The Curse of Anubis - A Mystery in Ancient Egypt (The Mummifier's Daughter Series Book 3)

by Nathaniel Burns

  “And this is what you want to do?”

  “I want answers,” Shabaka affirmed, “It was not only the pharaoh who was in danger, but everyone surrounding him at the time. Had the plan succeeded, it would have opened up the governance of Egypt to an entirely new group of officials.”

  “But these men will die if you continue to deny them water.”

  “That is their choice then. They will be given bread and water once they have talked. I will request the kitchens to bake flavored flatbread to entice them.”

  * * *

  The following morning, as the sun’s rays warmed the carved walls of Deir-el-Bahari, Shabaka sought out Neti, somewhat relieved to find her better. Although still complaining of a headache, she assured him that she would manage to assist with the questioning of the men. Thebes’s guards had identified several of Kadurt’s men within those captured on the hilltops and isolated them from the others, awaiting Shabaka’s instruction, while Queen Istnofret and her son were placed in separate chambers for questioning.

  When Neti and Shabaka stepped through the first doorway, Istnofret was pacing the chamber, mumbling all kinds of curses, and she demanded that the guards present summon Ramesses. Not having been informed as to the reason for their delayed departure, she turned toward the doorway when the guards failed to respond.

  Istnofret looked Neti up and down again and scoffed, turning toward Shabaka, “I have no time for petty acquaintances. On our arrival, I had no interest in meeting her, even though her reputation has preceded her,” the woman sneered. “Her youth, beauty and mystique may enthrall you and the pharaoh, heaven alone knows his eye is quickly turned by a beautiful woman, but I know women such as her,” the last came out snidely, “She may have tricked you into believing she is gifted, but I am not blinded by such notions. She has her own set of plans for you.”

  Shabaka clenched his hands. It behooved him to address this woman as queen, but she had none of the endearing traits of Maathorneferure or those so revered in the great Queen Nefertari. Yet custom demanded his respect, and he flatly addressed the queen, “My queen, we have a small matter to resolve before Ramesses intends to leave.”

  “Then what are you doing here?” Istnofret demanded, before turning toward Neti, “Is it your desire to advance your young . . .” the queen fell silent, obviously unable to ascertain exactly what Neti was to Shabaka, “plaything, so that you fail to fulfill your duties to your pharaoh?”

  Shabaka visibly swallowed at that and chanced a glance at Neti. Relief flooded him when she remained firm in her stance. “She is helping to assess the situation and has some questions for you.”

  Istnofret lifted her brows at that and turned to look at Neti, dismissively replying, “I will humor her questions.”

  Neti stepped forward and looked over the aging queen, tilting her head some before asking, “Queen Istnofret, yesterday I noticed that you fell behind during the procession. Was there any reason for this?”

  Istnofret’s eyes bulged at Neti’s address and lashed out, “How dare you address me in such a manner! Have you no respect for my position?”

  Neti stood firm, as she replied, “I have respect for your position, queen. You have, however, given me no reason to respect you.” Neti’s reply caused Shabaka to gasp, especially as she continued, “You have not said a kind word to me or of me, which would bring forth such respect.”

  “Why you—you—disrespectful, conceited little—”

  “I have addressed you by your title, queen; therefore I have shown no disrespect.”

  “Your tone and stance is disrespectful, “Istnofret challenged, “I have no time for such as you.”

  Just then, Ramesses entered the room, “We will only leave once you have answered her questions.”

  This caused the old queen to turn toward him, demanding, “You will allow her to detain me?”

  “She is one of my elite, and her position is therefore not far below your own,” Ramesses then turned toward Neti, looking her over before adding, “Or if I wish, I could bestow on her the same title.”

  Neti saw Shabaka visibly stiffen at the words, while Istnofret turned toward Neti, her eyes narrowing.

  “This is why she has deceived you thus far.”

  “My lord,” Neti respectfully said, turning toward Ramesses, “I have no such wish.”

