Free The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters

however, since sounds of verbal combat could be heard from below.
    I took copious notes as we proceeded. There were—how well I remembered!—four staterooms, two on either side of a narrow passage, and a bathroom with water laid on. The saloon looked much as I remembered it, with high windows along the curved side; the ivory paneling had been freshly painted and the gilt trim renewed; with an indescribable thrill of emotion I realized that the crimon curtains might well be the same ones Evelyn and I had selected all those years ago. They were certainly faded and tattered enough. Emotion notwithstanding, they would have to be replaced. I made a note.
    Emerson began to look a little surly as my list lengthened, and I had to increase the frequency and intensity of my squeals of rapture. They had an equally soothing effect on Abdullah. His look of apprehension (for he and I had had a number of little disagreements on the subject of proper accommodations) was soon replaced by a smile; and indeed I had not the heart to complain. I realized I would have to find some subterfuge in order to do the necessary shopping, since both Abdullah and Emerson were sublimely unconscious of any deficiencies.
    "Tomorrow, then," Emerson declared. "We will come on board early, Abdullah. Have everything in readiness."
    "Er—perhaps we ought to speak with the captain, Emerson," I suggested.
    He and the other members of the crew had awaited us when we arrived; the exuberance of Abdullah's relations and the violent reaction of Emerson to the news of a visitor had prevented us from greeting them as we ought to have done. I made haste to compensate for this rudeness with an extravagant display of affability. The reis, a tall, upstanding chap with a neat black beard, looked so like Hassan, my former captain, that I was not surprised to learn he was the latter's son.
    "I have heard many stories about you, Sitt Hakim," he said, his steady black eyes holding the same glint of humor with which his father had often regarded me.
    "I'll wager you have," said Emerson. "Your esteemed father is well, I hope?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "So, Hassan, we will leave tomorrow."
    Egyptians had become accustomed to Emerson's manners, which by Arab standards were uncouth in the extreme; Hassan smiled, but he informed us with the greatest possible courtesy that we could not possibly sail next day. The cook had been unable to obtain vegetables of the proper quality, the steersman had hurt his back, and so on. I had expected this, which was why I had not argued with Emerson about the time of departure. After some discussion and (on Emerson's part) cursing, a compromise was reached. We would depart on the Thursday, two days hence.
    We retrieved the cat and Ramses from the saloon, where he had remained looking over the library, and returned to our carriage. Ramses had possessed a hat when we started out. When I asked him what had become of it he looked even blanker than usual.
    "I regret to say that I do not know, Mother." Without drawing breath, he went on, "Who was that corpulent gentleman and what did he want?"
    "I hope he is not a friend of yours," Nefret said. "What a horrible man! He looked like a statue of Taueret."
    I had myself been struck by the resemblance. The goddess Taueret was often shown as a hippopotamus standing erect. In appearance she was certainly one of the most grotesque of all Egyptian deities, but her aspect was benevolent, for she was the patroness of childbirth. I said automatically, "One should not judge individuals by their appearance, Nefret."
    "Nefret has it right, though," Emerson declared. "He is a horrible man. His name is Riccetti. Some years ago he was the Austrian consular agent in Luxor and one of the most successful antiquities dealers in the country."
    "Ah," said Ramses. "By successful, I presume you mean to imply dishonest."
    "That depends on one's definition of dishonest," Emerson admitted. "In most cases the consular