Misplaced (141 page)

Thoug
h
V
ictori
a
stil
l
ha
d
n
o
ide
a
wha
t
w
a
s
suppose
d
to
happe
n
tomorrow
,
th
e
ide
a
tha
t
Khar
a
woul
d
lea
v
e
he
r
took
a
w
ay
the
words
she
w
anted
desperately
to
say.
Stay
here
where
you
’
ll
be
safe.
Y
ou
can
li
v
e
a
life
filled
with
the
simple
joys
I
know
you
lo
v
e.
Y
ou
and
Oli
v
er
can
raise
corn
and
cows,
maybe
some
chilies
to
har
v
est
in
the
fall.
I
’
ll
dri
v
e
up
on
w
eekends
to
visit.
In
a
few
y
ears
w
e
’
l
l
tel
l
ou
r
stor
y
t
o
you
r
children
.
I
’
l
l
b
e
th
e
fu
n
aunti
e
an
d
spoi
l
them rotten.
I
’
ll e
v
en ride horses with them.
P
lease don’t go…

Crooked
y
ellow
fingers
of
lightning
stretched
malevolently
acros
s
th
e
b
lac
k
v
as
t
ness
.
V
ictori
a
coul
d
no
t
remembe
r
the
sky
e
v
er
seeming
so
full
of
wrath.
Shrinking
into
her
bag,
she
though
t
tha
t
th
e
stor
m
seeme
d
a
porten
t
o
f
thing
s
t
o
come.
Only
crumbs
would
be
left
of
her
practice
when
she
returned
t
o
E
l
P
aso
.
Ho
w
muc
h
o
f
wha
t
Elia
s
ha
d
don
e
woul
d
Marta
blam
e
o
n
her
?
P
lenty
.
Marta’
s
e
y
es
,
fille
d
wit
h
a
mixtur
e
of
accusatio
n
an
d
sympathy
,
woul
d
say
,
“
I
kno
w
m
y
Elias
.
He
would
ne
v
er
ha
v
e
gotten
invol
v
ed
if
you
hadn’t
forced
him
to
hel
p
yo
u
sel
l
thos
e
bracelets.
”
The
n
sh
e
woul
d
wrin
g
he
r
hand
s
and
dab
her
e
y
es.
“I
forgi
v
e
you,
hija
;
it’s
not
your
fault.
What
can
be
expected
when
a
child
is
orphaned
at
such
a
young
age?
Still,
you
’
re
a
smart
girl
and
should
ha
v
e
known
better. When
has
your
uncle’s
judgment
been
what
it
should
when
it
comes
to
you?”
Her
aunt
would
then
stare
at
the
floor
in
silence
and
wonder what she had done wrong.

Mayb
e
Khar
a
w
a
s
right
.
I
f
sh
e
tra
v
ele
d
t
o
th
e
past
,
sh
e
might
outrun
the
cruel
twists
of
life
that
she
’
d
had
no
control
o
v
er—
the
ones
that
had
al
w
ays
had
such
control
o
v
er
her.
Under
the
slee
v
e
o
f
he
r
s
w
eater
,
he
r
hand
s
ra
n
o
v
e
r
th
e
raise
d
goddess.
Mayb
e
i
t
w
a
s
tim
e
fo
r
a
ne
w
start
.
A
ne
w
start
?
Hah
!
Thousands
of
y
ears in the past…

Finally
,
th
e
win
d
eased
,
bu
t
V
ictori
a
foun
d
th
e
silence
disjointed and uncomfortable. She patted
the sleeping roll next
to her.

Khara’s voice
w
as clear and alert. “What is it?”

V
ictori
a
turne
d
th
e
flashligh
t
on
. A
fe
w
snowflakes
lande
d
gentl
y
a
t
th
e
foo
t
o
f
th
e
sleepin
g
bags
,
disappearing
immediately. “I’m thinking about your offer.”

“No
t
a
singl
e
da
y
o
f
regre
t
wil
l
e
v
e
r
visi
t
yo
u
i
n
Egypt
.
I
won’t let it.
Y
ou ha
v
e my solemn vow.”

“I said ‘thinking’; I ha
v
en’t decided anything
y
et.”

“I
know
that
when
you
get
something
into
your
head,
it’s
a
s
goo
d
a
s
done.
”
A
length
y
silenc
e
follo
w
ed
,
an
d
V
ictoria
wondered if she had fallen asleep until she heard, “
V
ictoria?”

“Y
eah?”

“I ha
v
e also been thinking.”

“About?”

“I simply cannot do it.”

“Do what?”

“Ha
v
e
Menefra
put
to
death.
Egyptian
law
says
that
I
must
hate
her.
Condemn
her.
Though
she
does
not
deser
v
e
the
lo
v
e
I
ha
v
e for her, she is my twin. To kill her would be to kill a large
part
of
myself,
which
Father
Donato
says
is
one
of
the
greatest
sins.”
Khara
took
V
ictoria’s
hand
and
squeezed
it
tight.
“There
w
as
a
time
I
thought
of
little
besides
plunging
a
blade
through
her
dark
heart,
but
now
I
am
filled
with
pity
for
her.
How
can
I
benefit
through the loss of her life?”