Whispers in the Sand
From the bestselling author of Lady of Hay comes Whispers in the Sand, set in richly mysterious Egypt, where past and present collide.Recently divorced Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the mid-nineteenth century – a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has lain unread for over a hundred years.As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers in the diary a wonderful Victorian love story – and the chilling secret of the little glass bottle. Meanwhile two men from the tour party develop an unfriendly rivalry for her attention, while showing a disturbing interest in Louisa’s mementoes. Most frightening of all, Anna finds herself the victim of a spectral presence that grows in strength and threat as the dramatic stories from three different eras intertwine in a terrifying climax.
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Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
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London SE1 9GF
First published in 2000
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016
Copyright © Barbara Erskine 2016
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016
Cover photographs © Sylvain Grandadam /Getty Images (feluccas on River Nile); Richard Jenkins Photography (woman)
Barbara Erskine asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780007288649
Ebook Edition © March 2016 ISBN: 9780007320998
Version: 2017-09-07
The quotations at the head of each chapter are adapted from
The Book of the Dead edited by E A Wallis Budge
THE WHITE EGRETITINERARY
Note: alterations to the schedule are subject to change without prior notice
Most evenings there are film shows and talks in the lounge bar on different aspects of ancient and modern Egypt
| DAY 1: | p.m. Arrival |
| Dinner on board | |
| DAY 2: | Visit the Valley of the Kings |
| o/n Cruise to Edfu | |
| DAY 3: | a.m. Visit the Temple of Edfu |
| p.m. Cruise to Kom Ombo | |
| DAY 4: | a.m. Visit the Temple of Kom Ombo |
| p.m. Cruise to Aswan | |
| DAY 5: | a.m. Visit Unfinished Obelisk |
| p.m. Kitchener’s Island | |
| DAY 6: | a.m. Aswan Bazaar |
| midday: Aperitif at The Old Cataract Hotel | |
| p.m. Visit High Dam | |
| DAY 7: | a.m. Sail on a felucca |
| p.m. Free afternoon | |
| DAY 8–9: | Optional 2-day visit to Abu Simbel |
| (4 a.m. start) | |
| DAY 10: | Return late afternoon |
| Evening: Son-et-lumière, Philae Temple | |
| DAY 11: | a.m. Visit Philae Temple. Cruise to Esna |
| p.m. Esna Temple. Cruise to Luxor | |
| DAY 12: | a.m. Temple of Karnac |
| p.m. Temple of Luxor | |
| Evening: Pasha’s Party | |
| DAY 13: | a.m. Luxor Museum and bazaar |
| p.m. Papyrus Museum | |
| Evening: Son-et-lumière, Karnac Temple | |
| DAY 14: | Return to England |
There can be little doubt that the first vessels of glass were manufactured in Egypt under the 18th dynasty, particularly from the reign of Amenhotep II (1448–20 BC) onward. These vessels are distinguished by a peculiar technique: the shape required was first formed of clay (probably mixed with sand) fixed to a metal rod. On this core the body of the vessel was built up, usually of opaque blue glass. On this, in turn, were coiled threads of glass of contrasting colour, which were pulled alternately up and down by a comb-like instrument to form feather, zigzag or arcade patterns. These threads, usually yellow, white or green in colour, and sometimes sealing-wax red, were rolled in (marvered) flush with the surface of the vessel. The vessels so made were nearly always small, being mainly used to contain unguents and the like.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
In the cool incense-filled heart of the temple the sun had not yet sent its lance across the marble of the floor. Anhotep, priest of Isis and of Amun, stood before the altar stone in the silence, his hands folded into the pleated linen of his sleeves. He had lit the noon offering of myrrh in its dish and watched as the wisps of scented smoke rose and coiled in the dimly lit chamber. Before him, in the golden cup, the sacred mixture of herbs and powdered gems and holy Nile water sat in the shadows waiting for the potentising ray to hit the jewelled goblet and fall across the potion. He smiled with quiet satisfaction and raised his gaze to the narrow entrance of the holy of holies. A fine beam of sunlight struck the rim of the doorframe and seemed to hover like a breath in the hot shimmer of the air. It was almost time.
