The sun set and the light vanished. She continued her slow progress by feeling ahead to each new place to grasp the rocks. A quarter moon cast pale light. Had one moon ended and another begun? She drew a deep breath of the cooling air and moved upward. Her arms and legs ached. She forced herself to continue.
Bast Ka appeared. The cat caught the sleeve of the robe and tugged. The feline’s meow sounded like a command. The bundle and sack seemed weighted with bars of lead. Finally she crawled onto a flat surface and collapsed. A jagged shard pressed into her cheek. She pushed to her knees.
Kashe crouched beside her. “There’s an overhang that provides some shelter from the sun.” He helped her stand. “You took longer than the others.”
“I know. I’m not fond of high places.” She followed him to where Namose and Merin waited. The space wasn’t a cave but they would have shade. Namose removed her burden. Tira sat with her back against the stone and sipped water from her flask. Once her inner tremors eased she spread her blanket on the ground. Bast Ka curled at her side. As the others settled Kashe remained on his feet.
Tira raised on one elbow. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Later.”
“Why wait?”
“I need to climb down for the water.”
“Couldn’t that wait?”
“Best to do it now.”
“Then be careful.” Tira’s eyes closed. Exhaustion from the climb and from fighting her fear of heights claimed her. A touch on her shoulder brought her to instant alertness. As she prepared to attack she saw Kashe. She released her tensed muscles. “Sorry.”
He stepped back. “Forgot how touchy you are.”
She rubbed her eyes. Three large water sacks stood against the rear wall of the shelter. “How many trips did you make?”
“Two. Tuten knows where we are. Once he finds more supplies and bargains for a barge he’ll join us.”
Tira straightened her kilt. “I’m awake. Go to sleep.”
After Kashe settled she ate dates and drank water. He had more guts than she did. Did he really think they should camp here? The thought of multiple trips up and down the cliff chilled her. Bast Ka licked her hand. Tira found a depression in the rock and filled it with water. After the cat drank Tira added pieces of dried meat to the makeshift bowl. The sound of chanting rose from the Valley. What did it mean?
When the chanting stopped Tira left the shelter and cleared stones from a circular area. To become used to fighting while wearing the mottled robe she began simple moves. Once she felt more alert she walked to the edge of the cliff overlooking the Valley. She lay on her stomach and studied the area.
The vastness of the Valley stunned her. Would they be able to find what they sought even though they had the map and the keys? Stark desolation lay below. Rocks had fallen from the cliffs and covered the ground. Some seemed to have been carved from the walls. Beyond where she lay the cliff curved to form a semi-circle. At the end a second massive wall shot into the desert.
She turned her head toward the distant river and spotted the temple. A mud brick wall surrounded a compound of many buildings. She saw greenery that meant a garden and a rectangular pool. Of the temple all she could see was the rear of the building. She felt sure there was a double row of pillars leading to the entrance. Both temples she had seen followed that pattern.
She turned her attention back to the Valley. Below her perch and dug into the stone were the burial chambers of the pharaohs and their families. Here was the place of rest and judgment before the dead entered the afterlife. How many graves did the necropolis hold?
Excitement rose. Somewhere below the symbols of the rule had been hidden. She sighed. They couldn’t continue to camp here on the ledge. She needed to be in the Valley to use the map and the thought of nightly trips was distasteful. She could make the descent once or twice but not every night. She had to persuade Kashe to establish their camp below.
As her gaze roamed across the area she spotted a pair of tri-colored felines on a rock ledge. Bast Ka peered toward the pair and called softly. One of the large cats raised its head. A coughing sound echoed in the silence.
A scuffling sound startled her. She turned. Merin stood a few feet away. The young woman crouched beside Tira. “I wonder if my father lies in one of the tombs.”
“Perhaps we can look. Do you know his rulership name?”
The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “No one of the clan knew him or anything but this phrase ‘He Who Is Controlled.’”
“But he wasn’t always. He rebelled.” Tira touched Merin’s hand. In a way they shared a bond. “I never knew my father. He left a few days after my birth and never returned.”
“So you’re alone, too.”
“We have friends.”
“I guess we do.”
Tira rose. “Friends can form a family. I’m going back to the shelter.”
“Can I stay here for a while?”
“Just be careful.”
As Merin lowered herself she gasped. “There are men pointing to the cliff. Do you think they see us?”
Tira stared at the men and turned to Merin. The young woman wore the white kilt and breast band. Tira groaned. “Get down. You should have worn the robe. I think those men are priests of Aken Re.”
“What should we do?”
“Get down.” Tira peered over the edge. The men walked toward the cliff. Would they attempt to climb?
Bast Ka crouched beside her. The sacred cat yowled. The tri-colored felines rose. Their coughing sounds changed into roars. As they leaped from the ledge the priests ran.
Tira marveled at the speed of the large cats. They bounded from boulder to boulder and almost seemed to take flight. The priests had little chance of reaching the temple. She slid back and stood. “Come away. I have no desire to witness the end of the chase.” She studied Bast Ka. The cat stared into the Valley. Tira’s brow wrinkled. Exactly what was Bast Ka?
