Book excerpt: Cairo, Egypt. A routine trip unravels into the fantastical. After sweating over the contents of her suitcase, an expat daughter comes home to find that her untaxed inventory is the least of her worries. Her mother and sister are hiding something about their new home. Something irrational or concerning, depending on which side of the coin you fall on. Amidst family reunions, doctor visits, and Ramadan, the ordinary takes on an unfamiliar hue as strange events converge. And a certain cat's demands spell trouble. What does it take to convince a skeptic that there's more to the world than meets the eye?