What the River Knows

Whitford Hayes is the protagonist’s love interest. Inez offers the following description of Whit when they meet in Chapter 1: “An aristocratic nose that sat under straight brows and blue eyes the same color as his shirt […]. His hair was thick and tousled, walking the line between red and brown” (22). This detailed description hints at her immediate attraction to him, although she tries to squelch these feelings for much of the novel.

One of Whit’s primary characteristics is loyalty. He risks his life by trying to help the besieged General Gordon, a valiant but futile effort that leads to his dishonorable discharge. After leaving the British military, Whit transfers his loyalty to Ricardo, whom he credits with saving his life when alcohol addiction and debt threatened to overwhelm him. An important part of his allegiance to the archaeologist is keeping Ricardo’s secrets. Inez observes, “His loyalty to my uncle was as immovable as one of the great pyramids, and Whit would guard his secrets and interests as fiercely as a sphinx” (223). Whit keeps the truth about Inez’s parents from her at Ricardo’s request, and he also conceals his own backstory and his status as a British lord for most of the novel. Although Whit’s secrecy infuriates Inez, she learns that she can rely on him. In one of the novel’s most suspenseful scenes, he dives into the Nile to save her from a crocodile and pledges, “I won’t let anything happen to you” (146). Whit’s secrecy adds to the novel’s mystery, and his fiercely loyal and protective nature shapes his relationship with the protagonist.

As Inez’s love interest, Whit provides much of the novel’s suspense and romance. Their dynamic follows the rivals-to-lovers trope due to their initial dislike, opposing goals, and gradually building feelings for one another. Their first interaction is rocky, and Whit’s nationality add to the protagonist’s ire: “[Ricardo] had sent a stranger to welcome me. A stranger who was late. And, as his accent registered, British” (23). Inez is well aware that the British Empire has done great damage to Egypt, and she can’t help but indirectly blame Whit for the harm his country has caused.

As the two grow closer over their shared adventures, Whit’s relationship with Inez changes him. In Chapter 31, Whit’s growing intimacy with Inez and the dire circumstances of their confinement in the tomb make him drop his guard: “We were far from the rules of society, from expectations and duty. This was the Whit I knew had existed all along, the one he had hidden because it showed him at his most vulnerable. The youngest son with a failed military career” (370). In another change, he stops drinking for a time because he no longer needs alcohol to keep his painful memories at bay. When he resumes drinking at the end of the novel, this signals a regression into secrecy. Whit’s marriage proposal to Inez and his cryptic telegram to his brother develop the theme of The Perils of Extending and Withholding Trust and intensify the cliffhanger ending’s suspense. Although Whit has proven himself to be loyal, that doesn’t mean that his first loyalty is to Inez rather than his family and their mysterious objectives. Throughout the story, Whit presents an alluring but mysterious figure to Inez, and it remains to be seen how much she can trust him.

Ricardo is the protagonist’s uncle and one of the main suspects in her parents’ disappearance. Inez describes him as a “mountain of a man” with hazel eyes and dark hair (20): “He was tall and brawny, at odds with his academic passions and scholarly pursuits. He thrived in academia, quite at home in a library, but was scrappy enough to survive a bar fight” (20). Ricardo’s physique, along with his stern manner and “indomitable temper” (67), cause others to be intimidated by him. Lourdes exploits this impression by convincing Inez that her brother is threatening and physically abusive toward her.

Ricardo may be the only character whose determination is a match for Inez’s, as evidenced by his repeated attempts to send her home to Argentina and his resolve to protect Cleopatra’s tomb. Despite his frequent clashes with Inez, Ricardo is ultimately vindicated as a noble person. The archaeologist devotes his life to safeguarding Egypt’s history in memory of his late wife, Zazi: “He dealt with the awful bureaucrats in Cairo, endured countless hours digging under a hot sun, and worked alongside his brother-in-law—all for the love of his departed wife” (186). Near the end of the story, he proves himself again by risking his life to rescue his niece and Whit from kidnappers. Although Ricardo is an imposing presence, he is guided by noble motives.

Ricardo plays an important role in the novel’s mystery and adventure. Inez spends much of the story convinced that he is responsible for her parents’ disappearance. The red herrings that Lourdes plants to frame her brother mislead Inez and add to the story’s suspense. For example, one of the novel’s most tense scenes occurs when Inez reads her mother’s deceitful diary entry during the gale: “All this time, my uncle refused to give me the details surrounding their deaths. And now I finally knew why […]. My uncle killed my parents” (177). Ricardo’s own actions and distrust of Inez strengthen the case against him. Instead of being honest with Inez from the outset, he unwittingly leaves her vulnerable to Lourdes’s manipulation. This disaster develops the theme of The Perils of Extending and Withholding Trust. Ricardo also advances the theme of Power Dynamics and Colonialism. Along with Abdullah, he strives to keep Egyptian artifacts from people like his sister who would sell them to foreign buyers. Ricardo makes important contributions to the story’s plot, genre, and themes.

Lourdes Olivera is the protagonist’s mother and the novel’s main antagonist. Like her daughter, Lourdes has “hazel eyes and freckles” and “full lips and [a] pointed chin” (2). However, their personalities are as different as their appearances are similar. Lourdes manipulates Inez into believing that Ricardo killed Cayo. To achieve this, she cunningly plants messages in her diary and her hotel suite for Inez to find: “He is my brother. But he is a murderer” (176). Lourdes turns her daughter against Ricardo so that she will help her smuggle artifacts out of Cleopatra’s tomb. Lourdes leaves Inez behind after her scheme succeeds, but her goodbye note indicates that she cares about her daughter on some level: “Forget what you’ve seen and heard, and move on with your life. You have so much ahead of you” (296). Unfortunately for Elvira, Lourdes will sacrifice anyone to protect her daughter. She tricks her enemies into thinking Elvira is Inez, resulting in the young woman’s abduction and murder. Although Lourdes wishes to protect her daughter, she ruthlessly abuses her trust and endangers those close to her.

Lourdes’s characterization contributes to the novel’s mystery and themes. Inez’s view of her mother changes wildly over the course of the story. At first, she believes Lourdes is everything a lady of Argentine society is expected to be—a loving wife and a prim and proper mother. After Inez leaves Buenos Aires, she learns that her mother had a vivacious, mischievous side that she only showed in Egypt: “She had never shown any playfulness with me. Hurt pinched my heart and I tried not to think about how we might have laughed harder if she had behaved more like herself around me” (170). Eventually, Lourdes reveals that she is alive, and Inez discovers that her mother is a manipulative criminal. This dramatic revelation is one of the mystery’s biggest twists and marks an essential development in the theme of The Perils of Extending and Withholding Trust.

Lourdes’s crimes also fuel the protagonist’s resolve to remain in Egypt at the end of the story: “Elvira died. I can’t—I won’t ever let that go. She knows the truth about Papá and I will never give up on him. Not as long as I’m breathing. Mamá has to be stopped, and I’ll be the one to do it” (389). As the story’s antagonist, Lourdes makes key contributions to the mystery’s plot and builds suspense for the sequel.