Chapter 18
Bast Ka’s yowl and the roar of the jaguas pulled Kashe from a deep sleep. He scrambled from his blankets and nearly grazed his head on the overhang. What had happened? Had the large felines attacked one of his party? When he saw Tira and Merin were missing panic settled in his gut. He dashed from the shelter into the bright moonlight. His eyes teared and he rubbed them with his hand.
Namose rolled over. “What’s making all the noise?”
“Jaguas. There’s a pair in the Valley.”
“Here? Are they attacking? Where are Tira and Merin?”
“I don’t know.” Kashe shaded his eyes and searched for the young woman. They ran toward the shelter. He dashed to meet them and stumbled on some rocks. “What happened?”
“Priests,” Merin said. “They saw me. They came toward the cliff. I was afraid they would climb.”
Tira halted. “Bast Ka summoned those tri-colored cats. I watched them chase the priests.”
“Did any of the men reach the temple?” Kashe asked.
Tira grimaced. “I don’t think so but I didn’t stay to watch. As we were running I heard screams.”
Merin rubbed her arms. “What will we do if they escaped? They’ll send men to capture me. They want me because I’m the daughter.”
Kashe stared at her. Had she purposely exposed herself so she could be seen? He pushed the young woman into the shelter. “How could they know who you are? They are most likely to think some nomarch or a group of priests from one of the other temples seeks to drive them from the place they stole.”
Tira nodded. “They will think we’re spies.”
Kashe nodded. “If the priests escaped, climbers will come. Until the sun sets we’ll keep watch. Tonight we’ll move over there.” He pointed to the distant leg of the cliff.
Tira shook her head. “We should go into the Valley and find a safe place where we don’t have to climb after sunset.”
Merin rubbed her eyes. “This is my fault.”
“You acted without thought but your exposure of ou
r presence has made a move necessary,” Tira said.
Kashe paused with his hands crossed on his chest. “Why stay in the Valley?”
Tira turned to him. “That’s where the symbols are hidden. The number of times we’ll have to make the climb will add to our danger.”
“What about the jaguas?” Kashe asked. “They’re fierce hunters and guard their territory with claws and fangs.”
Tira lifted Bast Ka. “In some way she controls the large cats. I saw her order lions, leopards and cheetahs at the temple of Bast. One yowl and the felines settled. Merin, you saw what she did here.”
Merin nodded. “The sacred cat called to them. They left the ledge and chased the priests.”
Kashe scanned the sky for Horu Ka. If the cat had powers given by the goddess was the hawk empowered by the god. The bird landed on the edge of the overhang. Kashe held out his arm. The avian hopped onto the metal wrist cuff. Kashe stared into Horu Ka’s eyes and spoke of recent events. The hawk cocked its head. Did the bird understand?
“We need to know if men are searching for us.” He flung the hawk into the air and watched with amazement as the avian flew in circles above the Valley. Kashe turned to Tira. “After we eat we’ll rest until sunset. When the shadows gather we’ll climb down and find a safe place there.”
Tira entered the shelter. Kashe walked to the edge of the cliff to study the way to the ground. Bast Ka crouched at his side. He watched the cat pace along the edge. Did she also seek a path?
Kashe stared at the temple and wished he could see inside. Had any of the priests escaped? He noticed the jaguas had settled on the boulders near what he believed was the rear gate of the compound. With the large felines keeping watch the priests were contained.
As the sun set chanting rose from the temple. Kashe and the others gathered their bundles and sacks of supplies. He paused beside Tira. “I know you have little liking for heights. Will you be all right?”
She drew a deep breath. “Unless I plan to spend the rest of my life here I’ll go down. Doing that once will be better than a dozen such trips.”
“If I had known how things would be I would have chosen the route past the temple.”
“One can’t dwell on what is past.”
He chuckled. “So we plunge ahead.”
She tapped his arm. “We crawl. Let Bast Ka take the lead as she did on the ascent. She’ll find a safe route.”
“Makes sense.” Kashe set out after the cat and the others followed. The feline walked along the edge of the cliff and meowed softly. Kashe knelt beside the animal. He stared at the rocks below and nodded. The feline flowed to a lower ledge and waited.
Kashe adjusted his pack. “The same order as when we came up. Merin, watch the route I take as I follow Bast Ka.” He swung over the edge and moved to where the cat sat. He watched the feline’s next move. Merin landed on the ledge beside him. He moved again. By the time he was halfway to the ground Tira had begun her descent.
His foot slipped. His heart thudded in an erratic rhythm. Only one his one handed grip on a protruding knob kept him from plunging to the Valley floor. As he scrambled to find a foothold, panic rose. He gulped deep breaths. The water sack on his back swayed and threatened to pull him further off balance. Just when his fingers slipped, one foot and then the other found depressions in the rock. He clung until he was able to move. As he continued he wondered why he’d chosen to climb the cliff instead of sneaking past the temple. Tira had been right. Too many trips up and down would have dared fate.
What about Tuten? He hated the thought of the older man scaling the cliff and finding them gone. There had to be a way to let him know about the change in the hiding place. What if they couldn’t find a cave among the rocks? That meant returning to the place where Tuten waited and traveling back and forth. Kashe thought of the things he should have done. Too late now.
