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Before she could manage it, Sayyid danced back from the steps, biting out an alarmed yelp.
“Is something wrong?” Constance pressed.
“Beetle!” Sayyid managed, his voice strangled. “Shoe!”
Neil rolled his eyes. “It’s just a bug!”
“A bug intent on climbing the leg of my trousers!” Sayyid whipped out a handkerchief, wiping his forehead with it nervously.
“Goodness! It is rather large.” Constance bent over to study the insect with gruesome interest. It was an inch or so long with big black pincers and an iridescent sheen to its carapace.
“It had nearly reached my laces.” Sayyid barely repressed a shudder.
“But it’s a scarab!” Ellie said, recognizing the distinct form of the insect. “I should think an Egyptologist would be fond of them, considering how sacred they were to the ancient people here.”
“They can be perfectly sacred, and one can still prefer that they remain very far away,” Sayyid retorted.
Constance cast another interested look at Neil, who had turned away to gaze at the temple with a slightly mournful air. “Well!” she said brightly. “Now that’s settled…”
Ellie hurried to cut her off before she could cement her plan. “I believe both Sayyid and my brother are already familiar with the temple structure. Clearly, it makes the most sense for the rest of us to form teams around them.”
Constance shot Ellie a dangerous glare. “Oh, really?”
“I can explore the upper level with Neil,” Ellie continued deliberately. “You, Adam, and Sayyid can check these lower colonnades.”
“Or I can explore the upper level,” Constance returned evenly, knives flashing behind her eyes. “And you may do the colonnades.”
“Why are they arguing about this?” Sayyid asked, clearly bewildered.
“Think I’m starting to have an idea,” Adam replied, “and I’m pretty sure you don’t want to know.”
He cast a sympathetic glance at Neil, who was obliviously polishing his spectacles on a handkerchief.
In the end, Ellie was saved by the American, Mr. Swingley, who strolled over to join them.
“Does your Egyptian fellow speak English?” he demanded.
It took Ellie a moment to realize that he was talking about Sayyid, who stared back at the man with blank astonishment.
“Not a word,” Adam cut in. He looped his arm through Sayyid’s elbow, hauling him toward the colonnade. “Come on, Connie,” he called back.
Constance shot Ellie a glare ripe with the threat of revenge before stalking after him.
Ellie made her way over to Neil. “Shall we, then?”
“Shall we what?” Neil blinked at her with confusion behind his spectacles.
“Explore the upper level,” Ellie explained tiredly. “Or weren’t you listening to any of that?”
“I… That is… my mind might’ve been wandering a bit,” Neil replied uncomfortably.
Ellie wondered if she should be frustrated or grateful for that.
“Goodness!” Constance exclaimed as she peered past Adam and Sayyid at the recessed wall behind one of the nearby colonnades. “That’s a remarkably large—”
“—ithyphallic representation of the god Amun,” Sayyid quickly and awkwardly finished for her, patting his forehead with his handkerchief once more. “Perhaps we should move on to the next one?”
Ellie barely suppressed a snort. Adam glanced over at her with a wryly raised eyebrow, and their gazes locked.
