"Very well," Meg said. "I see what you mean."
"You are never wise to let the natives lose their respect for your disdain of spooks and superstitions. I never scoff at their fears and beliefs in every sort of imaginable supernatural power, but I like them to think that my religion places me above such terrors. We pray to our Christian God to protect us according to His will; they say five prayers to Allah daily, the one and only God, and at the same time at every hour of the day they perform countless acts and ceremonies to propitiate malign spirits and powers. They are a curious people—the best of them are very devout, but some of the most devout are not the best by any means."
"Do you mind if Michael sees the fortune-teller? It would be so interesting."
"He knows Abdul." Freddy looked at Mike. "It's different to letting one of our womenkind meddle in such things."
"Did the ancients believe in dreams?" Margaret said. Michael's eyes had spoken; he had seen the man.
"Don't you remember Joseph's dream?"
"Oh, of course!" Margaret said. "But Joseph seems a modern in this valley."
"The ancients looked upon dreams as 'revelations' from a world quite as real as that which we see about us when we are awake. They were sent by the gods and, according to the texts in the tombs, much desired."
Margaret's and Michael's eyes met. Her dream which had brought them together again had undoubtedly been sent by God.
There was an industrious silence for a little time, then Margaret asked, "Have you ever come across any traces of Akhnaton's religion in the tombs in this valley?"