No Living Soul

by Julie Moffett

  “We did. But the discovery is yours, Arthur. As a result of your work, Lexi and I were able to figure out the coded puzzle on the top of the staff.”

  “And the antidote?” His voice lowered to a whisper. “Was it there?”

  “It was there.”

  A collective gasp went up before everyone started talking. Arthur blinked rapidly, clearly stunned.

  Slash held up a hand, quieting everyone. “Please sit down and we’ll tell you everything.”

  Everyone quickly sat. Arthur’s hands trembled as he folded them in his lap. He pressed his lips together and his cheeks quivered with emotion. It wasn’t hard to understand why. The culmination of his life’s work was in front of him. I almost felt badly that Slash and I had cracked the final code instead of him, but the truth was, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without his work leading us to the staff.

  “How did you open it?” Arthur asked in a hushed voice.

  “We figured it out somehow. Made educated guesses.” Slash lifted his hands when Arthur looked at him in disbelief.

  “It’s possible we had a little divine intervention,” I added.

  Slash’s mouth curved into a smile. “It’s hard to say why exactly we got lucky.”

  “I am stunned and humbled,” Arthur said. “But where is the antidote now? Did you leave it in the staff?”

  “No. I brought it.” I reached into my purse and pulled out a small wooden box Slash and I had purchased at the hotel gift shop. “It was a small bundle wrapped in a papyrus. We enclosed it in this box for the time being for added defense until we can get it properly protected. Slash and I think it’s the antidote, but obviously we can’t confirm that. We have to leave that to the experts.”

  Arthur reached out and reverently touched the box. “That has to be it—the antidote to the first known plague. Everything I’ve studied has led me to this conclusion.”

  Slash nodded. “I strongly agree. It would certainly make sense.”

  “Do you guys think it contains more spores?” Elvis rested his hands on his knees.

  “It’s hard to say, seeing as how we didn’t dare open it.” I picked up an unopened water bottle on the table and unscrewed the top. “But we’re thinking no.”

  “No?” Arthur’s gaze rose to me, puzzled. “Why not?”

  “Because we think it contains leaves.”

  “Leaves?” Zizi repeated in surprise.

  “Yes.” I touched the top of the box. “On that small papyrus wrapped around the bundle, which we think may be a clay container, there’s a drawing of a leaf. Without unrolling the papyrus, we couldn’t see the full picture. But from what we could see, the leaf looked quite unusual. I took a couple of botany courses in college and Slash took a class in plant anatomy, but neither of us recall ever seeing a leaf that looked like this.”

  “Can we see the papyrus?” Gwen asked excitedly. “I’ve had several advanced botany classes. Maybe I can figure it out.”

  “Sorry, Gwen. For obvious reasons, we’re not going to unwrap the papyrus, expose it to the air or open the container for fear of contamination.”

  “I understand.” Still, she looked disappointed.

  “Could you at least draw the leaf?” Zizi suggested.

  I exchanged a glance with Slash and lifted my shoulders. “I guess I could try.”

  I rose and grabbed a piece of hotel stationery and pen from the desk and returned to the couch. I did my best to sketch it, but I’m not an artist, so it wasn’t the best rendition.

  I handed it to Zizi who took the paper eagerly. Gwen stood and went behind the couch, looking over her shoulder at my drawing.

  “I’ve never seen anything like that before.” Zizi’s expression was thoughtful.

  “Me, neither,” Gwen agreed. “It may be from a plant that’s extinct.”

  Arthur and Elvis also took a look at it, but it didn’t mean anything to them either.

  “Okay, I’m just not getting how a leaf equals an antidote,” Elvis said. “Someone needs to spell it out for me.”

  “Well, if there’s any of the leaf left, or even part of a stem, scientists can extract the DNA from it,” Gwen said.

  “Why would you need DNA from a leaf to make an antidote?” Elvis asked.

  “Because...” Zizi’s eyes lit up. “Because the properties of the leaf could contain a special kind of protein disruptor or a specific biological marker that could break down the endospore’s sheath, leaving it vulnerable to being destroyed by antibiotics, ultraviolet light, or other immune system defenses. It’s an extraordinary possibility.”

