Pharaoh's Gold

by Nathaniel Burns

  Seota shook her head.

  “What was applied to the affected areas?”

  “The one man who tended the temple said to apply an oil in which a flower was seeped. He also warned us against using the essence of flower because he said that she would die like the others.”

  Hapet suddenly smiled and nodded. “From a simpleton, no less.”

  “I do not understand.” Neti said, confused.

  “I doubt your companion here has contracted a plague, for if she had she would in all likelihood have died from it.”

  “But she had all the signs, suffered the irritation.” Neti said.

  “That she might have, but unlike the others – she did not take the essence of flower.”

  “Why would that be important? Many healers say it is a miracle cure for pain.” Neti said, uncertainly.

  “Well that depends on your idea of a miracle. Personally, I think they are being careless with its production.”

  “What do you mean?” Neti asked

  “They plant fields and fields of the flowers, and I’m certain that many who make it are doing so incorrectly, making it dangerous to use.”

  “But what flower do they use?” Neti asked.

  “The red ones with the large petals that grows from sand-like blacks seeds. They form large seed pods which are used to make the medicine.”

  Neti shook her head, “I have not seen any such flower.”

  “There are some in the pharaoh’s garden, but they have yet to make flowers.”

  “So why was Seota lucky? Certainly the healers would not use something harmful?”

  “As with many good treatments, there are risks involved. Mandrake taken incorrectly can kill a person, but that does not stop women taking it to seduce their husbands and lovers.”

  “But those are people taking it themselves.” Seota said, finally having drawn together the courage to speak.

  “That may be so, but we have been experiencing some complications with the essence of flower recently. So much so that I will only allow its use when it is the only resolution to lessening one’s pain.”

  “That is very different from what the other healers are claiming.”

  “I have seen an educated man take a knife to his arm, convinced that scarab beetles were crawling under his skin.”

  “What?” Seota asked disbelievingly.

  “Yes,” Hapet said nodding, “There was another who was convinced that the world was swallowing him. More still who claimed they had visions from the Gods, visions so disturbing as to test anyone’s belief. One even thought he could fly. The only way to calm them was to give them smaller doses and slowly lessen the amount of essence they received.”

  Neti shook her head in disbelief.

  “And the only thing they had in common was the administration of flower extract.” Hapet concluded.

  “That explains what the shepherd saw.” Neti said.

  “What do you mean?” Hapet asked.

  “He said that they had all gone mad and started killing each other for the remaining essence.”

  “Something I am not surprised to hear.”

  “But that does not answer or even begin to explain what happened with Seota.” Neti said.

  Hapet looked towards Seota, “She does not appear ill. Any true plague would have rendered her ill or even killed her by now.”

  “I think she has recovered, but we have no idea what happened to her.”

  “Are there any marks on her?”

  Neti looked at Seota who reluctantly nodded.

  “I will have to have a look at them before I can make a judgment.”

  Seota became hesitant, which caused Neti to frown. “Stand young one and lift the back of your slip so the healer can see.”

  Within moments Neti understood the girl’s discomfort, the extra cloth between her thighs indication enough.

  While the healer may have noticed, he said nothing while investigating the pink skin behind her thighs. He tried to touch but Neti reached out and grabbed his hand. She shook her head as she firmly stated, “Touching is not permitted.”

  “I only needed to establish if the skin is soft or if it has been hardened.” Hapet said.

  Neti let go of his hand and said, “Then you may, but no lingering.”

  Seota shifted uncomfortably as the healer ran his finger over the affected area. Once done, he stepped back and Neti instructed Seota to lower her slip.

  “While she has contracted an illness, I would not consider it a plague.”

  This caused Seota to swing around and look at him in surprise, demanding “What do you mean?”

  “I have seen similar marks on others. Well, not on their thighs but mostly over their mid-section or on children.”

  “Children?” Neti asked, confused.

  “Yes. The condition is more serious with children, some develop cloudy eyes, others cannot hear, and some even die.”

  “But she is not at risk?”

  “No.”

  “Then why did she become ill?” Neti demanded.

  “The condition is quite common among the poor, or those who are dirty and live in dirty places or do not wash.”

  “But Seota was with us all the time.”

  Hapet seemed thoughtful for several moments, before asking, “You say she contracted this condition at the Villa?”

  Seota nodded.

  “Was she ill before that?” Hapet asked looking towards Neti.

  “She took ill when we traveled by boat – she had never before spent much time on one.”

  “Then it is possible that she came into contact with the sickness on the boat, in the city even at the villa. And since she was already weak and ill, became more so.”

  “But she is better now?” Neti asked.

  Hapet nodded then said, “She is not a danger to anyone here. She may wish to remain on her own for the duration of her menses, but that is her choice.”

  “Thank you.” Neti said relieved.

  “Well I believe that is all,” The healer said, again bowing low to Neti. “Please feel free to call for me if you need my assistance.”

