What the River Knows

Exhilarated by their discovery, Inez and Whit laugh until they cry. Whit wants to inform Ricardo and Abdullah that they have found the antechamber to Cleopatra’s tomb, but Inez tells him that she doesn’t trust her uncle. Before she can explain why, Ricardo enters the tomb. Ricardo sends Whit to find Abdullah, and he hurries back with the other man as quickly as he can. Inez and her uncle both realize that her father found the ring in this chamber and sent it to his daughter rather than sharing his discovery with his brother-in-law. Inez fears that she has failed her mother, but she is determined not to miss the adventure of exploring the tomb. Together, Inez, Whit, Ricardo, and Abdullah press tiles marked with symbols for Cleopatra, Marcus Antonius, and one of her sons. A door appears.

Abdullah insists that they wait to enter the burial chamber until the rest of the tomb has been drawn and its contents cataloged. That night, Inez informs her mother that Cleopatra’s tomb has been discovered. Inez suggests that they return home together, but Lourdes insists that she must stop her brother because he murdered her husband. When Inez suggests that they warn Abdullah, Lourdes makes her promise not to say anything. Lourdes gives Inez a magical handkerchief that can shrink objects and tells her to gather as many treasures as she can, adding, “You must shrink any papyrus you find, any scrolls, rolls of parchment, first” (276). She says that a friend of hers will convey them and the treasures to Cairo on Christmas Eve, which is two weeks away.

The next day, Inez begins shrinking and gathering artifacts with the magical handkerchief. When she touches a statuette of an asp, she has a vision of a grief-wracked Cleopatra. That night, she gives dozens of artifacts to her mother, who says, “We’re doing the right thing […] Even if it feels wrong. I’d much rather leave the historical objects where they are” (280). Instead of being reassured by her mother’s words, Inez fears that she is making things worse.

Two weeks later, Inez has given almost 200 artifacts to her mother. Lourdes says that her friend will arrive the next day. The next morning, Ricardo receives an invitation to the annual New Year’s Eve ball at Shepheard’s. He doesn’t want to attend because he is desperate to finish cataloging the tomb’s contents before anyone else learns of the team’s discovery. However, Monsieur Maspero revoked his digging license, and Abdullah convinces him to attend the ball and regain the official’s favor. Because he is Egyptian, Abdullah himself is not invited to the event. Ricardo informs Inez that they will break the seal on Cleopatra’s tomb early the next morning. Later that day, Whit gives Inez a letter from her aunt. Realizing that this may be her last chance to speak to him alone, she confesses, “I’m attracted to you, Whit. More than I’d ever expected” (291). He tells her that he shares her feelings.

The narrative shifts to Whit’s perspective. He watches Inez walk away and wishes that he hadn’t told her how he feels. A letter informs him that his father will come to Egypt to fetch him unless he returns home at once. He hasn’t found the parchment he’s been searching for, so he believes he has no choice but to go to England.

On the night of Christmas Eve, Lourdes and a blond man meet Inez on the bank of the Nile (293). Lourdes takes the last group of artifacts her daughter collected and then asks Inez to look for a bag she dropped on the bank. By the time Inez finds the bag, her mother and the man have sailed away. Wracked with guilt and betrayal, she staggers back to her room. Her mother left a goodbye note for her that encourages her to return home and adds, “Don’t come looking for me. You won’t like what you find” (296). Whit hears Inez’s heartbroken sobs and embraces her. She tells him about her mother’s accusations and about the artifacts she gave to her. Whit explains that Lourdes is the one who has been smuggling for Tradesman’s Gate and that she was having an affair. Inez realizes that her mother planted the letter to Monsieur Maspero to manipulate her. Whit doesn’t blame her for trusting her mother, and he assures her that he’ll help her explain the situation to her uncle.

On Christmas morning, Whit holds Inez’s hand while she explains to Ricardo and Abdullah what she’s done. Her uncle is enraged by his niece’s betrayal and his sister’s efforts to ruin him. Abdullah and Ricardo fear that the discovery of Cleopatra’s tomb will become widely known once Lourdes auctions off the artifacts, but they dare not pursue Lourdes and leave the tomb unguarded. Inez is furious at herself, and Whit encourages her to save her anger for her mother. Isadora offers to give Inez a shooting lesson and leads her away from the camp. Inez explains her miserable mood by saying that she trusted the wrong person. Isadora affirms that the young woman is too trusting, which she demonstrates by briefly aiming her pistol at Inez before handing her the weapon.

After her shooting lesson, Inez meets Whit at Trajan’s Kiosk. He shows her a beautiful painting of the goddess Nuit, and she gives him a sketch she’s made of him. Inez is in love with Whit but believes that his feelings for her are limited to attraction. He explains that his family arranged his betrothal when he was a child and says that he and Inez will “always be friends” (311).

Later that day, Abdullah, Ricardo, Whit, and Inez open the room where the remains of Cleopatra, Marcus Antonius, and Caesarion lie. Inez spends the rest of the day drawing the burial chamber. She returns to her room and opens the letter from her aunt, which informs her that Elvira has gone missing and implores Inez to come home. In tears, Inez explains the situation to her uncle, and he agrees to let her accompany him to Cairo so she can return to Buenos Aires.

The narrative shifts to Whit’s perspective. He tells Ricardo that he must return to England because his sister needs him. He dreads marrying his fiancée, who is essentially a stranger to him. Ricardo thanks Whit for his good work and for leaving Inez alone.