The Mummifier´s Daughter - A Novel in Ancient Egypt

by Nathaniel Burns

  “Closing the gate could result in their actions becoming more desperate. Most of the citizens will also object to the restrictions. Not to mention that the note will be intercepted by the mayor.”

  Neti looked at the scroll with the gem details on it, and then suddenly up at him, professing, “I have an idea of how we can trap them. It takes two days for a good messenger to reach a Vizier, and another two for him to return … that gives us four days to make this work. I need a scroll, ink and a quill pen.”

  “What are you up to?”

  “We send the Vizier a message that you have discovered who is behind the gem smuggling, and will be arresting those involved in the next few days …”

  “But I have no idea who is involved.”

  “They don’t know that, and if they are involved they will panic. You then just have to keep track of their movements and arrest them when they reveal themselves.”

  “It might work,” Shabaka replied.

  Neti carefully formed the familiar hieroglyphs, and once done she waited for the ink to dry before rolling it up and handing it to him. “Here you go.”

  “Thank you,” Shabaka returned taking it from her, “I will have a guard posted close to your house, just in case.”

  Neti smiled, and indicated the scrolls. “Keep them. I have no use for them.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Pa-Nasi was sitting at his desk, glancing over some papers, when some commotion at the doorway drew his attention. He looked up as his house servant roughly hauled a messenger into the room, before angrily demanding, “What do you want?”

  His house servant came to a halt, firmly holding onto the scrawny messenger’s arm that was still struggling to break free of the man’s grip.

  “One of the guards caught this messenger trying to sneak a message out of town,” the servant said, jerking the messenger once again to get him to stand still.

  Pa-Nasi looked the man over before rising from his seat and rounding the table, haughtily asking, “Now why would a messenger wish to sneak a message out of town I cannot help but wonder exactly to whom the message is addressed.” He walked closer to the man, before lowly demanding, “For who is the message you carry?”

  The messenger visibly swallowed before replying, “I cannot tell you.”

  “You cannot tell me,” PA-Nasi snootily replied, adding, “You cannot tell the mayor of Thebes, who ensures the town’s prosperity, where you are taking that scroll.” Pa-Nasi then turned towards one of his other men, commanding, “Go fetch his eldest child, so that it can receive his punishment. I hope it is a girl. I fancy exploiting the body of an innocent.”

  The man’s eyes suddenly enlarged, giving Pa-Nasi the answer he sought, before he added, “We will see if he speaks then. If not, his child will do well in the brothels.”

  “The message is bound for the Vizier,” the messenger finally confessed, causing the mayor to look at him.

  “Well now there is a problem,” the mayor once again started, snidely. “For a runner may not take a message to the Vizier without my seal. Such an event is unheard of and akin to treason.” The mayor stepped closer to the man before boomingly demanding, “Who sends the message!”

  The runner once again swallowed, before lowering his gaze and replying, “The prefect Shabaka.”

  The mayor stepped back, before speaking, “Ah yes, the prefect. He dares to still challenge my authority.” Then he turned and extended his hand towards the messenger, “You will hand me the message, so that I can see what is so important that he needs to directly contact the Vizier.”

  The messenger remained silent for a moment, and Pa-Nasi maliciously added, “I have no problem hurting your eldest, and making you watch as I do it, if you do not comply. I could even let some of my servants see to their needs.”

  “You cannot do this,” the messenger objected.

  Pa-Nasi lunged towards him and slapped him hard across the face, decreeing,” I am the mayor, I can do whatever I like!”

  The messenger’s head had snapped back, but he still insisted, “No, you cannot.”

  “Oh but I can and that is why my men will go to collect your eldest,” Pa-Nasi menacingly replied.

  The messenger dropped his head, sighing deeply, before reaching into his satchel to extract the scroll, handing it to the mayor.

