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I swallowed hard, blinking back the sudden moisture filling my eyes, and I blindly took a seat next to the young woman, who inclined her head.
“You’re the photographer,” I said.
Farida laughed. “How wonderful that sounds. I’m learning photography, but I’m not a professional. Yet.” Her voice was warm and sweet, and she motioned toward a wooden box that sat on the table with a circular lens, a leather carrying case next to it. “I was just taking a photo of my grandfather.”
My mouth dropped open. “Is that aKodak?”
Farida nodded. “My grandfather bought me one during his travels. It can take up to one hundred pictures with a click of a button.”
“Onehundred? Marvelous,” I exclaimed, reaching to brush my finger against the frame. An invisible spark jumped, reaching toward me, as if I’d found a hidden current. My eyes flew to hers and she winked at me.
I stared down at the portable camera in astonishment. It had been made with a magic-touched object. Farida lifted it off the table and snapped a photo, and for the next half hour, we took pictures of my uncle and Abdullah, of a laughing Whit as he struck silly poses, and of the glimmering Nile River curling around the rocky bluff. We ate a delicious meal of falafel, hummus, and a creamy tahini dip, and drank hibiscus tea loaded with sugar. Whit had been right, I adored it.
Abdullah wiped his mouth with a linen napkin. “I hate to bring up business, but where is your new hire, Ricardo?”
“He had plans, evidently,” Tío Ricardo said with a roll of his eyes. “But he and his daughter will meet us in the lobby tomorrow morning.”
“And the pair have been sworn to secrecy?”
I swung my head in Abdullah’s direction. Despite the cool drink I’d been enjoying, my mouth went dry. The square card tucked within my bag swam across my vision. “Secrecy?”
“She doesn’t yet know what we do,” Ricardo said.
“You haven’t told her?” Abdullah asked in surprise.
I clutched the edge of the table, my attention swerving from one man to the other. Were they all involved with my uncle’s illegal activities? And were they about to share what exactly they did? Out here, in the middle of the terrace, the sun shining, and fellow diners surrounding us? Farida taking pictures?
Ricardo took a sip of his espresso. “I didn’t originally factor her into our plans, and besides, it’s your kingdom, Abdullah. I merely work in it. I thought it prudent to speak with you first. Inez has a certain talent that might be useful.” They shared a look, loaded with meaning, but one I couldn’t interpret. Farida raised the Kodak and clicked the button.
“What kind of talent?” Abdullah asked.
“I am an artist,” I said, my brow furrowing. “I can copy the architecture of Philae with relative ease, I think.”
Farida nodded in approval. “It will be a nice complement to the photographs I’ve taken.”
“Exactly,” Tío Ricardo said. “What do you think, Abdullah?”
“Given her parents’ deaths, she deserves to know,” he replied.
“I quite agree.” Whit pushed his empty plate aside. He stood, his expression apologetic. “Forgive me, but I have a few errands I must run before we set out tomorrow morning. It was a wonderful meal.”
With a small wave, he ventured off, even as I sat reeling in my chair. He was a part of the secret. The nefarious secret. The confirmation left me feeling unaccountably sad.
“Then I advise that you tell her only what she needs to know,” my unclesaid, picking up the thread of conversation. “I can’t promise that she’ll be here overly long.”
My mouth flattened. I understood my uncle’s implication all too well. He ruled my life, and any moment, he could decide to send me back to Argentina. There was no sense in telling me everything, even if I had a right to know what they were up to. My parents only funded their whole enterprise, after all.
“For over a decade, I have been leading an excavation team in various locations with the hope of understanding the heritage of my countrymen,” Abdullah began. “Over the years, we have made astounding discoveries.”
I frowned. “But I never heard of any.”
“You wouldn’t have,” Abdullah replied. “Because after every single one, I’ve given the directive to cover our tracks. It was actually my sister Zazi’s idea, and before she passed, she asked Ricardo and I to continue the practice. No one on my team is allowed to take anything, or reveal what they have seen. We have kept the same loyal crew since the beginning, and our goal is to record what we’ve found so that future generations can learn about our history.”
Farida reached over and took his hand. The affection between the two shone between them like starlight.
This was the nefarious secret? I had been expecting… I shook my head, aware that they were all waiting for my reaction. “I think it’s a tremendous undertaking,” I said slowly. “And I’m happy to be a part of it, however small.”
“Welcome to Egypt, Inez,” Abdullah said, smiling broadly.
