| 9 Dr. Rubin nodded. “I’ve often wondered why I love this country so much. I suppose it all started with a book.” This Sayeed could understand very well. “I have two books about ancient Egypt and have read them many times. A man gave them to me—the best present I have ever received.” “Is this where they led you--those books?”, asked Dr. Rubin. "It was written that I should come here," replied Sayeed. "It was not by my design." "Are you sure of it? There is other work in Cairo. Yet you remain in this place, though it cuts you off from life, probably pays you little. What is it you hope to get here?" "Something more," said Sayeed. "But it's beyond me. It doesn't come." "You must go after it," Dr. Rubin told him. "It never comes of itself. It's no good just waiting." Suddenly, the Egyptian realized that learning was the key to his future and nothing else. All confusion and uncertainty was dissipated, as though a candle had been lit in the core of Sayeed’s bleak and depressed being. The path ahead now seemed very clear—if only he could find the means to travel upon it. It seemed amazing to Sayeed that he had not grasped this before—that not every man need follow in the footsteps of his father, do the same work, live the same life. A peasant could become accustomed to the city if he found something there that gave joy to his heart. But no one had ever instructed Sayeed to pursue personal happiness. Where he came from there was only duty, the obligations to ones family and ones religion. That night, in Room 52, Sayeed el Kashef and Dr. Rubin had their longest conversation. Sayeed asked the older man if he had a book in Arabic that Sayeed might borrow that explained how to read the ancient writing, saying that it had begun to bother him to look at it night after night without knowing what it meant. Dr. Rubin promised to search for such a book. He also told Sayeed that he was studying the royal mummies in order to determine some of their mysteries. Sayeed had no idea how this could be done, but he longed to know about it. Secrets, mysterious things, the air was permeated with them in the museum at night. One breathed them in and exhaled them without understanding their significance, but Sayeed knew they were now in his blood like a fever that nothing could cure. Perhaps Dr. Rubin sensed the thoughts of Sayeed, for he suddenly said “We’ll soon begin to dig in the Valley of the Kings—if world events permit. Perhaps you could make yourself useful there. How would that suit you—working with me?” NEXT PAGE |