“Time for me to act,” Amenia whispered. She made a pretense of trying to twist free, to escape me.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nekauba rise to his feet. I kissed Amenia again for good measure, even longer this time, then released her.
She jumped up with a little cry, feigned anger, pretended to scold me. Then she twirled around and dashed across the yard to the verandah and into the house, as if she was being pursued by demons. Sanakht glared at me angrily. Hemaka was scowling. Nekauba was furious. Itet was shocked. Dedi and Ipu were smiling slightly. Just after Amenia stepped inside the house she turned around where no one but me could see her and waved.
I got to my feet and casually strolled towards the verandah.
Dedi simultaneously rose, bid Ipu and Hemaka and Sanakht and Itet goodbye.
“Nice girl,” was all Dedi said later, as we made our way on donkeyback down the wadi path to the boatyard.
“Exceptionally.”
***
Amenia
***
I awakened well before dawn the morning after Nykara’s and Dedi’s visit to my uncles’ pottery works. Truth was, I’d barely slept, excited because I’d be able to devote the time I wasn’t assisting Great–grandmother to making my special pottery from now on – but mostly because Nykara had kissed me. Two far–fetched dreams I’d held close for years had against all odds come true. I slipped as quietly as I could from beneath the linen sheet on the pallet I shared with my two younger cousins. Great–grandmother was drawing slow shallow breaths on the pallet next to ours. I tiptoed a few steps across the dirt floor to the wood chest filled with my clothes and felt about for a skirt and put it on. The boat amulet Nykara had given me the evening before still graced my neck, as precious to me as Great–grandmother’s talisman was to her. I touched it with my fingers to make sure it was real, recalled his kisses, smiled. I went into the main room and crossed to the entrance. I rolled up the reed mat covering the opening and tied it fast beneath the lintel. Then I went outside.
I paused for a moment and breathed deeply. The fading night was warm, the breeze slight. The stars were already dim and the sky lightening almost imperceptibly above the desert plateau on the east side of the river. The moon was low in the west, a slim crescent. A handful of cookfires twinkled in the lower settlement, lit by early risers like myself. Otherwise, the entire great valley slept in an ocean of darkness.
The fence of reed mats, affixed with twine to more than forty slim acacia posts and covered with a light layer of mud, was little more than a shapeless blur on the flat land next to Uncle’s house. The few goats and geese we kept were moving about behind a second fence dividing the yard in two, eager for their breakfast. I hurried to a rock–lined hearth at the far end of the yard, the hard–packed clay ground around it reddened by the heat of past fires and lightly covered with white ash. In the evenings Auntie usually roasted a duck or hare or other small animal on a spit here, but in the morning it was where I baked our daily bread. Several mud–lined pits edged a large ovoid quartzite grinding stone close by the hearth; I pulled dung cakes from one pit and stacked them in the hearth and lit them. A golden glow soon colored the hearth and fence and area where I was kneeling. As soon as the fire was blazing I set cone–shaped terracotta containers in the flames to heat them. Then I took emmer from a storage jar and mixed it with a little milk and water and some dill and a bit of the previous morning’s dough in a large bowl. When the containers were hot enough I pulled them from the fire using long charred sticks and stood them upright, resting their pointed ends in small holes in the ground. Then I half–filled them with the bread mixture, which would bake in each container’s residual heat.
I picked up a basket of barley and another of flax seed I’d prepared the night before and opened the gate into the side yard. Goats came running and nosed at me and tried to push each other aside as I dumped the emmer into an acacia log that had been cut in two and hollowed out to make a trough. Then I scattered seed on the ground for the geese. Luckily, one of the boys who worked for Uncle Hemaka would push the dung littering the pen into a trench alongside the fence later in the day; cleaning up after livestock wasn’t my job. The same boy would fill the water trough and a clay basin later too. By the time I finished the feeding the eastern sky had turned rose and gold, and white smoke was rising from cookfires in every direction, and the entire valley was visible from plateau to plateau, and my bread was nearly done. I was on my knees, preparing to remove the conical loaves from the containers, when a twig snapped behind me. I turned and saw Uncle Hemaka.
“You’re up early,” I said, inserting a piece of straw into one of the loaves to see if it was done.
“I want to talk to you – alone,” he said.
