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u。〃
〃Ha；〃 I said； but I said it under my breath。 The kitten had grown very fat and lazy。 Curled up on Ramses's lap； it resembled a shapeless bundle of spotted gray fur。
After Sennia had gone I took another cucumber sandwich。 I was ravenous； for the peas and the foie gras that had preceded them had done very little to assuage the hunger resulting from long hours of strenuous manual labor。
〃Let us now；〃 I said； 〃discuss what we have learned。 It has not been wasted effort； though we did let Jamil get away from us。〃
〃I haven't learned a blamed thing except that you two are incorrigible；〃 Cyrus grumbled。
〃Not at all； Cyrus。 First； there is the interesting matter of Jamil's costume。 He was not wearing Jumana's clothes。 They would have been far too small for him。 He cannot have purchased them because 。 。 。 Need I explain my reasoning？〃
〃No；〃 Katherine said。 〃Aside from the question of how he could pay for them； I can't see him going into one of the shops and trying on blouses and skirts。〃
〃That is right。 We will leave that matter for the moment。 I think I know the answer； and it can easily be proved。 The second clue 。 。 。 Ramses； at one time you were able to recall the entire contents of a crowded storeroom some hours after you had seen it。 Do you remember what was in Jamil's hideout？〃
〃Rugs； several jars 。 。 。 I guess I wasn't paying attention。 Sorry； Mother。〃
〃Quite understandable； my dear；〃 I said。 His impulsive embrace had touched me deeply； even if it had hurt my back。 To see my imperturbable son forget all else in the joy of finding his parents alive and well assured me that his affection was sincere and profound。
〃Fortunately I had ample time to inspect the place；〃 I went on。 〃It was well stocked； but the most interesting items were the tins of food。 European food … peas and beans and cabbage； beef； even a tin of foie gras。 Someone supplied him with those delicacies； or with the money to purchase them。 No； Jumana； I know it wasn't you。〃
I knew because I had been careful to keep all the cash in the house under lock and key。 Trust is a beautiful thing； but when someone has done you an injury； you are a fool if you give him the chance to do you another。
〃It is beginning to look as if he has found another tomb；〃 Ramses said thoughtfully。 〃It's the only way he could lay his hands on that much money； by selling some of the artifacts。 Mother； what did you do with that cosmetic jar you bought in Cairo？ I'd like to have a closer look at it。〃
〃Wait until after dinner；〃 I said； rising with a suppressed groan。 Those long hours on hands and knees in the passage； pulling the rubble out； had taken their toll on my back； and ruined a good pair of leather gloves。
The Vandergelts stayed； of course。 Wild horses could not have dragged Cyrus away； and nothing made Fatima happier than having more people to feed。 Some of us were rather inclined to gobble； I am afraid； but I noticed that Bertie was not eating with his usual healthy appetite。 Under cover of the animated speculations about another tomb； I said softly； 〃Are you feeling well； Bertie？ How is your ankle？〃
〃It's fine。 I could walk or climb with no trouble； if everyone would stop fussing over me。〃 Repenting his surly tone almost at once； he gave me an apologetic smile。 〃You told me last year you'd let me take a hand in your next adventure； remember？ I haven't done a bl … … blasted thing to help！ It's nobody's fault but mine； I know that； I'm so confounded clumsy and stupid …〃
〃Now don't say that； Bertie。 Anyone could suffer an accident like yours； and we are still a long way from a solution to this matter。 Who knows； your opportunity may e at any moment。〃
The corners of his mouth drooped。 〃Yes； ma'am； I hope so。 I've been sitting in that chair staring at the same scenery for so long； it's driving me crazy。 I swear； I know every crack in that cliff face and every brick in those house walls。〃
〃We will have another look at your foot； Nefret and I；〃 I promised。 〃Perhaps with a little strapping you can begin to move about more。〃
As soon as we had finished dinner we retired to the drawing room； and I went to fetch the cosmetic jar and lid and the other odds and ends I had purchased from Aslimi。 Emerson arranged the lamps to give the maximum amount of light and Ramses took the jar in his long fingers。
〃There was a cartouche；〃 he said； after a moment。 〃I think I can make out a few lines。〃 He turned the jar from side to side； so that the light came at it from different angles。 〃Paper and pencil； Nefret； please。〃
The sketch he produced was； I confess； something of a letdown。 There was a great expanse of blank paper and a few random lines； some horizontal； some perpendicular； some curved。 Ramses studied it for a few moments and then began filling in the missing spaces； connecting one section to another； as one does in a certain kind of child's puzzle。 Finally he put the pencil down。 〃That's all I can be certain of。 It's enough； though。〃
Not to me； I thought； studying the hypothetical hieroglyphs in puzzlement。 There were only a few： a long； thin； squared…off sign； the jagged line of the water hieroglyph； and a pair of curving horns。
〃Not to me；〃 said Emerson。
〃There is only one royal cartouche that contains those particular signs；〃 Ramses said。 〃To the best of my knowledge； that is。 This is how the rest of it looks。〃 He pleted the name and Emerson let out a gasp。
〃Shepenwepet。 By the Almighty； the boy has found one of the Divine Wives of Amon！〃
8
We sat up late that night； going over and over the astonishing revelation … for none of us doubted Ramses's reconstruction of the cartouche。 In the end we were forced to the conclusion that there was absolutely no way of knowing where in the immense Theban necropolis Jamil's hypothetical tomb might be。 The cosmetic pot in itself told us nothing； except that Jamil was not as stupid as we had believed。
〃It is a mon error；〃 I admitted； in chagrin； 〃to assume that because someone is uneducated and illiterate he is necessarily ignorant。 There are ways of acquiring knowledge other than by reading。 Jamil had worked for a number of Egyptologists and he knew a great deal about tomb robbing … more than we know； I expect。 He had sense enough to realize that such a cartouche would arouse speculation； so he removed it； even though he lost money thereby。 Are you certain it was done recently； Ramses； not in ancient times； by someone who wanted to reuse the jar？〃
Ramses was certain。 The little pot was not an essential part of the funerary equipment； like a canopic jar or a sarcophagus。 Besides； the marks were fresh。 The patina …
Emerson had cut him off at that point； remarking that we would take his word for it。
The other bits and pieces I had purchased from Aslimi were even less informative。 As we all knew； the same techniques and motifs had been used throughout pharaonic history。 They might not have e from the same place as the jar； there was no way of dating them。
〃So where are we gonna look next？〃 Cyrus asked hopefully。 〃The western wadis again？〃
〃We certainly are not going off on a series of random searches；〃 Emerson replied； extracting his pipe and tobacco pouch from his shirt pocket。 〃Damnation；〃 he added； acknowledging the difficulty of proceeding with the process。
〃Let me do that for you； my dear。〃 I took them from him。
Bertie coughed deprecatingly。 〃I may be on the wrong track altogether； but if I were trying to conceal something I wouldn't hang about the place howling like a banshee and making a spectacle of myself。〃
〃I agree；〃 Ramses said。 〃That's the one area we can forget about。 If he wants us to go there； it's because there's nothing to find。〃
The men all nodded。 I hoped they were right； since I had not much enjoyed our excursions to that remote region； but I was not entirely convinced。 Jamil obviously enjoyed taunting people； and youth suffers； among other weaknesses； from overconfidence。 It might amuse the wretched boy to lead us to the general area and watch us wear ourselves out looking for a well…concealed entrance。
I had to admit that thus far his confidence had been justified； he had outwitted us on every occasion。
Emerson annou