The Pharaoh Key

17

THE WOMAN, GLANCING at them with a look of both pity and triumph, strode up to the camel dealer. “I’m ready to pay immediately. We leave tonight.”

“Excellent!” Mekky said, rubbing his hands together.

“Wait a minute,” said Garza. “We were here first and haven’t finished bidding.” He turned to the dealer. “We’ll pay twenty-two thousand pounds.”

“Twenty-four,” said the woman.

“Twenty-six,” said Garza.

“Thirty,” said the woman.

“Thirty-five.”

“Thirty-six.”

“Forty.”

When Garza didn’t counter, the camel dealer turned to the two men with a hopeful expression on his face, gesturing as if to solicit another bid. “Forty-two?” he asked hopefully.

“We just don’t have the money,” said Gideon to the man.

Mekky rubbed his chin, then looked pointedly at Garza’s Rolex.

“No way,” Garza said immediately.

Mekky shrugged. Then he turned to the woman with a big smile. “Well, madam, it seems the camels are yours. For forty thousand pounds.”

The woman nodded. “Very well.”

“Don’t you have other camels we can hire?” asked Gideon.

“I’m sorry, I have only six. She will take five.”

Garza rounded on Gideon. “You just had to be too clever with your bidding, didn’t you?” he whispered furiously. “We could have had this deal buttoned up by now.”

“Who knew we’d have competition? You’re the one who refused to trade him your watch. We’ll find camels from someone else.”

“We already got rejected by everyone else, remember?”

The woman went back to her Land Rover and drove it into the dirt lot beside the dealer’s tent. She began removing luggage from the back. It was a crazy collection of baggage: a steamer trunk, a Louis Vuitton suitcase, some duffel bags, a backpack.

Gideon watched, his annoyance turning to something like amusement. This woman, despite her native dress, was clearly far from being a seasoned traveler. After unloading, she handed the camel driver a wad of money and he counted it. Once it was safely in his pocket, Mekky began examining the luggage, asking questions, and then he engaged in a private discussion with the woman, frequently shaking his head.

“Why do you think she’s going to the Hala’ib Triangle?” asked Gideon. “I thought no one went in there.”

“Apparently there’s at least one woman crazy enough to do it.”

“I’m going to talk to her.”

Garza rolled his eyes.

Gideon strolled over to where the intense discussion was taking place. The woman had opened the steamer trunk, exposing some heavy rock hammers, chisels, and scientific equipment of unknown function.

“Madam, we cannot take all this,” the camel driver was saying. “We must consider the weight.”

“Excuse me for interrupting,” Gideon interjected.

The woman looked up.

Gideon extended his hand. “May I introduce myself? Gideon Crew.”

The woman looked irritated at the interruption. “The deal’s done. I’ve already paid.”

“No problem. I just wanted to make sure there are no hard feelings.”

She straightened up and reluctantly extended her hand, but did not give her name in return. Garza hung back, scowling.

“So you’re going into the Hala’ib?” said Gideon.

“What business is that of yours?”

“I ask because that’s where we happen to be going.”

“How lovely for you.” She turned away and admonished Mekky for pulling out and setting aside a sledgehammer and iron crowbar. “I need those.”

“They are too heavy, madam!”

“But I’m a geologist. I need to collect samples.”

Mekky shook his head doubtfully. “I will need an assistant for all this. Plus the other camel.” The discussion promised to go on for some time.

“May I interrupt again?” Gideon ventured.

The woman looked up again, now thoroughly exasperated. “What now?”

“It occurs to me that, since we are all going into the Hala’ib, we might temporarily join forces.”

“No.” She looked back to Mekky. “I need that sledgehammer.”

“I cannot take sledgehammers into the desert!”

“We can help,” said Gideon.

“Bugger off.” She brusquely turned away and continued arguing with Mekky.

“We could help unpack and pack your gear,” Gideon said. “Also, there’s safety in numbers.”

“Can’t you tell these people to leave?” she asked Mekky.

He ignored the directive. “Madam, I told you, I will have to hire an assistant if we take all this.” He glanced over the sprawl of luggage. “Two assistants. That will cost more!”

Gideon said, “We could be your assistants.”

She paused and looked back at him. “Why are you here, and why are you so anxious to go into the Hala’ib?”

“I’m a writer for National Geographic and my friend Manuel here is a photographer. It’s said to be one of the most remote places on earth. The Geographic loves stuff like that. Do you read the magazine?”

She stared at him. “Of course I read it.”

“Well then, you must be familiar with my writing.”

“I can’t say I am.”

Mekky said, “Perhaps, madam, they should come along. It would be useful. I am old. I need strong men to help.”

She looked Gideon up and down. “Strong men? Where?”

“It is a good idea, madam. I am in favor.” Mekky spat again.

“Excuse me, I hate to interrupt,” said Garza, coming over. “But since no one’s asked my opinion, I’d like to offer it—if I may?” He bestowed on everyone an exaggerated grin.

“And what’s your opinion?” asked the woman.

“Fuck this. That’s my opinion.”

The woman merely smirked.

“Let me just have a chat with my partner.” Gideon touched Garza’s elbow and steered him aside, out of earshot.

“I’m not going as anyone’s assistant,” Garza said angrily. “I don’t like that woman.”

“First, these are the only camels to be had. Second, having a geologist along is a perfect cover for us.”

“And third, she happens to be pretty—as far as I can tell with that headscarf—and you’re no doubt hoping for some midnight-at-the-oasis action.”

“It has nothing to do with that.”

“It has everything to do with that. Besides, how are we going to keep her from our discovery?”

“We go with her as far as the foothills of Gebel Umm, as planned, and then strike out on our own. We won’t take her, and she won’t want to go anyway—she said she’s heading west of our destination. She goes wherever she’s going and picks us up on her return.”

“Did you see all that gear she wants to bring?” Garza asked. “It’s obvious she’s in over her head. She’s going to be a drag on us.”

“We can let Mekky sort that out. We aren’t bringing much more than the clothes on our backs.”

Garza scowled. “You really think she’s a geologist? Why is she by herself? Why isn’t she better prepared? Christ, we don’t even know her name! There are a ton of unanswered questions here.”

“It’s our only option. Either this…or go home.”

Garza stared at the ground. “I don’t like it.”

“Neither do I. But you’re willing to give it a shot. Right? You were the one so gung-ho to continue.”

Garza hesitated and then finally nodded.

They returned to where the woman was standing, hands on her hips, scowling.

“We’d like to team up with you,” Gideon said. “We will travel together as far as Gebel Umm. You will leave us there, do what you’re going to do, then come back and get us later. We can work out the details along the way. And on top of that, we’ll contribute half the cost of the expedition—twenty thousand pounds.”

She looked at them, then at Mekky, who was nodding hopefully.

Then she shook her head. “Christ. Very well, then.”