  “See now, that was not so hard,” Pa-Nasi mocked, before turning his back to the messenger and unrolling the scroll. His brow furrowed as he read the contents of the scroll, and then he moved toward his desk. He rolled up the scroll and reached for his wax stick, holding it over the flame before pushing the wax over the paper and picking up his seal, placed it over the hot wax. He then turned his attention to the messenger, saying, “It is good news, I am certain the Vizier will be pleased with his report,” as he waited for the wax to cool, leaving the scroll on his desk.

  “You can let him go,” the mayor said to his servant, who released the messenger. He then picked up his own report to the Vizier and held it out to the messenger, “Be certain that the Vizier receives this at the earliest possible date,” he said, as the messenger took the scroll from him, nodding his head in reply before turning for the door.

  Once the messenger had left, Pa-Nasi turned to his footman, commanding, “Go call Ma-Nefer. I want to speak with him, now!”

  The man quickly nodded his head, and turned to leave.

  Pa-Nasi returned to his desk, lifting the scroll and shaking his head, pronouncing, “Fools.”

  The sun was just sitting above the western horizon when Shabaka arrived at Neti’s home. He had finally taken up her offer for dinner, and smiled warmly when she invited him up to the kitchen.

  The smell of freshly baked bread and broiling pigeon filled the air around the kitchen, assailing his senses, as Neti busied herself with their food, asking him to sit.

  Shabaka, however, stood for a while, looking around him, before stating, “You have a beautiful view of the city here. I am certain you could see all the way to the Rammasseum.”

  Neti turned to look at him, noting the direction of his gaze, before replying, “It is slightly more to the right. Once the sun has set and the light is not in one’s eyes it is visible.”

  “It must be a sight now that it has been completed,” Shabaka replied.

  Neti finished up and moved to stand next to him, “It is most beautiful early in the morning, but too far away to make out the precise details.”

  Shabaka turned to look at her, “Have you ever thought of visiting it? I would like to before I leave here.”

  At his words, Neti grew more reserved, and softly replied, “There are scribes working on the walls at the moment, but I would like to see it once they are done.” She then turned more to the right pointing, “Karnak is easier to see from here,” she pointed toward the large building with its tall pillared entrance, adding, “From certain rooftops it almost completely obscures the view of the Rammasseum”

  “You have been there?” Shabaka asked.

  “Yes, every Theban will visit Karnak at least once a year for the Opet festival,” Neti replied, before adding, “The pharaoh has had many of the pillars inscribed with the history of Thebes, and his own. There are so many temples there one could not visit them all in one day. You should visit it.”

  “I have been within the walls, but I have never looked at the pillars or visited any of the temples. I shall have to make a point of it next time I am there,” Shabaka remarked, and then asked, “What are you making, it smells delectable,”

  “It is just some bread and pigeon. I have not had much time to prepare more,” Neti replied, and moved to tend to their food.

  “That is fine with me, I would not want you to squander unnecessarily for my benefit,” Shabaka replied as he moved to sit on a stool.

  “There is beer as well, if you would like some,” Neti said pointing to an earthenware pot.

  “That would be refreshing after today,” Shabaka replied, noticing the scrolls nearby, and asking, “
What are those?”

  Neti handed him his beer before answering, “Those are my scrolls. I was going to go through them to try to understand better what I saw today.”

  “You have notes on bodies?” Shabaka asked surprised.

  “Yes,” Neti replied, adding, “I have compiled them since I was a child. My father often helped me. That is why everyone believes me to be a witch that can speak to the dead.”

  “Would you mind if I looked at them?” Shabaka asked.

  “Of course not,” Neti replied indicating the scrolls, “you are welcome to.”

  Ma-Nefer stepped into the mayor’s luscious garden. The overwhelming scent of Egyptian violets and jasmine filled the air as the skyline steadily darkened. Crickets started chirping, welcoming the cooler evening air. The last of the mayor’s servants were finishing up the watering of the garden as Ma-Nefer made his way over to their appointed meeting place, watching as the mayor ordered his staff about. Ma-Nefer waited until the mayor had dismissed his staff before approaching the man, stating, “You wanted to see me.”

