Shabaka looked at her, “I wish I could be as positive about this as you.”
“We will catch them,” Neti said with a certainty in her voice. “We always do.”
Shabaka nodded, “but where to from here? Observing those two won’t help because they know they are being watched, therefore they will not do anything that could identify the others.”
“As you always say, we go back to the start.”
“The Master Craftsman? “Shabaka asked, confused, “…but we know his story.”
“No, Geris,’ Neti said. “He was killed for something. Something he knew or they thought he knew.”
Shabaka thought it over for several moments then said, “We should question the… I want to say new wife of the Master Craftsman, but I don’t think that would be the correct way to address her,” Shabaka looked at Neti. “How would one address a woman who has no desire to be married to the man she is married to?”
“I could not think of a worse fate,” Neti said. “But before we go all the way to nearly the edge of the town, we should again have a look in Geris’ home.”
“Hoping to find what?” Shabaka asked.
“Well, the last time we were there, we had no indication of what we were looking for, and we only looked in the obvious places. We should have a look again. There might be something to connect it all together, possibly even the reason why they killed him.”
“Well, since we have little to go on, we might as well,” Shabaka said. “Do you still remember where it is? Most of the homes in that area all look the same to me.”
“Oddly, it had a red mark on the door. I can’t imagine how it came to be there.”
“Well let us go see if we can find anything,” Shabaka said as he fell into step next to Neti.
They walked along several streets. The city was for more eventful than Thebes, with the people more elegantly dressed. Even the servants had clothes on that, although not as white or elaborate as their masters, were well above that of the people of Thebes. .
The quality of the cloth and the color thereof significantly altered as they moved towards the area in the city that housed the artisans. There the children were more exuberant, running and playing with sticks and chasing one another. Their exuberance had Neti smile. Something Shabaka saw. “You like children?” He asked, indicating to the children.
“They remind me of when I was younger, how we would case each other across the rooftop kitchen after the afternoon meal. And no matter how difficult a day you had with the boys in class with Sutton or the ribbing I got from the girls because I was strange, it was all forgotten when we played… Much like them.”
“What about you?” Neti asked. “Don’t you remember?”
“My brothers and I only had each other to play with at home. And after I was sent to the palace, playing was not something we did. We had training and lessons in governance. The importance of our positions and our place in the kingdom were all too frequently imposed on us. We had little time for such simple pleasures like playing.”
Neti had no idea as to what to say, then became alarmed. Especially since it was happening more and more often recently. “Can I ask you something?” She asked as the turned up the street where Geris’ home was situated.”
“Certainly.”
“Do you regret it?”
“What?”
“Any of it… the training, your position, becoming a prefect.”
Shabaka looked at her for a moment and fired back, “Do you?”
“I asked you first.” Neti countered.
“The training? Not so much. The position here and back at home: I have come to accept. Becoming a prefect: There are days I wish the thieves and the murderers weren’t as smart. But I could never regret being posted in Thebes. You?”
“There are days I wish it could just all go back to the way things used to be. When my parents were alive and I did not have so many responsibilities.”
“But you would not change it?” Shabaka hesitantly asked.
“I think the only thing I would have changed, if I could, was my parents. If they were still around, things would have been much simpler.”
“I think there are often a great many things we would want to change, if we could.”
“This is it!” Neti said, pointing to the door.
Shabaka looked at the mark on the door, then said, “That is not very big. It looks as if it is the wood itself that is colored there… However did you notice it?”
“I have learned in my life that it is easier to identify a home if you find something unique. In this case it was the red mark on the door.”
Shabaka made to open the door, but it would not move. “I don’t remember it being this difficult to open last time,” He said as he pushed against it again, this time applying his weight, and still it did not move. “It seems to be barred from the inside.”
“But why? There is not reason for it, certainly.”
“I do not think someone would occupy it as soon,” Shabaka said and looked up at the roof and then to the house next door. “Let’s find out if the neighbors are here, perhaps we can gain entry via the kitchen.”
Neti looked at him confused, “Do you think that is wise? We don’t know who is in there, we should get some guards here.”
“If that be the case, then our simply being here will alert whoever and give them time to escape.”
“How can you be so certain?” Neti asked,
“What could Geris have owned to warrant the closure of his door in such a manner?”
Neti nodded, “But I would however feel better if we summoned some guards.”
“We are only going to have a look see,” Shabaka said as he made it to the neighbor’s door.
Neti reluctantly relented as Shabaka knocked. A young girl opened the door and peered out at them. “Hello,” Neti said. “I was hoping to speak with your mother.”
The girl looked at her and then towards her sash, before again hesitantly looking up at Neti, “She has gone down to the river.”
“And left you here alone?” Shabaka asked disbelieving.
“I must look after the babe. He gets in her way too much when she is down there.”
“I understand,” Neti said then pointed to her and Shabaka’s sashes as she continued. “We are the pharaoh’s prefects.”
