Page 85 of The Death
She turned and headed back into the palace.
Celine was the first person Eve saw ten minutes later. “Hi, Eve.” She waved at her as she crested the hill and then hurriedtoward the veranda of the palace where Eve was waiting. “I thought I’d leave the guys to poke along behind me to talk construction and diplomacy and all those other things that men get so serious about. Joe was asking Dominic all kinds of technical questions about weapons and the guard unit he assigned here. I’ve seen more guards since we reached the heliport than I did when we took over the village from Caldwell and Zakira. And even Michael was busy playing with Cira and talking to Jane. He said he hadn’t seen either of them since he’d been working here with you and Joe.” She’d reached the veranda now and gave Eve a hug. “And besides, I wanted to get a few moments alone with you after Joe said something about you being a little nervous about the great unveiling.”
“He shouldn’t have mentioned that when I definitely told him I wasn’t nervous.” She smiled. “And you have no right to scoff about men being so serious about any given subjects when you weren’t even sure that you’d be able to make it here today because you’re so in demand as a surgeon that they’re standing in line to get your services. How did you manage to rearrange your schedule?”
“Dominic,” she said simply. “He knew it was important to me, and as usual he pulled strings and reached out to all the right people until he got what he wanted. Before I realized what had happened, we were on our way.”
“Yes, that sounds like Dominic,” Eve said. “I’m glad you were able to come. It was important that you be here.”
Celine frowned. “I wouldn’t have missed it. I would have found a way. But it was strange that Joe thought you might be upset. I was worried that it might have had something to dowith the fact you’d gotten all that damn pressure to use my face on the mask.”
Eve shook her head. “I can only tell you what I told Joe. I created what I saw and what I felt. I sincerely hope you like what I’ve done, Celine, but I somehow feel that Folashade would probably approve.”
“Then that’s good enough for me,” Celine said gently. “Who am I to dispute the queen?”
“I hope no one,” Eve said. “Since we’ve all gone to such trouble to make her happy.” She saw Joe, Michael, Jane, and Dominic coming down the hill now and waved at them, but she was frowning as she turned to gaze searchingly down to the fountain at the center of the village. “I wonder where she—”
“I’m here.” Kontara stepped out of the foyer of the palace. “I went in the back way and put some hors d’oeuvres in the fridge. Though I’d just as soon stay in the kitchen.” She scowled. “I don’t know why you invited me here for the big day, Eve. You know it’s not my cup of tea.”
“Dammit, because you’re an important part of it.” Celine was running across the veranda to hug her. “Now stop being so crabby and say you’re glad to see me.”
“Don’t be pushy. You see that I talk to you on the phone every week,” Kontara said. “I’m a busy woman. I don’t have time to go to palaces for fancy social occasions.”
“Just one occasion,” Eve said patiently. “And you can spare the time from your busy schedule.” She glanced at Celine. “The only way we could get her to stay here was to put her in charge of the five-star restaurant Joe is opening next week in the hotel area of the village.”
“Wonderful,” Celine said. “Control and artistry. Just your things, Kontara.”
Eve chuckled. “Celine, take her inside to catch up and don’t let her escape while I whisk everyone else into the anteroom and get this show on the road.”
“As you command.” Celine linked arms with Kontara and pulled her into the palace. “Come on, let’s obey Eve. This is a big day for her, and we want everything to work out.”
“I’m not arguing. Well, not much.” Kontara wasn’t looking at her. “It’s a big day for me, too.” She paused. “I’ve… missed you.”
“Hey, me too,” Celine said quietly. “And when we perceive a problem, we work on it. So that’s what we’ll have to do…”
“Thank you all for coming,” Eve said quietly as she stepped in the front of the crowded anteroom filled mostly with family and friends.
She smiled as her gaze traveled around the room. “As you know, we’re introducing Folashade to the world tomorrow and then sending her on tour so that she will be able to receive the admiration and understanding she never really received in all her years as queen and pharaoh. It’s what we wanted, and she deserves it. But you’re the only ones I really wanted to bring here to share Folashade’s unveiling.” She wrinkled her nose. “Practically everyone on the planet has heard about what they think happened in Shafira, thanks to the media. That’s why they’re so curious to come and see the mask and perhaps have a story to tell their relatives and neighbors. But you’rethe people who struggled and worked to help bring the queen out to the world, and eventually back to Shafira where she can lie in state. I was just the sculptor who listened and tried to understand what she was trying to say.” She paused. “But my part wasn’t easy, either. Because of all the lies Zakira and his ancestors were telling through the centuries, I had to filter and study to try to find out the truth about Folashade. I still don’t know it all, but I’ll keep trying.” She chuckled ruefully. “But you’re probably getting impatient. I brought you here to let you get a glimpse of the great queen, and here I keep talking and won’t shut up.” She was moving toward the silken sheet at the top of the reconstruction. “Though I should tell you one more thing. When I first asked Zakira why all his ancestors who were members in the council of priests of the court couldn’t stand her when the reigning pharaoh insisted on making her his wife, one of the reasons he gave was that she was plain as a post, and no one understood why he didn’t choose someone more presentable. Of course that was a criticism Zakira agreed with, but then he wasn’t a very discerning individual. So I took the time and let Folashade tell me what she thought.”
