The Lost Army of Cambyses Read Online Free PDF Page A

minutes. Each year he sent her a birthday card
    and each year it arrived a week late.
    She'd thus been surprised when last month, out
    of the blue, he'd called and invited her to stay. He
    had lived abroad for five years and this was the
    first time he had suggested she come out.
    'The season's all but over,' he'd said. 'Why not
    get yourself a flight? You can stay in the dig house
    and I can show you some of the sights.'
    Her immediate reaction had been one of
    concern. He was old, well into his seventies, and
    had a weak heart, for which he was on constant
    medication. Perhaps this was his way of saying his
    health was failing and he wanted to make his
    peace before the end. When she'd asked, however,
    he'd insisted he was perfectly well and merely
    thought it would be nice for father and daughter
    to spend a bit of time together. It was unlike him
    and she'd been suspicious, but in the end she'd
    thought what the hell and booked a flight. When
    she'd called to let him know when she'd be arriv-
    ing he had seemed genuinely pleased.
    'Splendid!' he had said. 'We'll have a fine old
    time.'
    34
    She sifted through the clothes on her bed, pick-
    ing out the items she wanted and throwing them
    into a large holdall. She felt like a cigarette, but
    resisted the temptation. She hadn't smoked for
    almost a year and didn't want to start again, not
    least because if she could make the full twelve
    months she stood to win a hundred pounds from
    Jenny. As she always did when the urge came upon
    her, she fetched an ice cube from the freezer and
    sucked that instead.
    She wondered whether she should have bought
    her father a present, but there wasn't time now
    and, anyway, even if she had got him something he
    almost certainly wouldn't like it. She remembered
    the acute disappointment of Christmases as a child
    when she would plan for weeks what to give him,
    only for him to open her carefully chosen gift,
    mumble a half-hearted 'Lovely, dear. Just what I
    wanted,' and then disappear into his paper again.
    She'd get him some duty-free whisky and a Times,
    and perhaps some aftershave, and that would have
    to do.
    Throwing a few last odds and ends into the bag,
    she went into the bathroom and took a shower.
    Part of her was dreading the trip. She knew they'd
    end up arguing, however hard they tried to avoid
    it. At the same time she couldn't help feeling
    excited. It was a while since she'd last been abroad
    and if things got really bad she could always
    take off on her own for a few days. She wasn't a
    kid any more, dependent on her father. She could
    do whatever she wanted. She increased the heat
    of the shower and threw her head back so that
    the water slashed against her breasts and stomach.
    35
    She began humming to herself.
    Afterwards, having locked all the windows, she
    stepped outside with her holdall and slammed the
    door behind her. It was dark now and a light
    drizzle had begun to fall, making the pavements
    glow under the streetlights. Normally this sort of
    weather depressed her, but not this evening.
    She checked her passport and flight tickets, and
    set off towards the station, smiling. In Cairo,
    apparently, the temperature was up in the eighties.
    36
    4
    CAIRO
    'It's time to close up for the night, little one,' said
    old Ikhbar. 'Time for you to go home, wherever
    that might be.'
    The girl stood motionless, playing with her hair.
    Her face was dirty and a dribble of snot glistened
    beneath her nose.
    'Off you go,' said Iqbar. 'You can come and help
    me tomorrow if you want.'
    The girl said nothing, just stared at him. He
    took a step towards her, limping heavily, his
    breath coming in gasps.
    'Come on now, no games. I'm an old man and
    I'm tired.'
    The shop was getting dark. A single bare light
    bulb cast a weak glow, but in the corners the
    shadows were thickening. Heaps of bric-a-brac
    sunk slowly into the gloom, as though into water.
    From outside came the honking of a moped horn
    and the sound of someone