Ron Goulart - The Curse of the Obelisk

THE CURSE OF THE OBELISK 35
here at the museum, that he wants the Osiris Obelisk shipped to him even earlier than planned. It
will be crated and ready to travel, by way of a special train, two days hence. You, as well as two of
Inspector Swann's best men, shall travel with it. And, let me add, I wish you luck."
The restaurant floated leisurely along the darkening Seine. Its upper deck was ringed with
softly glowing paper lanterns. At the cluster of small tables sat gentlemen in dark suits and top hats,
women in stylish frocks and hats. On the small platform at the stern of the riverboat was a trio of
hefty young men in straw hats and tight, striped blazers. They were playing exuberantly romantic
music on concertina, guitar and violin.
The lights along the banks of the river were coming on, reflected yellow and gold in the water.
Harry had an elbow resting on their small checkered tablecloth. "You've fallen silent," he
mentioned.
Jennie stroked the stem of her wineglass idly. "I dislike using trite phrases," she said, "and so
I've been sitting here trying to come up with a fresh, brand-new way of saying how wonderful this
all is."
He grinned. "We're both off duty."
"Very well, then it's a wonderful evening and I'm very fond of you," she told him. "The dinner
was lovely and I wish we didn't have to leave Paris for Urbania day after tomorrow."
"We'd have to, even if I didn't have to guard the obelisk and you didn't have to write about it,"
he said. "Lorenzo gave us a pair of free passes to his show."
"As much as I admire his showmanship, I doubt I'd travel hundreds of miles by rail to see him.
Although he is . . . What's the matter, Harry?"
"Nothing."
She started to turn to look in the direction he'd been looking. "You saw something that—"
"Keep your eyes on me." He put his hand over hers.
"What is it I'm not staring at?"
"Couple husky fellows wearing Zouave uniforms and sitting at a table near the opposite
railing."
"I hadn't noticed them."
"Only came up from the saloon below about ten minutes ago."
"Why are they causing you to scowl?"
"For one thing they've been, very unobtrusively they think, keeping an eye on us since they got
up here," he said. "For another, their uniforms aren't quite authentic. Costume shop stuff."
"There's certainly been a lot of dressing up going on lately."
"I didn't spot these boys following us earlier, so maybe they're only interested in pretty redhaired
lady reporters."
"Auburn," she corrected. "My hair isn't red."