Whispers in the Sand

by Barbara Erskine

  ‘Why on earth did you let him?’

  She shrugged. ‘He just walked off with it. I suppose I was taken by surprise. I could hardly wrestle him for it. He said he was going to keep it safely for me.’

  Toby sat down beside her. ‘I think it’s more likely he plans to flog it,’ he said cynically.

  ‘He’d have to buy it off me first.’ Anna shook her head and gave a watery smile. ‘And as he thinks it’s a fake, he wouldn’t offer very much!’

  ‘Unless he sold it as genuine.’ Toby sighed. ‘And in the meantime we haven’t solved the problem of the whereabouts of the diary.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘It is almost lunchtime. Can I suggest that a meal in a crowded dining room would be a good thing for both of us? Very grounding. And no ghost would show himself there. We can cool off and rethink the situation and study Watson’s behaviour. No harm is going to come to your scent bottle or to the diary wherever they are. Not as long as they are potential money earners. My guess is he has them both and he’ll take care of them.’ He paused, waiting for her nod. ‘And then we have an afternoon free before we all go to Abu Simbel tomorrow. So during the afternoon I suggest we talk to Serena. If your ghost is genuine and I have no reason to suspect otherwise, we need to consult her obviously about what steps can be taken to keep you safe from any paranormal repercussions. Perhaps at the same time we could have a council of war about recovering the diary and thereby –’ he paused and gave her a wry grin – ‘clear my name, once and for all.’

  Anna and Toby and Serena held their council of war at the Old Cataract Hotel, sitting on the terrace over a pot of Earl Grey tea. Only when they were settled in their chairs, facing out across the Nile, did anyone mention the reason they had left the boat.

  ‘Did you see Andy’s face when the three of us went ashore together?’ Serena was absent-mindedly stirring her tea. ‘He lost his famous sang-froid. To me he looked distinctly worried.’

  ‘As well he might.’ Toby sat forward and studied Serena’s face for a few moments, then he nodded. ‘Anna tells me you know about the old Egyptian ritual. By that I take it you have studied modern spiritual techniques and magic based on Egyptian texts?’

  Serena met his eye steadily. ‘I’ve studied with Anna Maria Kelim, if you’ve heard of her.’

  Toby shrugged. ‘I took a bit of an interest in these things when I was younger. I’m not an expert, but the name certainly rings a bell. The important thing is that you know what you are doing. I suspect Anna’s ghost or ghosts are not going to be deflected by a bit of New Age chanting.’ He leant back in the chair. ‘Anna says you’re good. Do you think so too?’

  Serena didn’t say anything for a moment, clearly taken aback by his direct approach. Her instant initial indignation subsided as swiftly as it had come. After a few seconds thought she nodded slowly. ‘As long as Andy’s not around. He is very good at disempowering me. I’ve never worked in Egypt before. Never even been here. All I can say is that I have a little experience of rescue work back home – you know what rescue work is, don’t you?’ She glanced up at Toby as he picked up his cup and was in time to see him give a curt nod.

  ‘He may, but I don’t,’ Anna put in quietly.

  ‘It means someone who works with earthbound spirits and helps them move on. Most “ghosts” if you like to use that word are lost. Trapped. Unhappy. They don’t want to be here. Some of them, if they died violently, suddenly, don’t even realise they are dead. Nobody came to collect them or look after them. I have worked with one or two cases like that and helped them move on.’ Serena sounded more confident now she saw she had an audience who respected what she had to say. ‘I have never worked with a spirit, however, who has chosen to remain earthbound because it has unresolved business here. They are the scary ones. Out for revenge. Out to do mischief. Still involved with the world they have left. Unable to let go. Anhotep and his colleague are like that. And they are not just ordinary ghosts. They were trained priests, with knowledge of one of the most powerful occult systems ever known. They probably chose not to die.’

  There was a short silence. Anna shivered. The warmth of the terrace, the cheerful groups of people languidly chatting over their tea cups, the waiters, the stunning picture-book view of the Nile, all seemed suddenly to distance themselves, acquiring a strange feeling of unreality.

  ‘And what has happened to the colleague? The second priest?’ Toby put in after a moment. ‘You haven’t mentioned him.’

