Misplaced (103 page)

V
ictori
a
surrendere
d
wha
t
littl
e
rationa
l
though
t
sh
e
had
.
“
All right.”

Be
n
aske
d
abou
t
he
r
childhood
,
he
r
work
.
Hi
s
questions
w
er
e
s
o
completel
y
benig
n
tha
t
boredo
m
threatened
.
Fo
r
a
while
,
the
y
sat
.
Draggin
g
heavil
y
o
n
th
e
cigarett
e
pinched
bet
w
een
his
thumb
and
index
finger,
he
offered
it
to
V
ictoria.
Th
e
v
erdant-smellin
g
smok
e
transporte
d
he
r
bac
k
t
o
he
r
day
s
in
college
.
Sh
e
too
k
a
lon
g
dra
g
jus
t
befor
e
Be
n
suddenl
y
turne
d
to her—o
r
rathe
r
turne
d
o
n
her—seizin
g
he
r
fac
e
wit
h
bot
h
hands.

“O
h
n
o
yo
u
don’t,
”
sh
e
cried
,
punchin
g
an
d
kickin
g
i
n
a
futil
e
attemp
t
t
o
pus
h
hi
m
a
w
ay
.
Hi
s
e
y
elid
s
fluttered
,
he
mad
e
od
d
trillin
g
sounds
,
an
d
ble
w
smok
e
int
o
i
n
he
r
face.
Through
the
haze,
Ben’s
high
cheekbones
and
thin
lips
began
t
o
dissol
v
e
.
A
fa
r
heavie
r
brow
,
fulle
r
lips
,
an
d
wide
r
nose
re
v
ealed
themsel
v
es.
His
skin
grew
darker
than
the
moonless
night
,
an
d
fea
r
sho
t
throug
h
V
ictori
a
a
s
sh
e
recognize
d
th
e
face.
Fierce
e
y
es
and
flaring
nostrils
superimposed
themsel
v
es
o
v
er
Ben’
s
gentl
e
features
,
an
d
a
n
enormou
s
presenc
e
surrounded
her.

“I
am
Nandor,
guardian
of
the
House
of
Pharaoh.
Do
not be
afraid,”
commanded
a
voice
as
low
and
steady
as
the
drums she
’
d
heard
earlier.
P
erhaps
they
w
ere
the
same.
He
explored
th
e
depth
s
o
f
he
r
sou
l
befor
e
proclaiming
,
“I
t
fall
s
upo
n
you t
o
mak
e
certai
n
tha
t
Princes
s
Khar
a
return
s
t
o
clai
m
Egypt’
s throne.”

“Hah
!
Doesn’
t
sh
e
deser
v
e
a
futur
e
o
f
he
r
ow
n
choosing?
Whether
it
w
as
your
intention
or
not,
you
ga
v
e
her
a
new
life.
Now
you
w
ant
to
take
it
back?
Don’t
you
w
ant
something
for
her besides retribution?”

“Ther
e
i
s
fa
r
mor
e
a
t
stake.
”
H
e
release
d
hi
s
hol
d
o
n
her
face
.
“Egypt’
s
greates
t
ad
v
ance
s
d
o
no
t
begi
n
unti
l
afte
r
the
princes
s
returns
.
Ah,
”
h
e
sai
d
knowingly
,
lookin
g
dee
p
into
V
ictoria’s
e
y
es,
“but
you
ha
v
e
already
considered
this,
ha
v
en’t
you?”

Nando
r
’
s
face
w
a
s a
reflectio
n
o
f
someon
e
much
maligned; his e
y
es o
v
erflo
w
ed
with loss. “There
w
as
no
time
to
do
anything
but
sa
v
e
her
life.
How
coul
d
I
kno
w
tha
t
m
y
action
s
woul
d
onl
y
ad
d
t
o
th
e
burde
n
she
alread
y
carries?
”
h
e
asked
,
th
e
profoun
d
sadnes
s
i
n
hi
s
voice
bringing
tears
to
her
e
y
es.
“Did
she
tell
you
that
it
w
as
I
who
too
k
he
r
an
d
he
r
siste
r
fro
m
he
r
dyin
g
mothe
r
an
d
bathe
d
them
in sunlight for the first
time?”

I
n
th
e
momen
t
o
f
silenc
e
tha
t
follo
w
ed
,
V
ictori
a
felt
somethin
g
pas
s
bet
w
ee
n
them
. A
heav
y
w
eight
,
neither
comforting nor
w
arm, settled
on her shoulders.

“
A
v
ast
alteration
in
the
fabric
of
time
will
occur
if
she
does
no
t
re
t
urn,
”
Ben’
s
han
d
s
w
ep
t
t
h
e
ai
r
po
w
erfull
y
.
“Th
e
g
reat
ligh
t
tha
t
i
s
Egypt’
s
legac
y
wil
l
b
e
dela
y
e
d
fo
r
hundred
s
of
y
ears
;
perhap
s
i
t
wil
l
ne
v
e
r
shin
e
a
t
all
.
Wha
t
wil
l
happe
n
to
civilizatio
n
whe
n
th
e
grea
t
librar
y
o
f
Alexandri
a
i
s
no
t
built?
Conside
r
th
e
dela
y
o
f
technolog
y
i
n
you
r
ow
n
nation
,
o
f
all
you
r
ad
v
ances.
”
H
e
shoo
k
hi
s
hea
d
wit
h
a
n
ai
r
o
f
concern.
P
erhaps
,
V
ictori
a
thought
,
it’
s
no
t
concer
n
a
t
all
,
bu
t
disdai
n
for
those ad
v
ances.