Part 32 (1/2)

”He used to,” I said, clenching my teeth. ”He has not lost his loquacity, only turned it into written form. Shall I go on?”

”Please.”

”And you see, dear Mama and Papa, that of us all Gargery was the only one to discern the truth.

I had certain reservations, of course, regarding the accuracy of journalistic reporting, but filial affection quite overcame my reason at that point.

”We had our first intimation of incipient tragedy the day before the newspaper accounts appeared, when certain more responsible journalists endeavored to inquire of us concerning the accuracy of their reports. After the first inquiry, from the Times, which Uncle Walter flatly denied, we refused to communicate by telephone. The result was an onslaught of unauthorized visitors waving press credentials and demanding entry. Needless to say, they were repelled by our gallant forces. But concern continued to grow, and when the newspapers arrived next morning we were forced to concede their truth, since they Quoted reputable sources in Cairo and Luxor. Not until evening did a messenger succeed in delivering your telegram. Ah, then what a scene ensued! Aunt Evelyn cried harder than ever. Rose went into hysterics. Uncle Walter and Gargery shook hands and kept on shaking them for ten minutes. Nefret and I ...”

I held the letter closer to my eyes. ”He has scratched something out here,” I said, frowning. ”I think he wrote 'flew into one another's arms,' and then replaced it with 'expressed our emotions in a suitable fas.h.i.+on.'”

”So that's the way the land lies, is it?” Cyrus was no longer amused. ”I hope you won't take offense, Amelia, if I say that the only thing that could deter a man from the honor of asking you to be his wife would be the prospect of having to be a father to that boy”

”Emerson is the only one up to that challenge,” I replied ”And thank heaven there is no need to consider another candidate. Let me see . . . Oh, d.a.m.nation!”

”Amelia!” Cyrus exclaimed.

”I beg your pardon,” I said, almost as shocked as he at my inexcusable lapse. ”But really, Ramses is enough to drive a saint to profanity. He spends four pages describing in disgustingly fulsome detail emotional reactions that are of only academic interest at this stage, and then devotes one paragraph to a really horrifying piece of news. Listen to this: ”The only unfortunate consequence of the happiness following the receipt of your telegram was that Bob and Jerry (our gallant gatekeepers) slept rather too soundly that night, owing, as they explained, not to an excess of beer but to the fatigue of joyful relief. Whatever the cause (and I see no reason to doubt the word of such loyal friends who are, moreover, in a better position than I to evaluate the effect of large quant.i.ties of beer), they did not hear the men climbing over the wall, and it was not until those individuals were discovered by the dogs that the barking of the said dogs roused Bob and Jerry. They arrived on the scene in time to drive off the would-be burglars, to the great disappointment of the dogs, who had been trying to induce the visitors to throw sticks for them. Do not worry, Mama and Papa, I have thought of a way of ensuring that this will not occur again.

”In conclusion, let me say that I am all the more determined to join you and offer the affectionate a.s.sistance only a son can render. I now have three pounds eighteen s.h.i.+llings.

”Curse it!”

”Why does he say . . . Oh,” said Cyrus.

”The expletive was mine,” I admitted. ”Ramses is saving his money to buy a steams.h.i.+p ticket.”

”Now don't worry, my dear A child can't purchase a ticket, or travel alone, someone would catch him before the boat left the dock.”

”I dare not hope that difficulty has not occurred to Ramses. He probably intends to persuade Gargery to buy the tickets and accompany him. Gargery is a weak vessel, I fear, not only would he aid and abet Ramses in any wild scheme the latter proposed, but he is a hopeless romantic. I must telegraph at once, forbidding him to do any such thing.”

”A telegram to your butler?” Cyrus inquired, raising his eyebrows. ”Why not, if the circ.u.mstances require it? I must warn Walter as well, he is too innocent to antic.i.p.ate the diabolical machinations of which Ramses and Gargery are capable.”

”The boy will take your messages whenever you like, Amelia. There is a telegraph office at Minia.”

”It can wait till morning. I will get a letter off as well. First I had better see what lies the newspapers have printed, I can contradict them at least, if I cannot tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”

Immediately Cyrus brought me a stiff whiskey and soda. Thus fortified, I was able to peruse the accounts in relative calm. I left Kevin's till last.

The brash young Irish journalist and I had had a rather up-and-down relations.h.i.+p On the occasion of our first meeting his impertinent questions had so infuriated Emerson that my hot-tempered spouse had kicked him down the stairs at Shepheard's. It was not a propitious beginning for a friends.h.i.+p, but Kevin had stood valiantly at our side on several occasions when danger threatened. He was at heart a gentleman and a sentimental one at that, unfortunately the gentleman and the sentimentalist were both submerged, at times, by the professional journalist.

Thanks to the whiskey (which Cyrus thoughtfully kept replenis.h.i.+ng) I got through the first part of Kevin's story without undue stress. ”It could be worse,” I muttered. ”I suppose it was impossible for Kevin to resist dragging in hints of curses and 'doom falling at last on the head of one who had too long defied the ancient G.o.ds of Egypt.' I am not altogether happy about his reference to . . . Oh, good Gad!”

I leapt to my feet

”What is it?” Cyrus asked apprehensively.

”Listen to this. 'Our correspondent is leaving immediately for Egypt, where he hopes to interview Professor and Mrs. Emerson in order to ascertain the true facts behind this strange affair. That there are mysteries yet to be uncovered he does not doubt.'”

I crumpled the newspaper into a ball and threw it on the floor. Anubis pounced on it and began batting it back and forth.