  I nodded. “Yes, that’s one possibility. The leaves could have any kind of special properties. It does make a strong case that this is indeed an antidote.”

  Arthur ran a finger lightly across the top of the wooden box. “The implications are staggering. We’ve unlocked a thousand-year-old secret hidden in the staff of Moses—the first ancient plague and its antidote. It’s not only a significant archeological find, it’s a scientific and medical treasure as well.”

  “You were right, Arthur,” I said, standing and getting a water bottle from the minifridge. “It’s an extraordinary find. You’re sure to get into the books for this one. Congratulations.”

  “Yeah, good work, Arthur,” Elvis said. “You found your prize. You’ll be famous now. Possibly rich, too.”

  Arthur stared at the box.

  Slash cleared his throat. “Well, I think this calls for a celebration. Food, champagne, dessert and wine. Who’s with me?”

  Gwen jumped up. “I’m totally on board with the food part. You people eat so irregularly, that between being famished and scared out of my mind, I’ve already lost three pounds.”

  “I’m all for a celebration as long as we stay right here in the room,” I said. “I don’t want to go out in that heat again for at least the next eight hours, possibly more.”

  Slash grinned and looked at Zizi. “I hope you celebrate with us. This wouldn’t have been possible without your help.”

  “Please do stay, dear,” Arthur said. “It would be an honor.”

  Zizi leaned back against the couch and pulled off her scarf. “I agree the discovery is well worth a celebration and if nothing else, a toast or six in Arthur’s honor.”

  Slash ordered the food, champagne and wine. We toasted Arthur, each other, the antidote, and whatever else came to mind. We talked and laughed—old friends and new—until the hour was late and we were all more than a little tipsy.

  “Well, I’m heading to bed,” Gwen said, standing and nearly toppling over Arthur. “Oops, the room is spinning a bit.”

  Elvis rose as well. He didn’t look all that steady on his feet either. “Come on, Gwen, I’ll get you to your room.”

  “It’s just over there, silly,” Gwen said pointing at the window and then giggling. “Nope. It’s over there.” She swayed a bit to the left. “Wow. Who knew there was so much furniture between me and my door?” She took a step and would have face-planted on the coffee table if Elvis hadn’t been holding her elbow.

  “One step at a time,” he said.

  They staggered toward her room while I took the empty dishes and glasses and stacked them outside our door. Slash walked around cleaning up the trash and piling it in an overflowing trash can. Guess we’d have to leave a big tip for the cleaning crew.

  Arthur rose from his chair, looking tired. “I, too, will say goodnight. Lexi, Slash, you are perhaps two of the most fascinating and capable people I’ve ever met. Zizi, my dear, in addition to your grace, beauty and mind, you have been a pleasure to work with. I salute you and your invaluable assistance. Thank you.”

  Zizi smiled. “It was my pleasure, Arthur.”

  He disappeared into Elvis’s room where he’d been sharing one of the two queen beds ju
st as Elvis exited Gwen’s room.

  Elvis shot a rueful grin at me. “She passed out. She’s going to have a bit of a hangover in the morning. Personally I’m taking ibuprofen before I call it a night.”

  “Good idea,” I said as he entered his room, closing the door behind him.

  Slash stretched his arms over his head. “Well, would you like me to see you home or to a cab, Zizi?”

  “At this hour?” I said. “It’s too late and we all drank too much. Zizi is welcome to stay here until morning, if she’d like.”

  Zizi looked at me in surprise.

  “You can sleep here.” I pointed to the couch. “We’ve got extra pillows and blankets. It’s only a few hours until morning anyway.”

  Zizi looked toward the door and sighed. “You’re right. It’s late. I’ll text my family and let them know I’m staying with friends for the night.”

  “Great.” I collected the blankets and pillows and made a bed for her on the couch while Slash disappeared into our room. I went in to get into my pajamas and retrieve an additional pillow for her before I came back out.

  Zizi looked at me curiously. “You changed in there. Are you two together?”

