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Authors: Brad Geagley
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loose.
She laid her
wet cheek
upon his hand, and kissed it. “I know I am only a weak woman, but you
must believe me when I tell you that this amulet is very powerful. I
have also sent such charms to the Medjays guarding the Great Place as
well. You must keep it with you always.”
Semerket
nodded.
“May the gods
bless
and keep you, Semerket. Know that if you need anything, you are to come
to me at once.”
He nodded
again.
She rose from
the
chair then, saying that she must not be late for her choir practice at
Sekhmet’s Temple. Once again she draped the shroud around herself. The
men all bowed low again as she and her ladies silently withdrew.
“Hmmmph.
Females and
their magic!” said Toh after the women had gone. He gestured wanly,
wearied by the sudden appearance of the queen. “I am tired,” he said,
“and the sand is chafing my eyelids. You may leave me now as well.” The
vizier’s voice took on a bemused tone and he regarded Semerket with
something akin to mischief. “I really must bring you to see Ramses. It
would do him good, hearing the truth from you.”
Outside the
justice
building, where the spiraling sands were intensifying to a furious
crescendo, Nenry and Semerket took shelter behind an alabaster sphinx
of the great god Ramses II, a distant ancestor of the present pharaoh.
He yelled to Semerket through his shawl, “You play a dangerous game,
brother—tweaking Toh like that about his age!”
“I play no
games,”
Semerket shouted back. “I only use the least time necessary to achieve
an end.” Semerket suddenly grasped his brother’s arm in the howling
winds, and Nenry felt its strength. Even in the swirling sands, Nenry
saw his brother’s black eyes glittering. “Can I count on you, Nenry?”
Nenry looked
at him
unwillingly but at last said, “I know I am a coward and a fool, of no
use to anyone—for my wife tells me this—but you are my brother. Yes,
you can count on me. For what it’s worth.”
Semerket
nodded. “I’ll
send word when I can,” he said. Then in the churning sands, Nenry
thought he saw a flash of his brother’s teeth. “Tell your wife she can
come out of her room now.”
Nenry was
suddenly
alone. He saw only his brother’s shrouded form disappearing into the
waiting vortex of sand.
THE
SERVANTS OFTHE
PLACE OFTRUTH
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” THE BOY HAD OPENEDthe large wooden door
with a sullen grunt. He used a finger to dislodge a seed caught between
his molars, then casually wiped his hand on his filthy loincloth. He
stared at Semerket, or rather at the jar of strong beer he held.
It was midday.
The air
was heavy with fine sand left over from the storms, and summer-like
heat baked the landscape, trapped by the lingering haze. Semerket had
deliberately chosen noontime to visit the House of Purification,
knowing the priests and their servants would be taking their rest. But
he also knew that this was the time when the smell in the house would
be at its sharpest.
“Does Metufer
the
Ripper Up still live?” he asked.
“He’s old, and
his
hands shake, but, yes, he’s still the Ripper Up.”
Semerket held
the beer
up to the boy. “Take me to him.”
Eagerly the
boy seized
the jar. He tore off the soft clay seal and smelled the brew. “Ah!
Fresh, too. Not like the piss they normally bring us.” A suspicious
look shadowed his face. “But you bring no one to be purified. What is
it you want with Metufer anyway?”
“I’m his
friend.
Semerket is my name.”
The boy
snorted. “A
friend who doesn’t know if he’s alive or dead. Maybe you bring him
trouble.”
“If you don’t
want the
beer…” Semerket shrugged and reached out to take the jar. The boy
quickly stepped back, just out of Semerket’s reach.
“I’ll take you
to him.
I’ll take you,” he said in a wheedling tone. “We don’t get many
visitors, is all. I’d be beaten if I brought someone Metufer didn’t
want to see.”
The boy opened
the
door a fraction wider. Semerket took
She laid her
wet cheek
upon his hand, and kissed it. “I know I am only a weak woman, but you
must believe me when I tell you that this amulet is very powerful. I
have also sent such charms to the Medjays guarding the Great Place as
well. You must keep it with you always.”
Semerket
nodded.
“May the gods
bless
and keep you, Semerket. Know that if you need anything, you are to come
to me at once.”
He nodded
again.
She rose from
the
chair then, saying that she must not be late for her choir practice at
Sekhmet’s Temple. Once again she draped the shroud around herself. The
men all bowed low again as she and her ladies silently withdrew.
“Hmmmph.
Females and
their magic!” said Toh after the women had gone. He gestured wanly,
wearied by the sudden appearance of the queen. “I am tired,” he said,
“and the sand is chafing my eyelids. You may leave me now as well.” The
vizier’s voice took on a bemused tone and he regarded Semerket with
something akin to mischief. “I really must bring you to see Ramses. It
would do him good, hearing the truth from you.”
Outside the
justice
building, where the spiraling sands were intensifying to a furious
crescendo, Nenry and Semerket took shelter behind an alabaster sphinx
of the great god Ramses II, a distant ancestor of the present pharaoh.
He yelled to Semerket through his shawl, “You play a dangerous game,
brother—tweaking Toh like that about his age!”
“I play no
games,”
Semerket shouted back. “I only use the least time necessary to achieve
an end.” Semerket suddenly grasped his brother’s arm in the howling
winds, and Nenry felt its strength. Even in the swirling sands, Nenry
saw his brother’s black eyes glittering. “Can I count on you, Nenry?”
Nenry looked
at him
unwillingly but at last said, “I know I am a coward and a fool, of no
use to anyone—for my wife tells me this—but you are my brother. Yes,
you can count on me. For what it’s worth.”
Semerket
nodded. “I’ll
send word when I can,” he said. Then in the churning sands, Nenry
thought he saw a flash of his brother’s teeth. “Tell your wife she can
come out of her room now.”
Nenry was
suddenly
alone. He saw only his brother’s shrouded form disappearing into the
waiting vortex of sand.
THE
SERVANTS OFTHE
PLACE OFTRUTH
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” THE BOY HAD OPENEDthe large wooden door
with a sullen grunt. He used a finger to dislodge a seed caught between
his molars, then casually wiped his hand on his filthy loincloth. He
stared at Semerket, or rather at the jar of strong beer he held.
It was midday.
The air
was heavy with fine sand left over from the storms, and summer-like
heat baked the landscape, trapped by the lingering haze. Semerket had
deliberately chosen noontime to visit the House of Purification,
knowing the priests and their servants would be taking their rest. But
he also knew that this was the time when the smell in the house would
be at its sharpest.
“Does Metufer
the
Ripper Up still live?” he asked.
“He’s old, and
his
hands shake, but, yes, he’s still the Ripper Up.”
Semerket held
the beer
up to the boy. “Take me to him.”
Eagerly the
boy seized
the jar. He tore off the soft clay seal and smelled the brew. “Ah!
Fresh, too. Not like the piss they normally bring us.” A suspicious
look shadowed his face. “But you bring no one to be purified. What is
it you want with Metufer anyway?”
“I’m his
friend.
Semerket is my name.”
The boy
snorted. “A
friend who doesn’t know if he’s alive or dead. Maybe you bring him
trouble.”
“If you don’t
want the
beer…” Semerket shrugged and reached out to take the jar. The boy
quickly stepped back, just out of Semerket’s reach.
“I’ll take you
to him.
I’ll take you,” he said in a wheedling tone. “We don’t get many
visitors, is all. I’d be beaten if I brought someone Metufer didn’t
want to see.”
The boy opened
the
door a fraction wider. Semerket took
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