  “Yes, I did,” the mayor gruffly replied, clanking about them for a moment.

  His action caused a frown to form on Ma-Nefer’s face, before he asked, “Why meet here?”

  “Because our discussion is not for others to hear,” Pa-Nasi firmly replied.

  “There is a problem then?” Ma-Nefer stated rather than asked.

  “Yes, and it involves the company that future bride of yours keeps,” Pa-Nasi mordantly replied.

  “The prefect,” Ma-Nefer replied, nodding his head, adding, “Yes he has proven to be a problem.”

  “Walk with me,” the mayor commanded, gesturing to the gardens, “so that it will appear as a casual visit.”

  Ma-Nefer fell into step next to him, as he slowly started moving through the garden.

  “I intercepted a message bound for the Vizier today,” the mayor started, then held his hand up when Ma-Nefer was about to say something, and continued, “The prefect was sending a message stating that he has discovered the identities of those behind the gem smuggling, and that he will be arresting them in the next few days.”

  “Well it confirms your suspicions as to why he was sent here,” Ma-Nefer calmly replied, before adding, “We have always maintained that that was the reason.”

  The mayor halted in the corner of the garden, and turned to face Ma-Nefer, “Yes, we have. But I had not realized that he has made any headway. I had figured with him being so occupied with the recent murders, that he would not have had the means to look deeper into the matter … Someone has spoken, we need to find out who and silence them.”

  “Your embalmer perhaps, when they were there to see the mason’s body?” Ma-Nefer returned, before adding, “I don’t trust him, he is in too an obvious place. I told you we should put him in the abandoned Per-Nefer chamber.”

  The mayor shook his head, professing, “They only saw the body of the mason.”

  “You are certain he has not said anything?”

  “He keeps to himself,” Pa-Nasi decreed, adding, “He knows I will have his son stoned if he does not comply.”

  “So what could the prefect know?” Ma-Nefer demanded, “Even those transporting the gems from the mines don’t know anything. Our man at the storage facilities will not talk. My people transporting the bodies to Karnak have no idea what they are transporting, only that they are not to be unwrapped or inspected.”

  “Yes and that’s why they killed that guard. That was a mess,” the mayor retorted.

  “The man should not have been as nosy,” Ma-Nefer affirmed.

  “What about your man at the temple who takes out the gems? He dumps the bodies. Could they have questioned him?” Pa-Nasi demanded.

  Ma-Nefer simply shook his head at that, before replying, “He has no tongue, he cannot speak, read or write, and he knows what will happen if he does something like that.”

  “We have that one body in Natron at the moment, which will only be ready to ship next week, so we cannot move it now,” the mayor mused, before asking, “None of the shipments into the Per-Nefer have been checked?”

  “No, everything is moved under official documentation. That Marlep is a fool,” Ma-Nefer stated.

  “I want to be rid of him,” The mayor decreed.

  “The overseer?” Ma-Nefer asked, confused.

  “No, fool!” The mayor exclaimed, before clarifying, “The prefect, he has become a thorn in my side.”

  “Yours and mine both,” Ma-Nefer agreed.

  “It would be useful if another body could turn up with its heart removed, possibly his,” the mayor mused aloud, “It would draw attention away from the gems, until we’ve had the opportunity to move them. But it’s still a full moon’s turn before the purchaser arrives from the East, and tomorrow sees the load of turquoise arrive. You know how sought after those are” The mayor rambled.

  “I will check with the others in the morning. I have stocks to draw from the storage area, and will go to Karnack with the next offerings to check on the gems,” Ma-Nefer replied.

  Neti and Shabaka had just finished their meal, and Neti was sitting next to him explaining some of the embalming processes, when one of the guards came into her home.

  Shabaka turned his attention to the guard, asking. “What is it, Am-ed?”

  “I have come to report that Ma-Nefer visited the mayor this evening. They were talking in the gardens,” the young man replied.

  “Did anyone hear what about?”

