| The 1911 archaeological season begins with a
good omen and a bad omen. The good omen is that David Todros
and Lia Emerson are married, thus joining together the families of
Abdullah and Emerson. The bad omen is the reappearance of the
sly and duplicitous Percy Peabody (see The Deeds of the Disturber).
And more dark clouds are looming as expert
forgeries began to appear in the European market, being sold by
"David Todros" out of his "Grandfathers
Collection."
Ramses is still concealing his true feelings
from Nefret, and Nefret has become entwined in Cairene life through
her establishment of a hospital for the "fallen women" of
the back alleys of the city.
Ramses has become more deeply involved in his
undercover mission for the British Occupation Police, spending many
nights roaming the underbelly of Cairo in "disgusting
disguises" to try to keep a lid on the gun and drug smuggling,
and keeping an eye on the budding Egyptian Nationalist Movement.
Emerson and Amelia has been assigned a lesser
known pyramid on the Giza Plateau and have taken a house in Giza to
be near the site.
The large enclosed compound becomes a
hive of activity with Nefret's coming and going to the hospital and
to parties and teas in the local English community, Amelia and
Emerson running the excavation site, and Ramses climbing in and out
of the window at all hours of the night.
There is hardly enough time to investigate the
mysterious midnight death of a frivolous young lady who had become
infatuated with Ramses and to keep the investigations going on
the mysterious forgeries, when Percy begins to impinge on their life
by forcing his attentions on Nefret.
Ramses is forced to confront both Percy and
Nefret with his feelings toward her.
This is quite a heady brew of emotions, plots
and counter plots. And there is quite a surprise in store for
everyone before the narrative has fully unfolded.
This book reintroduces Percy Peabody,
and introduces the recurring character of Sennia, called
"Little Bird".
|