I sat back on my bent legs with a feeling of trepidation. Usually, the only time Uncle talked to me was to assign me work. After last night it could be anything – including that Uncle Sanakht had persuaded him to give me to Nekauba right away after what had happened between me and Nykara. That was the most likely topic of discussion.
“Are you attracted to Nykara?” Uncle asked bluntly.
I drew my breath in sharply. Uncle had never asked me such a personal question before, especially about what I might or might not want for myself. He’d never once asked me about my preferences before deciding something that affected me. I sensed my answer held tremendous implications, and probably consequences. If I confessed the truth would he give me to Nekauba to punish me? Or would Uncle allow Nykara to call on me, hoping he might gain some advantage for himself? I had no idea how he’d react. Truth was, despite hardly knowing Nykara I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anyone before. He’d been so kind to me the day he’d come to get my pottery, so truly interested in me and what I thought, so appreciative of my skill as a potter. No man had ever treated me that way, certainly not Nekauba. I’d thought about Nykara constantly the whole time he was on his expedition, hoping I’d see him again, hoping he’d want to see me. Then, last night, when Nykara had come up with a way to help me prevent my feared joining to Nekauba, I’d almost thrown my arms around his neck then and there, embraced him, smothered him with kisses. I’d had a taste later – but such a brief taste. I wanted more. Fact was, after last night, after what Nykara had done for me after his return from Maadi, I was more than just attracted to him. It was clear our show had made an impression on Uncle. Was it the one Nykara and I hoped for, or not?
“Don’t deny it, girl,” Uncle said impatiently.
“Half the girls in Nekhen are attracted to Nykara, Uncle, including your daughters,” I said as matter–of–factly as I could, though my heart was pounding and my palms were moist. “We all watch him compete at the festivals. We’ve gossiped about him down by the river for years.”
“But Nykara isn’t attracted to half the girls in Nekhen, is he?” Uncle said knowingly. He glanced at my amulet. “He hasn’t given trinkets to half the girls in Nekhen.”
“It’s to thank me for my pottery.”
“Nykara kissed you last night.”
“He caught me off guard.” I started removing the bread from the still–warm containers, placing them in a reed basket. I avoided looking at Uncle.
“You owe your life to me, Amenia – your clothes, the food you eat, the roof over your head. You know that, don’t you?” Uncle queried.
“Of course, Uncle. I’m very grateful you took me in after Grandfather died.”
“It’s time for you to express your gratitude, Amenia.”
That could mean almost anything. I started to tremble. If Nykara’s kiss had angered Uncle, if he was going to order me to join with Nekauba because of it…
“You’re pledged to Nekauba. You know that, right?”
My worst fears were going to be realized. Nykara’s and my ploy had failed. “So he constantly reminds me,” I said meekly.
“Our family is an ancient one,” Uncle said.
I had no idea why he was digressing. Just tell me my fat
e and be done with it. “Great–grandmother has told me the stories about our ancestors,” I said cautiously.
“You know Teti’s the leading potter in Nekhen.”
“Of course.”
“Teti’s family arrived at Nekhen more recently than ours, Amenia, yet by joining their women to the families of other potters Teti’s forebears became wealthy and eventually made the other potters beholden to them. They moved from the upper to the lower settlement and gained even more influence. They ruled Nekhen before Pipi’s family, which preceded Dedi’s family. Now Teti, the patriarch of his family, is one of Nekhen’s elites.”
“Everyone knows that.”
“Do you know why your grandfather pledged you to Nekauba, and Sanakht and I have gone along with it?”
“Because it’s your right?”
“Because you’re the best potter we have, and neither Sanakht nor I want to lose you to Teti or any other potter.”
“But you joined Peseshet to a farmer,” I protested. “She used to be a potter too.” This conversation was not going the way I’d hoped.
“Peseshet’s farm gives me a source of food that is not dependent on the benevolence of Aboo or anyone else,” Uncle replied. “It also gives me a small amount of leverage against Sanakht. I’m the one who supplies our workers with food.”
“Why do you need leverage against Uncle Sanakht?” I asked.
“He thinks because he’s older he should make all the decisions affecting our pottery works. But Sanakht thinks too small. His ambition is to become wealthy and live in luxury here in the upper settlement, in isolation. But my ambition is to become rich and influential enough to become an elite. I want to make my mark throughout Nekhen, rub elbows with our ruler on a daily basis. To do that I have to make Sanakht beholden to me. Otherwise, I’ll never achieve my own goals.” He glanced towards Sanakht’s house. It was still dark. “Don’t you dare breathe a word of this to Sanakht – or you’ll pay a price,” he warned ominously.
