Chapter32
A Colossal Mistake
The following day
As Mahmood had promised, a felucca was waiting for them at a dock directly in front of their hotel.Manned by only two men—one at the bow and one at the stern—the boat featured two sails and was large enough to accommodate their party of ten.
Ten because Bradley, dressed in a white gown and bonnet, joined them for the trip to visit the Colossi of Memnon.
Mahmood was the last to board the ship, ensuring there were five adults seated on each side of the vessel.As the sails filled with the morning breeze and the felucca began the trip across the Nile, he announced the hantours he had arranged to take them to the statues would also be taking them to Medinet Habu.
“To the Temple of Ramesses the Third?”Diana asked in surprise.
“Indeed.It is only three miles from the statues,” he explained.“The area around it is the ruins of an abandoned Coptic village and church.However, the paintings, especially those on the ceilings and between the columns, have survived.I think they are worthy of your attention.”
“I’m going to have to find another sketchbook,” Diana whispered.“I only have a few blank pages left in this one,” she added, patting her satchel.
Randy winced.“We’ll ask at the hotel,” he said.
Across from them Bradley was seated on Helen’s lap, and she was angled so he could watch the water.His excitement was evident when he suddenly attempted to leave her lap—and the felucca.
“Bradley!”she scolded, following his line of sight to discover what had him so excited.
“Croc’dile!”Bradley said happily, his chubby fist waving toward the water.
A quick glance at the dark green shape swimming alongside the hull confirmed her brother’s assessment.Inhaling sharply, Helen wrapped her arms around him and quickly moved to the center of the deck, nearly tripping on her skirts.Tom and David were both up from their seats along the starboard side of the boat, reaching out in an attempt to keep her on her feet.She ended up in David’s arms.
“A crocodile!”Stella confirmed, quickly rising to join Helen in the center of the deck.
The sudden shift in weight had the captain shouting a warning, and shouting again when Harry leaned out in an effort to confirm this wife’s claim.
“There is nothing to be afraid of,” Mahmood said, his hands held out, palms down, in an effort to calm the group.“The crocodiles will not come aboard,” he assured them.
“What about at the dock?”Barbara asked in worry.
“We will keep them away.”
Meanwhile, Helen had regained her feet and was left staring at Tom when David released his hold on her, Bradley perched on one of her hips.
“Bach’lor,” he said, a pudgy finger finger pointing at David.
“You remembered!”David said in delight.At Helen’s look of surprise,” he added, “I’ve been trying to teach him some new words,” he said proudly.
Bradley pointed his finger at Tom and said, “Dada.”
“I think not,” Tom replied, a look of horror on his face.
Helen blinked twice, turned, and thanked David for his help.Then she carefully returned to her seat.Meanwhile, Stella plucked the boy from her hold and settled him on her lap, where one of his thumbs caught his attention before ending up in his mouth.
Directing a look of disdain at his cousin, David returned to his seat.Tom sighed and settled back onto his for the remainder of the short trip.
An hour later
“They’re huge,” Randy murmured, turning to help Diana down from their hantour.Once she was on the ground, his steps were hurried as he made his way toward one of the two seated statues that loomed ahead of them.Water nearly surrounded the bases of the statue, a sign they had been built on the floodplain of the Nile.
“I told you they were,” Diana whispered.Dressed as she was in her breeches and boots, she was able to keep up with him.“Sixty feet tall.”
“How much graffiti will we find, do you suppose?”he asked, ignoring the shallow lake to get as close as possible to the base of the statue on the right.
