The Snake, The Crocodile, And The Dog Part 57

"What? Oh. Yes, I think so. There were others involved, only too many of them, but most were Vincey's dupes or hired thugs. He was the mainspring. Now that he is gone, I believe we have nothing more to fear."

"Did you kill him, O Father of Curses?" Abdullah asked eagerly.

"Yes," said Emerson.

"It is good," said Abdullah.

Not until we reached the Nefert.i.ti did Emerson lower Anubis to the ground and take me from the arms of Daoud, whose turn it was. "Rest and eat, my friends," he said. "We will come to you later."

Anubis preceded us up the gangplank As I watched him trot briskly along, quite ready, as it appeared, to abandon his dead master without the slightest show of regret or remorse, I could almost share Abdullah's superst.i.tious fear of the creature. "Vincey had trained him to respond to a whistle," I said softly. "That is how he was able to abduct you And tonight- "

"Tonight he responded as I had trained him," Emerson said. "I did not set out to kill Vincey, though I was prepared to do so if there was no other choice. He had begun to annoy me. I would rather have taken him alive, however, and I expected he would follow the cat when it followed me."

"Trained him?" I exclaimed. "How?"

"Chicken," said Emerson. Stopping in front of my door, he extended one hand and turned the k.n.o.b. "And, of course, the effect of my charismatic personality."

The steward had lit the lamps. As the door opened I let out a cry, for facing me was a pair of dim but dreadful forms, their garments in tatters, their red-rimmed eyes staring wildly, their haggard faces gray with dust.

It was our reflection in the tall pier gla.s.s. Emerson nudged the cat aside, kicked the door shut, deposited me on the bed, and collapsed beside me with a heartfelt groan. "Are we getting old, Peabody? I feel somewhat fatigued."

"Oh, no, my dear," I replied absently. "Anyone would be weary after such a day."

Emerson sat up. "Your protestations do not convince me. Let me put it to the test." And, seizing me in a firm grip, he crushed me to him and brought his mouth down on mine

He went on kissing me for quite a long time, adding other demonstrations that almost distracted me from the astonishing realization that had burst explosively into my dazed brain. Finally I succeeded in freeing my lips long enough to gasp, "Emerson! Do you realize that I am- "

"My wife?" Emerson removed himself a short distance. "I certainly hope so, Peabody, because if you are not, what I am about to do is possibly illegal, certainly immoral, and probably not becoming an English gentleman. d.a.m.n these d.a.m.ned b.u.t.tonholes, they are always too- "

The blouse was ruined in any case.

Sometime later (quite some time later, in fact) I murmured, "When was it that you remembered, Emerson?"

His arm encircled me and my head rested on his breast, and I felt that Heaven could hold no greater bliss. (Though I would only admit to such an unorthodox opinion in the pages of this private journal.) We were in perfect amity and would always remain so, for how could discord mar such understanding?

"It was a memorable moment," Emerson replied. "Seeing you come tearing along, waving that absurd little pistol, without the slightest regard for your own safety . . . And then you spoke the words that broke the spell: 'Another shirt ruined!'"

"Oh, Emerson, how unromantic! I would have thought-" I flung his arm away and sat up. He reached for me; I scrambled back on hands and knees. "Curse you, Emerson!" I exclaimed pa.s.sionately. "That was days and days and days ago! Do you mean you kept me dangling in limbo, suffering agonies of doubt, fearing the worst, for days and days and days and- "

"Now, Peabody, calm yourself." Emerson pulled himself to a sitting position and leaned back against the pillows. "It was not so simple as that. Come here and I will explain."

"No explanation can possibly suffice," I cried. "You are the most- "

"Come here, Peabody," said Emerson.

I went.

After an interval Emerson began his explanation. "That moment of revelation literally staggered me, it was as stunning as an electric shock, and as brief. For the next few days fragments of forgotten memories kept coming back, but it required several days to put all the pieces together and fix them in place. To say I was in a state of confusion is to understate the case. You will admit, I believe, that the situation was somewhat complex."

"Well . . ."

"The same could be said, of course, of all the situations you have managed to get us into," Emerson went on. I could not see his face from the position I occupied at that time, but I could tell from his voice that he was smiling. "In this case it seemed wiser to keep my own counsel until I had got things straight in my mind. I often had trouble doing that even when I did not have amnesia to contend with."