“Of course not, Uncle.” I emptied the last cone of its bread, placed it in a basket. “So, Uncle. Are you going to give me to Nekauba? Am I your instrument to make Uncle Sanakht beholden to you?” Get to the point.
“Dedi wants as much of your pottery as you can make,” Uncle replied, still not answering my question. “That’s going to bring me much wealth – me, not Sanakht. After Nykara makes a few trips to Maadi I may be able to break away from Sanakht and start my own works. After that I can set about surpassing Teti. Teti’s not aware of me. He doesn’t concern himself with what happens in the upper settlement. He’s ignorant of the arrangement Dedi made with me last night to trade your pottery exclusively.” Uncle broke off a piece of bread and chewed it vigorously. “But it occurred to me after I made my agreement with Dedi I might earn an even bigger prize.”
“Prize?” I didn’t know what to think now.
“Aboo doesn’t have a son. He doesn’t have a direct heir. Rawer is the leading candidate to succeed him, but who can say if that’ll happen, now that Nykara’s been given so much responsibility over Dedi’s enterprise? Especially since the elite men are trying to position themselves to succeed Aboo by joining either a son or themselves to one of Abar’s half–sisters.”
“The girls talk about Abar down by the river, too,” I informed him. Uncle didn’t know I’d been meeting secretly with her for several years, that she’d been teaching me what I needed to know about Nekhen and the elites and the rest of the valley, that I was far more likely to choose her to be our next ruler than Rawer. I wasn’t about to enlighten him. “They say she hates Rawer.”
Uncle grunted, broke off another bit of bread. “I deserve the opportunity to succeed Aboo as much as anyone,” he said firmly. “Unlike the rest of the so–called elite men, I’ve worked hard to raise myself to wealth.”
That was true enough. But a commoner rising to become Nekhen’s ruler? Preposterous. Especially if I had anything to say about it.
“Unfortunately, of all the men who desire to succeed Aboo, I alone have no sons – only daughters and a niece. So I must be strategic in what I do.”
“Meaning?”
“To become influential I’m going to have to ally myself with the leading family in another industry in the lower settlement. That’s true of all the elites – no one will succeed Aboo without the support of other men who possess wealth and influence. That’s why all the elite women who are of an age in Nekhen are still unjoined – their fathers are waiting to see who Abar is actually given to, whether Rawer or someone else, and then they’ll use their daughters to construct alliances that will position them to defeat her man when Aboo dies.”
“Nykara is the key to your strategy, isn’t he, Uncle,” I said. I’d just figured out Uncle wasn’t going to give me to Nekauba, and why. I couldn’t have been more relieved.
Uncle smiled. “You are an intelligent girl, Amenia. You’re correct – Dedi is the single wealthiest man in Nekhen, and if I can ally myself to him I might be able to succeed Aboo.”
“Nykara is the gateway to Dedi. Dedi was joined to Nykara’s mother and Dedi is very fond of him. Because of his new responsibilities he’ll someday be an elite.”
“He’s obviously interested in you.”
“What are you asking of me, Uncle?”
“It’s simple. Make Nykara fall in love with you, Amenia,” he commanded. “Based on what I witnessed last night you shouldn’t find that too hard. Or distasteful.”
Uncle was right. This conversation was turning out much differently than I’d expected. The plan Nykara and I had hatched last night was actually working.
“Once Nykara becomes an elite, as Dedi has assured me he will, I’ll give him permission to join with you. That will give me a tremendous advantage in what is to come.”
My heart was rejoicing. I’d be spared the boy I couldn’t stand and be with the one I wanted. “What about Nekauba?” I asked.
“I’ll give Kapes to him. That’ll tie Sanakht securely to me in case everything else falls apart.”
“Will Uncle Sanakht agree?”
“He already did. Last night. Though we won’t tell either Nekauba or Kapes just yet.”
“Why did he agree?” That Uncle Hemaka had already presented his plan to Uncle Sanakht seemed remarkable, after how he’d been disparaging him earlier. As remarkable as this entire conversation.
