A Desert Rose

Chapter 15 - The Visitors

Chapter 15

That was the last time.  Aimee thought to herself as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror.  In its reflection she could see Zahir getting dressed.  He spent the night in her room again and while they had enjoyed breakfast in bed he was on his way to the city.  It’s been three weeks since their night in the desert.

She stared at his tousled hair and bare chest before he buttoned his shirt; then back at her image in the mirror.  She didn’t recognize herself.  Flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips.  It has become her permanent appearance.

Zahir would seek her out wherever she was the minute he got home.  For the past two weeks she had been working out of her ‘own’ office.  Zahir had presented her with a space of her own and a direct link to the university server.  Her research assistants have been sending through high resolution images that she projected onto a wall to study. 

A state of the art video-conferencing system helped with communication.  The ample work space was covered in sheets of paper with translations, references, maps and sketches.  She had become totally absorbed in her work and the time had flown by.      

I have to stop sleeping with him, I’m leaving soon.  The message came the day before.  Arrangements were being made.  It could take another couple of weeks but she was going home.

His hand pulled her out of her thoughts as he gathered her hair in one hand and gently pulled her head back to place a kiss on her lips.

“I am going now hayati, I will see you tonight.”  He kissed her again before striding out the door.

She stared at the empty doorway. 

Okay, one more night.

*****

“Did Professor Harvey check those translations?”  Aimee directed the question to Pamela, her youngest research assistant currently on the screen in front of her. Professor Harvey specialised in ancient/dead languages, and Aimee ran all her own translations by him to make sure stupid mistakes did not cost valuable time.

“Yes, I’m sending the corrections to you now.”  Pamela seemed to click on something and soon a new message appeared on Aimee’s computer.

“Thank you, that will be all for today, I want to revise my notes with the corrections.  Some of the locations are still unclear.  Bye guys. ” She heard a chorus of ‘byes’ from the background before the screen went black.

Eagerly she opened the file and opened her own notes.  The pieces of pottery actually came together to form a partial tablet written in ancient Sumerian.  This was not the first of its kind to be discovered but ancient Sumeria was now Iraq, quite a distance from the site they excavated.  There was one theory that the Sumerians and later Akkadians travelled down as far as Riyadh in an effort to find more or better raw materials.  Their own area at the delta was lush with soft palm trees, but the Sumerians and Akkadians needed stronger materials for their growing farming and industry.

She worked for another hour before Sheena came to tell her that Latif was ready for the afternoon ride. Zahir allowed her to go out in the afternoons with Latif and a bodyguard for a ride.  She usually followed it with a swim and the exercise helped her from going crazy cooped up in the Palace.  The work also helped and her nights have been equally ‘busy’.  Perhaps she didn’t have to worry about becoming unfit after all.

“Thanks Sheena, I was just finishing up.”  She said as she switched off the computer and followed Sheena towards her bedroom to change into riding gear.