Langdon handed his ticket to the lady behind the counter. Her smile must have been stuck on auto, because even as she spoke, the corners of her lips never faltered.
"Enjoy your flight," she said.
Langdon nodded and headed down the hallway to board the plane. As he walked down the passage he felt as though weights were being picked off of his shoulders. He felt relieved to be leaving work and everything behind, even if it was just for this short period of time.
He found his seat, next to the window, and sat. He placed his briefcase on the pull table before him, having already dropped off his luggage at the luggage check-in. He turned to look out of the window. It was an overcast day, which made a perfect fit.
Langdon was never one to be caught in a state of despair, but these last few weeks had played a tole on him. He needed a break from the reality of his life, which was becoming more evident by the day. He needed to go and learn something, so that he could open his mind again.
One harsh reality of the past few weeks was a phone call from Sophie Neveu. It had been about seven months since that whirlwind of events that happened in Paris. Upon leaving Sophie, so that she could reunite with her family, they promised they would meet up in Florence the next month. And so they did, and they met up again in London a month after that, and in Cologne about a month in a half after that. And then two weeks ago, she called him and told him that she would not be meeting with him in Cairo, like he had hoped. She also said that maybe meeting each other every month in a different location wasn't good ground rules for a relationship.
The conversation only made Langdon realize more his confinement to bachelorhood. He tried with Vittoria, and then Sophie, but it looked as though it was inescapable. He was condemned to live the single life until the end of his days.
He caught his reflection in the thick glass of the window. Look at yourself, he thought. It seemed he'd aged a decade in a month. No wonder Sophie decided to stop while she could. The grey hair growing around his temples had stretched farther back into his thick brown hair. His blue eyes had become clouded, and blank. He looked as if he was lost, and hadn't smiled in months.
Hopefully, the next few days would brighten his spirits, and pick up his enthusiasm. It had been three years since he had last seen the world renowned Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass, and he was looking forward to a good conversation. He had always enjoyed listening to Dr. Hawass' input on things, he felt he always had something to learn.
And that is what this trip was for, above other things. It was about listening and not preaching, for once. There would be no wild goose chases or treasure hunts, just history. And what better place to enjoy history than dunes that surrounded the Nile.
A loud ding sounded overhead.
"Good day to you all. I would like to ask you to begin to make yourself secure. Our departure for Cairo will be in 3 minutes time."
