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fancy villas that had sprung up along the highway. A triangular crown seemed to top the
second floor of a mud-brick home. "Great Queen, if you look closely you can see the top of
the pyramid of Khafre there! But as for the rest, from here they are obscured by these
buildings."
'Ah, yes," she said. "I can see a little. But why are these structures in the way? There seem to
be many people living here and yet, the West Bank is reserved for the dead, and no person
prosperous enough to build these edifices would wish to live here."
'Perhaps not in your time, Great Queen, but these days, as it may have come to your attention,
Egypt is populated largely by Muslims, who do not share the beliefs of the ancients regarding
zoning restrictions. By situating their
businesses and homes close to such a magnet for tourist wealth as the pyramids, families not
formerly prosperous become so."
'What a pity. I have looked forward to seeing them."
'We will see a little more from this road as we draw closer. However, we would have to turn
onto the pyramid road to see them closely. There are many tourists there now, jostling and
being very rude. I fear you would find it most unlike a royal procession." He didn't mention
that his cousin still seemed to be resting, if not sleeping, and that it was a rest he was loath to
interrupt.
But Cleopatra said, "No, no. My poor Gabriella is too exhausted for such an excursion. A
great pity, but perhaps another time."
Despite her casual words, Mo heard an undertone of loneliness and loss. The queen, though
enfolded by the body and soul of his cousin, was cut off from those who would have known
her home as she did. He felt for a moment the longing she must have for the sight of
something familiar, if not exactly the same as it had been when last she saw it. It made him
appreciate the value of those objects men held to be immortal. Anchors in time, they would
be, for one out of her own time.
'There is another way, Great Queen, if you do not mind a slight detour."
Gabriella's lips curved in a mischievous and yet eerie smile, "A detour? Dear Mo, know you
not that our journey has been more rapid than the flight of a gazelle compared with its
duration when last I came to this place? By all means take this detour of which you speak."
He swung south onto the new Loop Road and east toward the Cairene suburb of Maadi, where
many Americans lived. Maadi was situated on a hill south of the city. Then he drove west
again until they were looking out across farmland.
In the distance the pyramids stood bathed in the glow of sunset.
'Ahhh," said Cleopatra. "When last I beheld them my love was with me, and my children."
As Mo drove closer, the pyramids swelled in size until it seemed that the car sat beside them
in the desert, while the moon rose over their tips.
'They do not shine as they once did," Cleopatra said reflectively. "Once their sides reflected
the very shape of the moon and stars."
Gabriella's own voice spoke then. "After your time, the people who settled here carried off
some of the outer blocks and spoiled the surface. Then, too, there is a problem now with what
is known as acid rain, which eats the stone."
Mo smiled into the mirror, "You have not been this way before, I think, cousin?"
'No, I haven't. I'm always in such a hurry when I come to Cairo, taking meetings and dashing
out to digs." Her eyes were awake now, fully the eyes of a living person, and dancing with
wonder. "This is beautiful. You remember my friend Susan Wilson, Mo?"
'The American woman who writes books and brokers deals between American businesses and
Egyptian ones?"
'Yes. Susan says that because the pyramids are dwarfed by the expanse of the desert, one
doesn't fully appreciate their enormity. She says it is like picking a Christmas tree in a lot,
then bringing it into your house. It did not look as big in the lot as it turns out to be in a
confined space."
'Oh," Mo said blankly.
'Yes, well, my experience of Christmas trees is limited also, but I believe I understand what
she means tonight."
Later they reconnected with the Giza road and drove across the Tahrir bridge into Cairo. On
the river below the bridge, large beautiful boats vied with the usual feluccas and short tour
boats, seeking the deepest part of the channel.
Mo drove them straight to the Nile Hilton. The hotel had a room permanently reserved for
visiting museum staffers, since the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities was right next door. The
reservation of the room was particularly fortunate at this time. The desk clerk looked a bit
crestfallen to see her and complained that she was not expected, but that, of course, since the
doctor required it, the museum's room was in readiness.
Mo smiled as they walked to the elevator. "No doubt finding a room where there are none to
be found is worth a sizable tip for an enterprising man."
'Not exactly opulent but a good arrangement," Cleopatra said, when they reached the room.
Mo thought that she spoke aloud for his sake. He had felt intimidated by her presence in his
cousin before and now found himself being pleased by her acceptance of him. It was [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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