"Connie Willis - Death on the Nile" - читать интересную книгу автора (Willis Connie)

LissaтАЩs husband instantly calls for the flight attendant and demands another drink, but they have already
gone scurrying back to the rear of the plane, still looking pale and scared, as if they expected the
turbulence to start up again before they make it. ZoeтАЩs husband wakes up at the noise and then goes back
to sleep. Zoe retrieves Egypt Made Easy from the floor, reads a few more riveting facts from it, then puts
it facedown on the seat and goes back to the rear of the plane.

I lean across Neil and look out the window, wondering whatтАЩs happened, but I canтАЩt see anything. We
are flying through a flat whiteness.

Lissa is rubbing her head. тАЬI cracked my head on the window,тАЭ she says to Neil. тАЬIs it bleeding?тАЭ

He leans over her solicitously to see.

I unsnap my seat belt and start to the back of the plane, but both bathrooms are occupied, and Zoe is
perched on the arm of an aisle seat, enlightening the Japanese tour group. тАЬThe currency is in Egyptian
pounds,тАЭ she says. тАЬThere are one hundred piasters in a pound.тАЭ I sit back down.

Neil is gently massaging LissaтАЩs temple. тАЬIs that better?тАЭ he asks.

I reach across the aisle for ZoeтАЩs guidebook. тАЬMust-See Attractions,тАЭ the chapter is headed, and the first
one on the list is the Pyramids.

тАЬGiza, Pyramids of. West bank of Nile, 9 mi. (15 km.) SW of Cairo. Accessible by taxi, bus, rental car.
Admission L.E.3. Comments: You canтАЩt skip the Pyramids, but be prepared to be disappointed. They
donтАЩt look at all like you expect, the trafficтАЩs terrible, and the viewтАЩs completely ruined by the hordes of
tourists, refreshment stands, and souvenir vendors. Open daily.тАЭ

I wonder how Zoe stands this stuff. I turn the page to Attraction Number Two. ItтАЩs King TutтАЩs tomb, and
whoever wrote the guidebook wasnтАЩt thrilled with it either. тАЬTutankhamun, Tomb of. Valley of the
Kings, Luxor, 400 mi. (668 km.) south of Cairo. Three unimpressive rooms. Inferior wall paintings.тАЭ


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 Death on the Nile


There is a map showing a long, straight corridor (labeled Corridor) and the three unimpressive rooms
opening one onto the other in a rowтАФAnteroom, Burial Chamber, Hall of Judgment.

I close the book and put it back on ZoeтАЩs seat. ZoeтАЩs husband is still asleep. LissaтАЩs is peering back over
his seat. тАЬWhereтАЩd the flight attendants go?тАЭ he asks. тАЬI want another drink.тАЭ

тАЬAre you sure itтАЩs not bleeding? I can feel a bump,тАЭ Lissa says to Neil, rubbing her head. тАЬDo you think
I have a concussion?тАЭ

тАЬNo,тАЭ Neil says, turning her face toward his. тАЬYour pupils arenтАЩt dilated.тАЭ He gazes deeply into her eyes.

тАЬStewardess!тАЭ LissaтАЩs husband shouts. тАЬWhat do you have to do to get a drink around here?тАЭ