by Overton, Max
"Thank you," Scarab said. "Will you be all right here? Do you want to come with us?"
Amenhotep shook his head. "I have to stay with my boat. How long will you be?"
Scarab shrugged. "A day or two. I don't know. I don't even know why we are going."
"I'll wait for three days then. If you are not back by then, I'll assume you are staying in Iunu or moving on overland."
The land in Lower Kemet was not at all like the red lands of the upper river valley. Scarab had thought the lush grass around the campsite owed its existence to the proximity of the floodwaters, but she quickly saw she was wrong. They moved inland, eastward, and soon left the river behind. The grass continued however, if anything becoming lusher, dotted with clumps of papyrus reed and stands of trees. Herds of cattle appeared, each tended by small naked boys armed with sticks. The boys paid no attention to Scarab and Khu, plodding along behind their charges, a swift crack of their staves across a loitering cow's rump the only sound. The cattle showed more interest, standing staring at these new humans with their large liquid eyes, their heavy dewlaps swinging. They stood their ground for as long as they could before snorting suddenly with alarm and plunging off, the naked boys running after them. Thick clouds of flies followed the herds, feasting on the fresh dung. Beetles were there too, sacred scarabs, fashioning miniature sun balls and trundling them across the sandy soil between the swards of cropped grass.
Scarab squatted and watched them for a few minutes, pointing out the iridescent colours of their grooved and ridged carapaces to Khu.
"I don't see how anyone in their right mind could think you looked like a beetle," Khu grinned. "You are not nearly as colourful."
They found the road just before noon, a hard-packed ribbon of rock and earth tamped smooth by countless feet. It ran northeast-southwest, connecting the great city of Ineb Hedj with Iunu and beyond. Traffic was light on the great road, a scattering of men and women on foot and a few ox-carts laden with produce, moving toward Iunu. They joined the other travelers who cast a curious eye on the young man and woman, but said nothing, turning back to their silent contemplation of the baked road ahead.
Scarab had been expecting another great city like Waset or Ineb Hedj, even something smaller, like Akhet-Aten, so she felt let-down when Iunu appeared suddenly over a small rise. A cluster of mud brick houses constituted the main town, surrounding an open space in which stalls and benches, laden with produce, attracted the travelers as they arrived.
"Where are the pillars?" Khu complained. "I thought you said this was the place of pillars."
"I did," Scarab said. "And the temples--where are they?"
One of the travelers stopped, letting his eyes travel appreciatively over the young girl. "This is the newer part of the city. The temples are further on. Just follow the road."
They stopped briefly in the market place, finding some new-baked bread and thin beer at one of the taverns lining the open place. Khu haggled for a minute, reluctantly parting with a scrap of copper. Shaking his head, he carried the loaf and mugs of beer to a rough wooden bench where they sat in the shade, eating and watching the people of Iunu.
"What do you hope to find here?" Khu asked around a mouthful of gritty crust. "You are normally so...so single-minded. It's not like you to wander away from your path."
"I don't know. It was like someone told me to come here."
Khu stopped eating and looked at Scarab, his mouth falling open. "You heard a voice? Of a god?"
"No." She looked sideways at her companion. "Close your mouth, Khu or you'll lose your meal." She shook her head slightly. "Like a voice but not a voice. I can't explain it. Perhaps more like suddenly remembering something I meant to do. Anyway, we are here now. Maybe we'll find out when we get to the temples."
The temples lay in a small depression half an hour's walk beyond the mud brick town. True to its name, pillars were the first thing seen, the tops rising above the gentle swell of the land. As they topped the rise, a forest of stone trees spread out before them, eight great stone temples arranged in a spiral dominated by a huge ninth one atop a gentle central pyramidal mound. After standing there a while, absorbing a sight that rivaled that of the great temple of Amun in Waset, Scarab and Khu started down toward the first of the temples. Priests came out to meet them, white-robed and shaven-headed, and guided them onto a road that circled inward toward the central mound, passing in front of every temple. Priests of the gods stood outside the temples, welcoming supplicants and those offering up a sacrifice for prayers to be said. Statues of the gods watched from raised plinths on the temple steps.
