She turned and looked at the temple. The sound had stopped. The floodlights had come back on. A ripple of applause ran through the night air. ‘It is finished. We have to go. Leave it. Leave it all, here on the island of the goddess.’ She bent and picked up the scarf. ‘The statue, the ankh, the bottle. Let them sink into the sand and disappear.’ She turned towards the palms as a figure appeared out of the darkness. It was Toby.
‘How did it go? Did it work?’ He looked from one to the other and raised an eyebrow. ‘Well? What happened?’
Serena shrugged. ‘We’ve lost the bottle. It’s gone.’ She stooped and began to gather the other things into her bag. She dusted sand off the little statue of Isis seated on her throne and tucked it away. She wasn’t going to leave them behind, she might need them again. Her own offering to Isis, a small gold brooch, had been slipped quietly into the water whilst Anna and Toby were talking. These were the tools of her trade.
‘Anna?’ Toby touched her shoulder. ‘Are you all right?’
Anna nodded silently. She was gazing out into the dark and she didn’t look at him.
He frowned, then he turned back to Serena. ‘We have to go. Have you got everything?’ He glanced around. Then he stopped and pointed. ‘There’s your bottle. See? It’s rolled down there into that dip in the shingle.’ He stooped and picked it up. ‘Anna?’
She didn’t appear to have heard him. In her mind’s eye she was still scanning the vast echoing spaces of the desert. He shrugged and looked at Serena.
She took the bottle from him. ‘I’ll take care of it.’ She tucked it into the bag on her shoulder then she touched Anna’s arm. ‘Ready?’
Slowly Anna nodded. She turned away from the river and when Toby held out his hand she took it.
Behind them the silence at the water’s edge was intense. The sounds of the night had ceased. For a while that small part of the island held its breath, then slowly the sounds returned and the water lapped again upon the beach.
Andy was waiting for them near the landing stage. ‘Well, what did you think of it?’ He smiled at Anna. ‘Fabulous, wasn’t it?’
Anna nodded. ‘Fabulous indeed.’ She put her hands to her face for a moment and rubbed it wearily, trying to wake herself up. She was still feeling strangely distant; disconnected.
‘Except you didn’t see it, of course.’ Andy leant close to her. ‘Do you really imagine I didn’t notice you slip away?’
She stepped back with a frown. She could smell alcohol on his breath.
‘Andy!’
‘You had to hide in the bushes with lover boy, I suppose! You don’t believe me, do you? You don’t believe he’s a crook.’
‘Andy!’ Toby dropped Anna’s arm and stepped towards him. ‘I’ve had enough of this! Just what exactly are you trying to say?’
‘That you are a murdering, lying bastard and you should keep away from decent women.’ Andy produced a bottle from the rucksack on his shoulder and took a swig from it.
‘Toby, no!’ Anna came back to reality with a jolt. She caught at Toby’s sleeve. ‘Leave it. Don’t hit him. That’s what he wants –’
She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head. Raising her hands to her temples she stared at him blankly. Something was happening to her again. There were people all round them now. She could see them staring, and whispering to each other as they saw Andy waving the bottle in the air. She could see Ben putting his hand out to Andy and quietly taking it away from him, she could see Omar speaking to them, standing between him and Toby, gesticulating, but at the same time she could see the great white sun, the dazzling red-gold desert, the scene viewed through a man’s eyes, superimposed over everything else. Their voices receded. They were muffled.
Her feet were moving slowly towards the boats. Out in the river she could see other boats arriving, bringing visitors for the second viewing of the light show, due to start very soon. She had lost sight of Serena now. And Toby. She stared round wildly. Her eyes wouldn’t focus. She could see dunes; wind was blowing the sand across her vision, stinging her face; the sky was a brilliant blue above it, far away. Then Andy was there, beside her again. He was smiling, holding out his hand towards her.
‘Please, people. We have to go back to the boat. Cook will have a wonderful supper ready for us.’ Omar shepherded his flock closer together. ‘Please to hurry up, people. Ibrahim will kill me if you are late for supper!’ He grinned and moved away shooing his own bunch of tourists closer together, anxious not to lose them in the dark.
