Free Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

after a short visit to the Graeco-Roman
     theatre, went to bed early. They were to make an early start the next morning as it was a
     full day's motor run across the desert to Ma'an.
    They left soon after eight o'clock. The party was inclined to be silent. It was a hot
     airless day and by noon when a halt was made for a picnic lunch to be eaten, it was
     really, stiflingly hot. The irritation on a hot day of being boxed up closely with four
     other human beings had got a little on everyone's nerves.
    Lady Westholme and Dr. Gerard had a somewhat irritable argument over the League of
     Nations. Lady Westholme was a fervent supporter of the League. The Frenchman, on the other
     hand, chose to be witty at the League's expense. From the attitude of the League
     concerning Abyssinia and Spain they passed to the Lithuania boundary dispute of which
     Sarah had never heard and from there to the activities of the League in suppressing dope
     gangs.
    “You must admit they have done wonderful work. Wonderful!” snapped Lady Westholme.
    Dr. Gerard shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps. And at wonderful expense, too!”
    “The matter is a very serious one. Under the Dangerous Drugs Act - ” The argument waged on.
    Miss Pierce twittered to Sarah: “It is really most interesting traveling with Lady
     Westholme.”
    Sarah said acidly: “Is it?” but Miss Pierce did not notice the acerbity and twittered
     happily on: “I've so often seen her name in the papers. So clever of women to go into
     public life and hold their own. I'm always so glad when a woman accomplishes something!”
    “Why?” demanded Sarah ferociously.
    Miss Pierce's mouth fell open and she stammered a little. “Oh, because - I mean - just
     because - well - it's so nice that women are able to do things!”
    “I don't agree,” said Sarah. “It's nice when any human being is able to accomplish
     something worthwhile! It doesn't matter a bit whether it's a man or a woman. Why should
     it?”
    “Well, of course - ” said Miss Pierce. “Yes - I confess - of course, looking at it in that
     light - ” But she looked slightly wistful. Sarah said more gently: “I'm sorry, but I do
     hate this differentiation between the sexes. 'The modern girl has a thoroughly
     businesslike attitude to life!' That sort of thing. It's not a bit true! Some girls are
     businesslike and some aren't. Some men are sentimental and muddle-headed, others are
     clear-headed and logical. There are just different types of brains. Sex only matters where
     sex is directly concerned.”
    Miss Pierce flushed a little at the word sex and adroitly changed the subject. “One can't
     help wishing that there were a little shade,” she murmured. “But I do think all this
     emptiness is so wonderful, don't you?”
    Sarah nodded. Yes, she thought, the emptiness was marvelous... Healing... Peaceful... No
     human beings to agitate one with their tiresome inter-relationships... No burning personal
     problems! Now, at last, she felt, she was free of the Boyntons. Free of that strange
     compelling wish to interfere in the lives of people whose orbit did not remotely touch her
     own. She felt soothed and at peace. Here was loneliness, emptiness, spaciousness... In
     fact, peace... Only, of course, one wasn't alone to enjoy it. Lady Westholme and Dr.
     Gerard had finished with drugs and were now arguing about guileless young women who were
     exported in a sinister manner to Argentinean cabarets. Dr. Gerard had displayed throughout
     the conversation a levity which Lady Westholme, who, being a true politician, had no sense
     of humor, found definitely deplorable.
    “We go on now, yes?” announced the tar-bushed dragoman and began to talk about the
     iniquities of Jews again.
    It was about an hour off sunset when they reached Ma'an at last. Strange wild-faced men
     crowded around the car. After a short halt they went on. Looking over the flat desert
     country Sarah was at a