  “I’m certain we will.” Neti said.

  They exited the hall and returned to their shared chamber in preparation for the following morning.

  4

  Chapter Four

  The morning was already well advanced when Neti, Shabaka, and Seota made their way to the craft hall.

  “I had expected them to be farther from the palace.” Neti said as Shabaka led them towards a group of buildings.

  “When Ramesses planned the new palace, he planned it so that there was enough space to include his zoo and the craft halls. As you know, the zoo and the arena border the detainment cells with the craft halls on this side. He planned them carefully so that they could all use the same furnace. That way less wood and bark would be used.”

  They approached a set of lavishly gilded doors that both Neti and Seota admired at length. “I could never afford such a door,” Neti said.

  “I would be too scared someone would steal it.” Seota said.

  Neti turned to look at Seota. “I would not. A door as lavish as this would stand out. The thief would need to find a way to destroy it if he was to get away with stealing it.”

  “He could just melt it down.” Seota said.

  “It is not as simple as that,” Shabaka said, causing them to turn and look at him.

  “What do you mean?” Seota asked.

  “You will see once we are inside.” Shabaka said and reached for the handle. He pulled open the door and a gust of immense heat struck them, for a moment leaving Neti speechless. Seota’s eyes watered and she had to blink several times before they adjusted to the dry heat.

  On their entry, a man approached them, at first halting their progress until he recognized the sashes and lowered his head in acknowledgement.

  “How can we be of assistance today?” He respectfully asked.

  “We would like to see the gold
master craftsman,” Shabaka calmly requested.

  The man again inclined his head and said, “One moment.” He then turned around and looked out over the immediate area.

  Several men were carving patterns into wooden blocks. In the back of the room, one could see the glow from the furnaces as men lifted crucibles and poured out red-hot liquid.

  The man made a funny sound, which drew a similar answer from another before he turned his attention back to them. “They have called him and you can wait here.”

  Shabaka thanked the man while Neti looked out over the area. Most of the artists were scantly clad, their bodies glowing from the perspiration.

  “Something Ramesses should have waned us about,” Shabaka said when he noticed the direction of Neti’s gaze.

  “What is that?” Neti asked, for a moment confused.

  “That the men only cover what is needed.” Shabaka said, although his tone was enough of an indication that he was displeased.

  Neti looked towards Seota, uncertain whether it was the scantly clad men or the heat of the area that had her flustered.

  An elderly man approached them. He looked each of them over and tilted his head sideways for a moment before turning to Shabaka. “I am told you wish to speak with me.” His voice conveyed a measure of annoyance.

  “Yes,” Shabaka said firmly. “We want to be shown around the hall, particularly the gold crafters area.”

  “And what would the purpose of such a visitation be?” The man asked, his voice firm but flat.

  Shabaka pointed to Seota, “The young one is keen to learn how such fine jewelry and goods are made.”

  “I cannot give way to the whims of a young women. Could you imagine how many I would then have wanting to come through here? And then most of them only because they fancy one of the craftsmen.”

  Neti was angered by the man’s attitude but knew better than to start anything.

  “Besides, she is a woman, what could she hope to learn from all this? She will not make things like this herself, so do not waste my time.” The man started turning away from them when Shabaka firmly spoke.

  “Her visit here has been authorized by the pharaoh, you have no say in the matter.” Shabaka said holding out a small scroll.

  The man turned to them, “So the mighty prefects have now become escorts to the Pharaoh’s fancy.” The man scornfully said. “What have you done to deserve such treatment?” He reached out and took the scroll and carefully opened it to read its contents. He haphazardly pushed the ends together untidily before looking towards Seota. He agitatedly said, “Not that I think any woman could understand such processes, but bring her along.”

  Seota looked at Neti, but Neti shook her head and reached out to stall Seota for a moment, whispering, “It does not matter what he thinks, just proceed. We are here to look for anything out of the ordinary. So, quite frankly, you may ask him anything if you wish.”

  “Even if my questions anger him?” Seota hesitantly asked.

  “More so if it angers him.”

  Seota nodded, understandingly and they quickly caught up with Shabaka and the man.

  The man first led them towards the back, with the heat intensifying substantially before turning to the right and leading them for a short distance. He then stopped and turned towards the smoldering furnace before saying, “I will not take you closer than this. The heat of the furnace is intense which makes it difficult to breathe, so few tolerate it for long.” He pointed towards one of the men, while several of the others were stroking the fire, the coals below glowing a bright red. The man stood with long handles and reached into the middle, lifting a crucible and pulling it from the heat. He carefully turned and tipped the pot, allowing the liquid to flow from it into a series of moulds, all short bar-like shapes.

  Their guide started, “When the nuggets come in from the mines, they are first sorted and then melted.” The man said pointing to the furnace, then towards the series of molds. “They are then cast into moulds.”

