Wigmere and I had discussed the possibility that the Serpents of Chaos would learn of my whereabouts. He'd done his best to create diversions for them far away from Egypt, but it looked as though they hadn't taken the bait.
I needed to keep them at bay long enough to hand off the tablet to the wedjadeen. Once it was no longer in my possession, Chaos would have no reason to hound me.
Well, except for the small matter of revenge. But honestly, an organization like that should have much bigger fish to fry than getting even with one eleven-year-old girl!
The next morning we were up and packed bright and early. We were scheduled to be on the nine o'clock express to Luxor, but I dragged my feet so that we managed to miss it. Mother was rather put out, but honestly! Just because Chaos knew our every move didn't mean I had to make it easy for them.
Mother had ordered a carriage. ("No more donkeys for us for a while," she'd said.) When it arrived, the hotel's porter bundled all our trunks and bags into it, and then we set off for the train station.
The streets were much quieter, just the normal hustle and bustle of the people of Cairo going about their business. I kept my eyes peeled for any signs that we were being followed, but as best I could tell, we weren't. Well, except for the men wanting to sell us sweetmeats or lemonade and a handful of scraggly children crying for baksheesh.
The station, too, was much less chaotic today. For one, there was no public speaking going on nearby and no crowd of angry men with raised fists and loud voices. As we disembarked from our carriage, I eyed the nearby donkey boys, looking in vain for the boy who had helped me.
Unfortunately, he was not among them, and I worried about what might have happened to him with no job to return to and no money.
"Theodosia?"
I pulled my attention away from the donkey boys. "Yes, Mother?"
"You stay here with the luggage while I make certain our seats on the ten o'clock train are confirmed."
I winced as she threw me one of her I have still not forgiven you for that looks. With a sigh, I set my satchel and Isis's basket down on the ground, then perched myself on the edge of Mother's steamer trunk. A quick glance assured me that no one in the station looked like a member of Chaos, so I relaxed and allowed myself to watch the other travelers.
A light tap on my shoulder had me nearly jumping out of my skin. I whirled around to find Gadji standing right behind me, his odd little monkey perched on his shoulder.
"Greetings, miss."
"Hello!" I said, my hopes soaring. "Did you make it back to the stables yesterday?"
Gadji frowned. "No, Gadji told you. Is not wanting great big beating that waits for me there."
"Of course." My shoulders slumped as my hopes were dashed. I quickly glanced over at Mother, not sure how she'd react to finding me chatting with one of the locals. Fortunately, she was still deep in conversation with the man behind the counter. I turned back to Gadji. "Even so, I am glad to see you again. I wanted to thank you properly." His fate had haunted me ever since he'd confessed he'd be out of a job on my account. "I'd promised you a big tip," I reminded him as I fumbled in my skirt pocket.
Gadji grinned. "Very good of miss to remember."
"Here." I pulled out a few coins and thrust them at him. I glanced over at the ticket counter, where Mother was just finishing up her business. "You have to go before my mother returns," I told him. "Good luck!" I said brightly. "And thank you!" Then I gave him a gentle nudge to get him moving. If I wasn't careful, Mum was going to have me sequestered under lock and key during my entire stay in Egypt.
"But miss—"
"You know how much trouble you would have been in if you'd returned to your master without the donkey? That's how much trouble I'll be in if my mother finds me talking to strangers. Now, please go. I really do appreciate all that you've done for me."
Gadji threw an understanding look in my mother's direction, nodded his head once, then slipped silently into the crowd of milling passengers.
And just in time. Mother arrived with a porter in tow. "Theo, who was that you were talking to?"
"No one, Mother."
"I distinctly saw you speaking with a young Egyptian boy."
"Oh, that." I waved my hand. "He was asking for baksheesh."
Her face cleared. "Very well, but you need to be cautious of whom you mingle with. If I can't be assured of your cooperation and safety—"
"You can, Mother! I told him no and sent him on his way immediately."
She gave a crisp nod of her head. "Excellent. Now let's get on this train before it leaves without us, too."
We climbed on board and made our way to our traveling car. It was quite luxurious and felt more like a drawing room than a compartment on a train. As we settled comfortably into the seat, Mother took out her notes and began reading. I pulled Isis's basket closer to me. "May I take her—"
"No. Absolutely not," Mother said without looking up.
I sighed loudly, then put my face down next to the basket. "Sorry, Isis. Mother says no." I wanted to be certain she knew exactly who was keeping her cramped up in there. I watched Mother. Did she plan to spend the entire trip reading and writing in her journals? That would be quite boring, indeed. I craned my neck, trying to see what she was writing. "Mother," I asked casually, "do you keep a journal for all of your excavations?"
"Yes, dear," she said absently. "Every one."
"Even the one on which I was born?"
Her pen stilled. "I-I'm not sure if I had begun that habit back then." She kept her eyes on the journal and I had the most distinct sensation that she was not being wholly truthful.
"Will we be passing the temple in which I was born on the way to Luxor? Will I be able to see it from the train?"
Mother's answer was a clipped "No, I'm afraid not."
As I turned to look out into the aisle, I nearly squealed when I saw a small figure standing outside our car, staring at me with his nose pressed up against the glass. It took me a moment to realize it was Gadji.
I glanced over at Mother, but she was thoroughly engrossed in her notes. I turned back to the window and mouthed, What?
He motioned for me to get up and meet him out in the corridor.
I shook my head no, then jerked my thumb in Mother's direction to let him know she was the reason.
"Theo, do stop fidgeting," she murmured.
"Yes, Mother," I said, my eyes still on Gadji. As I watched, he reached under the folds of his gown, then pulled something out. He lifted it in front of the glass, and I had to bite back a gasp of surprise.
My reticule!
Before I could do anything, a conductor spied Gadji and hurried over to shoo the boy away. Mother looked up at the commotion.
"Mother, this is the boy that I'd promised baksheesh to. I told him I'd ask you for a few coins. Do you think we could spare some?"
"Giving in to their demands only encourages poor behavior, Theo. It's not a good idea."
I made my eyes as big and round as possible. "Please! He reminds me a bit of Henry, and I would hate to think of Henry, all alone in a huge train station, having to beg for a living—"
"Oh for goodness sake, Theo! There is no chance of that happening to your brother. You do let your imagination run away with you. But here, give him this so he can be on his way and we can be on ours." She opened her pocketbook, pulled a few coins from it, and dropped them into my outstretched palm.
"Thank you, Mother!" I popped up, kissed her on the cheek, then darted out the door to the corridor where the conductor was scolding Gadji in blistering Arabic.
"It's okay!" I said, diving into the fray. "He's with me."
The conductor stopped talking and frowned. "With you, miss?"
"Yes, I told him to come find me on the train. He ... he has something of mine. He's returning it."