Seconds later she was ready.

A cheerful crewman pointed the way along the river’s edge, where in the distance they could see their fellow passengers in a tight group, clustered around Omar as he gesticulated wildly ahead, and stood watching them with unashamed interest as they set off beneath the intense blue of the morning sky.

“Do you want to catch up for the lecture?” Andy glanced at her.

“Jog, you mean?”

“It’s the only way.”

“I don’t think so.” She grinned at him companionably. “You go on if you want to. I’m happy to explore on my own.”

He shook his head. “No, running is not for me. At least not in this heat. But I did read up on Kom Ombo last night. I’ll fill you in, if you like.”

By the time they reached the crowded, colourful stalls clustered near the entrance to the temple, he had covered thousands of years of history, from its prehistoric origins to its rebuilding in the Ptolomaic period. “It’s much older than Edfu; a double temple. Split in two down the middle. Half is dedicated to Haroeris or Horus the elder and half to Sobek, the crocodile god,” he instructed her as they walked. “It was a temple of healing. People came from all over the place to consult the healer priests, and it’s far more ruined than Edfu. It’s so close to the river, the water has damaged it, and then there was an earthquake not so long ago.”

The place was crowded with tourists, and once more they found themselves shuffling forward in a queue of slowly moving visitors to present their tickets.

“I thought you must have decided to give this one a miss.” Toby was suddenly there beside her as Andy, distracted for a moment and glancing from one side to the other at the temple, had drifted out of earshot. “Dallying with our antique dealer, I see.” He raised an eyebrow in Andy’s direction. “Serena is looking for you, by the way. Do I gather that you decided to speak to her as I suggested?”

Anna nodded. “She was most helpful. You’re right. She knows a lot about mystical stuff and Egyptian history.”

“Enough to set your mind at rest?” He gave her a quick glance. They were walking slowly across the forecourt now, between the stunted remains of its stout columns towards the facade of the hypostyle hall.

“Set your mind at rest?” Andy had veered back towards them. “About what? Is something worrying you, Anna?”

She shrugged and shook her head. “Nothing serious.” Omar was close in front of them now, talking about the temple’s position at the crossing of the caravan routes from Nubia and the roads from the desert where they brought in the gold and pointing out winged sun discs over the two doorways. She moved closer. Omar was knowledgeable. Worth hearing. It was stupid to ignore the built-in lectures which came with the tour. Trying hard to concentrate on what he was saying, her eyes followed his pointing hand to look at the bas-relief carvings, but almost at once she found her attention straying. She was trying to imagine what this great temple had been like in the past. To sense whether any of its atmosphere was still there.

She had always done this, even as a child; felt the need to block out distractions, even when they were interesting and informative, so that she could concentrate on the atmosphere. Facts could come later. It was the feel of a place which brought it alive. That was what mattered, what would remain with her long after her visit was over; that was what counted, far more than finding out the date its walls were built. And that was the part of Egypt which she would take home with her. And anyway, she had never liked formal lectures.

“I thought I told you to keep away from Andy!” The whisper in her ear was sharp and angry. She spun round in surprise.

Charley stood only a couple of feet away from her, her eyes masked by large, dark glasses. “I meant it.” She glanced round, and as the others shuffled after Omar into the hypostyle hall, she stood with her back to them, barring Anna’s way. “I should concentrate on someone else if I were you.”

“I don’t think it’s any of your business who I talk to!” Anna retorted sharply. “I can’t help thinking you’re overreacting! I assure you, I have no intention of stealing your boyfriend, if that is what he is. After all, I have only just met him. But if he and I wish to speak to each other like normal adults, then I see no reason why we shouldn’t.”

For a moment she thought Charley was going to hit her. The younger woman’s face was scarlet with anger, and her fists were clenched. She took a deep breath and visibly controlled herself, almost shaking with rage, then abruptly she turned away.

“Atta girl!” Toby, who had been eavesdropping with unashamed interest, grinned at Anna broadly.

She blushed. For some reason, she would much rather he had not overheard the exchange. She glanced round for Charley. She had vanished, then Anna saw her once more at Andy’s side. As Anna watched, the young woman slipped her arm possessively through his. “I’m surprised she hasn’t got him on a collar and lead,” she couldn’t resist commenting tartly.

Toby made a face. “I know a lot of women who would do that, given half a chance.” He didn’t soften the words with a smile.

“That sounds very bitter.” Anna raised an eyebrow at his change of tone. “Do I gather you speak from experience?”

His expression darkened. “I am sure most men could, if questioned hard enough. Let’s change the subject, please. I’m sorry. I should not have interrupted your conversation in the first place. Look, our trusty leader is holding forth once more, and we should be listening to him.” Moving away, he left her suddenly alone. Another crowd of people was approaching, engulfing her. Their guide, gesticulating expansively, was speaking French.

“Anna!” Serena was pushing towards her suddenly. “There you are! Are you all right?”

“Of course.”

“You look shaken. I saw Charley speaking to you. I was too far away to get there. But you were rescued, I gather?”

