David Todros is a fictional character from a series of mystery novels written by Elizabeth Peters and featuring fictional sleuth and archaeologist Amelia Peabody.
David first appears in The Hippopotamus Pool. He is the estranged grandson of Abdullah, the Emerson’s reis, or foreman.
David is found working for Abd el Hamed, one of the most notorious forgers of antiquities in Gourneh, the village on the west side of the Nile, populated by many of the best tomb robbers and forgers in Egypt. David’s talents at forgery are quickly evident, as are his other artistic skills.
Both his parents are dead, but rather than live with Abdullah’s extended family, he becomes a ward of Walter Emerson and Evelyn Emerson, where his artistic talents blossom. From the beginning, Evelyn is very supportive of him. David and Ramses become best friends, and later on blood brothers. They are very much alike and could pass for brothers, as they do later on in the series.
After a few years, in a difficult moment for the entire family, David and Lia, Walter’s eldest daughter, fall in love. This being Edwardian England, such a marriage is not readily accepted by many. Walter and Evelyn feel betrayed, believing that the two went behind their backs for years. Even Amelia has difficulty with the relationship, until Emerson’s obvious acceptance forces her to realize that she must accept people for who they are, not for what society takes them to be.
David soon becomes a renowned illustrator, receiving frequent commissions from many sources. He and Lia also become parents at a rate to rival Walter and Evelyn.
The greatest difficulty David encounters is his support for the independence of Egypt from England. He becomes associated with some of the more radical groups and even spends time in exile at an oasis. But his heroism in helping defeat the Turks and Germans in the Great War, along with help from those that know how upright he is, help to keep him away from serious harm.
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