  The man at the furnace placed the crucible on the side and the sides of the crucible quickly darkened. He turned to the mold where even the liquid had lost its orange glow. They watched as it slowly turned yellow. The man then reached for a different staff and stepped forward. With a simple flick of the wrist, he turned over the mould and pulled it away, freeing the short bars gold.

  “Gold is easy to cast and cool quick enough to retain its shape. Small objects are cast directly, but larger objects have to go through a series of procedures.”

  “You mentioned that the nuggets are sorted first,” Neti said, “… Why would that be needed?”

  “We receive nuggets from the various mines, their quality is not always the same or the color could differ. We try to match as many of a similar color as we can. For smaller or direct castings, only the finest are selected. But when they are cast to bars as those were ...” The man gestured to the cooling bars, “they will be hammered into sheets and used on larger projects.”

  “You hammer gold?” Seota asked surprised.

  “Yes, of course we do. Gold is on of the easiest metals to shape. It can be hammered into a thin sheet, which we use to cover things. It is by far the most pliant of metals, reacting well to molding and shaping without needing too much heat. The craftsmen here are so adept that they could beat gold down to the thickness of horse’s hair, if needed.”

  “So those men are hammering gold.” Seota said pointing to a small group of men working with hammers.

  “Yes, come. I will show you what they are doing.

  The man led them to the side where the last in the line was carefully placing a length of gold plate over a block of patterned wood. Once in place, he used his hammer to carefully and evenly tap over the full length of the gold. He then lowered his hammer and placed it to the side before carefully lifting the sheet of gold and handing it to the Craft Master.

  The Craft Master turned it over to reveal the pattern on it. “It is the easiest metal to pattern. As you can see, all it takes is the design carved onto block and some careful tapping to place a pattern on the gold. This is then used to create the larger more intricate works or cover artifacts.”

  “So, not everything is made of solid gold?” Seota asked looking at the man.

  The Master Craftsman scoffed before replying, “There would not be enough gold in all of the Egyptian empire to sate the desires of the pharaoh and his women. Most large objects are encrusted with gems and jewels to limit the use of gold. By simply adding the slightest of heat and pressure, it can be altered into almost any form. We even fashion gold into lengths and threads that can be weaved into cloth. That is how malleable gold is.”

  The Master Craftsman led them to another platform and pointed to an intricate brooch a craftsman was working on. “The thin thread he is using there is made from gold. By using a solder, it is attached to the larger object. That particular piece is for the young princess.”

  Seota stepped closer to admire the design before asking, “Would it be possible for me to see the gold cloth your spoke of earlier?”

  The Master Craftsman seemed hesitant, and turned to Shabaka, however it was Neti that spoke. “She has a love for fabric and fashioning clothing. I could imagine her making an entire outfit from gold if given the chance.”

  The Master Craftsman looked at Seota, as if he had only noticed her then. “You are a clothing fashioner. I now understand your desire to be familiarized with such a beautiful metal. And considering you have the pharaoh’s approval, it must mean you intend to make something for the princess or perhaps the queen.” The man said visibly warming to Seota.

  Seota, for a moment, appeared taken aback but then asked, “It would be interesting to see such a fabric and I imagine it would be difficult to work with or cut.”

  “We do not cut cold cloth; the measures are woven as needed. Come, I will show you.”

  Neti looked at Shabaka, lifting a brow. To which Shabaka shrugged his shoulders, before answering. “Don’
t ask me, I’ve never been able to understand craftsmen.”

  “Fashioning clothes is a right and proper craft for a woman to be in, and had I known sooner I would not have bored you with the processes. You would be more interested in the enhancement the artifacts could bestow the wearer, the same as your fashions can improve their figures.” The Master Craftsman said this while leading them to a different chamber more to the back on the hall.

  A heavy gilded door was cast open, revealing numerous of glittering artifacts, “Come, come! I will show you more of the clasps and pins you would seek to know of. There is even a length of gold fabric.”

  Seota eagerly followed the man who pointed and explained things to her. He even held out the length of golden cloth and allowed her to touch it.

  “It is very different from how I imagined it.” Seota said. “It has the most unique look to it when it is bent and catches the light.”

  “Yes, but as with all gold objects, they come to life when they are worn.”

  Seota looked at the man, confused, “To life?” She asked.

  “Yes, gold, when it touches the skin, it glows differently. The heat it receives warms it to be part of the wearer. So much so that the wearer does not even feel the weight of the object.”

  The Master Craftsman continued farther, pointing at various things, while Neti and Shabaka remained in the doorway.

  Neti lowered her voice as she spoke, “I have not seen anything out of the ordinary, but then I have no idea what we should be looking for. He…” Neti said indicating to the Master Craftsman by tipping her head sideways, “…seems more interested in his work than earthly things.”

  “You are right, he does appear to be more interested in the art.”

  The Master Craftsman indicated to various works of intricate design. “This one is gold inlays with gems. One of the craftsmen thought it appropriate as a gift to the queen, so do not tell her about it.”