Lariat of Power
Chapter Two
"Oh, Rick, don't be ridiculous," Evie chastised good-naturedly as they made their way through the hotel's crowded restaurant.
The hotel was not the best in Cairo, but it was clean. Their original reservations had been lost, and they had been forced to look elsewhere. Rick took an immediate dislike to the owner, but Evie convinced him that it really would not make much of a difference. They would be staying only long enough to gather supplies to travel to the Valley of the Kings and stay for an extended period of time.
"I'm telling you, when he finds out, he'll..." Rick trailed off and held the chair for his wife when the maître d' stopped at a secluded table in a quaint little alcove.
"Well, by that time, we'll have found what we're looking for," she assured him. She graciously thanked the waiter who came by with glasses of water and menus.
"Don't say I didn't warn you if you suddenly find yourself looking up at a six foot two man in dark robes scowling at you while he decides whether to let you live or die," Rick quipped impatiently.
Evie sighed heavily and looked over the menu. "It's only a necklace, Rick. What harm can come from a necklace?"
Rick choked on the water he had just sipped. "Oh, I'm sure it couldn't be worse than a...bracelet!"
"Oh, really, darling," Evie scoffed. "This necklace is ancient and belonged to the High Priestess Neffara, but nowhere in any of my research have I come upon any curses."
"Well, for both our sakes, I hope that's true," Rick caved in, tossing his menu onto the table. "Let's hope...for Alex's sake as well."
"What do you mean...oh."
Evie frowned and broke off conversation until they had placed their dinner order. Mention of Alex only brought to the surface how much she missed her son. They had decided since the school year had begun that they would not pull him out of school to travel to Egypt on this expedition. Alex, of course, was sorely upset at having to stay behind.
"Nothing bad will happen to us, Rick," Evie stated emphatically after the waiter had departed.
"It better not, seeing as how your brother would be his guardian," Rick countered none too happily. "Jonathan can't take care of himself; I don't know why you insist he should take care of Alex."
"He loves his nephew," Evie cried. "Besides, we have no other family. We should give his guardianship to Izzy, perhaps?"
"Very funny. Mark my words, by the time we return, Jonathan will have corrupted Alex."
Evie laughed softly. "Maybe the other way around."
"Maybe," Rick agreed, his eyes twinkling softly. "So, tell me again what's so special about this necklace..."
"The origin of the necklace makes it priceless and an exceptional piece for the British Museum," Evie began. "The gold chain is fashioned as a lariat, or lasso, if you will. One end fits inside a small loop. At the end of the chain fitted through the loop, dangles a large, perfectly tear shaped stone."
Rick listened intently, transfixed by the excitement dancing in his wife's hazel eyes. She couldn't resist a challenge and he smiled inwardly while he thought perhaps that was why she married him. "It sounds...pretty in a girlie way, but it doesn't seem all that priceless."
Evie shrugged at his seemingly indifferent attitude. "You know as well as I that its history makes all the difference. The stone, which is rumored to be a highly polished, translucent-like gray agate, may not be rare or precious, but the fact that it was a possession of Neffara makes it important. That the legend says it was a gift from the goddess Isis, formed from one of her own tears, makes it priceless."
Rick released a sigh in mock exasperation. "It's your show, Princess. I'm just along for the ride."
Evie chuckled when he winked, assuring her he was only teasing. "Yes, and I suppose we should call it a night soon."
Rick nodded. "Soon. First let's eat, 'kay? I know you're anxious to get started, but I'm starving."
Covering her mouth to suppress an outright giggle, Evie nodded.
"I'll find us our transportation in the morning, we'll buy what supplies and food we need, and then we'll be on our way," he assured her.
"On our way to..." Evie trailed off as the waiter placed their food on the table. "Mmm...that smells heavenly. I'm starving."
Unbeknownst to the couple, an eavesdropper lurked on the other side of the decorative partition. A sly little fat man with an appetite for profit, Ackmed Zaghloul had fairly salivated when he read the names of those who had checked into his hotel that day.
The O'Connells were well known and highly respected as archeologists. Rumor had it that Evelyn O'Connell knew the history of Egypt better than some Egyptians. When he had seen their names on the register, he immediately wondered what their business was in Cairo and if it might somehow profit him. He listened closely as she told her husband what she knew.
At the mention of the Priestess Neffara, Ackmed's ears pricked up. His own niece, Najya, was a descendant of Neffara, and something about the necklace Evelyn O'Connell mentioned rang a bell with him. He stroked the graying beard on his chin while he searched his mind for the elusive tidbit of information. Perhaps it was something he had come across in Zariah and Farouk's possessions. He had gone through them briefly before putting them in storage, far from the reach of his spoiled niece.
Thinking of Najya, he grew angry. After her escape from the Khalifa of Dulkadir, the Khalifa's associates had contacted Ackmed. Repay the Khalifa twice the money he had paid for Najya, or pay the consequences. Ackmed was a coward at heart, a self loathing trait, but one he acknowledged to himself. He paid the money and vowed to take it out on his wayward niece at his first opportunity.
As Evelyn O'Connell spoke of their intention, Ackmed listened attentively. He came close to growling his frustration when the waiter arrived with their order, interrupting the woman before she revealed where she and her husband were heading. No matter; he would remove Zariah Zaghloul's possessions from storage and discover the secrets of the necklace. In the meantime, he knew one or two hungry orphan boys who would gladly follow the O'Connells and report their destination to him when it was reached.
...to be continued...