Misplaced (13 page)

“I take it that you two don’t get along.”

“It
w
as
not
al
w
ays
so,”
Khara
lamented.
“Before,
it
seemed
there
w
as
no
distance
bet
w
een
us,
e
v
en
when
w
e
w
ere
apart.
A
few
decisi
v
e
moments
at
our
birth
meant
she
w
as
free
from
the
burden of rule, from endless hours of study, a future devoid of
choice
.
I
ne
v
e
r
considere
d
tha
t
Menefra
,
too
,
migh
t
scor
n
the
order of her birth,” she confessed.

“Where is your sister now?”
She
bit
her
lo
w
er
lip
hard
enough
to
draw
blood.
“In
Egypt,
certai
n
tha
t
sh
e
wil
l
ne
v
e
r
se
e
m
e
again.
”
Khar
a
licke
d
a
w
a
y
the
droplet
of
blood
and
wrestled
her
anger
into
submission,
lest
it
re
v
eal itself on her face.

Dant
e
cam
e
inside
.
Afte
r
Khar
a
ackno
w
ledge
d
hi
m
formally,
he curled up next to her and laid his head against her thigh.

“I’m
confused.
Why
would
you
need
protection
from
your
sister?
”
V
ictori
a
mad
e
gracefu
l
mark
s
o
n
a
pa
d
simila
r
t
o
the
one Robert had used.

“In
the
order
of
our
birth,
Menefra
follows
me
in
the
Line
of
Kings;
it
w
as
ne
v
er
intended
that
she
should
rule.
My
sister
ha
s
pro
v
e
n
hersel
f
utterl
y
unfit
.
I
mus
t
retur
n
t
o
pre
v
en
t
her
succession to Egypt’s throne.”

Gently,
V
ictoria
corrected
her,
“Khara,
Egypt
doesn’t ha
v
e a throne any more. It’s a republic.”

“I
s
t
ha
t
so?
”
she scoffed
.
“D
o
y
o
u
clai
m
t
o
unders
t
an
d
t
he
Egyptian
go
v
ernment
better
than
I?
I
ask
you
this
respectfully,
as I am truly grateful for all you ha
v
e done.”

A
v
enomous
silence
ensued.
V
ictoria
opened
her
mouth
to
speak
,
bu
t
stoppe
d
herself
.
Th
e
ai
r
w
a
s
still
;
n
o
sound
s
came
from the nocturnal desert.

Thoug
h
i
t
wil
l
b
e
difficult
,
an
d
yo
u
migh
t
fin
d
yoursel
f
in
place
s
unknow
n
t
o
Egyptians
,
d
o
no
t
los
e
hope
.
Nando
r
’
s
words
strengthene
d
Khara’
s
resol
v
e
.
“
I
d
o
no
t
expec
t
yo
u
to
understand
our
w
ays.
He
told
me
as
much
so
I
would
not
be
dissuaded.”

“Who?”

“Nandor. On the day I
w
as sent here.”
V
ictoria
scratched
her
head.
She
pushed
a
w
ay
the
pad
and
pen
and
rested
an
elbow
on
the
glass
table.
“
W
e
’
ll
get
back
to
ou
r
politica
l
discussio
n
later
.
T
el
l
m
e
abou
t
Nandor
.
Isn’
t
h
e
the
one who ga
v
e you the cuff?”

“
Y
es,
”
s
h
e
replie
d
i
n
a
softe
r
voi
c
e
.
“H
e
w
a
s
a
grea
t
ma
n
and
a complete mystery.”

V
ictoria’s
expression
w
as
one
of
curiosity
and
skepticism
as
she urged Khara to tell the story.

“It
began
with
my
grandfathe
r
’s
conquest
of
Nubia.
In
the
rui
n
o
f
a
burnin
g
village
,
the
y
witnesse
d
a
bo
y
wh
o
ha
d
not
see
n
hi
s
tent
h
summe
r
fendin
g
of
f
pharaoh’
s
soldier
s
wit
h
such
ferocit
y
tha
t
the
y
spare
d
hi
s
life
.
Y
o
u
see
,
Nando
r
w
a
s
a
wonder
e
v
e
n
then.
”
Sh
e
straightene
d
he
r
shoulders
.
“
T
alle
r
an
d
stronger
than anyone in pharaoh’s army, he
w
as taken as a curiosity.
“O
n
th
e
army’
s
retur
n
t
o
Memphis
,
a
n
as
p
slithere
d
pas
t
the
boy
and
the
female
capti
v
es
and
entered
my
grandfathe
r
’s
tent.
B
y
th
e
tim
e
th
e
guard
s
reache
d
it
,
Nando
r
ha
d
bitte
n
of
f
the
snake’s
head!
The
shackles
that
had
held
him
w
ere
gone,
and
grandfather
w
as safe.”

“Oh,
come
on.
Y
ou
’
re
telling
me
that
your
grandfather
w
as
also a pharaoh?”
V
ictoria looked a
w
ay and shook her head.

“How else would my father ha
v
e been crowned?”

“Right, that whole bloodline thing.”