Sunset Oasis

He came closer and told me in a low voice that he had a request.

I looked at him enquiringly and he bowed his head and said in his whispering voice, 'I want you to swear to me, Your Excellency, that, if my time comes while I'm here, you'll have me buried in my village. Don't leave me among strangers in the sand.'

My heart shrank as I contemplated the wrinkled face but I tried to go on in the same tone as though he had said nothing. 'Life is in God's hands, my dear chap. You asked me the same thing after you broke your leg and look at you, strong as a horse. You, more than anyone else, are likely to bury us all and walk in our funeral processions.'

'God forbid, Excellency!' he said, interrupting me with a wan smile.

I followed him with my eyes as he limped slowly away, muttering, 'I would never forgive myself!'

I left the office and downstairs was surprised to find that Captain Wasfi had changed his uniform and tarboosh and was standing, elegant and erect, yelling to the soldiers in his commanding voice to dress their line and salute. I returned the salute from a distance and left without a word. I decided to postpone my investigation of him until the following day.

On the way home, I found the weather warm, in contrast to the morning.

There were just light transparent clouds, and the late afternoon sun was warm and calm and tempted one to relax under its rays. When I opened the door, though, I found the two of them sitting at the table. Catherine had spread out on it her many papers, which look like charts.

'Are we having pharaohs for lunch today?' I said in surprise.

Excitedly Catherine exclaimed, 'We'll delay lunch a little, with your permission. You're early, but I'm glad you're here. I want your opinion. I was just about to read what I've found to Fiona.'

Fiona turned to me and said, with her smile that spreads a little light over her wan face, 'Isn't it wonderful? At last Catherine has found what she's been looking for.'

She gave her staccato cough, her hand over her mouth. Then she continued, 'I think… I think that the historians… the… the… the historians will be interested in this.'

I transferred my gaze to Catherine and asked her in bewilderment, 'What historians? What will they be interested in?'

'The sign, the evidence. I told you last night but you weren't paying attention.'

I remained silent, looking at her enquiringly. She continued, 'You remember the day we went together to the temple of Umm Ebeida?'

'How could I ever forget it?'

With the same excitement she went on, 'The evidence was there, Mahmoud, but I didn't give it any thought. I copied it down myself but I didn't pay attention. I thought it must be just a supplication to the god Amun. Stupidly, I was concentrating on writings in Greek script, but he wasn't a god to the Greeks alone. He was the son of Amun-Ra, the god of the universe and the god of the sun, and the Egyptians worshipped him as such. Some of the columns were illegible, so I went back to the temple again to look at them carefully, and-'

Almost shouting, I interrupted her. 'Please, Catherine. What are you talking about? I don't understand a thing.'

Now it was her turn to shout.'How can you not understand? Haven't I told you before that I'm looking for evidence of Alexander's tomb in Siwa?'

'Never! You're looking for evidence of Alexander's tomb here? In the desert, and at the wretched temple of Umm Ebeida? If I'd heard that from you before I would have said you were mad.'

With a triumphant smile she said, 'Naturally! And not just you! Many others too would have said I was mad. But listen, if you please… Listen before you pronounce.' She started reading, stressing particular phrases, and looking from me to Fiona, as though to say, 'Do you see?' I focused my gaze on Fiona, whose face has become almost yellow of late, but I forced myself to listen to Catherine, who read as though reciting scripture and looked at us between every sentence and the next to make sure that we were following and understanding.

O Divine One of the Hidden Names, O Thou who Openest Thine Eyes and the Light Leaps into Life and Closes Them and the Darkness Falls, Justly Dost Thou Rule Thy Servants. Thou Shinest by Day over Their Land and by Night Thou Travellest to Oversee the Immortal Inhabitants of Thy Kingdom in the West. Grant Me Thy Blessing, O God. Increase Me with Thy Strength. Thou Art He Who Hath Thwarted All the Enemies in the Land and on the Horizons of the West. Accept This Prayer from Thy Servant Sanharib, Who Rules Thy Sacred Desert in Thy Name. Far from Here They plunged Thy Feet Far into the Water but Thou Returnest to Bless Thy Land and the Land of Thy Father. I, Thy Servant, Raise My Prayer to You in This Temple Erected to Thy Glory, the Temple of Thy Brother Pharaoh, Son of Amun.

Catherine stopped reading and looked at us proudly though saying, in a tone of resignation, 'The name of the pharaoh is unclear, and in many places I've had to use my imagination where writing in the columns is illegible. For example, the sign for "water" is clear and I confirmed it when I returned to visit the temple, but the context — meaning the return to the land of thy father and so on — there I had to use my imagination because the writing is completely erased But then, who is it who "thwarted all the enemies in the land"? To whom other than Alexander could this prayer be made?'

No one said anything for a moment. Then Fiona asked, 'Is that everything?'

'Yes,' replied Catherine.

Then she continued, turning her gaze to me, 'Until circumstances allow a visit to the remains of the temple at Bilad el Roum. I believe that is the place meant in this prayer. I believe that it is the sepulchre, or that the sepulchre is in a hidden tomb next to it. The Egyptians are experts at hiding the tombs of their kings to keep them out of the way of thieves, as you know.'

With surprising vehemence, Fiona said, 'But… but what you read isn't evidence of anything, Catherine!'

Catherine protested. 'How can that be? I went to great efforts to explain…'

Fiona interrupted her, and now it was she who was making the effort, to wrest the words from the midst of her disjointed breathing, despite which she persisted with what she had to say.

'This prayer… or encomium… could have been made to any god… or any ancient king… and in the most important part, you say you resorted to imagination. Isn't that exactly the criticism that Mi…'

She didn't complete the name but I understood she meant Catherine's first husband. Catherine responded obstinately,

'That's because he was without imagination. Time will show that my theory is correct and the tomb of Alexander is here.'

In an extremely quiet voice, Fiona said, 'Perhaps. I'm sorry, Catherine.' She fell silent, but I noticed that the blood had gone from her face and that she was breathing hard as she leant with both her hands on the table and, with difficulty, stood upright. Then she staggered and I ran to support her with my hand before she could fall.

Catherine screamed too and ran to support her sister with me. Together we moved her to the bed and Catherine started moistening her face with water and holding scent under her nose. Her breathing was weak but she opened her eyes once and tried to smile at her sister. Then she closed them again.

I contemplated the body lying stretched out on the bed and the face, which was turning blue, and I asked Catherine quietly, 'Is she dying now?'

She screamed in my face, striking my chest with her two fists, 'No! No! Don't say that! She's fainted lots of times before and revived. She'll revive now! Right now! Yes, she must.'

I didn't remove my eyes from the sleeping face. The eyes were closed but they remain graven on my memory.

I said, 'The sun really has got warm again… and Zubeida will be able to… I mean Sheikh Yahya's medicines will work… but I'm not going to wait.'

'What do you mean? And where are you going? Are you going to leave me on my own now when you can see how she is? Have you gone mad?'