Misplaced (60 page)

P
enetrating
,
nurturin
g w
armt
h
en
v
elope
d
he
r
a
s
sh
e
succumbed
to
the
tranquility
of
pure
white.
Khara
piled
sand
o
n
to
p
o
f
he
r
wit
h
bot
h
hand
s
unti
l
onl
y
he
r
hea
d
an
d
shoulders
w
ere exposed.
V
ictoria did not resist.

A
shootin
g
sta
r
flashe
d
lik
e
a
beaco
n
acros
s
th
e
sky
.
“It
coul
d
b
e
them,
”
Khar
a
commented
,
pointin
g
t
o
th
e
y
ellow—
whit
e
strea
k
tha
t
seeme
d
t
o
touc
h
th
e
groun
d
no
t
fa
r
a
w
ay
,
“the
Ones from the Sky.”

“Y
ou don’t really belie
v
e that, do you?”

Now
Khara
w
as
making
a
bed
for
herself.
“It’s
difficult
to
kno
w
wha
t
t
o
belie
v
e
;
th
e
choice
s
ar
e
to
o
many
.
I
f
on
e
could
take
a
little
from
this
one,
a
little
from
the
other,
and
throw
in
some of the old
w
ays, what a fla
w
less
faith
w
e
’
d ha
v
e!”

Whe
n
sh
e
finished
,
onl
y
th
e
tip
s
o
f
he
r
finger
s
lay
unco
v
ered
.
The
y
la
y
sid
e
b
y
side—th
e
stargaze
r
an
d
the
dreamer
.
E
v
entually
,
Khar
a
spoke
.
“Humiliatio
n
ha
s
pre
v
ente
d
m
e
fro
m
bein
g
entirel
y
hones
t
wit
h
you
.
That
,
an
d
I
di
d
no
t
know you so
w
ell.”

“I’m listening.”

“M
y
reason
s
fo
r
returnin
g
hom
e
ar
e
no
t
a
s
simpl
e
a
s
I
stated
.
I
w
an
t
re
v
eng
e
fo
r
fathe
r
’
s
murder
.
Menefr
a
an
d
the
others
invol
v
ed
must
die.
My
sister
ne
v
er
thought
once
about
what
it
means
to
be
pharaoh,
to
take
the
burdens
of
an
entire
nation onto your shoulders.”

Th
e
w
a
y
sh
e
sai
d
i
t
mad
e
i
t
soun
d
lik
e
a
curse
.
V
ictoria di
d
no
t
repl
y
immediately
.
Whe
n
sh
e
did
,
sh
e
confessed
,
“I
suspected
it
w
as
something
more
serious
than
you
let
on.
And
her
e
I
am
,
feelin
g
sorr
y
fo
r
myself.
”
Fo
r
a
time
,
i
t
w
a
s
quiet;
then
she
continued.
“I
ha
v
e
no
words
of
wisdom
except
to
say
that
Father
Donato
would
try
to
convince
you
that
v
engeance
is wrong.”

“I
know,
”
Khar
a
ackno
w
ledge
d
quietly
.
“H
e
says
forgi
v
eness
is
blessed
and
necessary
for
our
spirits
to
be
free.
And
y
et—could you forgi
v
e the murderer of your father?”

“Ha
v
en’
t
yo
u
figure
d
i
t
out
?
I
don’
t
ha
v
e
th
e
ans
w
er
s
to
anything.”
Khar
a
glance
d
a
t
he
r
an
d
declared
,
“
Y
ou
,
m
y
friend
,
lack
what
w
e Egyptians call
‘ma
’
at.’
”

“Among other things, I’m sure.”

“I
t
mean
s
balanc
e
o
r
stability—somethin
g
w
e
cheris
h
becaus
e
i
t
i
s
no
t
easil
y
attained
.
I
doub
t
yo
u
woul
d
mak
e
a
goo
d
Egyptian
.
Y
ou
r
passio
n
run
s
to
o
deep
,
thoug
h
I
fin
d
i
t
one
o
f
you
r
mos
t
admirabl
e
traits.
”
Anothe
r
sta
r
flashe
d
brightly
across
the
sky,
and
Khara
asked,
“If
what
you
fear
about
your
uncle is true, what will you do?”

“I
don’
t
know,
”
V
ictori
a
ad
m
it
t
e
d
.
“
W
ithou
t
hi
m
an
d
Marta,
I ha
v
e nothing.”

“Y
o
u
ha
v
e
you
r
work
.
An
d
friend
s
lik
e
Bea,
”
Khar
a
reminde
d
her
,
“s
t
ron
g
b
rick
s
o
n
whic
h
t
o
b
uil
d
a
life
.
Y
ou
could
ha
v
e
Robert
too,
if
only
you
would
allow
yourself
some
happiness
.
Al
l
m
y
life,
”
sh
e
continued
,
“i
t
w
a
s
onl
y
m
e
and
Menefra
.
I
thin
k
abou
t
wha
t
th
e
pries
t
says
;
I
tr
y
t
o
imagine
taking
her
in
my
arms
and
forgiving
her
with
all
my
heart
like
your Christ advocates. But I cannot.”