  Anna shuddered as she recalled Louisa’s terror and her own at the apparition of Hatsek, the priest of the lion-headed goddess. ‘I’ve seen him. And so did Louisa, at the temple. He seemed the more powerful, the more evil of the two.’

  Toby grimaced.

  ‘You still believe us?’ Anna looked at him. ‘You don’t think we’re mad?’

  ‘No, I don’t think you’re mad. I’ve seen ghosts.’ Toby did not smile. ‘Our culture is very foolish to dismiss out of hand anything it can’t prove with an algebraic formula or a test tube. Luckily most other cultures of the past and many today are far wiser than us in the West. The trick is to ignore the materialists in our world and go with our gut feelings and our intuition. And those of us who have the courage of our convictions because we have that intuition or because we have seen something with our own eyes must for the time being risk ridicule and carry the rest.’

  Serena put down her cup with a small clatter and shook her head in disbelief. ‘I can’t tell you how it cheers me up to hear you say that!’

  ‘And me.’ Anna gave a small hopeful smile.

  ‘Good. Well, having rallied the troops we’d better decide what we are going to do.’ Toby sat forward, concentrating. ‘We only have a few hours before we leave for our trip to Abu Simbel. As you know the coach leaves in the early hours so we can travel through the desert before the worst of the heat. We have several days to cruise back to Luxor when we come back, but my guess is that Anna would like this resolved now, before we go to Abu Simbel, rather than later. And don’t forget, there are two things on the agenda. Besides Anhotep we have the all too material problem of the missing diary.’

  ‘You don’t think they are related? You don’t think that Anhotep has somehow taken the diary?’ Serena asked thoughtfully. She was still stirring her tea.

  ‘No, I don’t. Why should he? I think Andy Watson has taken it. Perhaps we could raid his cabin rather as you raided mine.’ He glanced across at Anna.

  She blushed. ‘He shares a cabin with Ben. It wouldn’t be easy.’

  ‘Not as easy as searching mine, you mean?’ He grinned mischievously. ‘Agreed. But with three of us we could arrange some kind of distraction, I’m sure. It would be very unpleasant for everyone on the boat, to have to tell Omar and perhaps get the police involved, so if it’s possible I think it would be best to resolve the matter ourselves.’ Pausing, he looked at Serena. ‘If you are prepared to do an exorcism or whatever you choose to call it, when do you think that should happen and what would we need?’

  Serena thought for a moment. ‘We really do need the scent bottle itself to act as a focus. Other than that I need some time to prepare myself. I brought the things I need with me for my own spiritual practice. Incense. Candles. A bell.’ She shook her head. ‘I haven’t been able to use them, of course, sharing with Charley. I’ll do it in Anna’s cabin and I suggest we do it tonight. If we have to leave so early in the morning, everyone will go to bed early and we won’t be disturbed. And Toby, don’t be angry but I don’t think you should be there. I think this is just for Anna and me.’ She looked at him apologetically. ‘I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that we would be safer, just the two of us. Just women. Women are de facto servants of Isis. Women are less likely to come to harm.’

  Toby nodded. ‘I’m not going to argue. As long as you think you’ll be safe.’

  Serena shrugged. ‘I hope we’ll be safe.’ She sighed. ‘I’m hoping a lot of things here.’

  There was a moment’s silence.

  �
�So, the next step is the raid on Andy’s cabin to rescue the book and the bottle.’ Toby drained his cup. ‘One of us can search. The others can make sure Andy or Ben don’t come back and catch them.’ He looked across at Anna. ‘I suggest you search. You have had practise at it.’

  ‘I have apologised, Toby!’ Anna flashed back at him, suddenly impatient. ‘How long are these digs going to go on? I am sorry. I was wrong to listen to Andy. I was in such a panic about the diary. I had no reason to think for a single second he might have taken it –’

  ‘But you were happy to suspect me.’

  ‘No. I wasn’t happy. Not at all happy. Just as I wasn’t happy even considering that Andy’s accusations about you might be true!’ She had obviously touched a raw nerve. ‘I just couldn’t think of any other possibility. You were the only person who knew about it.’

  ‘Apart from Andy himself.’

  ‘Apart from Andy.’

  ‘And Charley and Serena and probably every other person on this boat.’

