if they will not come, then- then I think we should go. I know you will not want to leave, Amelia; I have seen how interested you are in- in archaeology. But I think Lucas will go, if I ask him; and I shall leave, with him, if you want to remain here.'
The sight of her pale, resolute face checked the remonstrance that had risen to my lips. I saw that I must speak with careful consideration. The girl believed the awful idea that had come to her the previous night! It was both pitiful and amusing to note that she had no qualms about burdening Lucas with her deadly presence, as she thought it, when it came to a choice between endangering Lucas or Walter.
'Well,' I said, getting out of bed, 'you will not go without breakfast, I hope. It would be silly to faint, from inanition, in the middle of the desert.'
Evelyn unwillingly consented to partake of breakfast. As she restlessly paced the upper deck, I sent a servant to summon Lucas. It was easy to see how the events of the night had affected the crew. Young Habib, our smiling waiter, was not smiling that morning; and the usual cheerful babble of voices from the lower deck was not to be heard.
Lucas joined us while we were drinking our tea. He looked perfectly fit, and said he felt the same. Evelyn immediately told him of her plan. Lucas was not fool enough to fail to understand her agitation. His eyebrows climbed alarmingly as she spoke. In case he should miss the point I kicked him under the table. And when he turned to me indignantly, I semaphored warning as well as I could. He took the hint.
'My dearest,' he said gently, 'if you wish to leave this place, you shall leave. I told you that your slightest wish was my command. But I must make one small reservation. You can ask me for my life, but not for my honor as a gentleman and an Englishman! You cannot ask me to abandon our friends. No, do not speak; I will order the crew to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice, and to carry you and Miss Amelia to Luxor, or wherever you wish to go. But I will remain. You would not respect me if I fled now.'
Evelyn sat in silence, her head bowed. I decided to intervene. I could hardly take exception to Lucas's sentiments but he managed to create an atmosphere of sticky sentimentality that disgusted me.
'I have no intention of leaving unless the Emersons join us,' I said firmly. 'And I will deal with my own crew, if you please, Lucas. You may give yours whatever orders you like.'
'I will,' Lucas replied huffily.
And he went off to do so, while I summoned Reis Hassan and made another effort to break through the language barrier. I had thought of asking Lucas for the loan of his dragoman as interpreter; but what I had seen of that shifty-eyed personage did not impress me, and if Emerson had not been able to induce Hassan to speak openly, I thought no one could.
Hassan managed to convey one concept unequivocally. He kept repeating the word 'go,' and pointing upstream.
'Emerson?' I asked, and gestured toward the camp.
Hassan nodded vigorously. We were all to go. Today.
That was one Arabic word I understood, although the word for 'tomorrow' is even more commonly used. I repeated it now.
Hassan's face fell. Then he gave the queer Arab shrug.
'Tomorrow,' he said soberly. 'In 'shallah.'
I knew that word too. It means, 'God willing.'
10
AFTER BREAKFAST we set out. The sun was well up; the sands shone palely gold, and the glare, even at that early hour, was hard on the eyes. There was little conversation during the walk. Evelyn had not spoken at all since she made her declaration; I was worried about her, and- which is not usual for me- uncertain as how I might best relieve her strange fears. Not that I blamed her for being distracted; most girls of her protected station in life would have been prostrate after the experiences she had undergone.
The first person to greet us was none other than Walter. He wore a sling, to support the injured arm, but otherwise he seemed well enough, and I was delighted to see him on his feet. He came to meet us, not quite running, and grasped my hand. But he looked at Evelyn.
'You cannot conceive how relieved I am to see you,' he exclaimed. 'I was furious with Radcliffe when he told me you had gone.'
'I don't know why you should have been worried,' I replied, returning his hearty handclasp. 'It was you we worried about. How do you feel? And where is your brother?'
'You won't believe it,' Walter said, smiling. 'Guess.'
'I don't need to guess,' I replied. 'Emerson has taken advantage of my absence to continue his excavations. He is totally without conscience! I suppose he has made another discovery. What is it? Another fragment of painting?'
Walter's eyes were wide with surprise.
'Miss Amelia, you astound me! You seem to read minds. How did you know?'
'I know your brother very well,' I replied angrily. 'He is capable of any stupidity where his precious antiquities are concerned. At such a time as this, to waste his time and energy… Where is he? I want to speak to him.'
'The pavement is not far from the other one that was destroyed,' Walter replied. 'But- '
'But me no buts,' I said. 'The rest of you return to camp. I will fetch Emerson.'
I set off without another word, not waiting to see whether they obeyed me. By the time I found Emerson I had worked myself up into quite a state of anger. He was squatting on the ground, his tan clothing and dusty helmet blending so well with the hue of the sand that I did not distinguish his form until I was almost upon him. He was so preoccupied that he failed to hear my approach. I struck him, not lightly, on the shoulder with my parasol.
'Oh,' he said, glancing at me. 'So it's you, Peabody. Of course. Who else would greet a man by beating him over the head?'
I squatted down beside him. This posture, so difficult at first, had become easier. My knees no longer cracked when I knelt.
He had cleared a patch of pavement some three feet square. I saw the blue undersurface which denoted water, and upon it three exquisitely shaped lotus flowers, with green leaves framing the pure-white petals.
'So this is the explanation of your plot,' I remarked. 'Sending me off with Evelyn in order to distract the Mummy, so that you could work in peace. Thank you, Emerson, for your concern! You are the most despicable, selfish… That is a great waste of time, you know, scooping at the sand with your bare hands. You will never clear the pavement that way. The sand trickles down as fast as you pull it away.'
Emerson grinned unpleasantly at me over his shoulder.
'Tsk, tsk, Peabody, you are losing track of what you were saying. I am despicable, selfish-'
'Aren't you even curious?' I demanded angrily. 'Don't you want to know what happened last night?'
'I know what happened.' Emerson sat back on his haunches. 'I went to the boat just before dawn this morning and had a talk with Hassan.'
Now that I looked at him, I realized he appeared weary. There were dark circles under his eyes, and new lines around the firm mouth. I was momentarily deflated by this, and by his calm statement. But only momentarily.
'You did, did you? And what do you make of it all?'
'Why, matters transpired as I expected. The Mummy appeared, and was duly routed by you- '
'By Lucas,' I interrupted.
'His lordship does not appear to have been particularly useful. His collapse threw the crew