  “As I well know, child.”

  “Ha! You are so blind!” Istnofret exclaimed, “She will still be your downfall.”

  Ramesses turned toward Istnofret, his entire body rigid as he spoke, “On the contrary, it is thanks to her powers of observation that I am still alive.”

  Istnofret turned toward Neti, “So it was you who disrupted the procession. I wondered who would do such a disgraceful thing!”

  “With good reason,” Neti countered, “Which is why I have asked you why your own progress slowed during the procession?”

  “I am an old woman. I was not given a chariot to ease my passage, unlike your pharaoh. I had to travel at my own pace.”

  Neti nodded at her reply, and Ramesses turned toward Neti, asking, “Is that all?”

  “Yes, my lord. Her response is adequate, as I too suffered the effects of the day’s sun.”

  Istnofret looked at Neti through narrowed lids and accused, “You thought I had something to do with it.”

  Neti took a deep breath and pulled herself up to her full height, “I said no such thing, and until we have questioned everyone who was out of position at the time, we will make no claim of any person’s involvement.”

  “And while you are playing, the guilty get away.”

  Neti made to speak, but caught herself and turned to Shabaka, “We are done here.”

  They left the chamber, and Shabaka caught her arm, “You know it is unwise to stir the rage of that queen?”

  “She does not behave herself as a queen should,” Neti deadpanned, “Besides, Ramesses was there, and he is the one who decides if my behavior warrants reproach.”

  “She is not like Maathorneferure. She will call for your life,” Shabaka cautioned.

  “I have thought of that, which is why I did not say anything to her last goad.”

  Shabaka nodded, “Come, we still have to speak with Merenptah.”

  They entered the chamber where the crown prince was held, and Neti immediately halted when the young man rapidly progressed toward them. She sensed Shabaka also stiffen next to her when the young man came to stand before them, reaching out to take her hand.

  “I would like to thank you for saving my father’s life,” he said, looking directly at Neti. “My sister has told me a great deal about you on our trip here, and I had hoped we would be introduced at the formal dinner. However she and her new husband seemed unwilling to share your company.”

  Neti felt herself blush, as she made to extract her hand from his, “You are welcome.”

  Merenptah let go of her hand and stepped back a step, “Forgive me, my mother is always saying that I am too much like my father, that I befriend others too quickly. But I feel as if I already know you, with all that I have heard and now seen.”

  Neti cleared her throat, “You then would not mind answering some questions for us.”

  “Certainly.”

  “During the procession, I noticed that your mother fell behind.”

  Merenptah nodded, “Yes, she was complaining about the heat and that her joints hurt, and she asked me to remain with her.”

  “When did this start?” Neti asked, more at ease with the young man.

  “Not long before we descended into the Valley of the Kings.”

  “Why then not turn around and return here?” Neti asked, indicating toward the floor, “It would have lessened the strain on her, as the procession still had the entire Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens to complete.”

  “Have you met my mother?” Merenptah deadpanned.

  Neti nodded in response.

  “Then you will know that she is all about proper appea
rances. There is no way she would have turned back.”

  “I see.”

  “You don’t think she had something to do with this?” the young prince quickly questioned, looking from Neti to Shabaka.

  “Do you think she could have?” Neti questioned in reply.

  “My mother may be conceited, but she is not foolish. She wants a tomb the same as Nefertari’s tomb. She would not try to kill him.”

  “Thank you,” Neti said, before turning to Shabaka, “It is time to start questioning the men.”

  13

  NETI FOLLOWED SHABAKA into the detaining area where most of the captives were held. She hesitated for a moment, her face contorting as the overwhelming stench of rank body odor reached her.

  “Neti?” Shabaka questioned in concern.

  Neti placed her hand over her mouth, pinching her nose at the same time to prevent herself from becoming ill, “When last did these men bathe?”

