Read Online The Season of the Hyaena (Ancient Egyptian Mysteries) by Paul Doherty - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Paul Doherty
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Ankhesenamun turned. I had to remind myself that she was only a girl between fourteen and fifteen summers, for in the oil lamp she looked a beautiful, sensuous woman with those heavy-lidded eyes, her lips parted.
‘Why, Mahu, Baboon of the South! Why are you here so late at night?’
Amedeta had moved so her back was towards me. I could tell she was laughing quietly to herself.
‘And how is His Majesty?’
‘He sleeps.’
‘Why are you here, Baboon of the South?’
‘I prefer that title, Your Highness, to the Striped Hyaena.’
Ankhesenamun laughed and whispered to Amedeta. The lady-in-waiting turned, smiling seductively over her shoulder at me. She put down the oil jar and slipped from the chamber.
‘Well, Mahu, why are you truly here?’
‘The Shabtis of Akenhaten.’
‘What Shabtis?’
‘Do not act the innocent with me. You know what happened.’
‘I know Rahmose was killed and his assassin now hangs from the Wall of Death.’
‘Rahmose was wearing my cloak.’
‘So?’
‘I was the intended victim.’
‘You don’t really believe that?’
Ankhesenamun got off the stool and came towards me. She pulled the gauze-like shawl tighter about her, which served only to emphasise her full breasts, their nipples painted in gold.
‘Would you like me to dance for you, Uncle Mahu?’ She stretched out her arm, clicking her fingers, and moved rhythmically, languorously, little steps, hips swaying.
‘I do not want you to dance for me, Your Highness, but to answer my questions.’
She paused, hands coyly together.
‘Mahu, you are so dull.’
‘I’m alive. I could have been dead. I want to know how a gardener owned a precious ruby. How a gardener attacked a man wearing a striped cloak. You knew what I was wearing this morning.’
‘Oh, Mahu, others know you wear it!’
‘How many others give gardeners beautiful rubies?’
‘Oh no.’ Ankhesenamun flounced down on a high-backed chair. ‘I know you wear a striped robe. So according to you I seduced the gardener, gave him a ruby from my casket and told him to kill you. However, he made a mistake and murdered Rahmose instead. He then tried to flee, but the door he tried was wedged fast shut and the guards killed him. He was a gardener in the royal household, so someone here must have hired him.’
‘Your Highness is very knowledgeable.’
‘I am knowledgeable because you are right. I did arrange it. The gardener,’ she pouted, ‘well, he was a friend and has done similar tasks before.’ She played with a sphinx armlet of gold inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian and turquoise, and then, as if bored by that, picked from a nearby table an ebonite fan edged with gold and shook it vigorously to cool her face.
‘I am not a child, Mahu. I have been married to my father. I have given birth to one child who died. I am surrounded by enemies and so, like you, I bite before I am bitten. Why not ask me outright and I’ll reply?’
She rose and went through the curtains behind me, I heard her pull across the bolts on the door. She walked back, no longer seductive and languorous, but businesslike, pacing up and down, twisting the ring on her finger.
‘I heard the news from the Delta about the impostor who has appeared.’
‘You are certain he is an impostor?’ I asked.
‘I am sure. Well,’ she shrugged, ‘I think so. But leave that for a while.’ She turned to face me squarely. ‘I had Rahmose killed because I believe those sanctimonious hypocrites Meryre, Tuthmosis and the rest of the devout are much more dangerous than you, or even Grandfather, think. If they are not killed, they’ll certainly kill you.’
‘You have proof of this?’
‘The gardener,’ she raised her hand, ‘I told him exactly what to do, which door would be left open, but he was becoming too arrogant. I placed the wedge beneath the door. He paid the price for his insolence.’
‘But you said you had used him before?’
‘Sobeck must have told you how there are
‘Why, Mahu, Baboon of the South! Why are you here so late at night?’
Amedeta had moved so her back was towards me. I could tell she was laughing quietly to herself.
‘And how is His Majesty?’
‘He sleeps.’
‘Why are you here, Baboon of the South?’
‘I prefer that title, Your Highness, to the Striped Hyaena.’
Ankhesenamun laughed and whispered to Amedeta. The lady-in-waiting turned, smiling seductively over her shoulder at me. She put down the oil jar and slipped from the chamber.
‘Well, Mahu, why are you truly here?’
‘The Shabtis of Akenhaten.’
‘What Shabtis?’
‘Do not act the innocent with me. You know what happened.’
‘I know Rahmose was killed and his assassin now hangs from the Wall of Death.’
‘Rahmose was wearing my cloak.’
‘So?’
‘I was the intended victim.’
‘You don’t really believe that?’
Ankhesenamun got off the stool and came towards me. She pulled the gauze-like shawl tighter about her, which served only to emphasise her full breasts, their nipples painted in gold.
‘Would you like me to dance for you, Uncle Mahu?’ She stretched out her arm, clicking her fingers, and moved rhythmically, languorously, little steps, hips swaying.
‘I do not want you to dance for me, Your Highness, but to answer my questions.’
She paused, hands coyly together.
‘Mahu, you are so dull.’
‘I’m alive. I could have been dead. I want to know how a gardener owned a precious ruby. How a gardener attacked a man wearing a striped cloak. You knew what I was wearing this morning.’
‘Oh, Mahu, others know you wear it!’
‘How many others give gardeners beautiful rubies?’
‘Oh no.’ Ankhesenamun flounced down on a high-backed chair. ‘I know you wear a striped robe. So according to you I seduced the gardener, gave him a ruby from my casket and told him to kill you. However, he made a mistake and murdered Rahmose instead. He then tried to flee, but the door he tried was wedged fast shut and the guards killed him. He was a gardener in the royal household, so someone here must have hired him.’
‘Your Highness is very knowledgeable.’
‘I am knowledgeable because you are right. I did arrange it. The gardener,’ she pouted, ‘well, he was a friend and has done similar tasks before.’ She played with a sphinx armlet of gold inlaid with lapis lazuli, cornelian and turquoise, and then, as if bored by that, picked from a nearby table an ebonite fan edged with gold and shook it vigorously to cool her face.
‘I am not a child, Mahu. I have been married to my father. I have given birth to one child who died. I am surrounded by enemies and so, like you, I bite before I am bitten. Why not ask me outright and I’ll reply?’
She rose and went through the curtains behind me, I heard her pull across the bolts on the door. She walked back, no longer seductive and languorous, but businesslike, pacing up and down, twisting the ring on her finger.
‘I heard the news from the Delta about the impostor who has appeared.’
‘You are certain he is an impostor?’ I asked.
‘I am sure. Well,’ she shrugged, ‘I think so. But leave that for a while.’ She turned to face me squarely. ‘I had Rahmose killed because I believe those sanctimonious hypocrites Meryre, Tuthmosis and the rest of the devout are much more dangerous than you, or even Grandfather, think. If they are not killed, they’ll certainly kill you.’
‘You have proof of this?’
‘The gardener,’ she raised her hand, ‘I told him exactly what to do, which door would be left open, but he was becoming too arrogant. I placed the wedge beneath the door. He paid the price for his insolence.’
‘But you said you had used him before?’
‘Sobeck must have told you how there are
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