Misplaced (24 page)

“I
kno
w
onl
y
this
:
th
e
ans
w
er
s
w
e
see
k
ca
n
b
e
found
nowhere but Egypt.”
V
ictoria sighed. “Then that’s where
w
e
’
ll ha
v
e to start.”
That
e
v
ening,
Khara
insisted
on
seeing
a
map
so
she
could
determine
exactly
how
far
w
est
T
exas
w
as
from
her
homeland.
Scrutinizin
g
th
e
ocean
s
an
d
expanse
s
o
f
lan
d
whil
e
V
ictoria
explained the continents, her face
w
ent white.

“But
there
is
no
time
to
tra
v
el
so
v
ast
a
distance!
I
ha
v
e
only
se
v
enty days from the day of my fathe
r
’s death to return.”

“Y
ou ne
v
er said anything about that.”

Khar
a
too
k
a
si
p
o
f
tea
,
stood
,
an
d
bega
n
pacing
.
“The
ritual
to
prepare
pharaoh
for
the
journey
into
the
afterlife
takes
se
v
ent
y
days
.
E
v
e
n
now
,
th
e
embalmin
g
proces
s
ha
s
begun
.
The
go
v
ernmen
t
i
s
prohibite
d
fro
m
performin
g
an
y
officia
l
activities
durin
g
thi
s
time
.
Onc
e
m
y
fathe
r
’
s
tom
b
i
s
sealed
,
th
e
new
pharaoh will step for
w
ard. It must not be Menefra.”

V
ictori
a
cleare
d
he
r
throat
.
“I
t
wil
l
tak
e
onl
y
on
e
o
r
two
days, at most, to arri
v
e in Egypt.”

Kh
a
r
a
halte
d
m
i
d
-
s
te
p
an
d
c
lappe
d
he
r
han
ds
.
“
C
a
n
i
t
really
be so?”

“I
m
a
y
ha
v
e
m
a
d
e
i
t
s
oun
d
t
o
o
s
i
m
ple
.
T
h
e
d
iff
ic
ult
y
i
s
i
n
the
preparation,
”
V
ictori
a
sai
d
officiously
.
“
W
e
’
l
l
nee
d
documents—
passports
and
visas.
That
alone
will
take
time,
e
v
en
if
I
can
find
a sympathetic expert to forge your documents.”

“What is necessary to accomplish this?”

“Something I wish I had more of at the moment. I
’
ll need to
see about getting
my hands on some cash.”

“Cash?” Khara turned her back on
V
ictoria.

“Money. Currency.
W
e
’
re going to need some.”

Sh
e
turne
d
aroun
d
holdin
g
a
small
,
staine
d
pouch
.
“take
these,
she
said,
removing
se
v
eral
bracelets
from
the
small
bag
and
placing
them
in
V
ictoria’s
lap.
“No
doubt
they
will
bring—
cash?”

Tracin
g
th
e
intricat
e
re
d
an
d
whit
e
crown
s
o
v
erlai
d
in
gold
,
V
ictoria’
s
breat
h
lef
t
her
.
“I’
v
e
ne
v
e
r
see
n
anythin
g
so
beautiful,
”
sh
e
whispered
.
Sh
e
hel
d
the
m
unde
r
th
e
lamp’s
glow, spellbound by the vivid colors and inlaid stones.

Khar
a
too
k
th
e
thickes
t
on
e
an
d
claspe
d
i
t
aroun
d
V
ictoria’s
wrist
.
“Thre
e
bracelets
.
Eac
h
i
s
significant
.
Thi
s
i
s
th
e
double
crown,
symbolic
of
a
unified
Upper
and
Lo
w
er
Egypt.”
Sliding
t
h
e
secon
d
o
n
e
on
t
o
he
r
wris
t
,
s
h
e
con
t
i
n
ued
,
“Eac
h
g
ree
n
ston
e
honor
s
a
singl
e
y
ea
r
o
f
m
y
fathe
r
’
s
rul
e
an
d
th
e
successful
inundation
of
the
Nile.
These,”
Khara
pointed
to
spaces
where
ther
e
w
er
e
setting
s
bu
t
n
o
stones
,
“woul
d
ha
v
e
obser
v
e
d
the
y
ears
of
joint
rule
and
been
filled
with
my
own
blue
stone.
See
how they are meant to fit
together?”

“An
d
this?
”
V
ictori
a
inquire
d
o
f
th
e
last
,
mos
t
delicate
bracelet.
“
Ahh,
she
is
my
favorite,
the
goddess
Nephthys.
Her
name
mean
s
‘Lad
y
o
f
th
e
Castle.
’
”
Sh
e
snappe
d
th
e
thir
d
bracele
t
into
th
e
othe
r
two
.
I
t
provide
d
a
femal
e
bus
t
o
n
whic
h
th
e
crow
n
sat,
surrounded by outstretched wings.

“The
first
and
second
pieces
are
easy;
they
represent
your
natio
n
an
d
you
r
family
.
Bu
t
th
e
thir
d
one
,
th
e
Lad
y
o
f
the
Castle. Is she you?”