  “They have not been permitted near water since the festival,” Shabaka answered, looking at the men who listlessly sat along the wall, before turning toward her and noticing her pallor. “You sure you can do this? I can have Moses take you back to the old woman if you like.”

  Neti took a shallow breath through her mouth, not that it helped much, as she could almost taste the rank air, “I will be fine, as long as they do not come too close to me.”

  “I would have thought you were use to the smell of human bodies,” Shabaka said, as they continued.

  “There are times when living bodies smell worse than the dead,” Neti deadpanned.

  A great commotion started up behind them, as several guards entered carrying buckets of water, while another held a bulging cloth sack, its contents immediately identifiable by the smell that emanated—flavored flatbread. Extra guards roughly pushed down the men who descended on them, while those carrying the goods sped toward their intended destination.

  Neti stepped out of the way, allowing the guards to precede them into the room, only to rush in after them when the mass of captives also made for the doorway.

  After several moments of scuffling with guards, some harsh words and several punches, the detainees again settled, mumbling and complaining among themselves.

  Neti settled on a small stool in the far corner, as the first of the men was dragged into the room. She looked over the elderly gentlemen. There were dirt streaks along his arms, with his hands covered in calluses. He had seen many days of hard work and too many fights. As the guards pushed him into one corner, he made to get up again, complaining about his hunger and thirst; his gaze fixed on the bucket, his nostrils twitching as he breathed, only to again be pushed toward the corner.

  “Sit, Ghesap,” Shabaka firmly commanded, “You will get some, once you have spoken.”

  The elderly man cowered at Shabaka’s tone and dropped to the ground, before turning to look at him. He lifted a finger and pointed at Shabaka, “You, I have seen you before.”

  “It is of no importance whether you have seen me before; you are to answer my questions.”

  The elder man yanked back his hand, his eyes bugging as he fearfully exclaimed, “I did nothing wrong! I have been good.”

  “You have not been accused of anything,” Shabaka replied.

  Ghesap again looked at Shabaka, somewhat astounded. “I told them; yes, I did. I told them he would die!” Ghesap ranted. “But would they listen to me? No, what would old Ghesap know—everyone thinks me the fool, that I hear voices.”

  Shabaka turned to look at Neti and was surprised when she rose and approached the elderly man.

  “Ghesap,” she gently spoke, causing the man to turn his attention to her as she crouched down near him, breathing shallowly to avoid the stench of beer and sweat that emitted from him, “What did they not want to believe?”

  Ghesap turned to look at Neti, his head tilting for a moment, “It does not matter anymore. The pharaoh is safe.”

  Neti smiled at him, lowering her voice some as she spoke, “That may be so, but we,” she said gesturing between her and Shabaka, “would like to know who told you this.”

  Shabaka watched, as the man for several moments looked at her, and wanted to intervene. They did not have time for games. Just as he was about to speak up the man stated, “There was a group of men, they don’t live in the city, outsiders. I was walking back to the village one evening. I am not young, and it is dangerous to walk there alone with all the banditti, so when I heard voices, I hid. There were a few of them. They were talking of changes that would happen when the pharaoh was dead.”

  Neti looked at Shabaka and lifted her brow, before again returning her attention to the man, “Do you think you could recognize any of these men’s voices, if you heard them again?”

  The man remained silent for several moments and then shook his head, answering, “It was too long ago.”

  “How do you know that they were talking of killing the pharaoh during the festival?” Shabaka demanded.

  Shabaka’s tone had the man cower some, before hesitantly answering, “One said that they would be paid a few days after the festival.”

  Shabaka nodded his head, “Do you know where this would happen?”

  The man quickly shook his head.

  Neti rose from her position and gestured to Shabaka to join her in the far corner. He drew closer to her, as she spoke in a low tone. “He is either telling the truth, or it is one great lie. I cannot determine which.”

  “We can always beat it from him,” Shabaka replied.

  “He has seen too many beatings already and knows that the sooner he admits to whatever he is accused of, the sooner the beatings will stop.”