Anna frowned angrily. “In a manner of speaking. Tell me, is no one here interested in the history of Egypt? Everyone seems to have an axe to grind, and no one is listening to Omar!” She paused, then she went on in a rush, “I can’t think, with all due respect, how you can tolerate Charley. I’m sorry, but she is impossible. I am not after her boyfriend, for goodness sake.”

Serena gave a comfortable laugh. “I don’t have to tolerate her. She’s only my tenant, not my friend, or even my flatmate. Not really. And she doesn’t see me as any kind of a threat. I’m afraid she has sensed Andy’s interest in you far more quickly than you have. You’re an attractive woman, Anna. He fancies you. It’s the way he is. If you are genuinely not interested, she will see it in the end.” She paused. “And in the meantime, you and I have a task to perform.”

“A task?” Anna stared at her for a moment, not understanding.

“You can’t have forgotten last night already! We are going to make a sacrifice to the gods, my dear. Remember?” Serena met her eye, then exploded into laughter. “Anna, your face! I was not suggesting we make Charley and Andy draw straws and throw them from the highest column. I think we can be more subtle than that. More refined. If there were any, I would suggest flowers. Perhaps, as it is, a libation will do. I brought something with me which I thought might be suitable.” She patted the large, pale-fawn suede bag she habitually carried on her shoulder. “We’ll find a quiet corner. It’s worth doing, Anna.”

They were threading their way through the French tourists, still heading steadily towards the heart of the temple. Their own group had vanished.

“I thought someone had tried to take the scent bottle this morning.” Anna followed her, close on her heels. “I went into the shower where I had left it wrapped up in my make-up bag. I found the bag open, the polythene I had wrapped it in ripped. It must have been me. I’m sure it was me. In my hurry I probably caught the zip and didn’t close it properly, but I was, just for a moment, so frightened.” There was a small treacherous voice at work in her head. She could hear it distinctly pointing out, “But you tucked the polythene bag out of the way. You know it didn’t catch. You know you zipped it up properly…” She pushed the voice aside and became aware suddenly that Serena was talking to her.

“Don’t worry about it. Not now. Did you look up the diary to see what Louisa has to say about it?”

“I did. But I’m afraid I was distracted into reading a bit about her and Hassan at Edfu. I will have another look for any references to it this afternoon.”

“And apart from the zip, you saw nothing unusual last night?”

Anna hesitated. Some dust. Some strange, spicy dust. Just how neurotic was she getting? She shook her head. “I read until quite late.”

“It was already quite late when we decided to go to bed, Anna!” Again the deep gurgle of amusement. “Look, let’s find a quiet place, if that’s at all possible with all these crowds around.”

“And what good will it do?”

“If we please the gods, his gods, it can do no harm. And maybe, just maybe it will keep him away, whoever he is. Here.” She beckoned Anna away from the main stream of visitors towards a quieter corner.

“Omar said that the place for offerings was over there.” Anna gestured ahead of them.

“So it was. But there was another, where the priests served Haroeris through here, hidden in the wall. I think somewhere quieter would be better for our purposes, don’t you?”

They ducked through the small doorway into a dark chamber. Inside, two men were photographing the reliefs. They did not turn as Serena beckoned Anna towards the far wall. “See here.” She groped in her pocket and produced a slim pencil torch. The thin beam focused on a group of figures. “Yes.” Her whisper was triumphant. “Haroeris with Thoth and Isis. We are in the right place. I looked it up last night. This is where we make our petition.”

She glanced at the two men. One was focusing his lens within inches of the wall, the other making notes by the light of a small lamp. “Last one.” The words drifted across to them from the darkness.

Serena raised an eyebrow. “The moment we are alone. Here.” She fumbled in her bag. “These guys are used to a lot of ceremonial. I just hope the intention and our sincerity count for something with them.”

“If they’re listening,” Anna couldn’t help observing, somewhat wryly. “After all, there can’t be many people talking to them these days.”

Serena glanced at her quizzically. “I think you’d be surprised.”

Packing up his camera at last, the taller of the two men strolled towards them. “Great place! You’ve found the Isis group, I see. Not many people know about it.” His accent placed him as German, Anna thought, or perhaps Swiss. “It is beautiful, is it not? We have already taken pictures of it.” His companion had shouldered a large bag of photographic equipment. He stopped behind them. “The gods are still here, don’t you feel it? They have fled the great temples and now hide in chapels such as this. Good hunting, ladies.” And with a chuckle he headed for the door.

“How did he know?” Anna breathed.

“A kindred spirit, maybe.” Serena reached into her bag and produced a small plastic bottle. “Here, while we’re alone. Pour some into your palm. Offer it to the gods, and then pour it onto the ground before them. It’s red wine. The best we can do under the circumstances. I took it last night during dinner.”

Anna hesitated. “This doesn’t seem right.”

“Believe me, it’s right. It’s whether they accept it or not that we can’t be certain of.” She unscrewed the cap.

Anna held out her hands. “I’m sorry, but I feel like an idiot.” Serena looked up at her face.