  “They were too far away to hear, none of us could get close enough,” Am-ed replied.

  “I see,” Shabaka answered, thinking things over for a moment before instructing, “I want both the mayor and Ma-Nefer’s movements followed. I want to know where they go and who they talk to over the next few days.”

  Am-ed nodded his head in reply, before affirming, “I will have men assigned.”

  “Good, I want Tie-ka brought in, in the morning. We will see if Asim reappears with his wife’s arrest.”

  “You will not hurt her?” Neti quickly asked in concern.

  “No. It’s just to ensure no one else does,” Shabaka replied, before adding, “Asim knows something, and I want to know what he does.”

  “Will that be all, Sir?” Am-ed asked.

  “Yes thank you Am-ed,” Shabaka replied, and with that Am-ed took his leave of them.

  Shabaka turned to Neti, “It seems your plan has worked. If they are somehow involved they will expose themselves soon enough.”

  “But it still does not uncover who killed my parents,” Neti regretfully replied.

  “No it does not,” Shabaka dolefully affirmed, “and I’m afraid that until such time as he strikes again I will not be able to do much … if only I could determine how he picks his victims.”

  Ma-Nefer returned to his home, and angrily stomped about the room. “That foolish mayor, it’s his stupidity that has caused this,” he professed aloud, adding, “I told him we should rather use the abandoned Per-Nefer chamber. No one would question an outsider practicing there, but he had to place the man at the main Per-Nefer area, had to keep things within the rules … it’s time I rid myself of him as well. I do all of the work, so I should get all of the money.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The sun was just reaching its zenith, with the sun beetles screeching in the trees from the oppressive heat, when Asim entered the guardhouse. He glanced about him, searching the room, when two guards immediately moved to capture his arms. Another called for Shabaka, who soon appeared from another room.

  “I want to see my wife,” Asim demanded, struggling against the grip of the two guards restraining him.

  “She is safe,” Shabaka replied, indicating to the guards to let him go.

  “She has nothing to do with this,” Asim replied as he shook himself, glaring at the guards next to him, before returning his attention to Shabaka.

  “That is for me to decide,” Shabaka calmly replied, folding his arms as he
looked over the embalmer.

  “She is innocent. You have no reason to keep her here, to punish her,” Asim affirmed, stepping forward.

  Both guards moved, each taking hold of a shoulder, before Shabaka indicated to them to take him to another room.

  “You can’t do this!” Asim declared over his shoulder as he was forcefully escorted into a smaller room. He tugged against the two guards, turning his head to glare at Shabaka before disappearing behind the drapery.

  Shabaka returned to the other room, his gaze landing on the embalmer’s wife, who was seated in a corner with Neti-Kerty.

  “You are going to talk to him?” Neti asked as he came to stand by them.

  “Let him sit for a while. It will cause him greater concern, make him more willing to divulge what he knows.” Shabaka said, and then turned his attention towards Tei-ka.

  “You will not hurt him?” the elderly lady asked him, her tone conveying her concern.

  “If he tells me what he knows, and it is not a lie, there will be no reason to have him flogged,” Shabaka stated, noticing the woman’s concern increase, before adding, “Is there anything he would withhold, or choose not to tell me?”

  He watched as she nervously fidgeted with her hands, before replying, “If there is it will be to protect me.”

  “And he has reason to do this?” Shabaka asked, for a moment glancing at Neti.

  “No, but he has always been protective of me,” Tei-ka, said before looking at him, “even if it was unneeded.”

  Shabaka looked at Neti, “Neti, you should come with me. I would like to know what he knows of your parents’ murders. You can also act as a scribe.” Neti nodded her head and rose from her seat as he continued, “I will have a guard watch over Tei-ka while we are busy.” He then turned his attention toward the elderly woman, commanding, “You are to remain silent, at all times, or I will have a guard move you, and he will be flogged.”

  Neti looked at Shabaka in disbelief as Tei-ka quickly nodded her head.