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  “We can question the others and see if any of their stories gives merit to this one. If there was such talk, it would have trickled through such a small community.”

  Shabaka turned from her and indicated for the guards to remove Ghesap. The men approached him, grabbing his arms, only to have him fight them. “I did nothing wrong!” he bemoaned, as they lugged him up, only to jolt to a halt when a guard held a clay cup before him. He grabbed the cup and drank down its contents, looking toward the bucket as they refilled the cup, before handing him a piece of flatbread, which he hastily took. He glanced toward Neti and Shabaka as the guards marched him out the door and into a different holding area.

  Most of the morning was spent extracting information, as man after man was brought before them; none confirmed Ghesap’s words, neither did they contradict them. Some were subjected to beatings, and their piteous cries made it easier to extract information from others by mere threat. And throughout the morning, it became apparent that there was some scheme, as several of the men had specifically been employed to move rocks to the top of the mountainside, something that was only extracted after threat of a severe lashing to the entire group of them. None of the men could give details as to whom paid them, as none had asked, having gladly done the work with the hope of future employment and a steady wage.

  When Shabaka questioned Kabu on whether he knew anything about this, the captain had replied, “A group of men moving stones on the west bank is as common as sand storms in the desert; there was no reason to suspect anyone.”

  When Nameb was brought before them, Neti again felt a shudder run up her spine. The occurrence did not go unnoticed by Shabaka, and his hands clenched as the man once again looked her over. Nameb made to speak, only to receive a serious blow with a spear to his back from the guard on duty, who harshly instructed, “Speak only when spoken to.”

  The man’s actions had Shabaka frown, then smirk, as he spoke, “It seems you have angered the guard, I wonder how?” Shabaka said, looking at the guard.

  “He tried to seduce my brother’s daughter.”

  “A serious charge on its own, especially since I have firsthand witnessed your behavior toward women.”

  Nameb remained silent, as the guard pushed him down to the ground. Shabaka had left him a
nd his group for last, hoping their thirst, hunger and the wailing of those beaten would render them more complacent, however, Shabaka felt his hands clench when Nameb once again looked Neti over, but said nothing to her and instead turned his attention toward Shabaka, “What am I being accused of this time?” he demanded, sarcastically adding, “drinking too much during the festival?”

  Shabaka fought his initial reprimand and flatly replied, “No.”

  “Well, this should be interesting then. Who has now lodged a complaint against me?”

  “You are here because of the incident in the valley,” Shabaka stressed, “Your philandering is a matter the council will attend to.”

  “I had nothing to do with that,” Nameb firmly decreed.

  “Is that so? Then it must just be chance that you were assembling a group of skilled men.”

  “Why should my gathering together a group of men have any connection to the events in the valley?” Nameb countered.

  Shabaka turned toward him, his eyes narrowing as he spoke, “Because one does not do such things without reason.”

  Nameb looked at Shabaka for a while, before trying to glance past him at Neti (who had opted to remain out of the questioning), only to receive a stout blow to the head from the guard.

  “What do you want from me?” Nameb demanded, turning to glare at the guard.

  “The truth,” Shabaka demanded, “What was your involvement?”

  “I told you, none.”

  “I find it hard to believe,” Shabaka calmly replied, before maliciously adding, “I should hand you over to the guard and some of his friends to soften your determination some, maybe then you will speak,” Shabaka threatened.

  “I told you that I had nothing to do with it!” Nameb protested.

  “But then you are resourceful, you said so yourself, so you should have known something,” Shabaka menacingly added, having opted to change his approach, “Or perhaps you are not important enough to be notified of such matters.”

  “I am so!” Nameb retorted, only to fall silent on realizing what he had said.

  “So you know something?” Shabaka said turning toward him, “Maybe I should send you for flogging, make you cry like a baby in front of a woman . . . maybe even gather up all the women you have wooed, so they can see what happens to the likes of you. Maybe then you will talk,” Shabaka said, turning to the guards.