Cherish Collection January 2014 (Books 1-12). Rebecca Winters

beginning to find Ancient Egypt fascinating,’ Freya told him. ‘This place we’re going to today—’

      ‘The Giza Necropolis,’ Amos put in.

      ‘Yes, the place with all those pyramids. Will I see Tutankhamun’s tomb?’

      ‘No, that’s not here,’ Amos said. ‘He’s further down the Nile, in the Valley of the Kings. But it’s quite near Edfu, so you can see him when we go there.’

      ‘So who is in the Giza Necropolis?’ Freya asked.

      ‘Khentkaus the First,’ Amos said.

      ‘Who was he?’

      ‘Not he—she,’ Jackson said. ‘We don’t know very much about her—even who she really was. There are a thousand stories that she was the daughter of one pharaoh and the wife of another—maybe two others. She might have reigned in her own right—or maybe not. Or perhaps she was the mother of two pharaohs and the regent of one. All we know for sure is that she must have been someone important for her tomb to be located here, among kings. Apart from that she’s a woman of mystery.’

      ‘I thought Cleopatra was the great woman of mystery,’ Freya observed.

      ‘In a sense,’ Jackson agreed. ‘But we know so much about Cleopatra that there’s less mystery to enjoy. Khentkaus hides behind a fog of ambiguity.’

      ‘Ah, yes, that sounds far more fun,’ Freya agreed.

      ‘Definitely.’

      They shared a nod.

      ‘Time we were going,’ Larry said.

      Of the journey out to the Giza Necropolis she gazed, entranced, out of the window.

      ‘Where’s Khentkaus?’ she asked.

      ‘Her pyramid is just a ruin,’ Jackson said. ‘There’s very little to see. We’ll do a final shoot today and bid her goodbye.’

      No sooner had they arrived than Larry summoned Jackson, saying, ‘We’ve got a problem.’

      ‘He doesn’t look pleased,’ Freya observed, for Larry’s face bore signs of intense exasperation. ‘Have you offended him?’

      ‘You bet I have,’ Jackson said. ‘I made some changes to the script we’re shooting. I often do that, and it makes him mad.’

      ‘I shouldn’t think the scriptwriter’s too pleased either.’

      ‘No, but he’s a wise man. He just keeps quiet and does what the boss tells him.’

      ‘The boss being Larry?’

      ‘Officially...’

      ‘And unofficially?’

      Jackson grinned. ‘What do you think?’

      ‘That’s the spirit,’ Amos declared, delighted.

      ‘I guess I’m not your son for nothing,’ Jackson said. ‘But I sometimes have to make a show of deferring to Larry, just to keep the peace. From the way he’s holding up that script and thumping it, this may be one of those times.’

      He went over to Larry. The others watched, fascinated to see what would happen next, but they were disappointed when both men walked away and disappeared behind some stones.

      ‘That’s a pity,’ Freya said. ‘It could have been fun.’

      ‘Jackson will win,’ Debra predicted. ‘He always does. He likes to change the words and even direct the research. And if he doesn’t get what he wants there’s trouble.’

      ‘There they are,’ Freya said, pointing.

      Larry and Jackson had reappeared, still arguing. The listeners could make out most of the words.

      ‘It’s just that I can’t see it that way,’ Larry was saying. ‘The original idea—’

      ‘The original idea was full of holes, and it’s got to be put right.’ Jackson jabbed at something in the script. ‘I can’t say that. It doesn’t make sense. I’ve told you what I’m going to say instead.’

      ‘If you can get Pete to agree.’

      Pete was the scriptwriter.

      ‘No, you’ll do that. Just tell him everything’s been decided.’

      ‘And has it?’

      ‘You know it has.’ Jackson’s grin made him charming, although his words were implacable. ‘C’mon, we’ve sorted it now. I’m not going to stand up before the camera and say something I don’t agree with, so that’s it. It’s all settled.’

      Jackson returned to their side.

      ‘Larry’s agreed to the script change. I had to admit I’d been in two minds about it at first—’

      ‘That was bad,’ Amos said quickly. ‘You shouldn’t have admitted that.’

      ‘Well, it didn’t do any harm. He’s even going to arrange some extra shots to illustrate what I’m going to say.’

      ‘Good. You did well. Mind you, you took too long. You should have been firmer from the start. Then he’d have capitulated sooner.’

      ‘And there would have been a lot of bad feeling,’ Jackson said. ‘I work with these people. I don’t want bad feeling. It’s better my way.’

      Amos shook his head.

      ‘You still have something to learn about standing up to people. For one thing, you should never tell them anything they might use against you. Never let them suspect a weakness. But you’ll learn. Wait till you reach my age.’

      ‘I’m not sure I’ll ever reach your age. Freya will have strangled me long before that. Right—time to get to work.’

      Before leaving he gave Freya a significant look that she understood at once. He was reminding her of their talk in the dawn, of how troubled he was by this side of him although he couldn’t help making use of it. She offered him a smile of reassurance and he gave her a brief nod.

      Everything went well after that. Despite his firm stand Jackson still managed to stay on good terms with the others. She watched him with interest, fascinated by his expertise as he led the cameras over the ruins of Khentkaus’ tomb and delivered a eulogy.

      ‘After thousands of years,’ he said, ‘there are still many questions. How many of her children took the throne? How many of her descendants walk the world today? Truly she was a woman of mystery, and the mystery lingers even now. Will those questions ever be answered? Probably not. Like many a woman of mystery, she prefers to keep her secrets to herself.’

      He gave the smile that had done so much to win him an audience of eager fans.

      ‘But one day—who knows?—perhaps she will choose to open her heart to us.’

      ‘Cut!’ Larry yelled. ‘That’s great. All right, everyone. Time to go.’

      * * *

      Dinner that night was cheerful. Debra even made a jokey comment about the argument she and Freya had witnessed.

      ‘You won, then?’ she teased Jackson.

      ‘Of course,’ Jackson declared, raising his glass in Larry’s direction.

      ‘It’s got something to do with him being a Falcon,’ Larry said, ‘and there being a falcon god. I had to make use of that.’

      ‘I think it’s a great idea,’ Freya said.

      ‘Of course. After all, your own name is an invitation all by itself.’

      ‘My name?’ she echoed, puzzled.

      Larry regarded her quizzically. ‘Don’t say you don’t know?’

      ‘Know