Tomb of the Golden Bird Read Online Free PDF

here—though he would never have used that word to her. She had built a house, and another for Nefret and him, made friends and lost them, discovered treasure, and dug through tons of sand. It wasn't quite the same for him, but when they stepped out of the train he felt a surge of—well, call it satisfaction. Their progress through the familiar streets of Luxor was slowed by hails from old friends and a few old foes. The sun was high in a cloudless sky when they reached the riverbank. The Nile flowed quick and swollen; it had reached maximum flood stage and would soon be subsiding, though, thanks to modern barrages and dams, its flow was now controlled so that water could be supplied during the formerly dry months of summer. The temperature was unpleasantly hot for October, and Emerson, who had the constitution of a camel, was the only one who didn't keep mopping perspiration from his face. The twins were beside themselves with excitement, and it took all the adults to keep them from falling overboard. Leaving their baggage in the willing hands of men waiting on the west bank, they set out along the road that led through the cultivation and into the desert. The house his mother had caused to be built had a comfortable settled look, with green vines and blooming roses framing the arcaded windows of the veranda. The garden she had tended with such determination formed another patch of green behind and to one side; through the trees he could see the walls of his and Nefret's house. Every brick and every bloom was his mother's creation; it was no wonder she cherished it. Cheers from the assembled household staff came to their ears, but the first to greet them was the dog Amira, who flung herself at the feet of the twins, howling rapturously. Ramses had believed (and hoped) she wouldn't get any bigger, but she had, and after a summer of pampering she was sleek and well fed and almost as large as a lioness. The Great Cat of Re did not believe in vulgar displays of emotion. He waited for them inside the house and showed his annoyance at their absence by sitting with his back turned, ostentatiously ignoring them for several hours, his plumy tail swishing. Their other cats had usually traveled back and forth with them, but the Great Cat of Re had made it clear that he did not care for travel, by sea or by land. When the tea tray arrived he decided to overlook their transgressions and settled down at Ramses's feet. Sometimes there were fish-paste sandwiches. They had gathered on the veranda, as was their usual habit, watching the soft glow of paling color on the eastern cliffs. Lights began to twinkle in Luxor, across the river, and the long stretch of sandy ground in front of the house was deserted except for a few shadowy forms of local villagers on their way home from the fields. Even the twins were subdued, having worn themselves out playing with the dog and rushing from room to room to make sure everything was where they had left it. The peace of Luxor, Ramses thought, and then smiled to himself. Their peace had been often disturbed, sometimes violently. Reminded of one of the most flagrant disturbers of the peace, he asked, "Where's Father?" His mother was pouring the tea. She handed him a cup before she replied. "He sneaked—I use the word intentionally—out of the house shortly after we arrived, ignoring my courteous request that he get his papers and books in order. I do not know where he went." Ramses handed the cup to Nefret and went back to get one for himself. "You can guess, though," he said. When Emerson turned up, half an hour late for tea, he didn't deny the charge. "Why yes," he said innocently. "I did go to the East Valley for a quick look round." "What were you looking for?" his wife asked. "Nothing in particular, Peabody. Nothing in particular." "I suppose you will want to go to the West Valley tomorrow." "What's the hurry?" inquired Emerson, who was always in a hurry. "Vandergelt won't be here for a few more