Misplaced (19 page)

“It’s been in that condition for centuries. What’s wrong?”

Khara collapsed.

Droppin
g
t
o
he
r
knees
,
V
ictori
a
grabbe
d
he
r
shoulders.
“
T
alk to me! What’s happened?”

Sh
e
shuddered
,
unabl
e
t
o
speak
. V
ictori
a
trie
d
lifting
her
,
bu
t
i
t
w
a
s
useless
.
“
P
lease
,
tel
l
m
e
what’
s
wrong
.
I
don’t
understand…”

Footstep
s
approached
,
an
d
sh
e
w
a
s
gratefu
l
t
o
se
e
Elias
movin
g
quickl
y
to
w
ar
d
them
.
H
e
knel
t
a
t
Khara’
s
side
.
Th
e
look
of
bewilderment
Khara
cast
upon
him
w
as
one
V
ictoria
would
ne
v
er forget.

“Ho
w
man
y
y
ear
s
ha
s
th
e
Grea
t
On
e
reste
d
i
n
th
e
sand?
”
When neither answered, she shrieked, “How many?”

“N
o
on
e
i
s
sure,
”
Elia
s
responded
.
“Th
e
bes
t
estimates
sa
y
tha
t
Pharao
h
Khafr
e
o
f
th
e
Fourt
h
Dynast
y
ha
d
it
commissioned.”

“P
lease, Uncle, how many
y
ears ago?”

“A
ppr
o
xi
m
atel
y
4,500
,
i
f
ar
c
hae
o
l
o
gi
s
t
s
ha
v
e
th
e
co
rre
c
t
dynasty. Why?”

“I
s
ther
e
anothe
r
suc
h
a
s
this
?
Brightl
y
painted
,
wit
h
the
golden ceremonial beard of a pharaoh?”

“O
f
th
e
se
v
e
n
wonder
s
o
f
th
e
ancien
t
world,
”
V
ictoria
began,
“only
the
Great
Sphinx
has
survi
v
ed.
There
is
no
other.”

“The ancient world?”
T
ears streamed down Khara’s face.
All
along,
V
ictoria
had
sensed
something
dreadfully wrong
with
the
young
woman’s
situation
and
y
et
she
had
dismissed
wha
t
sh
e
fel
t
t
o
b
e
th
e
truth
;
i
t
w
a
s
simpl
y
to
o
impossibl
e
t
o
belie
v
e.
E
lia
s
lifte
d
Khara
’
s
li
m
p
b
od
y
fr
o
m
th
e
f
loo
r
.

“Wha
t
ha
s
happened,
chiquina
?
Only
a
minute
ago
you
w
ere
happy.
Why
are you so upset?”

T
enderly
,
Elia
s
carrie
d
Khar
a
t
o
a
viewin
g
benc
h
an
d
sa
t
her
down. Her e
y
es
w
ere cloudy.
“Khara, are you all right?”

There
w
as no response.

“Sta
y
wit
h
her,
”
Elia
s
tol
d
V
ictori
a
an
d
dashe
d
fo
r
th
e
stairs.

No
wonder
she
claimed
ne
v
er
to
ha
v
e
seen
a
book
before,
and
w
as
astounded by something as simple as a paper cup.

V
ictori
a
too
k
hi
s
plac
e
o
n
th
e
bench
.
“I’
m
s
o
sorry
.
I
thought
yo
u
w
er
e
bluffing
,
tha
t
you
’
d
mad
e
th
e
whol
e
thin
g
up
.
Bu
t
there’s got to be a more logical explanation. There has to be.”

Makin
g
n
o
mo
v
e
t
o
wip
e
th
e
fres
h
tear
s
tha
t
fell
,
Khara
moaned, “Menefra’s persimmon has poisoned my mind.”

Elias
returned
with
a
heavy
blanket
and
wrapped
it
around
he
r
shoulders
,
hi
s
expressio
n
mor
e
seriou
s
tha
n
V
ictori
a
had
e
v
er seen it. “I need to know what is happening here.”

“Remembe
r
Robert’
s
comment
s
abou
t
Khara’
s
language?
How he thought it
w
as extinct?”

“Wha
t
I
remembe
r
i
s
tha
t
h
e
emphasize
d
tha
t
h
e
w
asn’
t
certain, or e
v
en an authority.”

“The
problem
with
her
language,”
V
ictoria
began,
“is
that
Khara
is
not
from
this
time.”
She
w
aited
for
her
words
to
sink
in.
He
r
uncle’
s
ja
w
dropped
.
“That’
s
you
r
explanatio
n
for
he
r
behavior
?
Wha
t
nonsense
!
Y
o
u
soun
d
lik
e
tha
t
ridiculous
television series your aunt
w
atches.”

Sh
e
pu
t
a
han
d
o
n
hi
s
arm
.
“Th
e
mor
e
tim
e
I
spen
d
with
her,
the
more
apparent
it
is.
She’s
extremely
bright,
and
y
et
she lacks
the
most
basic
kno
w
ledge
of
anything
modern.”
V
ictoria squeezed Khara’s hand and urged, “
T
ake some deep breaths.”

Th
e
tightnes
s
aroun
d
he
r
uncle’
s
mout
h
remained
.
“The
sam
e
coul
d
b
e
sai
d
o
f
man
y
thir
d
worl
d
nations
.
T
o
jum
p
to
such a conclusion—”