Going for Gold Read Online Free Page A

was saying I was stupid and insensitive to people’s cultures.
    I returned my gypsy skirt to the wardrobe with an angry jangle of coat hangers. “I wasn’t dissing anybody,” I flashed back. “I was just saying I never really got a handle on them.”
    My problem with the old Egyptian gods was they almost never came with their original heads, they were all like, half-cow, half-dog, half-mongoose or whatever.
    Before I could explain, Lola sang out, “There weren’t so many,” and she started spouting ancient Egyptian names! “There was Bastet, the cat goddess, Hathor and Osiris, oh and Hapy the river god—”
    “I get it,” I growled, stepping into my miniskirt. “They had a LOT of gods!”
    “Isis is my fave!” Lola went on, refusing to take the hint. “She was the protector of girls and women. She could be a bit violent, mind you! You wouldn’t want to make her mad.”
    I’d come across Isis before in ancient Rome and been blown away by her genuinely sweet vibes, but I felt like if I said this now, I’d have let Lola get one up on me.
    When that tiny seed of darkness wakes up, it doesn’t feel tiny. It feels like a huge unfriendly force trying to fight its way out of your chest.
    “If you ask me, all the Egyptian gods were equally random and equally violent!” I snarled, then
    I heard the spite in my voice and stopped in bewilderment.
    Lola shot out of the bathroom. “Did I say something wrong? You sounded really mad.”
    I had no idea what had just happened. I tweaked unhappily at my top. “I’m not mad. Have you finished in there? Because we’re going to be late for the party.”
    Half an hour later, Lola and I were up in the hostel’s roof garden, piling our plates with delicious nibbles. I was wishing I’d brought my shrug. I’d forgotten how cold nights get in the desert.
    Some earth-angel musicians had arrived. One did a quick mike check in Arabic. Someone played a couple of rippling chords, then the night filled with vibey local sounds.
    Over our heads, stars glittered in the African darkness like huge silver mirror balls. I caught a sweet whiff of scented jasmine and my wildly unstable system swung into Joy Mode.
    “This is so cool,” I gushed happily. “I’m loving Egypt this time.”
    “Me too! This food is lush!” said Lola helping herself to more dip. “And they seem sweet,” she added, meaning our tutors.
    “Yeah, Maryam’s got a wicked sense of humour.”
    “She needs it with Khaled!” Lola giggled. “He’s kind of dynamic, wouldn’t you say?”
    I waggled my eyebrows. “Kind of good looking, I’d say!”
    Handsome Khaled was currently charming the socks off a group of trainees. Every few minutes his hip pocket produced an urgent blast of Egyptian pop music to let everyone know he had an incoming call. Khaled seemed to get a LOT of calls!
    After we’d refilled our plates a few times, Lola said we’d better mingle.
    “Do we have to?” I said nervously.
    Lola reminded me that a stranger was only a friend I hadn’t met yet.
    “Yeah, yeah,” I sighed.
    I wandered around, clutching a glass of sparkling pomegranate juice. This course was a bigger deal than I’d realised. Trainees had come from all-different Heavenly schools.
    I kept saying “Hi” hopefully to other trainees, but you know how it is, when you’re not good in groups, you blurt it out just as they turn to greet an old friend, or else they don’t hear you over the music. After what seemed like a tres long half hour, Lola came to find me, looking flushed and happy. “Isn’t this great?”
    “Fantastic,” I fibbed enthusiastically.
    “I’ve been talking to one of the musicians. He says we lucked out getting on to this course. Khaled and Maryam are the time-stream teachers apparently.”
    “Wow,” I said.
    “There’s still some kids to come from the celestial college. They had a portal malfunction but they should be here by tomorrow.” Lola gave me a nudge. “Celestial college? Indigo’s