“I told Sanakht just enough of what I intend to do to whet his appetite. He understands together we can become very wealthy. If I succeed Aboo, as I plan, I’ll allow him to take over the pottery works. He’ll be Nekhen’s leading potter and become an elite himself. I didn’t explain how I intend to set up my own works beforehand. No sense in letting him throw up any roadblocks.”
Just then the sun broke over the desert plateau in the east, sending shafts of gold coursing across the land. What a glorious morning it was proving to be.
“Will you do what I ask of you?” Uncle queried.
“To pay you back for all you’ve done for me? Of course, Uncle. Gladly.”
“From now on, you have my blessing to go about with Nykara openly,” Uncle said. “Stake your claim to him publicly, Girl, right away. He is a very eligible and well–liked young man – as your gossips say. You’ll have competition for him now. After his trip to Maadi, after what Dedi has made him, he’ll have the elite women chasing after him, not just the daughters of boatmen and common workmen. And, I’m sorry to say, every one of them is far prettier than you. You’re going to have to work hard to overcome your looks in order to capture Nykara’s heart, maybe do some things you otherwise wouldn’t to keep him interested and happy... Don’t hold back, Amenia. Don’t let yourself be simply a passing fancy for Nykara.”
How like Uncle, to demean me while demanding my help. He’d done that all my life. Thank the gods Nykara didn’t see me the way he did – though I frankly wasn’t sure why. There were some very beautiful women in Nekhen who were interested in Nykara. In truth, I didn’t measure up to any of t
hem. But I also knew, from the frustration expressed by many of my gossiping friends, Nykara was not a man who played around with women and their affections. He was interested in me. He’d told me so. I was most assuredly not going to be a “passing fancy.”
“But,” Uncle cautioned, “all the rest we’ve talked about this morning – concerning Teti and Aboo and Sanakht – it must remain our secret. Yes?”
“Of course, Uncle.”
“Very good. Now, get this bread into the house.”
I scooped up my reed basket and carried it inside, trailing Uncle, my thoughts a blur, my heart pounding with joy. I set the basket on the floor in the center of the main room beside the bowls and platters of meat and fruits and vegetables my cousins had already prepared. Then I hurried to the room everyone but Uncle and Auntie shared. Great–grandmother rolled onto her side and greeted me with a smile. I bent and kissed her and helped her from her pallet. I’d assisted her to get ready every morning for as long as I could remember. None of my cousins had the patience. I selected a fairly new linen skirt from her storage chest, colored red with a mineral I’d dug from the desert, and helped her into it. Then she sat down on a low stool next to a small wood table littered with various stone and pottery containers holding creams and sweetly–scented oils and minerals of various colors. I picked up a comb made of bone, decorated with a row of three ostriches above its long tines, and pulled it through her thinning hair.
“Is the gray starting to show again?” she asked.
“Somewhat. I’ll make some henna this afternoon and dye it for you tomorrow. I gathered plenty of leaves a few days ago. I just need to grind them and mix the powder with water.”
She reached up and awkwardly patted my hand. “You’re a good girl, Amenia.”
“Shall I braid in your extensions today?” I asked.
“Yes. I believe so.”
I unrolled a length of leather lying on the table and spread it out. It contained numerous long strands of my oldest cousin’s hair I’d braided years ago. I wove their ends quickly and surely into Great–grandmother’s own hair, blending them so smoothly they looked natural. Then I set to work on her skin. I gently rubbed her face with ointment to soften it, then her neck, then her shoulders, and then her hands. I colored her lips and cheeks from the contents of another container, then applied sweetly–scented oil smelling of flowers. After that I put a small chunk of malachite on a fish–shaped shale grinding palette and ground it with a pebble until it was completely powdered. I mixed it with a little water and grease, then applied it around Great–grandmother’s eyes with the chewed end of a reed. That would protect her eyes from the harsh sun, and infection. I applied the remaining malachite to mine with my finger, by feel. Then I combed out my own long hair until it shone. My comb was topped with two birds. Normally I would have fastened a Bat pendant around my neck, but today I left it off. I didn’t want anything to detract from my boat. As always, Great–grandmother was wearing her falcon–shaped talisman. Finally, I put several bracelets of ostrich shell beads around her wrists. I didn’t own any bracelets, and it would have been impractical for me to wear them if I did because of the type of chores I had to do.
The Women and the Boatman Page 32