The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer
Author:Nicholas Meyer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
* * *
âDr. Watson, effendi! Dr. Watson?â
âWhat is it?â I squinted against the glare of the sunshine as the boy raised the blinds.
âIt is nine oâclock,â he responded, misunderstanding my confusion. My head felt like a split melon, which I judged were the effects of last nightâs intake of Arak. âToday you are taking your wife to the pyramids!â
I could swear he looked gleeful at my discomfort, whose origin he appeared to have no difficulty diagnosing, but in truth I could hardly open my eyes to make him out in the sudden access of sunlight.
âHave you forgotten? She is waiting.â
I might have drawn the bedclothes over my head, but he had thoughtfully arrived with black coffee, which I would have inhaled had that been possible. How could I have forgotten that today was Julietâs big day, the long-promised trip to the pyramids? A calash, driver, and guide had been laid on.
I will omit the details of my painful ordeal. My powers were so much under a cloud that even Juliet, exhilarated like a child loosed from school for the holidays, noticed.
âJohn, are you ill?â
I explained I had merely awakened with a migraine which would doubtless pass.
âPoor you!â she moaned in sympathy. âToday of all days. Should we postpone our jaunt?â
âBy no means,â I insisted, knowing that was the last thing she wanted. âMay I borrow your parasol?â
âOf course. Are you certain? Poor you.â
The weather had begun to warm since our arrival in November, which was not to my advantage at present. I slept partway in the calash, only to be jostled awake when Juliet first caught sight of those stupendous mounds. The day, or certainly a good part of it, dragged on while I suffered her chirping exclamations of wonder. âReally, this is beyond anything!â Her inquisitive nature prompted an endless number of questions put to our guide, many of which he was unable to answer. âWe do not know,â or, âNo man can say,â was at least part of his threnody.
Pleading my ailment, I remained in the carriage while Juliet descended and, in what seems a visitorâs ritual, stood for some time in contemplation before the Sphinx, after which, while the driver helpfully raised the roof of the calash for my benefit, she reclaimed her parasol and marched to the edge of the Great Pyramid. It was only with difficulty that I finally succeeded in persuading her not to exhaust herself and to return.
âYouâve no idea what youâve missed, John!â she said, adhering to Dr. Singhâs instructions and sitting across from me. Feebly I reminded her that I had in fact visited the place already, but her enthusiasm remained unchecked. The calash hood was folded down once more to ensure nothing interfered with the free circulation of air between us as we wound our way back to the city.
âIâll go again another time,â was the best I could manage, heartsick at having disappointed her but simply unable to keep my eyes open or my head from throbbing.
âPoor John!â she suddenly wondered, a gloved hand to her mouth.
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Kathy Andrews Collection by Kathy Andrews(10459)
The remains of the day by Kazuo Ishiguro(7518)
Spare by Prince Harry The Duke of Sussex(4177)
Paper Towns by Green John(4152)
The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson(3762)
Be in a Treehouse by Pete Nelson(3195)
Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling(2982)
Goodbye Paradise(2935)
Never by Ken Follett(2840)
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer(2675)
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro(2599)
The Genius of Japanese Carpentry by Azby Brown(2590)
The Cellar by Natasha Preston(2576)
Drawing Shortcuts: Developing Quick Drawing Skills Using Today's Technology by Leggitt Jim(2515)
120 Days of Sodom by Marquis de Sade(2411)
Architecture 101 by Nicole Bridge(2335)
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman(2273)
Machine Learning at Scale with H2O by Gregory Keys | David Whiting(2185)
Fairy Tale by Stephen King(2035)