Anna hung back. She shook her head again, trying to concentrate. ‘Where’s Toby?’
Andy laughed. ‘He’s probably been whisked away by Interpol. Him and the loopy Serena, both.’ He reached across and caught her hand.
‘Charley’s gone home. Did you know? Invalided out. It was all too much for her. So I can give you my undivided attention, sweetheart. You and that lovely diary of yours.’ He eyed her bag. ‘Please don’t tell me you’ve brought it with you.’
She tried to pull her hand away. ‘Andy, will you leave me alone! I really don’t need you pawing at me.’ She was finding it difficult to focus again. Harder still to concentrate on what was happening around her.
They were all standing still now, a crowd of people milling round the edge of the temple forecourt, slowly filtering down the steps onto the landing stage where the first motor boat had come alongside. Opposite them, on the far side of the channel, the huge boulders on the island of Biga were black caverns in the shadows of the night, where the lights from Aglika didn’t reach.
‘Anna!’ Suddenly Serena was beside her again. ‘Are you all right?’ They were nearly at the front of the queue now.
‘Of course she’s all right.’ Andy was still there beside her. ‘I’m looking after her.’
Serena pursed her lips. ‘What possessed you to bring a bottle of vodka with you?’
He shrugged. ‘Cold night. It seemed like a good idea. I gave it to Ben. If you want some you’d better ask him.’
‘Ask him!’ Serena stared at him, scandalised. ‘Have you any idea how much you offend the Egyptians, being drunk like that? You idiot!’
The man supervising the loading of the boat held up his hand. The boat was full. It backed away from the landing stage and turned out into the river as a second boat nosed in towards them.
Anna was suddenly aware that Toby was beside her. She glanced at him and smiled. ‘I’m afraid Andy seems intent on disgracing us all.’
‘You surprise me!’ Toby’s voice was grim. ‘Well, if he wants to make a fool of himself I suggest he does it elsewhere and somewhere he is less likely to fall in the river!’ He took hold of Andy’s arm and propelled him away from the edge of the landing stage to where Ben was standing. ‘Can you keep an eye on him, Ben? He’s not exactly sober and he’s being a damn nuisance.’ He left him and turned back to Anna. ‘And you, Anna, are not looking exactly right, yourself. What happened back there on the beach?’ He was speaking quietly in her ear.
She stared at him, frowning. ‘It was strange.’
The boat nudged against the platform and one of the crew unhooked the chain across the gap in the rail so that they could climb on board. They made their way between the rows of seats, past the engine and into the broad stern area. Anna sat down in the corner with Serena on one side of her and Toby on the other. She shook her head. ‘I think I must be tired, that’s all. I feel very weird.’ She glanced up. Andy was making his way towards them, grinning. He sat down on a centre seat opposite her.
Ben had followed and sat down beside him with a shrug. ‘I think this fellow needs some food inside him,’ he commented cheerfully. ‘He’ll be fine once he’s had some supper. Well, what did you think of the show, ladies? Did you enjoy it?’ He moved up closer to Andy as more and more people packed in round them.
‘It was good.’ Anna nodded and smiled.
‘Not good.’ Andy leant forward and touched her knees. ‘She didn’t see it, naughty girl. She was canoodling with
our rakish ex-con here.’
Toby’s face tensed and Anna clutched at his arm. ‘Don’t rise to it. Please, ignore him,’ she pleaded.
Andy was unstoppable. Turning back to Anna he raised his voice to make himself heard over the laughter and chatter and the sound of the engine idling behind them in the central well of the boat. ‘So, did you bring that lovely little scent bottle with you to see the show? You seem to be inseparable from it.’
‘Yes, I brought it.’ She smiled. The engine note changed. The man on the landing stage stood back and raised his hand and the boat began to chug away from the island. Behind them the floodlit temple came fully into view, seemingly floating on the water as they drew away into the broad channel and turned to head back towards the shore.
‘And did it perform magic for you? Did your priestly attendants manifest on the island of Isis?’ He was grinning broadly.
‘They did. Yes.’ Anna was tight-lipped.