Tonight he had to return and let Tuten know about the change. No sense for the older man to climb the cliff for no reason.
Kashe stepped to the ground and dropped the burdens from his back. He climbed to Merin and took her bundle and sack. As she followed him to the ground he wondered how she would fare as the pharaoh’s wife. In days long past when the pharaoh and his wife were co-rulers she would have been an asset. For generations the pharaoh had ruled alone. His chief wife and the others he’d taken were kept in a woman’s court.
Pian would do the same. Merin would never tolerate a man like him. Kashe frowned. Many men of the Two Lands shared Pian’s view of women.
Sadness engulfed him. Though he had little love for his brother Pian was family. Only his death would keep Merin and the Two Lands safe from the priests of Aken Re.
Merin clung to the wall and seemed hesitant to take the final step to the ground. Kashe lifted her down. “Wait here while I help the others.”
“I felt some carving on the rocks.” She pointed to the place where Namose rested. “Maybe there were words.”
“Could be.” Kashe climbed to meet his brother. Namose had moved sideways along a ledge. “Where are you going?” Kashe asked. “We haven’t time for games.”
“Come here. I think there’s an opening. Could be a place to hide.” Namose swung from the ledge.
“Might be a tomb.” Kashe landed on a shelf of stone and found a narrow passage. “We can’t camp in a tomb.”
‘Unless it’s abandoned.”
“Why would you think that?”
“The name carved in the rocks is the rulership name of Merin’s father. Everything I’ve heard about the battle and his death says he and his sons were placed in a common grave with the other dead.”
Kashe pressed his hands on one of the walls and slowly moved forward. When his hand touched air in front and to one side he turned. “We must go back. Without a light we could meet danger.”
“What kind?”
“Traps for the foolhardy.”
Kashe climbed to the ground over boulders that had been placed like steps. When they reached Merin he found his bundle and pulled a piece of wood he carried. He wadded cloth around the end.
Tira dropped to the ground. “Are you going to light that? Isn’t that a dangerous move?”
“Namose and I have found a safe place.” He returned to the rough steps and climbed to the opening. He used flint to light the cloth. Kashe stepped into the passage. At the end he discovered a large square room. He noticed several places where tunnels had been started and left unfinished. In one corner of the room he found a bundle of torches, several saucer lamps and a flask of oil. The workers must have left them when they abandoned the construction. He returned to the others.
“We have our refuge. A tomb begun and not completed.” He lifted his bundle and one of the water sacks.
One by one the others climbed and followed the passage into their new sanctuary. Tira turned to Kashe. “Will we begin our search tonight?”
He shook his head. “We need to learn the priests’ routine. I want to fetch the remainder of our supplies and let Tuten know about the change. In a sun turn or two we can begin."
“What will happen when we have the symbols?”
“We go to Tebes and seek the temples of the Three.”
Chapter 19
Though Tira wished they had begun their search as soon as they reached the Valley Kashe’s suggestion made sense. On their arrival at the unfinished tomb exhaustion had swamped her. Kashe had been even more tired since he had made another trip to the top of the cliff for the remainder of their supplies. She remained awake until he reached the tomb.
Two days had passed since they had settled in the stone chamber. A need to be away from the desolate burial grounds drew stronger. At sunrise and sunset the eerie chants of the priests of Aken Reechoed from the walls and raised the hair on her arms.
She carried the map to the end of the exit passage. Namose and Merin used part of the large chamber to practice the martial arts movements. Tira sat on the shadowed ledge and pressed her back against the rough s
tone. How long had the tomb been abandoned? Namose said the cartouche carved on the cliff above the tunnel was the ruler name of Merin’s father. Had his death been the reason the tomb lay unfinished?
With care she unrolled the map. The ruddy light of the late afternoon sun allowed her to read the markings on the map. She located the place she thought showed their hiding place. She rose and peered into the Valley. Several groups of priests walked from the far cliffs toward the temple. She noticed they lugged sacks. Did they also loot the tombs?
Tira turned to look at the papyrus and gasped. A splotch of copper color attracted her attention. On closer examination the marking proved to be an ankh. The sign grew brighter. After rolling the scroll she moved to the steps below the entrance and surveyed the cliffs. She saw a glint of copper on a rock wall near the place where the cliff sent a wing toward the desert.
Excitement line bubbling lava poured into her thoughts. The crown must be there. Tonight she and Kashe could go and rescue one of the three symbols. She rolled the map and returned to the cavern. “I think I know where the double crown is hidden.”
Kashe rose from his blanket and stretched. The ripple of his chest muscles brought an urge to rush to his side and stroke. She couldn’t. Not yet. She unrolled the map. To her surprise the copper figure remained visible. “This is where we must look. There is a mark on the cliff in the same place.”
Kashe ran his finger over the ankh. “Magic.”
She nodded. “There must be some special quality in the ink the mapmaker used.”
“I wonder if the map is god touched.”
“Would Namose know about ink that needs light to make is appear?” She called to the young man. “Come here for a minute.” After he joined them she showed him the symbol and told him how it had appeared.
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