Moon Tiger

Chapter 7 opens with Claudia thinking that time is layered differently in Egypt, where the evidence of ancient culture is present in modern life. She then recalls a visit to Egypt many years after the war. In a hotel bar, she meets an American businessman and spends a few days with him, visiting historical sites. The two don’t have a lot in common but enjoy each other’s company. Claudia cannot remember the man’s name.

During the war, Claudia used her feminine wiles and her journalist credentials to visit the desert outside of Cairo, closer to the front lines of battle. It was almost unheard of for a woman to do so. She remembers traveling into the desert in a Jeep with a few other journalists, all of them men. The conditions in the desert are harsh, and the driver is worried about getting them to their destination before the sun sets. As they drive, they see evidence of battle: burned-out vehicles, barbed wire, and shell cases.

Eventually, a sandstorm forces them to camp overnight. Claudia is undeterred and pulls out her typewriter to work on her story. Another Jeep arrives, driven by Tom Southern. As Tom drives the group the rest of the way to their destination, Claudia drifts in and out of sleep in the front seat, drowsily looking at his hand on the wheel.