  Anna shut her eyes with a deep sigh. ‘OK. I’m doubly sorry. I grovel. Please, Toby, we need your help. Don’t give me such a hard time.’

  No doubt one day he would feel able to tell her what it was all about. Until then she would just have to trust him and wait.

  He looked at her for a long moment, then he dropped his gaze.

  ‘No, you’re right. I’m the one who should be sorry. I’m a bit over-sensitive on some matters. OK. Let’s go. We may as well start right now. If Andy has gone ashore we can search his cabin straightaway without any hassle.’

  The door was locked.

  ‘Damn!’ Toby shook the handle.

  ‘Try your key.’ Anna glanced nervously over her shoulder. Andy and Ben were, it turned out, sailing.

  Toby fished in his pockets and eventually retrieved it. It didn’t fit.

  ‘Yours?’ He looked at her.

  She already had it in her hand when Ali appeared at the end of the passage. He came towards them. ‘Problem?’ He flashed them a brilliant smile.

  ‘We need to get into this cabin.’ Anna knew it was no use pretending. He had obviously seen them.

  ‘OK.’ Ali dived into the deep pocket of his galabiyya and came out with several keys on a ring. ‘This one opens all. Very useful. Mustn’t lose your key.’ He unlocked the cabin door and pushed it open then turned and shuffled away down the corridor in his flat loose sandals.

  ‘Phew!’ Toby looked at her and grinned. ‘He didn’t want to know why we needed to go in!’

  ‘Probably thought it was ours.’ Anna stepped inside and looked round. The cabin was cheerfully untidy, littered with discarded clothes and shoes. A camera stood on one of the bedside tables, a bottle of water and various toiletry articles on the other. On one bed lay two guidebooks and some postcards, on the other an inside-out sweater and a crumpled damp towel.

  ‘It will be hidden. Drawers. Suitcases. Down the back of something.’ She was pulling open the dressing table drawer and didn’t notice the quizzical look Toby threw in her direction. Methodically they went through all the obvious places, searched under the mattresses, in the wardrobe, in the bathroom, even behind the framed David Roberts prints hanging on the walls.

  ‘No sign anywhere.’ Anna shook her head.

  ‘They have to be here. He wouldn’t take them sailing. It’s too much of a risk.’

  ‘Then there must be somewhere we haven’t thought of.’ She turned round slowly, trying to think of some last place, somewhere subtle – somewhere obvious. ‘It’s not here. Neither of them is in here.’ Miserably she shook her head. ‘We’ve searched every square inch.’

  ‘Have you indeed!’

  The voice in the doorway brought her up with a jerk. She and Toby spun round.

  Andy was standing in the doorway, staring at them. ‘May I ask what exactly you are searching for?’

  ‘I hardly think you need to ask!’ Toby had straightened from looking through the contents of one of the bedside table drawers, this time inserting his fingers right down the back. ‘Anna wants her diary back, and her scent bottle.’

  ‘And you think I have them?’ Andy was looking very flushed. They could smell beer on his breath.

  ‘I know you have the bottle, Andy and I want it back. And I suspect you’ve got the diary as well.’ Anna fought to keep her voice calm. ‘I think you accused Toby this morning to put me off and it worked for a while. But not now. Give them back to me, please.’

  ‘I’ve put the bottle somewhere safe, which is what you should have done in the first place! But to dare to come here and accuse me of taking your diary! That is outrageous!’ Andy was working himself up into a self-righteous rage. ‘Get out! Get out now!’ He caught Anna by the arm and swung her towards the door. ‘Go on. Get out!’

  ‘Leave her alone, you bastard!’ Behind him Toby stepped forward.

  Letting go of Anna, Andy reeled back.

  As he turned away Toby caught him by the shoulder and spun him round to face him again. ‘Don’t you touch her!’ The aggression in the cabin was palpable.

  ‘Toby!’ Anna screamed. ‘No!’ She snatched at his arm. ‘Don’t! Leave it! What’s the matter with you all? Why is there so much anger on this boat?

  Toby’s expression was furious. He shook Anna off, his fists clenched.

  ‘Toby!’ Anna shouted again. ‘Toby! Don’t! Please!’

  Toby paused. For several seconds the three of them remained unmoving, as if frozen in a tableau on a stage, then slowly the fire went out of Toby’s eyes and he dropped his fist. He pushed Andy away.

