Chapter 18.

Kip Baxter was just about fed up with this.

More than two hours had passed since she had found this spot, a reasonably sheltered bit of

rooftop near the river crossing.

Max had actually managed to fall asleep, relieved to be free of his limitors and out of hiding

at last.

Didn't matter that they were headed

into far greater danger, or that the Red Panda had yet to check in. His relief had been palpable,

and he settled in immediately, and slept sitting up in the corner with his back against the low walls

that surrounded the rooftop. She stood, and looked over the Nile, if for no other reason, then it kept her from looking

out over the city again, watching for the Red Panda.

Part of her seemed to register that this was actually the Nile, and that if she was going to be

in Egypt, she really ought to look at it, but her eyes stared blankly

without really seeing much beyond the cold facts. The moon had returned from wherever Thatcher

had hidden it about forty minutes ago, and the water shone in its low-hanging light. After a moment,

she sat down again with a thump, and realized that the red panda was sitting beside her as silent as the grave

she tried to keep a straight face in fact she tried to give no reaction at all and only realized that she failed utterly at this when she saw his face break into a wide grin. He didn't do a lot of that,

at least not at close quarters like this. She wondered if he would do more or less of it if he knew

how weak it made her in the knees. For a moment, she said nothing, waiting for the impulse to

kiss him to go away. After five or six seconds, she realized that it probably wasn't going to you,

and she should just get on with her day.

You could have called, she said calmly.

...