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with Sir Walter, the writer's love of antiquities, their mysteries and stories, became a
consuming passion of his own. With Sir Walter's acquisitiveness and Andrew's money, the
collections, though started late, had already grown to such proportions that he had added a
museum wing to his home in the Scottish Borders.
'Perhaps," she said. "As you say, we soon will know."
Just then, the telephone rang. Andrew answered. "Yes, Contessa. She's right here. I'll put her
on."
The Contessa Virginie Dumont sounded slightly out of breath. "Your message was forwarded
to me and I tried to call you back when I got it, but it was blocked then, saying you were no
longer available," she said. "I am on Kefalos. We were betrayed by one of the people we tried
to help. Gabriella and her family were attacked, the police told me, although the idiots implied
that perhaps they were not and Gabriella made up the story to cover for her supposed part in a
robbery and attempted sabotage of the Biblioteca last night."
'Why in the hell would they think something like that?" Leda asked.
'Perhaps they were led to believe it by people who wished them not to look too closely into
the matter."
'You think they were bribed?"
'Probably. They are certainly wrong. I spoke to her when I called to warn her, and she could
have been killed but for this rather devastating man I met later, here on Kefalos.'
'Wait. What man?"
Ginia explained. "His name is Galen Kronos and after meeting my niece he well, I cannot
discuss it on the telephone." There was a bit of a giggle in the contessa's voice. Leda was
annoyed. Ginia shouldn't have mentioned the guy's name if there was something about him
she wasn't going to discuss because it was too sensitive.
'Odd that he rescues Gabriella, then ends up on Kefalos at the same time as Ginia," Leda
mused.
'Not all that odd," Cleopatra replied, amused. "I have a feeling that my counterpart may have
had a hand in that. If the man was as devastating as Ginia says, he may be a worthy vessel for
Antony."
"She must have found that doohickey then, the one with Antony's hair. I'm surprised she'd
hand it over to a strange guy, tell him to go blend with Antony, and he'd trot right off to do
that little thing. I've never known devastating guys to be so accommodating myself."
'I believe I may be able to help you change that, Leda dear," Cleo purred, smugly, Leda
thought. "Our Andrew, for instance, appears ready to accommodate you in most matters."
"Yes, well, 1 feel sort of the same about him. What's not to like? He seems like a real grown-
up person, not just another bad boy. He knows all about the blend, is blended with a great
author, also a real grown-up person but with a lot of brilliant romantic notions. He thinks,
reads, is age-appropriate, not bad-looking, thinks I'm not bad-looking, and I like him a lot.
But Cleo?"
"Yes?"
'When it comes to being accommodating on our behalf, please remember that I'm somewhat
older and a whole lot creakier than you were the last time you indulged in horizontal
refreshment with Antony. I'm not sure what it was exactly you did in bed that rendered
Romans so accommodating but I hope if it was really athletic, you'll respect your vessel
and tone it down a bit, okay?"
'Was it bad news?" Andrew asked.
She told him.
'Poor lass, this is a great strain for you, isn't it? Have you been sleeping at all?"
She admitted she had not.
'You should lie down, get some rest. There are two extra rooms in this barn of a suite. I'll call
you if anything comes up."
Gratefully, she agreed, though she doubted she'd be able to do more than a quick nap.
However, as soon as she lay down, she was plunged into a deep, dreaming sleep.
The cisterns were three stone-vaulted stories deep, and although Gabriella's flashlight was not
strong enough to make out many details, she knew that many of the repairs had been done
with ancient columns from other structures, the capitals stuck on upside down on some. Still,
it was an awesome feat of architecture. It was actually something for which Egypt was well-
known.
They descended past the first arch and the second, but as they approached the ground,
Gabriella's light picked up the black gleam of water quite high on the columns.
'I was afraid of this," she moaned to herself.
'If the floods no longer come, from where came these waters?" Cleopatra asked.
'It must be left over from the quake," Gabriella guessed. "My guess is it's salt water, not fresh.
Perhaps it filled these lower levels when the sea came flooding back into the harbor, but there
is a blockage closer to the shore that prevented the waters from receding into the sea again.
This is too high for us to wade. We'll have to take our chances on the street."
She began climbing back up the ladder but when she came to the opening through which she
had descended into the cistern, she found it was no longer open. A stone slab sat directly
overhead. She could not budge it with the single hand she could spare from the ladder, which
trembled beneath her feet.
'Trapped," she said. "Probably unintentionally. Some enterprising security guard no doubt
remembered the excavation and that it had an entrance to the cisterns."
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