‘So, your magic worked. You rubbed it once twice thrice and the genie of the bottle appeared.’ He threw his head back and laughed, enjoying himself hugely.
‘It did indeed.’ Anna turned away, trying to discourage him.
‘So, what happens next?’ He sat forward and tapped her knee. ‘Are they going to show themselves on the boat? Can you get them to appear at the pasha’s party and do a turn for us when we get back to Luxor? Did you hear that, people?’ He stood up and raised his voice. ‘Anna’s Ancient Egyptian ghosts are going to do a turn for us.’ He raised his arms above his head and wiggled his hips suggestively.
‘Sit down, Andy. You are being a prat!’ Ben pulled at his arm.
‘They’re not going to appear again, Andy,’ Anna put in quietly. ‘For the simple reason that I left the bottle on the island. It’s buried in the sand. Gone for ever.’ She looked at him quizzically. ‘Luckily for you, no one will ever see it again. Nor will they see whoever it was who guarded it, so let that be the end of it. Please.’ Her head was aching again. As she stared at him a gauze seemed to be lying across in front of her eyes. She blinked desperately.
Andy laughed. ‘I knew you’d end up losing it. The stupid thing was a fake anyway.’
‘It is not a fake, Andy.’ Serena suddenly turned on him. ‘You’re the fake around here. An opinionated, stupid boorish loudmouthed oaf! I cannot tell you how tired I am of hearing your voice, your opinions, your mockery!’ She reached down at her feet and fumbled for her bag. ‘For your information, Anna didn’t lose the bottle. I picked it up and I brought it back with me. It deserves better than to languish in the sand!’ She was groping around inside the bag. ‘And if anything can prove just how stupid you are, this can. You are ignorant. You know nothing about antiques. This is over three thousand years old!’ She pulled out the little bottle and waved it at him.
‘Serena! I had given that back to the gods!’ Anna was furious. ‘Give it to me!’
‘Why? You don’t want it, you threw it away! I am going to make sure that it is preserved safely.’
‘No, Serena! That bottle has caused the death of dozens of people, perhaps hundreds –’
‘Only because they didn’t know what it was. We know! We will treat it with the respect it deserves. We’ll look after it.’
‘Three thousand years old? That?’ Andy sat down heavily. He snatched his arm away from Ben with a petulant shrug.
‘Yes, Andy. This.’ Serena cradled it in her palm. ‘This is so sacred. So special.’ She sat looking down at it, aware of at least a dozen pairs of eyes on her as the crowded passengers around them waited to see what would happen next. The note of the engine changed as the man at the wheel altered course and for a moment a trail of diesel fumes blew across them, then it was gone and cold clear wind knifed across the boat again. Serena shivered. She looked up at Andy. ‘If I give this to you, do you know what will happen?’ She was shouting over the noise of the engine and the slap of water against the planking of the boat.
‘What?’ Andy grinned. He held out his hand. ‘Show me.’
‘If I give it to you, a cobra will appear, here in the boat. A deadly poisonous, evil snake.’ She smiled. ‘And it will kill you!’
‘That’s enough!’ Anna leant forward and snatched the bottle out of her hand. ‘This has gone on long enough.’
‘Show me!’ Andy stretched his hand out towards her. ‘Go on. Show me the magic snake! I want to see it! Don’t you want to see it?’ He gestured round the other passengers. ‘That would be exciting, wouldn’t it?’ He stood up once again and balanced unsteadily in front of Anna, holding out his hand.
‘Andy, you’re a fool!’ Anna had to raise her voice to make herself heard.
‘Give it back!’ Serena grabbed Anna’s wrist.
‘No. No, Serena, I’m sorry.’ Anna edged away from her. ‘This belongs to another age and to other people. They want it for their gods. Louisa tried to give it to the Nile. Now it’s my turn!’
Standing up she turned to face the water.
‘No!’ Serena’s scream echoed across the river. ‘Don’t throw it away!’
‘It’s all right, I’ve got it!’ Andy lurched forward, lunging at Anna as she raised her arm and with every ounce of strength she possessed hurled the bottle out into the boat’s wake.