Michael was jumping to his feet and rushing forward to help her fold up the cover sheet. He was grinning at her as he murmured, “No ugly duckling?”
She smiled back at him. “Just a late bloomer.” She let him take the folded sheet and stepped aside and gestured toward the golden mask of the sarcophagus and announced, “Folashade.”
Dominic inhaled sharply as his gaze traveled over the beautifully carved features of the reconstruction. “My God. It’s perfect.” He took Celine’s hand and squeezed it. “I didn’tknow what to expect, but this is spectacular.” Folashade was sitting on a throne, and the mask was done in shimmering gold from the crown on her head, past her shoulders, and down to her waist, where the gold texture became draped and soft as it fell to her feet. Every detail of the body and face appeared alive and ready to step out of the sarcophagus at any moment. The face was totally riveting. The eyes were large, full deep-green emeralds, and slightly slanted at the corners. Her features were not perfect, but they reflected pride, kindness, intelligence, and humor. And yet there was also a touch of sternness and weariness that must have been the price of a life as full of tumult as hers had been.
“Power,” Celine whispered. Her gaze flew to Eve. “That’s what you saw in her. It’s there in every line of her face. That’s what Zakira and that council of priests couldn’t understand.”
Eve nodded. “Or maybe they did understand and were afraid of it. Zakira said that Hadabam, the pharaoh she married, had always been a bit sickly as a child. Folashade was a threat.” She added, “And continued to be until the day she died. I’d bet that the council finally found a way to assassinate her, and when she realized she was dying she didn’t want her son to also be a victim. So she arranged to send him to a place the council wouldn’t be able to find him. Greece and Macedonia were mentioned, but the council never succeeded in locating him.” She smiled at Dominic. “You’ve always liked challenges. Could I persuade you to try to find out what happened to him?”
“Tough proposition after four thousand years.” He smiled back at her. “But very interesting.”
“I thought you’d think so. Did he go and find an adventureof his own? Or perhaps he’d had enough of fighting the people who had killed his mother and was looking for a different life. She had made it easy for him by arranging with her friends and supporters to make sure she disappeared from Shafira and was hidden away in the mountains, where she was given her final rites. No one was able to find her tomb for over four thousand years until Zakira managed to do it very recently with the help of a stolen gold mine and Ezra Caldwell, a criminal we were all happy to dispatch.” She turned back to look at the sculpture and mask. “But our work isn’t quite over. Now we have to protect what we’ve created and give Folashade what she lost. Alex Dominic has assigned one of his crack units to furnish the security for the palace and heliport for the people who want to visit her. That’s not enough. We wanted to make it a welcoming place to celebrate her return. All the major tour companies have made Shafira a stop on their African tours. Fine restaurants, libraries, and the mazes and waterfalls that protected her will be available so that everyone can walk and enjoy the beauty and forget the nightmare. Kontara will be in charge of that portion of the exhibit.” She grinned. “And heaven help anyone who gets in her way.”
“Amen,” Celine said. “It sounds like you and Joe have done a terrific job, Eve.” She was still gazing at the gold mask in fascination. “That’s a wonderful sculpture. I feel as if I actually know her.”
“I’m glad you feel like that.” Eve’s eyes were twinkling. “Because I was feeling the same way when I was working on it. It wasn’t quite… finished.” She was quickly unfolding the bottom part of the silk sheet covering the sarcophagus as she spoke. “And neither was her story. I had no way toshow the devotion of the people who had risked their lives to whisk her out of the palace and found her a place where the priests’ council could no longer touch or steal from her.” She looked at Celine and then at Kontara sitting next to her. “But she made sure her story continued, and I found a way to honor them.” She whisked the silk sheet off the bottom of the sarcophagus to reveal the two figures seated on the floor beside the throne where Folashade reigned supreme. They were both in gold chest armor, and yet both were obviously women.
“Oh, my God.” Celine’s gaze was on the face of the sculpture of a dark-haired woman closer to her. “It’s me?” Then her gaze flew to the other figure, whom she noticed had a long, thick red braid over one shoulder. “Kontara?”
