The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters Read Free Book Online Page A

"The fact is, the fellow's struggles, or fit, or feigned fit, ended shortly after you left, Peabody. He was limp and unresponsive, so I went to the sideboard to get him a glass of brandy. That is all I remember. It must have been Saleh who banged me on the head, though, since I only turned my back for a few seconds and I am sure I would have heard the door open."
    "Not if another person was already in the room," I said, before Ramses could point this out. "In concealment, behind the draperies or on the balcony."
    "Ridiculous," said Emerson, for he could see where this line of argument was heading. "How could another person have got in? The suffragi—"
    "Is susceptible to bribery. I suggest we interrogate him immediately."
    "Out of the question, Peabody. Your theory is pure fantasy."
    "Let us assume," said Ramses, "since there is no indication of another person being present, and since there are a number of logistical difficulties, such as how he could have got in without being observed by the suffragi, and how he could have departed, dragging an unconscious body—"
    "Oh, for pity's sake, Ramses," I snapped. "Let someone else speak occasionally. Nefret has been trying to get a word in for the past five minutes. The points you have made are valid, though my initial suggestion, that the suffragi might have been bribed or temporarily absent from his post, would account for the seeming anomalies. Furthermore, I cannot conceive why Mr. Saleh should come here for the admitted purpose of giving us information and then suddenly change his mind and resort to physical violence in order to get away, for if he had changed his mind, he had only to say so; there was no need, surely ..."
    My breath gave out. Nefret was first out of the starting gate this time.
    "Quite right, Aunt Amelia, that is just what I was going to say. It is much more likely that some unknown second party wanted to silence Mr. Saleh before he could betray the secret. And that means ... But you see what it means, Aunt Amelia!"
    "Oh, good Gad," Emerson groaned, taking his pipe from his mouth. "Nefret, don't encourage her. You may consider that an order."
    "He is just making one of his little jokes," I told Nefret.
    Emerson said, "Damn," and banged his pipe against the ash receptacle.
    I said, "Language, Emerson, please."
    Emerson said, "You drive me to it, Peabody."
    "But Nefret is correct, Emerson. The fellow's symptoms were consistent with those of strychnine poisoning, and I detected a distinct odor of bitter almonds."
    "I beg your pardon, Mother," said Ramses—for his father had gone red in the face and was incapable of articulation. "But I fear you are confusing your poisons. Prussic acid is the one that smells like almond extract. Furthermore, both prussic acid and strychnine act very quickly. Are you suggesting that the postulated poison was in the whiskey you served him? That was the only substance he imbibed within the requisite time period, but had whiskey been the medium, you and Father would also have been affected."
    "That is precisely the point I intended to make," said Emerson.
    "Did you get a look at the map, Father?" Ramses asked.
    "What map? Oh—you mean the paper Saleh was about to show me? I don't know that it was a map. I had requested—demanded, in fact— specific directions. His reply was, 'I thought you might ask that.' He then took the paper from his pocket."
    "Precisely," Ramses said. "So it must have been a map, or a verbal substitute therefor."
    "Or a blank sheet of paper," Emerson grumbled. "Confound it, Ramses, you are as bad as they are. The most logical explanation is that the fellow is a lunatic. He believes in his own fantasy, that he is the reincarnation or the descendant of an ancient Egyptian priest, but when he was forced to produce evidence he went into a fit rather than admit the truth to me or to himself. By this time he is safe at home, wherever that may be, and no doubt he is firmly convinced that he and I were attacked by