Andy missed her arm, staggered off balance and as she fell back into her seat, winded, he clutched at the rail, swayed for a moment, overbalanced and plunged head first over the side.
‘Andy!’ Serena’s scream was echoed by others on the boat as the crew looked back, realised what had happened and threw the gears, dragging the wheel round in a small circle.
‘Can you see him?’ Toby and Ben were staring at the dark water.
‘Torches! Has anyone got torches?’ Toby kicked off his shoes and was already standing on the seat, scanning the surrounding river. As several feeble beams hit the water simultaneously behind the now drifting boat, he dived in.
Ben reached over the side, struggling to free one of the old cork lifebelts hanging on the side of the boat. ‘Here you are, Toby!’ He threw it as Toby’s head reappeared. Two other belts followed, hitting the water near him.
‘Andy! Andy, where are you?’ Serena was leaning out over the side as one of the Egyptian crewmen jumped into the water near Toby.
Suddenly other boats were appearing out of the darkness, circling round them, dozens of passengers craning over the side, staring out into the dark. There was still no sign of Andy as a fast launch appeared and a spotlight suddenly shone out over the scene. Two, then three other men were in the water now, all of them diving.
‘The water’s pitch-black!’ Toby reappeared, shaking droplets out of his eyes. ‘You can’t see a thing.’ He was treading water, turning slowly round, scanning the reflections around him.
Anna turned away from the rail and sat down. She put her head in her hands. ‘He’s dead, isn’t he. And it’s my fault! The gods have taken him! I’ve killed him!’
She looked up at Serena’s white face and there were tears pouring down her cheeks.
Serena turned to stare out across the water. ‘If it was anyone’s fault, it was mine,’ she whispered. ‘I wound him up. I produced the bottle.’
Several men were swimming with Toby now, diving around the boat. Beyond them another launch had appeared and this time they could see that the men crowding around the bows were dressed in police uniform.
‘They’ll find him!’ Ben sat down next to Anna and put his hand over hers. ‘He’s a strong swimmer, which I’m not or I’d be over there with them.’
‘But he was so drunk!’ Serena shook her head.
‘I know. But it’ll take more than a dunking in the Nile to defeat Andy.’ Ben did not sound as though he believed his own reassuring words. For a moment he sat where he was then he stood up again and joined the others desperately scanning the water.
‘They won’t find him.’ Anna looked at Serena. The boat was strangely silent now, without the engine or the cheerful slapping of the water against the
bows.
The other passengers were sitting quietly, staring around, numb with shock.
Serena shook her head. ‘As you say, the gods have taken him away. He mocked them, Anna, and he paid the price.’ She bit her lip.
A slight shock ran through the boat as a launch came alongside and two tourist police officers climbed on board. There was an excited exchange with the boat’s captain, then they made their way aft to where Anna and Serena were sitting.
One of the officers sat down next to them. ‘This gentleman had been drinking alcohol?’
Both women nodded.
‘He was very drunk?’ The taller, obviously senior man’s English was heavily accented but fluent.
Anna looked up. ‘Yes, he was very drunk. He had brought a bottle of vodka with him for some reason. He stood up and,’ she paused, feeling the tears returning, ‘he went in head first.’
‘The water is very cold.’ The man shook his head. He stared gloomily over the side. ‘Could he swim?’
‘Yes.’ Ben had joined them. ‘He swam well.’
‘Then it is not good news. He should have come up and shouted.’ The officer shrugged. ‘Yallah!’ He turned to his companion and after a quick exchange in fast, eloquent undertones, the two men made their way back to the captain who was standing at the wheel of the boat, shaking his head, wiping his hands again and again on an oily rag.
One by one the swimmers were hauling themselves back onto their boats. Anna saw Toby treading water again, looking up at one of the men in the police launch. He shook his head but the man leant over and proffered an arm and she saw Toby hauled out of the water. A few minutes later he was delivered back to their own boat, wrapped in a rug. He was shaking with cold as he made his way towards her.
‘He just disappeared. The water is like ink in the darkness. You can see the lights if you look up, but nothing below you. Nothing!’
Whispers in the Sand Page 42