“I know that,” the girl said, firmly.
“I was hoping it would be possible for us to see your kitchen.”
The girl looked at Neti and the hesitantly at Shabaka.
“But if you prefer, we will even be willing to wait until your mother returns.”
The girl appeared to mull it over before opening the door wider, “You can come in.” she said, and stepped aside to allow them to enter. “The kitchen is that way,” she said, pointing towards the short flight of stairs, “I’m not allowed up there.”
“Why ever not?” Neti asked.”
“My mother said not like the man next door.”
“Thank you.” Neti said, before following Shabaka up the stairs.
“I wonder why her mother would say something like that to her.”
“It’s simple, really.” Neti said.
“What is?” Shabaka asked.
“A young girl and a man who has lost his wife and son…”
“I wish not everyone broke life down to that,” Shabaka said as they entered the kitchen.
“Still, as a woman, I can understand it.”
“You must then also have had similar warnings.”
“My parents never trusted Ma-Nefer. So I was told to stay away from him.”
“With good reason,” Shabaka said as he made his way across the low wall separating the two kitchens
“Which is why I do not think it strange.”
18
Chapter Eighteen
Neti followed Shabaka across the wall and down the small flight of stairs, only to walk right into his back where the stairs ended. “Oh, sorry,” She said, caught off guard and
slightly off balance.
Shabaka reached out to steady her, preventing her from falling off the side of the stairs. It was only as she righted herself that she got a look at the room and flatly stated, “This was not here the last time.”
Shabaka cautiously moved away from the staircase. As he approached the first of a series of platforms, he said, “I think we have discovered why the door was barricaded.”
“I would say so,” Neti said looking at the multitude of glass jars, all neatly arranged in lines on the platform.
Neti moved past Shabaka and peered through the glass. Each jar contained a measure of liquid with a nugget of gold and a small disk placed within. These were connected with a wire. Neti stuck her finger into one of the jars and then held it to her nose. “Vinegar.” She then looked at Shabaka. “They are making gold coins.” Neti then looked over the platform and started counting the number of jars.
“And from appearances, their operation is considerably larger than that of the craft hall,” Shabaka said moving through the room.
“It is,” Neti said, “I’ve counted 60 jars and that is just on this platform and there are two others that still need to be counted.”
“Well, at least we know where the craft hall’s gold has disappearing to,” Shabaka said as he looked around.
Neti shook her head, “It’s not disappearing.”
Shabaka looked at Neti, confused. “It being exchanged.”
“Exchanged?” Shabaka asked confused.
“The Master Craftsman said that they only used gold during a certain stage for the production of coins. To be able to do this,” Neti said gesturing to the room. “…they will need a constant supply of gold.”
“But this amount of gold would have shown up on the records.”
“It should have, initially, but because there were no records kept, it would have been easy to remove several nuggets a day.”
“But if they need a constant flow, it would mean that they would still to take nuggets.”
“They still are.” Neti said flatly, “But instead of taking more, they are exchanging them.”
“How?”
“Seco. I don’t think he was seeking the best nuggets, well perhaps he was, but he was taking nuggets of similar size to exchange.”
“Which is why the amounts are so small that no one would become suspicious,” Shabaka said.
“Only because there are now records being kept.”
“So Geris was right, someone was stealing gold.”
“Yes. Although I don’t think he realized where the gold was being taken and I doubt he actually understood the complexity of this,” Neti said
“Which is what got him killed,” Shabaka said.
Neti again looked about, before she said, “I think they also moved it here to indicate him as the guilty party if it was ever discovered.” Neti then looked towards Shabaka and asked, “What do you want to do now? We can have the Mejay remove everything?”
“No, now we catch them, all of them.” Shabaka said, his voice animated, even buoyant as he continued. “They don’t know that we found this, so we will arrest Seco and the other Zawe, along with all the glass crafters and their master since we don’t know which of them are involved.”
“But they will deny it, especially the glass grafters.”
“These glass jars came from somewhere,” Shabaka said pointing to the one platform. “There are too many here to be considered failed attempts. Someone with great skill is making them, possibly even from their home.”
Neti nodded, “It makes sense.”
“That is the beauty of it, of setting traps.”
“What do you mean?” Neti asked.
“We have an idea of who is involved, but by arresting them all at once, the others will think they are in danger of being implicated, so they will move to gather what they can, in all probability coming here to move this again.”
“The Master Craftsman did mention the metal disks needed to be submerged with the gold for five days.”
“So someone has to come and check soon enough. And when they do, either because of the others’ arrests or because the coins need changing, we will be waiting for them. But first, we need to tell Ramesses the good news,”
“Wait,” Neti said, causing Shabaka to look at her as she continued. “For all we know one of the neighbors could be involved.” Neti pointed to either side of the public room. “If they barricaded the door they would have needed to leave in very much the same way as we came in. It would be possible then that they have someone guarding the place who could already notified them that we are here.”
