Misplaced (37 page)

“Onl
y
a
w
ea
k
go
d
woul
d
as
k
s
o
littl
e
o
f
hi
s
faithful.
”
The
harshness
in
her
tone
caught
her
by
surprise
and,
embarrassed
and
confused,
Khara
turned
and
headed
quickly
for
the
door.
Bu
t
whe
n
sh
e
go
t
there
,
he
r
fee
t
froze
.
Sh
e
winced
,
hun
g
her
head, and turned around.

Th
e
pries
t
w
a
s
kneelin
g
a
t
th
e
smal
l
tabl
e
glowin
g
bright
wit
h
candles
.
“I’
m
sayin
g
a
pra
y
e
r
fo
r
you,
”
h
e
tol
d
her
,
no
t
i
n
a
condescendin
g
w
ay
,
whic
h
mad
e
he
r
fee
l
worse
,
“tha
t
yo
u
may
find
your
w
ay home safely.”

“I
w
as insolent. I ask you to forgi
v
e me.”

“Ther
e
i
s
n
o
need
.
Y
o
u
ar
e
a
youn
g
woma
n
i
n
searc
h
of
ans
w
ers;
I
see
it
in
your
face.
Forgi
v
eness
and
ans
w
ers
are
the
church’s specialty. Come and see me anytime.”

And you will tell me more about this god of yours?”

“And all the things he makes possible.”

Khar
a
lo
w
ere
d
he
r
e
y
es
.
“Tomorro
w
then
.
An
d
i
f
ther
e
is
time, perhaps you might show me the bells.”

Sh
e
mad
e
he
r
w
a
y
t
o
th
e
exi
t
fo
r
th
e
secon
d
time
.
Father
Donato’
s
voic
e
ran
g
throughou
t
th
e
v
aulte
d
ceiling
.
“Some
journeys
are
physical;
others
are
of
the
spirit.
Good
luck
with
both.”

I
s
on
e
go
d
enough
?
Ca
n
th
e
god
s
o
f
Egyp
t
hea
r
me
?
Wh
y
ha
d
the
priest’s words sent her running like a child?

One
hard
push
against
the
door
plunged
her
into
the
bright
afternoon
,
althoug
h
sh
e
nearl
y
knocke
d
o
v
e
r
a
n
ol
d
woman.
Sh
e
tottere
d
an
d
i
t
looke
d
a
s
thoug
h
sh
e
woul
d
fall
,
bu
t
she
grabbe
d
th
e
edg
e
o
f
th
e
ope
n
doo
r
jus
t
i
n
time
,
steadying
herself.

“Didn’
t
anyon
e
teac
h
yo
u
ho
w
t
o
beha
v
e
a
t
church?
”
The
woma
n
shoo
k
he
r
hea
d
an
d
hurle
d
a
contemptuou
s
loo
k
at
Khara.
“Such
rotten kids
today,”
she
muttered,
her
accusation
bursting through the closing door like an angry gust of wind.

Thi
s
lat
e
i
n
th
e
afternoon
,
Egyptian
s
scurrie
d
insid
e
to
escap
e
th
e
sun
.
Sh
e
ha
d
ofte
n
spen
t
suc
h
treasure
d
hours
trading
secrets
and
gossip
with
Menefra,
although
it
had
ne
v
er
bee
n
a
fai
r
trade
;
Khar
a
ha
d
s
o
fe
w
secret
s
t
o
tell
,
whil
e
Menefra
seemed to ha
v
e a ne
v
er-ending supply of appalling gossip.
Sh
e
steere
d
he
r
thought
s
a
w
a
y
fro
m
th
e
troublin
g
words
o
f
th
e
priest
.
Go
d
o
f
lo
v
e
o
r
not
,
i
t
n
o
longe
r
mattere
d
that
M
enefr
a
ha
d
al
w
ay
s
felt as much a
part of her as her own leg;
he
r
sister’s
betra
y
a
l
had
sealed
her
doom.
And
y
et,
on
that
terrible
day,
Khara
had
been thankful Nandor had not swung his giant sword at her.

Once,
while
their
father
and
Nandor
had
been
a
w
ay,
Khara
ha
d
falle
n
fro
m
th
e
bac
k
o
f
a
chariot
.
A
t
t
w
el
v
e
,
sh
e
ha
d
thought
herself
quite
capable
of
managing
a
pair
of
horses.
Lying
in
the
dir
t
wit
h
th
e
breat
h
knocke
d
fro
m
her
,
bruise
d
an
d
cu
t
and
afrai
d
t
o
mo
v
e
,
sh
e
decide
d
sh
e
woul
d
perhap
s
requir
e
another
y
ear.

A
s
i
f
b
y
magic
,
Menni
e
appeared
,
helpin
g
he
r
u
p
from
the
dirt.
She
tended
to
her
cuts
and
scrapes,
pretending
to
be
a
physician
.
Afte
r
that
,
Menefr
a
marche
d
t
o
th
e
stabl
e
and
threatene
d
th
e
captai
n
wit
h
annihilatio
n
i
f
h
e
dare
d
divulge
tha
t
Khar
a
ha
d
taken the horses from the stables without permission or an escort.