"Your sense of humor, my dear, is one of your most attractive characteristics. At the present time, however- "

"Quite right, my dear Peabody. This delightful interlude cannot be prolonged, there are a number of loose ends to be tied up. Let me be brief. The loyalty of at least one of our companions was in serious doubt. The only people I felt certain I could trust were you and Abdullah- and our other men, of course. To confide in either of you would have been to endanger you and confuse the situation even further- were that possible."

He stopped speaking and- did something else. Greatly as I enjoyed the sensation, I recognized one of Emerson's old tricks of distraction. His explanation had been glib and quite unconvincing.

However, his reminder of the stern duties yet to be faced had a sobering effect, firmly though reluctantly I withdrew from his embrace.

"How selfish is joy," I said sadly. "I had almost forgotten poor, n.o.ble Cyrus. I must help Charlie and Rene make the necessary arrangements. Then there are our dear ones in England to be rea.s.sured, and Kevin O'Connell to be threatened into silence, and ... so many things. You must write to Ramses at once, Emerson. Er- you remember Ramses, I trust?"

"Ramses," said Emerson, with a chuckle, "was the most difficult of all my memories to a.s.similate. On the face of it, my dear, our son is fairly unbelievable. Don't be concerned, I have already written to him."

"What? When? How did you . . . Curse it, Emerson, was it you who searched my room? I ought to have known, no one else would make such a mess."

"I had to know what was happening to our family, Amelia. I was suspicious enough earlier to take the precaution of warning Walter, but as my memory returned I became deeply concerned about them. Ramses's letters touched me a great deal, I could not leave the poor lad fretting about my fate."

"You left me fretting," I snapped. "Just tell me one thing before we rise and fight again, so to speak. When you kissed me in the tomb- "

"It wasn't the first time I kissed you in a tomb," said Emerson, grinning. "Perhaps it was the ambience that snapped my self-control. I was a trifle put out with you, Peabody. You frightened me half to death."

"I was well aware of that. Andyou were well aware of our relationship, don't try to tell me you were not. Yet you- you . . . You never kissed me like that before!"

"Ah," said Emerson, "but you enjoyed it, didn't you?"

"Well . . . Emerson, I am seriously annoyed with you. You enjoyed it too, didn't you? Bullying me, taunting me, insulting me- "

"It had a certain t.i.tillation," Emerson admitted. "Like the days of our youth, eh, Peabody? And I confess I did enjoy being wooed again. Not that your methods of winning a man's heart are exactly . . . Peabody, stop that! You really are the most- "

Between laughter, fury, and another emotion that need not be described, I had quite lost control of myself. How matters would have developed I do not know, for a knock on the door interrupted them just as they were becoming interesting. Swearing, Emerson went into concealment in the bathroom, I a.s.sumed the first garment that came to hand and went to the door.

The sight of Rene's sad face sobered me. He was attempting to control his grief with manly fort.i.tude, but it was clear to sensitive eyes like mine.

"Forgive me for disturbing you," he said. "But I felt you would want to know. We are taking him to Luxor, Mrs. Emerson. He had expressed his desire to be buried there, near the Valley of the Kings, where he had spent the happiest years of his life. We must leave at once if we are to catch the train from Cairo. You understand the need to avoid delay ..."

I did understand, and appreciated the delicacy with which he had expressed this unpalatable fact.

I wiped away a tear. "I must say goodbye to him, Rene. He gave his life- "

"Yes, dear madam, but I fear there is no time. It is better this way. He would want you to remember him as- as he was." Rene's lips trembled He turned away to hide his face.

"We will follow, then, as soon as we are able," I said, patting his shoulder. "His friends must be notified, they will wish to attend the memorial service. I will speak a few words, on that beautiful and appropriate theme: 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.'"

Rene faced me. "Leave everything to us, madam You will stay at the Castle, I presume, when you are in Luxor? I feel certain Mr. Vandergelt would want that."

"Very well." I gave him my hand. With a graceful Gallic gesture he raised it to his lips

"Mes hommages, chere madame. Adieu, et bonne chance."