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We headed back to the bank, where Ben retrieved the backpack froht ofshowed behind the horizon, we arrived at a harbor on the outskirts of a s around, I was disappointed to see only cruise ships

"What now?" I asked, looking nervously at the sky

Ben eyed the huge ships

"We have two options Keep traveling by foot and hope we find another boat soon, before the sun rises… or buy tickets on one of these cruise ships"

I stared at hi if the last part was some kind of joke

"You, on a cruise?"

He looked back at ht, I don’t think it’s a good idea to travel by land But we need to keepsky "Trustthis, but I think we’re going to be safer on one of those cruise ships, at least until tonight" I gaped at him as he continued "Bythe Nile, of course it will go slow, but then we’ll only need oneby foot--if that--and we’ll end up in Ismailia There we’re sure to find a boat to take us down to the Red Sea, toward the Gulf of Aden, and hopefully as far as the Arabian Sea"

After everything I had seen of Ben’s behavior, I was beyond nervous at the idea of hi stuck on a boat surrounded by possibly hundreds of huulped, then looked toward the s by the sign above its door, was a ticket office

"Well, first, let’s see if there are even tickets available," I said "Theyand I was surprised to see it was open so early Ben moved close behind me, one arm around my waist as I pushed the door open and we stepped inside

There was a bleary-eyed Araba smile

Ben motioned to take a seat next to me behind the desk, but I sat myself on his lap so that the back of ainst his face It was too early in the hter

The man raised a brow at ," I replied in Arabic, clearing my throat "What cruises do you have available today?"

He pulled out a pa and stopping by this port Where would you like to go?"

"Uh, any ship traveling north or eastward"

He frowned "That’s a little vague, ma’am"

"What is the earliest you have?"