dip of his head was his only response, and his eyes never left my own. The festival swirled around us like a river rushing around an outcropped stone.
I raised my voice and leaned forward. “I have something for you to—”
The music cut off in mid-note, and the tumult of voices ceased a fraction of a moment later. I let my words hang in the air and turned to the front of the hall.
Khufu entered, trailed by his harem. He wore the double crown again tonight, as appropriate for his accession festival. In the five years since he had taken the throne, he had only solidified the unity of the Two Lands.
A courtier announced his presence. “The god Ra walks among you,” he intoned. “The Son of Ra, Horus on Earth, Your Great Pharaoh.”
We responded with a shout, “Life, Health, Strength!”
I tried to control the twitch of a smile. Khufu glided through the obsequious crowd, his outstretched arms deigning to touch the hands of a chosen few, his smile falling on others. He was loving every moment of this.
Every woman of the harem was dressed alike, I noted, like stones chiseled to match the others to perfection. They wore only short skirts, low on their hips, with ribbons wrapped about their upper bodies. Each was bejeweled with bracelets, necklets, anklets, and wreaths of flowers. They streamed behind Khufu as though he were the tip of the pyramid and they, the supporting stones.
I stood beside a statue of the cat goddess Bastet and waited in silence for Khufu to pass, though I chafed to speak to Axum before the seating began. The procession finally reached the back of the hall. I met my friend’s eyes, and Khufu steered away from me in a pretended insult, his smile turning to a wicked grin for a moment.
Yes, very amusing.
The seating began at once, with courtiers eyeing each other jealously as names were called and people took their places from Pharaoh’s seat outward. Two large tables ran along the sides of the hall, with a third at the head. Each hoped to find themselves seated at the head table. I turned to give Axum his charge, but the man had disappeared. I growled. I had hoped to be free to escape this torture whenever an opportune time arose.
Khufu’s snub was too soon erased, however. My name was called and I proceeded to the front of the room, where I would sit only a few chairs from the king. True to her word, Tamit was placed beside me. The red carnelians at her throat sparkled as she approached. She winked at me with pursed lips, and we settled into ornate wooden chairs with sloping arms and legs carved into lion’s paws.
“I always get what I want,” she said, smoothing her dress over her thighs.
I glanced around for Merit, but the Great Wife had chosen to wait to make her entrance.
The seating finished and conversation resumed. People leaned past piles of colorful fruit and great loaves of bread that loaded the tables to call out to friends placed farther down, and the Great Hall soon buzzed. I searched out Axum and found him placed near the end of the table to my left. The man’s eyes were on me still, which raised the hair on the back of my neck. Our conversation would have to wait through the formalities.
With a double somersault from the back of the room and a quick front flip, Perni the dwarf appeared at the center of the three tables, his feet splayed wide on the mosaic floor, his chubby arms upraised.
“Perni! Perni!” someone shouted. The crowd picked up the chant, banging hands on the table in rhythm. He bowed as if toacquiesce, then began a slow dance in time with the clapping. This dance was all thrusting legs, leaps and twirls, and the crowd responded by picking up the tempo.
Tamit leaned against me and crooned into my ear, “Only a little longer, Hemi. Then you and I can find someplace quieter.” She squeezed my arm and raised her voice over the pounding fists. “You haven’t been to see my animals in such a long time.”
There are enough preening birds and strutting
I raised my voice and leaned forward. “I have something for you to—”
The music cut off in mid-note, and the tumult of voices ceased a fraction of a moment later. I let my words hang in the air and turned to the front of the hall.
Khufu entered, trailed by his harem. He wore the double crown again tonight, as appropriate for his accession festival. In the five years since he had taken the throne, he had only solidified the unity of the Two Lands.
A courtier announced his presence. “The god Ra walks among you,” he intoned. “The Son of Ra, Horus on Earth, Your Great Pharaoh.”
We responded with a shout, “Life, Health, Strength!”
I tried to control the twitch of a smile. Khufu glided through the obsequious crowd, his outstretched arms deigning to touch the hands of a chosen few, his smile falling on others. He was loving every moment of this.
Every woman of the harem was dressed alike, I noted, like stones chiseled to match the others to perfection. They wore only short skirts, low on their hips, with ribbons wrapped about their upper bodies. Each was bejeweled with bracelets, necklets, anklets, and wreaths of flowers. They streamed behind Khufu as though he were the tip of the pyramid and they, the supporting stones.
I stood beside a statue of the cat goddess Bastet and waited in silence for Khufu to pass, though I chafed to speak to Axum before the seating began. The procession finally reached the back of the hall. I met my friend’s eyes, and Khufu steered away from me in a pretended insult, his smile turning to a wicked grin for a moment.
Yes, very amusing.
The seating began at once, with courtiers eyeing each other jealously as names were called and people took their places from Pharaoh’s seat outward. Two large tables ran along the sides of the hall, with a third at the head. Each hoped to find themselves seated at the head table. I turned to give Axum his charge, but the man had disappeared. I growled. I had hoped to be free to escape this torture whenever an opportune time arose.
Khufu’s snub was too soon erased, however. My name was called and I proceeded to the front of the room, where I would sit only a few chairs from the king. True to her word, Tamit was placed beside me. The red carnelians at her throat sparkled as she approached. She winked at me with pursed lips, and we settled into ornate wooden chairs with sloping arms and legs carved into lion’s paws.
“I always get what I want,” she said, smoothing her dress over her thighs.
I glanced around for Merit, but the Great Wife had chosen to wait to make her entrance.
The seating finished and conversation resumed. People leaned past piles of colorful fruit and great loaves of bread that loaded the tables to call out to friends placed farther down, and the Great Hall soon buzzed. I searched out Axum and found him placed near the end of the table to my left. The man’s eyes were on me still, which raised the hair on the back of my neck. Our conversation would have to wait through the formalities.
With a double somersault from the back of the room and a quick front flip, Perni the dwarf appeared at the center of the three tables, his feet splayed wide on the mosaic floor, his chubby arms upraised.
“Perni! Perni!” someone shouted. The crowd picked up the chant, banging hands on the table in rhythm. He bowed as if toacquiesce, then began a slow dance in time with the clapping. This dance was all thrusting legs, leaps and twirls, and the crowd responded by picking up the tempo.
Tamit leaned against me and crooned into my ear, “Only a little longer, Hemi. Then you and I can find someplace quieter.” She squeezed my arm and raised her voice over the pounding fists. “You haven’t been to see my animals in such a long time.”
There are enough preening birds and strutting
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