Read Online The Hippopotamus Marsh by Pauline Gedge - Free Book Online
Authors: Pauline Gedge
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Prince,” Ramose said, bowing. “I thank you, if I have not done so before, for the company of your daughter.”
“Oh, I believe you have done so before,” Seqenenra assured him, grinning. Ramose looked discomfited, then grinned in return.
“I must put in some practice at the butts now,” he said. “Please excuse me. Tani, I will ask Father about the chariotride later today.” He strode away, his bare feet supple and sure on the sandy paving, the sun glittering on the beads of water spraying from his body. Tani wrung out her hair and rubbed the water from her face.
“Such a polite young man,” Seqenenra observed. “You like it here, don’t you, Tani?” She pulled the sopping linen sheath away from her brown skin. Seqenenra noted how transparent it was when wet, how it moulded to the budding curves and long lines of her. She was lithely beautiful, this precious daughter of his, and in a very few years she would have the added assurance of maturity and an awareness of her own magnetism. All at once he was very proud of her, proud and hungrily possessive.
Yes,” she answered. “I do. There is always something going on. Oh, Father,” she hastened to correct herself, “it is not that I’m bored at home. Home is my preferred place. I do not mean to be disrespectful. But being here is fun.”
“I seem to recall that on your last visit you sulked and couldn’t wait to weigh anchor and be off back to Weset.”
“Yes, well that was four years ago. Ramose threw spiders at me then, and teased me, and so I refused to come with you the next few times. But now it is different. He is a man now.”
“He doesn’t tease you any more?”
“Well, yes, he does, but not spitefully. And he looks after me too.” For the second time he saw her blush, a russet stain under her dark cheeks. She began to scrub at her scalp with vigour. “I want him to come and stay with us. Will you invite him, Father?” You have flashes of true adulthood, my Tani, he thought before he answered. I, too, would like to see Ramose in a setting other than this opulent estate.
“Yes, I will,” he agreed. “His father is talking of a betrothal between the two of you.” She did not seem surprised. Folding her hands between her knees she gazed out over the sun-dimpled Nile.
“No one has said anything to me,” she responded, “but it may be. I think he is very fine and I think he likes me too.” Suddenly she turned an astute stare on her father. “But what about Kamose?” Inwardly Seqenenra relinquished that foolish dream and found he was not sorry to see it dissolve into nothingness.
“If you and Kamose had shown the slightest sexual interest in each other, I would be pushing for a marriage between you,” he confessed. “But Tani, I will never force you into something abhorrent to you. If you and Ramose continue to learn to care for one another, you will make many people happy.” She kissed him swiftly on the cheek.
“Thank you, Father. You are really quite wonderful. Kamose is not going to get married for a very long time, you know. He is too serious about everything. I think I will go and get oiled.”
He did not watch her go. He sat with chin in hand, his eyes on the far bank now shimmering in the heat haze. She is only partly right, he thought. Kamose is indeed a serious man, but his character is full of deep feeling and intensity. If he ever meets a woman who stirs him, he will commit himself to her for the rest of his life.
Si-Amun delighted in his time in Khemennu. He was at home with the elegant, smoothly polite representatives of the King who came and went in Teti’s busy reception hall. He blossomed with curiosity when talking to the merchants and traders from Rethennu, Keftiu and Zahi, and hisconfident questions betrayed an avid excitement. He also enjoyed the twittering attentions of Teti’s many female servants. He was tall, sinewy, handsome and a prince. He received all deference as his right.
He and Teti had
“Oh, I believe you have done so before,” Seqenenra assured him, grinning. Ramose looked discomfited, then grinned in return.
“I must put in some practice at the butts now,” he said. “Please excuse me. Tani, I will ask Father about the chariotride later today.” He strode away, his bare feet supple and sure on the sandy paving, the sun glittering on the beads of water spraying from his body. Tani wrung out her hair and rubbed the water from her face.
“Such a polite young man,” Seqenenra observed. “You like it here, don’t you, Tani?” She pulled the sopping linen sheath away from her brown skin. Seqenenra noted how transparent it was when wet, how it moulded to the budding curves and long lines of her. She was lithely beautiful, this precious daughter of his, and in a very few years she would have the added assurance of maturity and an awareness of her own magnetism. All at once he was very proud of her, proud and hungrily possessive.
Yes,” she answered. “I do. There is always something going on. Oh, Father,” she hastened to correct herself, “it is not that I’m bored at home. Home is my preferred place. I do not mean to be disrespectful. But being here is fun.”
“I seem to recall that on your last visit you sulked and couldn’t wait to weigh anchor and be off back to Weset.”
“Yes, well that was four years ago. Ramose threw spiders at me then, and teased me, and so I refused to come with you the next few times. But now it is different. He is a man now.”
“He doesn’t tease you any more?”
“Well, yes, he does, but not spitefully. And he looks after me too.” For the second time he saw her blush, a russet stain under her dark cheeks. She began to scrub at her scalp with vigour. “I want him to come and stay with us. Will you invite him, Father?” You have flashes of true adulthood, my Tani, he thought before he answered. I, too, would like to see Ramose in a setting other than this opulent estate.
“Yes, I will,” he agreed. “His father is talking of a betrothal between the two of you.” She did not seem surprised. Folding her hands between her knees she gazed out over the sun-dimpled Nile.
“No one has said anything to me,” she responded, “but it may be. I think he is very fine and I think he likes me too.” Suddenly she turned an astute stare on her father. “But what about Kamose?” Inwardly Seqenenra relinquished that foolish dream and found he was not sorry to see it dissolve into nothingness.
“If you and Kamose had shown the slightest sexual interest in each other, I would be pushing for a marriage between you,” he confessed. “But Tani, I will never force you into something abhorrent to you. If you and Ramose continue to learn to care for one another, you will make many people happy.” She kissed him swiftly on the cheek.
“Thank you, Father. You are really quite wonderful. Kamose is not going to get married for a very long time, you know. He is too serious about everything. I think I will go and get oiled.”
He did not watch her go. He sat with chin in hand, his eyes on the far bank now shimmering in the heat haze. She is only partly right, he thought. Kamose is indeed a serious man, but his character is full of deep feeling and intensity. If he ever meets a woman who stirs him, he will commit himself to her for the rest of his life.
Si-Amun delighted in his time in Khemennu. He was at home with the elegant, smoothly polite representatives of the King who came and went in Teti’s busy reception hall. He blossomed with curiosity when talking to the merchants and traders from Rethennu, Keftiu and Zahi, and hisconfident questions betrayed an avid excitement. He also enjoyed the twittering attentions of Teti’s many female servants. He was tall, sinewy, handsome and a prince. He received all deference as his right.
He and Teti had
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