  “Yes, we are.”

  “Oh.” She considered for a moment. “I thought you were like his sister...or something.”

  “Something,” I agreed. I pulled back the blanket so she could climb in easier. I turned off all the lights except a soft lamp on the table where the laptops and antidote now sat. “I hope you’ll be comfortable.”

  Zizi removed her sandals and wiggled her toes. “I’m sure I will. You know, I’m pretty good at reading people, but I just never quite figured you out.”

  I shrugged. “That’s okay. I’m horrible at reading people, but I think I’ve figured you out.”

  “Really?” She seemed amused by my declaration.

  “Maybe. Good night, Zizi. Thanks for your help.”

  “Tusbih ealaa khayr, Lexi. That’s good night in Arabic. May fortune smile upon you always.”

  “Trust, me, if fortune is smiling at me for a change, it’s a good day.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “Lexi. Get up.” Someone was shaking me, so I cracked open an eye.

  “Arthur?” I blinked both eyes open. “What time is it?”

  “Nearly ten o’clock. Hurry.”

  Slash sat up next to me rubbing his eyes. Sunlight streamed in from a part in our curtains. The day was well underway. “Hurry for what? What’s wrong?”

  “The antidote is gone.”

  “What?”

  “The antidote is gone and so is Zizi. Did you put it somewhere safe?”

  “I left it on the desk last night.” I swung my feet over the bed. My oversized T-shirt didn’t quite hang to my knees, so I snatched my robe off a chair and padded to the living area with Slash right behind me. Sure enough, the makeshift bed on the couch was barely tousled. Zizi, her purse and the antidote were gone.

  “I’ve looked everywhere for the box,” Arthur said. Panic flared in his eyes. “It’s not here. She had to have taken it. But why?”

  Elvis walked into the room, squinting and shielding his eyes from the sunlight with his hand. His dark hair was sticking out and he wore a loose white T-shirt and shorts. “Can you guys keep it down in here? People are trying to sleep.”

  “The antidote is gone,” Arthur said, his voice one step short of hysterical. “And so is Zizi.”

  Alarm crossed Elvis’s face. “What? Zizi took the antidote? Why?”

  “Before we jump to conclusions, let’s just make sure it was Zizi.” I walked over to the laptop and typed a few commands. A video pulled up.

  Elvis walked over next to me, looking at me in astonishment. “You filmed last night? Why?”

  “Let’s just say I had a hunch. Guess we’re about to find out if it paid off.”

  A grainy feed from the video came in. Everyone pressed around me to get a look at the screen. The laptop camera wasn’t the greatest and it was dark except for the soft glow of the lamp on the desk. I fast-forwarded to forty-seven minutes into the video when a dark shape arose from the couch and approached the desk. As the person reached out to take the antidote, a side view of her face came into view just as her fingers curled around the wooden box. I paused the video.

  Zizi.

  Arthur gasped and took a step back. I resumed the video as Zizi took the box and moved too far out of range to be seen anymore. About two minutes later we heard the unmistakable click of the door opening and then closing.

  “Why?” Arthur whispered, stunned. “Why would Zizi take the antidote?”

  “I think we’re about to find out,” I said.

  * * *

  We debated going to Zizi’s home or to the museum. A quick call to the hotel concierge made our decision for us. The museum was currently closed, apparently due to a sprinkler malfunction.

  “They aren’t making the theft public yet,” Elvis observed.

  “That’s not a surprise. They need time to do a full inventory,” Arthur said. “They must determine exactly what’s missing.”

  “As an employee, couldn’t Zizi be at the museum anyway?” Gwen asked. To my surprise, she didn’t show any sign of a hangover other than being really thirsty and having little dark smudges under her eyes. I had previously thought it biologically impossible to be cheerful with a hangover, but apparently Gwen had found a way.

  “It’s doubtful,” Slash said. “It would be a crime scene. My guess is if we are to find her, it will be at home.”

  Arthur stood up. “Then what are we waiting for? She must have a good explanation for this.”

