A national news station reported the latest out of Tennessee. Torrential rains caused massive flash floods and mudslides. Entire roads had been washed away from the force of the floodwater, and along with them cars and homes. Six people had perished, and many were still missing, tragically a mother and two young children.

“Isn’t that near the University of Memphis where Dr. Samir teaches?”

“Yes. When I spoke to Luca last night, he said he believed Mallory had been taken into a vast cave system in Rutherford County. Jesus, Faith. He’s about to lose his mind with worry and fear. I guess the good news is if Luca and the rescue team can’t get to her, neither can Neheb.”

“Unless he’s already underground.”

“Jesus,” he said again. “Let’s hope not.”

Faith pressed the power button on the remote and curled into Judd. They made love before falling asleep.

From Berkeley’s website, they learned Dr. Isis Khalil’s teaching schedule and office hours. They decided to attend her nine o’clock class, Ancient Egyptian Mythology 1104, and rose early to eat breakfast at a restaurant next to the motel. They dressed in jeans and T-shirts and carried backpacks filled with school supplies and their personal tablets to blend in with the students. Fortunately, the class was meeting in the history building’s auditorium which would aid their anonymity.

As they strolled into the lobby of the history building with a group of students heading to class, they took a few minutes to admire an array of Egyptian artifacts displayed in glass cases.

“Once a paragon of civilization,” Faith remarked. “These are testaments to Egypt’s achievements.”

“Have you ever visited the pyramids?”

“In college. A group of us went one summer. I’d like to see them again. I don’t think I fully appreciated the pyramids back then.”

“Would you care to see them with me?”

Faith smiled. “Perhaps.”

Holding hands, Judd and Faith slipped into a pair of auditorium seats in the farthest dark corner in the back. When Dr. Khalil stepped onto the stage, the house lights dimmed, and she began her lecture on ten of the lesser-known Egyptian gods and goddesses and their role in ancient mythology. Faith took copious notes during the professor’s Power Point lecture. At one point she whispered, “She skipped over Nehebkau and the Court of Ma’at.”

“Is it on the syllabus you downloaded? Maybe she’s saving it for a future lecture.”

Faith pulled up the syllabus on her tablet. “No.”

“Sounds suspicious to me.”

The lecture lasted for ninety minutes without a break or an opportunity for students to ask questions. Dr. Khalil reminded them that class was cancelled on the twenty-ninth of September, and they should do the assigned reading and come prepared with their questions next class. As everyone gathered his or her belongings and shuffled out of the auditorium, Judd and Faith made their way to the stage before Dr. Khalil could leave.

“Excuse me, Dr. Khalil? Do you have a moment?” Faith asked in a rush. She and Judd had agreed earlier that she should do all the talking. Faith teased that he would come across as an uptight lawyer. He’d laughed and given her free rein.

Dr. Khalil turned toward them. “Yes. But only a moment.”

Judd acted like a bored, uninterested student by keeping his eyes glued to his cell phone.

“I enjoyed your lecture today. It was quite enlightening. Can I ask a question? I did some outside reading in preparation for today’s class, and I noticed you skipped over the Court of Ma’at. Wasn’t there a lesser god named Nehebkau who served the court?”

Judd glanced up from his cell phone to gauge Dr. Khalil’s reaction. “C’mon, baby. I have class in ten minutes across campus. It’s no big deal.”

Dr. Khalil’s face remained impassive. “The Court of Ma’at is not a part of my curriculum.”

“Don’t you think it should be? After all, it’s a vital aspect of ancient Egyptian mythology.”

“Baby, enough of this shit. Let’s go.” Judd grabbed Faith’s arm and pulled her away from Dr. Khalil. “Sorry, Prof. She’s a nag.”

“The answer is no. Not in my curriculum.”

Judd dragged Faith out of the auditorium. “Did it work?” she asked.

He showed her his cell phone. A red blip indicated Dr. Khalil’s movements. “It worked. Now we’ll be able to monitor her calls and track her whereabouts.”

“Why do you think she doesn’t include the Court of Ma’at in her curriculum?”