Bahaa Taher - Sunset Oasis

O Divine One of the Hidden Names, O Thou who Openest Thine Eyes and the Light Leaps into Life and Closes Them and the Darkness Falls, Justly Dost Thou Rule Thy Servants. Thou Shinest by Day over Their Land and by Night Thou Travellest to Oversee the Immortal Inhabitants of Thy Kingdom in the West. Grant Me Thy Blessing, O God. Increase Me with Thy Strength. Thou Art He Who Hath Thwarted All the Enemies in the Land and on the Horizons of the West. Accept This Prayer from Thy Servant Sanharib, Who Rules Thy Sacred Desert in Thy Name. Far from Here They plunged Thy Feet Far into the Water but Thou Returnest to Bless Thy Land and the Land of Thy Father. I, Thy Servant, Raise My Prayer to You in This Temple Erected to Thy Glory, the Temple of Thy Brother Pharaoh, Son of Amun.

Catherine stopped reading and looked at us proudly though saying, in a tone of resignation, 'The name of the pharaoh is unclear, and in many places I've had to use my imagination where writing in the columns is illegible. For example, the sign for "water" is clear and I confirmed it when I returned to visit the temple, but the context — meaning the return to the land of thy father and so on — there I had to use my imagination because the writing is completely erased But then, who is it who "thwarted all the enemies in the land"? To whom other than Alexander could this prayer be made?'

No one said anything for a moment. Then Fiona asked, 'Is that everything?'

'Yes,' replied Catherine.

Then she continued, turning her gaze to me, 'Until circumstances allow a visit to the remains of the temple at Bilad el Roum. I believe that is the place meant in this prayer. I believe that it is the sepulchre, or that the sepulchre is in a hidden tomb next to it. The Egyptians are experts at hiding the tombs of their kings to keep them out of the way of thieves, as you know.'

With surprising vehemence, Fiona said, 'But… but what you read isn't evidence of anything, Catherine!'

Catherine protested. 'How can that be? I went to great efforts to explain…'

Fiona interrupted her, and now it was she who was making the effort, to wrest the words from the midst of her disjointed breathing, despite which she persisted with what she had to say.

'This prayer… or encomium… could have been made to any god… or any ancient king… and in the most important part, you say you resorted to imagination. Isn't that exactly the criticism that Mi…'

She didn't complete the name but I understood she meant Catherine's first husband. Catherine responded obstinately,

'That's because he was without imagination. Time will show that my theory is correct and the tomb of Alexander is here.'

In an extremely quiet voice, Fiona said, 'Perhaps. I'm sorry, Catherine.' She fell silent, but I noticed that the blood had gone from her face and that she was breathing hard as she leant with both her hands on the table and, with difficulty, stood upright. Then she staggered and I ran to support her with my hand before she could fall.

Catherine screamed too and ran to support her sister with me. Together we moved her to the bed and Catherine started moistening her face with water and holding scent under her nose. Her breathing was weak but she opened her eyes once and tried to smile at her sister. Then she closed them again.

I contemplated the body lying stretched out on the bed and the face, which was turning blue, and I asked Catherine quietly, 'Is she dying now?'

She screamed in my face, striking my chest with her two fists, 'No! No! Don't say that! She's fainted lots of times before and revived. She'll revive now! Right now! Yes, she must.'

I didn't remove my eyes from the sleeping face. The eyes were closed but they remain graven on my memory.

I said, 'The sun really has got warm again… and Zubeida will be able to… I mean Sheikh Yahya's medicines will work… but I'm not going to wait.'

'What do you mean? And where are you going? Are you going to leave me on my own now when you can see how she is? Have you gone mad?'

She was screaming and I screamed too as I went out, saying, 'I'm not going to wait!'

She followed me with her cries.

At the station I saw Captain Wasfi again.

He came towards me as I was adjusting the horse's saddle and hanging the satchels on either side. He didn't ask me where I was going but stood in front of me and said, his face ashen and a look of determination in his eyes, 'Your Excellency, I wanted to explain to Your Excellency…'

'Explain nothing,' I said. 'I don't want to hear any explanations. It's life itself that's at fault.'

'Pardon. I didn't understand Your Excellency's meaning. What is life at fault about?'

'You'll work everything out on your own. Or rather, you worked it out long ago.'

And as I mounted, I said, as an aside, 'But I advise you all the same to set things straight with Salmawi.'

Contemptuously he said, 'Salmawi? And who might he be?'

'He is who he is. Forget what I told you and do as you wish, but don't send him or anyone else after me. Or, better still, send him and Sergeant Ibraheem to the house immediately. The madame may need something from them. Understand?'

'Yes, sir!'

I spurred the horse on and exited the station. I didn't stop at the house but took the road to Aghurmi, galloping through the gardens in the late afternoon light. As usual I saw a few zaggala and boys standing in front of the gardens but I paid them no attention. I drew close to the place where one turns off to the left to go to Sheikh Yahya's garden. Your advice was of no use to me, you goodly sheikh, and your medicines were of no use to Fiona. Maybe the medicines will work for Fiona, and it was just your advice to me that didn't. What's to be done, Sheikh Yahya, when all the wisdom in the world cannot bring rest to the heart? The fault indeed lies with life itself. I didn't choose my life. I didn't choose to come to this oasis or that Maleeka should enter my house or that Fiona should come to the heart of the desert.

All I asked was that she live, nothing more. I came to you so you could help me, but you didn't see me.

I suddenly became aware of the noise of donkeys and an army of zaggala riding them appeared in front of me, deliberately taking up position so as to block the road. The horse suddenly reared, then stopped and started impatiently pawing the ground. They were looking at me challengingly, in silence, shaking their legs where they dangled in their long white trousers with a monotonous motion. I patted the horse's neck as I shouted in fury, 'No!'

I have waited for you to do something for an age and you did nothing, so don't delay me now! Then I spurred my horse on, saying, 'Don't let me down now, my friend!' I charged towards them at full gallop and the zaggala were seized by sudden terror and jumped to the ground, while their donkeys collided and brayed and cleared the road for the horse, which dashed through the middle of them, knocking into them on either side, and they started running off in all directions, their owners shouting and uttering curses.

Do what you like. Nothing will do in this faulty world but what is itself faulty.

I galloped till I reached the temple.

Its columns stood out very clearly in the ruddy rays of the sun, which was preparing to set.

The entrance columns, from which the stone flew to smash Ibraheem's leg, seemed tall to me, but I couldn't see the carvings engraved on them, the carvings that had so preoccupied Catherine that it hadn't bothered her, as she deciphered their spells, to see her sister dying before her eyes. No, don't talk of death! But anyway, could these carvings really deserve such concern? All that foolishness, and around her sister she could see the shadow of death?

On! No time to lose. The sun's disc had started to drop below the horizon of immortality that Wasfi extols. We won't let it go alone!