Misplaced (93 page)

T
aking
his
hand,
she
kissed
it.
“
And
y
et
your
spirit
remains
generous.
Y
ou
are,”
she
paused,
trying
to
remember
the
word
V
ictoria had used; it came to her.
“
A miracle.”

Colo
r
rushe
d
bac
k
int
o
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
cheeks
.
“Wha
t
ar
e
yo
u
going
home for? Stay with me fore
v
er.”

“I
f
onl
y
I
could
.
Trus
t
m
e
whe
n
I
sa
y
m
y
reason
s
for
returning home defy explanation.”

Home
.
No
w
i
t
w
a
s
th
e
seaso
n
o
f
P
eret
,
th
e
tim
e
o
f
low—
w
ater
,
whe
n
th
e
crop
s
w
er
e
har
v
ested
.
Granaries
,
fille
d
t
o
near—
bursting,
would
be
cause
for
celebration,
except
that
the
days
o
f
mournin
g
fo
r
pharao
h
w
er
e
no
t
y
e
t
o
v
er
.
An
y
celebrator
y
act
w
a
s
treasonous
.
Musi
c
an
d
happ
y
con
v
ersatio
n
w
er
e
forbidden
.
Shoul
d
a
coupl
e
fal
l
i
n
lo
v
e
,
thei
r
unio
n
w
a
s
curse
d
b
y
the
gods;
their
children
would
suffer
deformities—large
heads
or
shrunken
limbs
could
practically
be
counted
on.
It
seemed
that
n
o
matte
r
whic
h
god
s
w
er
e
consulted
,
sh
e
an
d
Oli
v
e
r
w
ere
doomed.

Leavin
g
th
e
w
armt
h
o
f
hi
s
arms
,
sh
e
w
alke
d
t
o
th
e
barn
door
.
Th
e
rai
n
fel
l
heavil
y
i
n
sheet
s
now
,
takin
g
wit
h
i
t
th
e
view
of
the
main
house.
Khara
stepped
outside,
turning
her
head
to
loo
k
a
t
th
e
sk
y
which
,
excep
t
fo
r
a
smal
l
gloom
y
patch
,
w
as
hidden by trees. Egypt
w
as
w
arm earth and blue sky.

Not
w
anting to take another breath of the remorseful mood
that
had
taken
o
v
er
the
barn,
she
turned
and
suggested,
“Let’s
g
o
t
o
th
e
house.
”
T
akin
g
Oli
v
e
r
’
s
hand
,
the
y
sloshe
d
through
th
e
gras
s
t
o
th
e
gra
v
e
l
path
w
ay
,
wher
e
sh
e
pulle
d
a
w
ay.
Throwin
g
hi
m
a
challengin
g
look
,
sh
e
ra
n
ahead
,
th
e
biting
drops
of
cold
rain
spurring
her
on.
She
reached
the
back
door
first
,
bu
t
Oli
v
e
r
w
a
s
onl
y
step
s
behind
.
Befor
e
sh
e
coul
d
turn
the
handle,
he
planted
a
w
et
kiss
on
her
face.
“I
lo
v
e
you,”
he
blurted. There
w
as a long pause. “Don’t you lo
v
e me?”

A smile
w
as her response.

“Won’t you say it back?”

Say what?” she inquired innocently.

“
Y
ou can’t say it.”

“Y
ou
’
r
e
bein
g
childish
.
Let’
s
ge
t
ou
t
o
f
th
e
rain.
”
W
ithout
another
word,
she
w
ent
inside.
The
kitchen
w
as
empty
except
fo
r
a
ra
w
chicke
n
bobbin
g
i
n
w
ate
r
i
n
on
e
sid
e
o
f
th
e
sink.
Abo
v
e
the
pitter-patter
of
the
rain,
Khara
heard
a
man’s
voice,
and entered the main room cautiously.

Th
e
angr
y
voic
e
cam
e
fro
m
th
e
ne
w
satellit
e
television
station
.
I
t
shoul
d
ha
ve
bee
n
a
relief
,
bu
t
i
n
th
e
di
m
light,
V
ictoria’
s
fac
e
w
a
s
colorless
,
he
r
bro
w
knitte
d
tightly
.
Engrossed
b
y
th
e
T
V
,
Celest
e
seeme
d
no
t
t
o
notic
e
he
r
an
d
Oli
v
e
r
standing
in the door
w
ay.

“This is bad,”
V
ictoria said, shaking her head, “
v
ery bad.”

W
ithout
another
word,
Khara
and
Oli
v
er
sat
near
Celeste.
O
n
th
e
screen
,
a
dark-complected
,
middle-age
d
ma
n
shoo
k
a
straw hat and ranted.

“Who is he?” Oli
v
er asked, confused.

“Dr. Shenouda,”
V
ictoria whispered.

S
u
dd
e
n
ly,
the
bra
ce
l
e
ts
f
i
l
l
ed
the
ent
i
re
scr
e
e
n.
Kha
r
a
s
tif
l
ed
a gasp. “How is this possible?”