What the River Knows

The next morning, Inez marvels as the boat approaches the beautiful island of Philae, which is known as the jewel of the Nile. Isadora confides to Inez that she and her father were hired to protect the excavation team because her parents’ deaths damaged Ricardo’s reputation among Cairo’s elite and nearly cost him his digging license. Isadora agrees to teach her how to shoot, and a grateful Inez tells her, “It’s nice to have a friend” (196).

During their efforts to excavate a temple on the island, the team stays in a ruin that once served as the priests’ dormitory. The Elephantine’s crew doubles as the digging crew, and they set up a campsite nearby. Whit helps Inez move her belongings into her modest room in the dormitory. He gives her a tour of the temple of Isis, and she feels “a keen sense of loss” as she takes in the damage Romans and treasure hunters inflicted on the beautiful structure (201). When Inez doesn’t immediately sense magic inside the temple, Ricardo grows impatient with her. He refuses to explain why he’s in such a hurry, and his desperation causes Inez to fear for her safety.