Scarab and Khu followed the direction of the priests, walking slowly along the supplicants' road from the left. A single priest walked with them, a few paces ahead. Other priests watched from the temple steps.
"Do you have the feeling we were expected?" Scarab murmured to herself. "But who knew we were here?"
"Why these gods?" Khu whispered. "I mean, I've heard of them, but except for perhaps Geb as god of the earth and growing things, I've never had occasion to worship any of them."
"Three is a holy number," Scarab replied in a quiet voice. "And three times three even more so. The nine gods and goddesses of Iunu are special. All the scribes and tutors said so, though they never explained to me why."
"Ah, there is a god I recognise." Khu walked on to the next temple and stood looking up at the statue of Asar, god of the underworld.
"And the next," Scarab observed. "Auset, his loyal consort and mother of Heru."
The priest ahead of them stopped and spoke. "Auset will bless you, young lady, but not yet."
Scarab frowned and walked up to the statue of Auset, a tall severe-looking woman with a tall crown in the form of a throne. "Mother goddess, queen of heaven. What do you want of me?"
"Not yet," murmured the priest. "She has nothing to say to you yet."
"Then...then why was I called here?"
"You have not yet completed your circle."
Scarab looked hard and long at the serene-faced priest before turning to face the road again. She passed the temple of Nebt-Het with an enquiring glance at the priest then strode on to the next.
"Oh, I hope not," Khu muttered as he saw the strange animal-headed figure of the statue in front of the eighth temple. Set the destroyer looked down from his plinth at the deserted steps and forecourt of his temple. "Why would anyone want to worship a god of chaos and destruction?"
"That is not his function here in Iunu," reproved the priest. "He represents the land of Lower Kemet, the god of the red desert, mighty warrior husband of Nebt-Het, the fertile lands of the Delta." A small smile crept over his face and humor glinted in his eyes. "In fact, young lady, he could be the one with the message for you. You have the red hair of people loved by him." The priest cocked his head on one side as if listening. "No, not yet. One day perhaps." They passed the temples of Shu and Tefnut, Geb and Nut. "Nothing here either," the priest said. "Today you are welcomed in the greatest temple." He pointed to where the road ascended the gentle pyramid to the forecourt of the temple of Atum.
"Me?" Anxiety and curiosity warred in Scarab's face. "The god asks for me?"
"Perhaps I have the wrong young lady," the priest said, a smile on his face. "The god said merely a woman with hair like the desert sands who was a daughter, sister and servant of the sun. 'Handmaiden of the sun' was how the god phrased it. Are you such a woman?"
"Handmaiden of Aten," Khu muttered, paling. "Beketaten."
Scarab licked her lips and nodded slowly. "I...I have been called that."
"Then come, the god waits." The priest set off up the gentle slope toward the temple of Atum, the creator god. After a few moments Scarab followed, with Khu trailing behind, fear on his face.
They passed through the entrance pylon and the open hypostyle. The forecourt of the temple was roofed, but still gave the impression of being open, the pillars marching in rows toward the shadowed depths of the building. A cool breeze blew thr
ough the columns despite the heat of the afternoon sun and the effect on Scarab and Khu was as refreshing as a dip in the river. A feeling of calm descended on them both despite their earlier feelings of anxiety.
They went deeper into the temple, the light fading to a gray gloom as they left the sunlight behind. The rooms and corridors were deserted, the only sound being the soft footfalls of the three of them. The priest led them into a darkened room and halted before a pyramid of granite that rose to perhaps twice man height, its featureless sloping sides hardly discernible, its summit clothed in darkness.
"Wait here." Without waiting for an answer, the priest bowed to the granite pyramid and left, disappearing before he had taken a dozen paces. The soft susurration of his gown and the gentle slap of his sandals stayed a while longer before leaving them in a deepening silence.
"Why are we here?" Khu said, dropping his voice to a whisper as his words echoed through the darkness, startlingly loud. "Why did he just leave us?"