  I exchanged a glance with Slash, but said nothing. In front of the hotel, the bellman secured us two cabs. Slash, Gwen and Elvis went in one cab, while Arthur and I took another.

  Slash told us Zizi lived on the second floor of a two-story commercial building right above an Indian restaurant. It was about a ten-minute ride from the hotel. Gwen looked decidedly more green after our usual wild cab ride. She pressed her lips together and put a hand to her stomach while she climbed out of the cab. As the cab sped away, Slash asked Arthur, Gwen and Elvis to wait by the café while he and I went to knock on Zizi’s door.

  Zizi opened the door. A television played in the background and the scent of something cooking wafted out. She pretended to be surprised to see us, but even I—potentially the most non-astute person in all of Egypt—could see she wasn’t. She had showered and changed into a light pink blouse and blue jeans. Her feet were bare, thick hair loose and face makeup free. But even casual like this, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

  “Slash. Lexi.” She widened the door and stepped out. “What a surprise. I’m sorry I slipped out this morning without saying goodbye. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

  Slash held out a hand. He had no intention of wasting time. “The antidote.”

  “What?” She pressed a hand to her chest. “What are you talking about?”

  “You took the antidote,” I said. “Where is it?”

  “Why would I take the antidote?”

  “Why, indeed?” Slash said.

  Zizi shook her head in disbelief. “After all I’ve done for you—you’re accusing me of being a thief? How could you?”

  Sighing, I retrieved my phone from my purse and pulled up the video. I pushed play and the video of her swiping the antidote flashed across the screen. When it was finished, I returned my phone to my purse. “So, hand it over.”

  “You recorded me?” Her voice was surprised, outraged.

  “Technically, I wasn’t filming you. I was filming the antidote.”

  “How?”

  “The laptop camera. So, seeing as how you stole the antidote, here we are.”

 
She cast a furtive glance over her shoulder and then slid her feet into a pair of sandals by the door. Yelling something to someone in another room, she grabbed her purse and stepped outside. Without another word, she swept past us and down the stairs to the sidewalk. Gwen, Arthur and Elvis were waiting at the bottom where the stairs’ opening met the sidewalk.

  “Zizi?” Arthur said, walking toward her. “Please tell me I’m wrong, dear. You didn’t take the antidote, did you?”

  Zizi dug a scarf out of her purse and slipped it over her head. People passing by glanced at her, which wasn’t surprising since she commanded that kind of attention, but today she didn’t seem to appreciate their stares. “I suggest you lower your voice,” she said to Arthur.

  We moved to the side of the café where a low, black iron fence marked the boundary of the outside area. There were a couple of people at the tables, but all were deep in conversation and no one was near where we were standing.

  “It appears we’re at a stalemate.” Zizi pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slid them onto her nose. “We both know too much and can’t turn each other in without fear of incrimination.”

  The look of hurt on Arthur’s face was painful to witness. “You did take it. Why? What would you want with an ancient antidote?”

  “Must you really ask why, Arthur?” Zizi’s voice was cool, unfamiliar. “Do you have any idea how hard it is for a woman scientist to make a name for herself in this country?”

  I felt a small twinge of understanding, but it disappeared fast. There were women all over the world—including in Egypt—making a difference in science and math. They didn’t go around lying, cheating and stealing to make their contribution.

  “When I first started helping you, I thought you were like all the rest of the researchers, self-absorbed, single-minded and chasing after a ridiculous dream of a big find. But the moment you showed me those spores, I knew you were onto something extraordinary. For once in my life, an opportunity to move ahead presented itself without me having to fight for it.”

  “You never said anything,” Arthur protested.

  “Of course, not. I had to move carefully.” Zizi crossed her arms against her chest. “I was certain you’d found the spores in some artifact, and I wanted to know which one. When you refused to divulge the information, I tried to figure it out myself. I went through all the items you’d been researching at the museum. But without any clear idea what I was looking for, I couldn’t find it. I’d hoped to access the notes on your laptop and I even considered stealing it, but I knew it was password protected and you like to encode your notes. I needed your cooperation, not suspicion.”