It Happened in Egypt

As soon as he finished reading the documents, Fenton, who was stationed in Khartum, enthusiastically telegraphed the author. When the business in Cairo was over, Fenton was to leisurely up the Nile while dressed like a local to ascertain the veracity of some rumors. There had been "incidents," tiny but unpleasant, at Denderah, Luxor, and other locations. It was heavenly to arrive in a tiny oasis and see the luncheon tent's open front and awning mirrored in the beautiful lagoon with its green palm tree backdrop. Monny and the other members of her party were escorted by the eunuch into a sizable, gloomy chamber that they could only see via a screen wall, but from which they could also view a tiny, grassy court that acted as a garden. Biddy followed me as she gazed intently at the antique home, her eyes wide with interest. She was impressed by the enormous hall, whose arches led to gloomy, perfumed gardens. She was mesmerized by the Sudanese band, which consisted of ink-black giants wearing white uniforms and singing wild traditional music under the full moon. They were sandal tread patterns, and they led across the floor to something glittering in the center of the room. It had a hazy shape resembling a covered coffin with a high, pointed object on top.