"Wait," Scarab whispered. "The place is holy. Can't you feel it?"
The silence grew and with it a feeling of oppression, as if a great weight was settling on the temple roof, bowing the pillars outward like supple reeds. A glimmer of light appeared, so faint that Scarab rubbed her eyes to make certain it was still there. The glow strengthened and settled on the summit of the granite pyramid, growing until it enveloped the unseen tip. Within the glow the figure of a seated man slowly appeared, a king, crowned with Pasekhemty, the red and white crown of the Two Kingdoms. The formal beard jutted from the man's face and the sacred uraeus hissed and twined above his stern unblinking eyes. Crook and flail of kingly authority crossed on the man's bare chest, the flail quivering slightly. This slight movement of breathing was the only sign this was a living man, not a statue.
"What do you seek, child?" A voice, deep but hollow as if issuing from a tomb chamber rather than lungs and throat, echoed in the still air.
Scarab found her mouth dry and her limbs rigid as she fought down a fluttering panic growing in her breast. "I...I was b...brought here," she stuttered.
"Examine your heart. What is it you seek?"
Scarab forced a deep breath and stiffly rubbed her arms where the fine hairs stood erect. She recognized the aura of kingly authority that surrounded the figure on the granite pyramid. Whether this was actually the god Atum himself on the primordial Ben-Ben mound, of just his priest impersonating him, she could feel the power that washed over her. This was the king and she was a petitioner.
"Mighty king, live forever." She raised her arms and fell to her knees, craning her neck to look up at the enthroned figure. "My brother Djeserkheperure Smenkhkare, rightful and anointed king of our Two Lands has been murdered and his killer, my uncle, stands behind my other brother Tutankhaten, ruling through him though he is common-born. I ask justice, divine king."
The stern figure of the god-king looked down on the young girl on her knees. "How will you serve me, handmaiden of the sun?"
"Give me justice and I will do whatever you want, great king."
The figure shook its head, the gesture one of regal finality. "Give freely and without reserve, without seeking reward for your labors, and I may show mercy."
Scarab bit her lip, sure that this was the priest of Atum seeking some hold over a person he knew to be royal. She opened her mouth to refuse when she caught sight of Khu out of the corner of her eye. Her words died unspoken.
Khu yawned and stretched. "How long is that priest going to leave us alone?" he muttered. "He could at least have left us with a light."
Scarab glanced up at the seated king-figure, surrounded by a pearly glow, then back at Khu, his eyes wandering aimlessly over the pyramid. "You cannot see him? The priest?"
"Eh? Where?" Khu looked around in the shadowed chamber. "No, I do not see him."
Scarab looked back up at the seated man again, feeling tightness in her chest. "Forgive me, divine king," she whispered. "I am your servant. Command me."
"I am the creator of heaven and the earth. My children rule water, wind, fire and earth. My progeny rule life and death, order and chaos. Here in Iunu, the Nine govern Kemet and all nations. Yet lesser ones, mere aspects of the essential being, seek to rule men's minds, disturbing the natural balance, that which you call Ma'at." The voice fell silent, the last phrases rolling around the great darkened hall, fading into echoing whispers.
"What must I do, divine one?"
"Seek the balance, handmaiden of Atum. Bring others to knowledge of their creator, worship my children, and serve the Nine."
"I am only a woman, divine king. I have no power to make men listen."
"Live long, daughter, sister, wife and mother of kings. Nine you serve and nine shall rule while yet you live. Your brothers live and yet will die and your uncle will meet his judgment. Do not fear, for those who oppose you, oppose me." The glowing figure stood and lifted its right hand in a silent benediction. The glow flared brightly, shattering the gloom of the chamber in a soundless explosion, leaving Scarab blinking as violet afterimages danced and drifted.
"Scarab...Scarab...are you all right?" The drifting lights faded and she looked up into Khu's concerned face. "I just looked around and you were kneeling on the floor. Are you all right?"
