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‘Heaven forfend!’ Durham had objected ‘It is true there are more talented illustrators in matters technical, but I do not know of another who could capture the emotions that quiver between the characters of your tales One always feels that any moment that world will come to life and we shall all be swept into the adventure I fear readers already attached to her ie ht affect our sales, Lord Edward’

I don’t give a rat’s ass about sales, Edge had wanted to respond, but it was not true The first book was published when Jacob was barely a year old, just before he fell ill Edge had loved reading to Jacob—his son’s cinnaht with pleasure at the cadence of his reading and his laugh e had no idea if his stories reached Jacob, but he kneithout a doubt the illustrations did—whenever a page contained an illustration, Jacob’s plue until Jacob looked his fill

Unlike the Egyptians Edge did not believe in life after death, neither in heaven or hell or anything in between But he wanted desperately to believe in it so he could iine Jacob still existed somewhere other than in his dried husk of a heart And if that was so, every book he wrote, and every illustration Sam dreas for Jacob

‘What is wrong, Edge?’

He hadn’t noticed she’d stopped drawing or that she atching him He turned away

‘It’s boiling out here At least come inside the temple There’s even a statue of Senusret in there for you to cliht fit on his lap’

Well, that was a , but it was replaced by the iling as she settled, the stone war

‘Help me up, then’ She extended a hand and he took and helped her to her feet, her hand warave a little s are still stiff after that ride yesterday I oo to a hamam and have someone—’

‘Blast it, Sae also took root in his already disorderedthe taut hs, warht you’d finally grown up’

He saw anger flash in her eyes and was alrateful if she pushed hi impulses

‘Well, I thought the saht’ She moved past him towards the bank of sand and this time he did not try to help her down

Sam knew the moment they entered Bahariya that news of Rafe had arrived There was a welco ale reached them first

‘They’ve found him?’

‘News of hirasped his hand, her other extended towards Poppy ‘They stopped in Farafra several days ago and so are likely in Cairo by now’

Edge turned to al-Walid