Read Online Drinker Of Blood by Lynda S. Robinson - Free Book Online
Authors: Lynda S. Robinson
Tags: Historical Mystery
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troublemaker among the petty kings of the north?"
"The one called Pilsu?"
"Aye, that's the one."
The king turned to Meren again. "Ah, you're together. Then we will speak of the disturbances among the towns near Ugarit."
Horemheb nodded. "We have read the reports, majesty."
"So, does this carrion threaten the trade routes?" the king asked.
"Not yet, majesty. At the moment Pilsu busies himself by stirring up discontent among the chiefs of the towns."
Tutankhamun sighed. "Another of these interminable disputes."
"As long as they squabble among themselves, they have no time or strength to give trouble to thy majesty," Meren said smoothly.
"Just see to it that Pilsu grows no stronger than he should," Tutankhamun said. "I'll not have trade interfered with."
Horemheb bowed. "Thy majesty's word is accomplished."
"Do you think Pilsu is a tool of the Hittites?" Meren asked the general.
"Have you heard it?" Horemheb countered.
"No, but it wouldn't be the first time the Hittites have fed the fires of a petty dispute and then interfered on the pretense that their interests were threatened."
They both looked at the king, who cast an inquisitive glance at Ay. The old minister shook his head. Everyone went silent. The king picked up a token from the game board sitting on the table beside his chair. Toying with the carved ivory, he spoke slowly.
"Perhaps it's time my majesty recalled one of the royal spies from the north."
Meren exchanged a wary glance with Ay. Summoning an agent from his sphere of duty was a great risk.
"Majesty," Ay said, "when such a one is recalled, there is always a chance—"
Tutankhamun slapped the ivory game piece down on the table and gave a sharp sigh. "I know that. I've seen what happens." The king turned suddenly to Meren. "Have I not, Eyes?"
"Indeed, majesty." There had been times when the king escaped Ay's vigilance and exposed himself to peril, involving Meren along the way.
"Then my majesty has spoken. Ay, recall one of your own at once."
"Yes, majesty."
"Now, what remains?" the king asked.
Ay shook his head, as did Horemheb. No one else seemed ready to speak until Maya looked up from a stack of papyri in his hands.
"A small matter, golden one. Last night a royal guard was killed in the menagerie."
At this remark, the councillors broke up into groups again. No one was interested in the death of a common guard. Maya was rolling the papyri and placing them in a document case when the king spoke.
"Which guard?"
"Oh," Maya said. He furrowed his brow and glanced at the document case. "Oh, yes. He was called Bakht, majesty."
Meren was thinking about Dilalu again. Something wasn't right, and he was going to find out what it was. At once. Tonight. He would send Kysen to the foreign quarter of the city.
"Meren!"
Waking from his deep concentration, Meren bowed to the king again. "Majesty."
"I said that this Bakht was pleasing to me. For years he has told me stories of his adventures in Nubia and in the north. He has—had even gone across the great sea to the Mycenaean Greek cities. Maya says he was killed in the baboon pen. He fell in."
"A terrible accident, majesty."
"Bakht didn't like baboons, Meren."
"The males can be fierce, golden one."
"I don't understand why he would be there," the king insisted. "Bakht avoided them."
"If he was afraid of the baboons and happened to fall into their pen by accident, his screams might have enraged the males."
Tutankhamun looked unhappily at Meren. "I suppose you're right."
"I am sorry, majesty."
"Still, my majesty will rest better once you have inquired into the matter. And Maya, Bakht is to have a good embalming. Let the priests of Anubis be informed."
The council session broke up with a wave of the king's hand. Not wanting to be waylaid by pharaoh and forced to set a date for taking his majesty on a military expedition, Meren slipped inside the palace. He hurried through corridors made bright by the exquisite wall paintings of the king's
"The one called Pilsu?"
"Aye, that's the one."
The king turned to Meren again. "Ah, you're together. Then we will speak of the disturbances among the towns near Ugarit."
Horemheb nodded. "We have read the reports, majesty."
"So, does this carrion threaten the trade routes?" the king asked.
"Not yet, majesty. At the moment Pilsu busies himself by stirring up discontent among the chiefs of the towns."
Tutankhamun sighed. "Another of these interminable disputes."
"As long as they squabble among themselves, they have no time or strength to give trouble to thy majesty," Meren said smoothly.
"Just see to it that Pilsu grows no stronger than he should," Tutankhamun said. "I'll not have trade interfered with."
Horemheb bowed. "Thy majesty's word is accomplished."
"Do you think Pilsu is a tool of the Hittites?" Meren asked the general.
"Have you heard it?" Horemheb countered.
"No, but it wouldn't be the first time the Hittites have fed the fires of a petty dispute and then interfered on the pretense that their interests were threatened."
They both looked at the king, who cast an inquisitive glance at Ay. The old minister shook his head. Everyone went silent. The king picked up a token from the game board sitting on the table beside his chair. Toying with the carved ivory, he spoke slowly.
"Perhaps it's time my majesty recalled one of the royal spies from the north."
Meren exchanged a wary glance with Ay. Summoning an agent from his sphere of duty was a great risk.
"Majesty," Ay said, "when such a one is recalled, there is always a chance—"
Tutankhamun slapped the ivory game piece down on the table and gave a sharp sigh. "I know that. I've seen what happens." The king turned suddenly to Meren. "Have I not, Eyes?"
"Indeed, majesty." There had been times when the king escaped Ay's vigilance and exposed himself to peril, involving Meren along the way.
"Then my majesty has spoken. Ay, recall one of your own at once."
"Yes, majesty."
"Now, what remains?" the king asked.
Ay shook his head, as did Horemheb. No one else seemed ready to speak until Maya looked up from a stack of papyri in his hands.
"A small matter, golden one. Last night a royal guard was killed in the menagerie."
At this remark, the councillors broke up into groups again. No one was interested in the death of a common guard. Maya was rolling the papyri and placing them in a document case when the king spoke.
"Which guard?"
"Oh," Maya said. He furrowed his brow and glanced at the document case. "Oh, yes. He was called Bakht, majesty."
Meren was thinking about Dilalu again. Something wasn't right, and he was going to find out what it was. At once. Tonight. He would send Kysen to the foreign quarter of the city.
"Meren!"
Waking from his deep concentration, Meren bowed to the king again. "Majesty."
"I said that this Bakht was pleasing to me. For years he has told me stories of his adventures in Nubia and in the north. He has—had even gone across the great sea to the Mycenaean Greek cities. Maya says he was killed in the baboon pen. He fell in."
"A terrible accident, majesty."
"Bakht didn't like baboons, Meren."
"The males can be fierce, golden one."
"I don't understand why he would be there," the king insisted. "Bakht avoided them."
"If he was afraid of the baboons and happened to fall into their pen by accident, his screams might have enraged the males."
Tutankhamun looked unhappily at Meren. "I suppose you're right."
"I am sorry, majesty."
"Still, my majesty will rest better once you have inquired into the matter. And Maya, Bakht is to have a good embalming. Let the priests of Anubis be informed."
The council session broke up with a wave of the king's hand. Not wanting to be waylaid by pharaoh and forced to set a date for taking his majesty on a military expedition, Meren slipped inside the palace. He hurried through corridors made bright by the exquisite wall paintings of the king's
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