Read Online The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters - Free Book Online Page B

had sold the artifacts to Aslimi. El-Gharbi had once had contacts with every illegal activity in Cairo, but drugs and
prostitution were his chief interests; he dealt with illegal antiquities and espionage only when they impinged on his primary business.
    Musa was nowhere to be found, so Ramses spent a few hours wandering through the green groves of the Ezbekieh Gardens, to get the smells of el-Wasa out of his system. It was a little after midday
when he returned to the hotel. Nefret was not there, so he went to see what his parents were doing. He found his mother alone in the sitting room, placidly working at a piece of embroidery.
Wondering what had prompted this unusual exercise – she hated sewing and did it very badly – he joined her on the sofa.
    ‘Where is Father?’ he asked.
    ‘He took Sennia for a walk, in order to work off some of her energy. Have you finished packing?’
    ‘No,’ Ramses admitted. ‘Nefret told me I mustn’t, she says I always make a mess of it.’
    ‘Just like your father. His notion of packing is to dump the entire contents of a drawer into a suitcase and then throw his boots on top.’
    ‘What’s wrong with that?’ Ramses asked, and got a smile in return.
    ‘I’ll ask Gargery to take care of it,’ she promised.
    ‘That’s all right, Nefret said she’d be back before luncheon. I suppose you are all ready?’
    ‘Certainly.’ She looked searchingly at Ramses. ‘Is something wrong? You seem somewhat pensive.’
    ‘No, nothing is wrong. I’m sorry if I . . .’ Her steely grey stare remained fixed on him, and he felt a sudden need to confess. His mother’s stare often had that effect
on people.
    ‘I’m jealous – oh, not of another man, it’s even worse. Jealous of the hospital and the time she spends there. Contemptible, isn’t it, that I should resent
Nefret’s skills and interests?’
    ‘Quite understandable,’ his mother said calmly. She poked her needle into the piece of fabric, muttered something, and wiped her finger on her skirt. Ramses noticed that the skirt
and the embroidered fabric were spotted with blood. ‘Do you want her to give up her medical work?’
    ‘Good God, no! I’d hate her to do that on my account. I’d hate myself if she did.’
    ‘She will have to make a choice, though. While we were working at Giza she could spend a certain amount of time at the hospital, but it appears we will be in Luxor for some time to
come.’
    ‘Someone will have to make a choice.’
    His mother dropped her fancywork and stared at him. ‘You don’t mean you would give up Egyptology!’
    ‘Nothing so drastic. I can always get a position with Reisner, at Giza.’ She looked so horrified, he put his hand over hers. ‘I don’t want to work with anyone but Father,
you know that. But I have to be with her and I want her to be happy. Why should I expect her to give up her work when I’m not willing to make a reasonable compromise?’
    ‘Honestly, Ramses.’ His mother gave him a look of exasperation. ‘I would expect any son of mine to appreciate the talents and aspirations of women, but you are carrying
fairness to a ridiculous extreme. What makes you suppose Nefret wants to abandon archaeology? Have you asked her?’
    ‘No. I didn’t want – ’
    ‘To force the issue? Well, my dear, Nefret is not the woman to keep her opinions to herself. You are leaping to unwarranted conclusions and tormenting yourself about something that will
never happen. It is a bad habit of yours.’
    ‘D’you really think so?’
    ‘I am certain of it.’ She hesitated, but not for long. Indecision was not one of his mother’s weaknesses. ‘She once told me something that perhaps you should know.
“I would leave the hospital forever, without a backward glance, if it would help to keep him safe.” ’
    ‘She said that?’
    ‘I do not claim to remember the precise words, but that was unquestionably the gist of her remark. Goodness gracious, Ramses, don’t look so