Shabaka remained silent for several moments as he thought it over.
“We’ve seen what they were willing to do to Geris, and my guess is that many of the marks we have seen on the others were done to keep them quiet as well. The girl next door’s mother was weary for a reason, and she was altogether too complacent in allowing us up to the kitchen.”
“Then we will have to act quickly,” Shabaka said, and made for the stairs, “Especially since we have no idea where Rahann could be.”
“I think now understand why the pharaoh entrusts the two of you with these matters.” A voice said from behind the grass mat that separated the private chambers from the public ones, causing both Neti and Shabaka to turn and look in the direction
“Rahann?” Shabaka said, as the man moved from behind the mat and moved out of the shadows.
“The two of you compliment each other,” Rahann said stepping forward. “I don’t think I have ever heard two people piece together information as quickly as you just did.” He continued, coming to stand in front of them, and turning his gaze to Neti. “The elusive Neti-Kerti I presume. I guess the talk of you being an intelligent woman was not just talk in the end. I can see why he likes to keep you around.” Rahann said snidely, “You make him look good.”
Neti clenched her hands but said nothing in reply as the man continued goading, “If it were not for the fact that I had heard you earlier, I would think your tongue had been cut out. But that is okay. I like the spirited ones, they are more fun to break.”
Shabaka shifted his weight from one foot to the other, in preparation as he demanded. “Why?” Shabaka asked, drawing Rahann’s attention from Neti, instead gesturing to the room. “Why do this, you don’t need it.”
“Ha! Don’t need it, where do you come off thinking you can tell me what I do and don’t need. You need to wake up.”
“Me?”
“You are loyal to a pharaoh that is bleeding our homelands dry. He takes and takes without giving anything back. Enriching himself as our people suffer and become poorer.”
“Ramesses has done you no harm.”
“He steals from my people, so now I steal from him,” Rahann said gesturing to the room. “I steal his craftsmen’s ideas, and soon I will be wealthier that he could ever be. Then I will pay an army to kill him and his whore of a wife.”
“I don’t think so, Shabaka said, and stepped forward, “You are coming with us.”
“Ha, you fool, neither you nor Ramesses can do anything to me.”
“How so?” Neti asked.
Rahann turned towards her, “It’s simple really. Like your friend Shabaka here, I also have immunity. The pharaoh can’t punish me, not unless he plans to start a war with my people. But then my people are angry enough already, they would easily take up weapons if they were called to. They hate Egypt and its pharaoh.”
Neti looked at Shabaka and asked, “Is this true?”
Shabaka nodded. “The pharaoh cannot punish him,” Shabaka said. He firmly added, “But he can send you home for your father to punish.”
“Ha, I will be treated as a hero if I return home. I will be the one who took on the great Ramesses and got away with it.”
“Enough,” Neti said. “Nothing comes to those who gloat and boast about inflicting pain on others.”
“Really?” Rahann challenged her.
“Yes,
really, and both Ramesses and your father are wise enough to see that a war is only foolish and destroys lives.”
“And you think I care about the people of Egypt?”
“You may not care for Egypt,” Neti challenged. “But you should care about what would happen to your own people.”
“My people are poor because of Egypt,” Rahann said.
“War makes countries poor,” Shabaka stated. “War only leads to famine and plagues. So stop this.”
“Never.”
“No matter what you say, you will be going to the palace with us.”
“Ha, the great Shabaka, the yes-man,” Rahann derided, then turned to Neti. “You see Shabaka is useful for many things. Information, plans, and of course bringing in the so called villains, like me. But what Shabaka tends to forget, is that as a child I spent a considerable amount of time with him. So I know all of his tricks. I know how he thinks and how he will even try to trap you.” Rahann then turned his head to look over his shoulder and said, “You can come out now.”
Two, large and very physique men joined them, as Rahann continued, “So I have learned to set a few traps of my own. He avoided the others, but he won’t get out of this one.”
Shabaka pushed in front of Neti and said, “Neti, Run, now!”
“No, I’m not leaving you here on your own,” Neti said.
“By Ra, Neti! Get out of here now, these men will hurt you,” Shabaka angrily instructed.
“Oh, he is right Neti, they will they will take from you what you would only give your husband. And they will take it again and again as it pleases them. I think we’ll even make Shabaka watch.”
Neti however stood firm as she said, “I’d rather die than run from someone like you.”
“Well, when we are done you, you are going to wish you were dead,” Rahann said and indicated to the two men to grab Shabaka.
The two men quickly stepped forward to grab Shabaka, who quickly fended off the first with a hard blow to the chest. Causing the man to double over and gasp for breath.
Neti felt someone grab her wrist, before hauling her away from the fighting man. The suddenness of it caused her to yelp in response. Within moments she found herself pinned against Rahann as he sarcastically said.
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