Read Online Orphan of the Sun by Gill Harvey - Free Book Online Page B

to do as I say.’
    â€˜I’m waiting on the guests. Tia will look after you,’ Meryt told him, unwilling to be drawn into an argument. She took a bowl of freshly ground wheat from Nes and added a little salt and honey.
    â€˜I’ll be at the feast too. I won’t need looking after,’ boasted Baki. ‘Father’s gone to buy wine. He says I can drink as much as I please after the ritual. I won’t feel any pain.’
    Meryt shrugged. She knew that there were also ointments that would reduce the pain a little, butnothing could take it away entirely. ‘If you say so.’
    â€˜Do you doubt me?’ Baki demanded. He ripped his bread apart and took a bite.
    Meryt looked at him. How could he be so arrogant? ‘Take care that you don’t anger the gods,’ she warned him. ‘They may give you greater pain than you’re expecting.’
    â€˜You would say that,’ replied Baki. ‘And I suppose you’ll make sure they do, with one of your curses.’
    â€˜Baki!’ Meryt glared at her cousin. She knew he was taunting her, but the words were too painful to ignore. ‘I do not curse
anyone
, do you hear me? You should mind what you say. You know as well as I do that words of power shouldn’t be trifled with.’
    Baki laughed gleefully. ‘“Words of power shouldn’t be trifled with”,’ he mimicked, then stuck out his tongue. ‘Save your lessons for your new husband, Meryt. I’m sure Ramose will lap them up.’
    Meryt felt cut to the core. Quickly, she glanced around at Henut, Mose and Nes the servant girl. Henut was happily feeding scraps of bread to the goat. Nes was bent over the corn, still grinding methodically. But Mose was listening, his eyes wide as he took in every word. She felt so angry with Baki that she wanted to strike him.
    Before she had the chance, they heard Senmut’s voice calling Baki.
    â€˜Ah! There you are.’ Senmut appeared in the doorway, a cheerful smile on his face. ‘Are you ready for your ritual, Baki? We have to go in a minute.’ Hehanded Meryt a flagon of wine. ‘Keep that somewhere cool and give me four of the best loaves. We shall make offerings to Ptah and Amen-Re before the ceremony.’
    Meryt did as he said, handing two each to Senmut and Baki. Tia appeared next to Senmut, her face drawn and anxious. She embraced her oldest son, and gave his black side-lock a final caress. Meryt could see the fear in her eyes, and felt a wave of sympathy for her aunt in spite of her anger with Baki.
    â€˜Take this,’ she heard Tia whisper, pressing an object into Baki’s hand. ‘I have pronounced many spells over it. May it protect you and deliver you from suffering.’
    Baki opened his hand, and Meryt caught a glimpse of what lay on his palm. It was Tia’s favourite amulet, an
udjat
eye of Horus made of faience, glazed a deep cobalt blue.
    The household immediately seemed more peaceful once the men had gone. Meryt made a big batch of flat loaves, placing the shaped lumps of dough on the outside surface of the little domed oven. They were the easiest kind of loaf to make, for when they were cooked, they simply dropped to the floor. The emmer wheat cakes were trickier. They had to be cooked on the inside of the oven and watched carefully, and Meryt was pleased when they came out round and golden.
    Tia brought in a big bowl of onions, garlic, leeks,peas and beans, and began gutting the ducks. The mothers of the other five boys arrived one by one, bringing gifts to add to the feast. As Tia sat with Mose, making a note of them all on an ostracon, Meryt took the opportunity to escape to the roof.
    In the still heat of the early afternoon, sound travelled easily across the village. Meryt leant against the wall and looked out over the rooftops, listening to the bleating of a neighbour’s goat. The murmur of voices drifted up from the streets and courtyards,