  Andy sat down on the bed. His face was white.

  Anna glanced at Toby. ‘I think we’d better go.’

  He nodded. With a final furious glance at Andy he walked out of the cabin.

  ‘Will you be all right?’ Anna followed Toby but in the doorway she paused, looking back.

  Andy nodded.

  ‘It was your fault. You shouldn’t have touched me. And you shouldn’t have taken my things.’

  Andy looked up. ‘I’m sorry, Anna. I’m not sure what came over me. This isn’t like me, it really isn’t. But you do believe me now, don’t you? He’s a killer! Be careful, Anna. Whatever you do, be careful.’

  Anna turned and leaving the cabin pulled the door shut behind her. Toby had gone.

  Shakily she turned away from the stairs towards Serena’s cabin and knocked on the door.

  Serena pulled it open. ‘Did you find it –’ She stopped in mid-sentence. ‘Anna, what is it? What’s happened? Not Anhotep?’

  ‘No, not Anhotep. Andy came back and caught us in the cabin. He and Toby nearly had a fight.’

  ‘A real fight?’ Serena’s eyes rounded.

  ‘A real fight. With fists.’

  Serena bit her lip. ‘Well, I suppose I can’t honestly say I’m surprised. Come in.’ She pulled Anna inside and closed the door behind her. ‘Is Andy all right?’ she asked suddenly, almost as an afterthought.

  ‘He’ll live.’

  ‘And Toby?’

  Anna shrugged. ‘He was terrifying, Serena. He almost lost control for a moment. I could see it in his eyes. If I hadn’t been there, I think he might have hit Andy.’ She bit her lip anxiously, shaking her head. She didn’t believe Toby was a killer, of course she didn’t! But she had seen a side of him now which had frightened her and suddenly she was full of doubt.

  Serena studied her face. ‘Did you find the bottle?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘No.’

  ‘That’s a pity.’ She was thoughtful for a moment, then she shook her head. ‘I have got a theory, Anna. I hope it is wrong.’ She hesitated. ‘I desperately hope it is wrong.’ There was another long pause. ‘The thing is, the other priest, Hatsek, the priest of Sekhmet. He is here. On the boat. I have had my suspicions for some time that when Charley stole the bottle she was in some way affected by him; that maybe he is using her energy and that is why she is growing weaker. There is no question that she is becoming slightly unh
inged. She never used to drink the way she does now. And she’s mentioned Sekhmet once or twice at night in her sleep, crying out the name.’ She shuddered. ‘Charley is not a student of Ancient Egypt, Anna. She had never heard of Sekhmet. She is not interested in any of the stuff I do. In fact she hates it.’

  Anna nodded. ‘And Charley talked of Sekhmet in the bar the other day.’

  ‘Yes, and now there’s something else,’ Serena continued. ‘Toby and Andy. I think he could be feeding on their anger too. There’s this atmosphere on the boat. I can feel it intensifying. It’s affecting us all. Did Toby touch that bottle of yours?’ Anna nodded again.

  ‘And Andy did, of course.’ Serena moved thoughtfully over to the window and stood staring out. Moored as they were against a much larger cruiser all she could see was the glossy white paint of its hull about four feet from her window. ‘And then there is you. Anhotep follows you around. He must be using your energies.’ She sighed. ‘Andy wouldn’t give you the bottle back, I take it?

  ‘No, and we couldn’t prove that he had it.’ Anna sat down on the bed.

  ‘Even though he took it openly and we know he has it. That’s not actually like him. Not like him at all. As you’ve gathered, I don’t get on with him. I don’t really like him, but he is not a thief, Anna.’

  ‘Can you do the ceremony without the bottle?’ Anna looked up hopefully. ‘Could we do it quickly?’

  Serena nodded slowly. She did not look convinced. ‘We can try.’ She reached into a canvas holdall by her bed and pulled out a spiral-backed notebook. It was full of closely packed writing interspersed here and there with diagrams. ‘I’ve been trying to think of an appropriate form of words and ritual to use. We have to conjure them up, summon them both then dismiss them in such a way that they do not come back.’

  ‘And you know how to do this?’ Anna’s eyes were on the notebook.

  Serena looked up at her doubtfully. ‘In theory, yes.’