She scrambled to her feet and clung to Khu's arm. "He spoke to me, Khu. He granted my wishes."
"What are you talking about? Who spoke to you? I didn't hear anyone."
Scarab looked at him strangely. "You saw no-one, and heard nothing?"
"No. The priest left us alone and hasn't come back. Why?"
"Never mind." Scarab pulled her friend away from the granite pyramid and started walking back through the temple columns toward the entrance and the light of a hot summer afternoon in the eighteenth, the fourth and the first years of the reigns of her three brothers. She blinked as they emerged into the bright light, feeling at peace for the first time since she had heard of Smenkhkare's death. Could he truly be alive? she thought. If so, I will find him and marry him and bear him sons to rule after us. He said I would be wife and mother of kings. Or perhaps he did not mean...my thoughts are swimming. What did the god really say? Who else will father my sons if they are going to be kings?
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Chapter Twenty
Jebu sat alone on the hard stone bench outside the king's audience chamber. Since his arrival in Taanach three days previously, he had been treated like a leper, shunned by noble and soldier alike, relieved of his sword and ordered to await the king's pleasure. Now, as he sat in the courtyard of the palace, a thin cloak wrapped around his shoulders in a vain effort to ward off the biting wind from the mountains, he started to worry for the first time about his future. He had seen the king's anger fall on others before, from criminals who stole the king's wealth to soldiers accused of cowardice. Those unfortunates had begged for death for days before their mutilated bodies released their whimpering spirits. He had seen, too, the fall from grace of ministers and nobles. High station did not save one from death, but at least it granted one a swift release. The question was; in which category did Jebu's crime place him?
For crime it must be. Why else did he languish outside Aziru's chamber for three days, eating and drinking only what he could scrounge from the common soldiers' mess, using the open midden in front of all. Once he saw Ephras across the courtyard and saw him try to approach, only to be turned back by the guards. Professional palace guards these, as vicious as any soldier in his command, but without the discipline. They scratched and gossiped, laughing at Jebu's plight with many gestures that implied death in one form or another, but for all their seeming inattention, none were allowed close to him, nor was he allowed to leave. The only time they showed a semblance of training was when the captain of the palace guards made his rounds.
Toward evening of the third day, just as Jebu resigned himself to another hard, cold night on the ground, the captain made an unscheduled appearance. Marching up to the se
ated general, he dismissed his small cadre of guards, waiting until they were out of earshot.
"The king will see you tonight. You would be advised to wash before your audience. You stink." The captain curled his lip in disdain.
Jebu uncoiled and moved toward the captain in a fluid motion. He stood close, his face thrust forward. The captain overtopped Jebu by a hand, yet it was the captain who stepped back, his eyes widening.
"Until I am relieved of my command," Jebu growled. "I am still a general and you will address me with respect." He saw the flicker in the captain's eyes and his hand flashed to the officer's belt, drawing the dagger even as the man's hand fumbled for it. Thrusting the dagger upward until it just pierced the man's skin, he gripped the captain's greasy beard with his other hand, preventing him from pulling back. "Well, what do you say, captain?" He dug the tip of the dagger in deeper as the watching guards surged closer, weapons drawn. "Stay back," he warned.
Pain flared in the man's eyes, and fear. "G...general, sir," he stammered. "You misunderstand me. I meant no offence. I was merely suggesting you ready yourself before seeing the king."
Jebu smiled. "Perhaps I did misunderstand you, captain. What is your name?"
"Arnu, sir."
"Well, Arnu, I am going to release you in a moment. You will control your anger and dismiss your men. If the king truly wishes to see me, he will not take kindly to news of my death, will he?" Jebu let go of the captain's beard and stepped back, watching the man carefully.
Arnu flushed and adjusted his clothing, wincing as he moved. A small patch of blood showed on the man's tunic, low down on the left side, and Arnu's hand came away bloodied. He waved away the soldiers and they retreated, muttering imprecations as they put up their weapons.
"You had better show me where I can find water to wash with. And food, some decent food. I have had enough of the swill you feed the common men."