"A few days had brought us nearer to one another. The sense of companionship had gotten the better of the old political differences as well as the deeply rooted aversion of two opposed temperaments, though occasionally the buried differences would drift up to the surface, reawakening an ugly antagonism" (Chapter 1, Amer Wagdi, pg. 16-17.)

"'His body was foiund on the road to the Palma.'
Tolba Marzuq came in nervously clutching a paper. 'This is really dreadful news. It may cause a lot of trouble.'
We looked at each other and thought of all the probabilities - his first fiancée, Hosny Allam, Mansour Bahy, Mahmoud Abu al-Abbas - until Mariana said, 'Why, the murderer may be someone we've never heard of.!'
'Why not?' I agreed. 'We know hardly anything about the young man'" (Chapter 1, Amer Wagdi, pg. 50-51.)

"I drive fast along the Corniche...