The mysterious man exited an even taller gateway on the western front. My muscles contracted. I needed to unmask him or die trying.
Pacing back toward the river, we arrived at a rectangular harbor. He released a shrill bird-like call. Hiding behind a crate, I scrutinized the ships and skiffs docked at the port. A figure hooded in white strode down the ramp from a boat. My heart turned icy.
“How many did you find?” asked the one who’d descended from the ship. I recognized his abnormally deep voice. Akhenaten! The cloaked man was someone else.
“Something is not right.” The other figure’s voice was high-pitched with a hissing quality.
“Do not lie to me!” Akhenaten snapped, pointing a long finger.
“I want no part of this, but I cannot be deceitful. The amulet led me to Karnak, where several slept. I assisted their passing.” He dropped the sack. It landed with a moist thud. “But the beacon still shines, even though there is not enough left to allow for life. And no others were there. I do not understand.” Holding the amulet aloft, it glowed green.
“You are not here to understand,” Akhenaten said, glancing off into the night as if searching for someone. “You are merely a tool. How many did you gather?”
“Four,” the enigmatic figure said, pushing the sack over with a concealed foot.
“There are still more out there.” Snatching the bag, Akhenaten ascended the ramp to his boat. Clenching my jaw, I feared they would both leave. I needed to see what was inside the bag, and who this other man was!
Guards onboard the ship took up oars. Perhaps I gained courage from the powers of the cloak, but before I could think, I donned the mask and ran at Akhenaten. As his foot eased into the boat, I seized the sack and threw it down the ramp. Grunting, Akhenaten turned as several rocks—no, blood-soaked hearts—rolled out from inside and bounced down the plank. Convulsing with chills, I stifled a gasp and turned to flee.
“Someone tore the bag from my hand!” Akhenaten screamed in slow motion.
The cloaked figure rose up before me, an inhuman face shadowed beneath. The rank stench of decaying flesh billowed out.
Journal Translation
MOONLIGHT REFLECTED OFF THE LAKE, shining underneath the draping hood. Green scales and a long snout flashed. The face of nightmares, the Devouring Monster! Jaws parted to reveal hundreds of yellow teeth, the stink of death wafting out. I couldn’t move. Unsheathing a serrated blade of bone, the creature took a battle stance as its reptilian eyes darted about.
It must not have been able to see me. But my blood ran cold in panic. Akhenaten descended the ramp as the Monster blocked my escape route onto shore. I was trapped. Lightning arced overhead.
A splash erupted in the water. Diving in, the Monster swam like a fish. Thankfully, I hadn’t jumped in but had kicked one of the hearts over. The Monster had taken the bait and chased the heart instead of me. Dashing down the ramp, I leapt onto solid ground and raced into the night. Screams of rage rang behind me, amidst the crying of birds. Emerging from the water, the Monster held a heart into the air. It devoured the organ with moist chomps. Akhenaten chanted.
Three birds swooped down at me, all supporting the heads of men! Ducking, they grazed my back.
“I will find you!” Akhenaten roared. “And the Aten will smite your devils!”
Another winged nightmare dove and knocked me over, releasing an ear-piercing wail. Ripping off the hood to make them disappear, I sprinted into the city.
Those sphinxes lied! I’d been too late to save anyone. And Akhenaten would discover me missing. He may not believe I could perform such deeds, but he was always suspicious of me. I’d head back for Nefertiti, and we’d never set foot in Thebes or Memphis again.
Waiting for over an hour, I donned my hood and returned to the docks. Cries of the dead filled my ears. Akhenaten’s boat was gone. Jumping onto a reed skiff, I rowed away. No screams of alarm followed, and I didn’t want to waste any more magic. I removed my hood and guided the raft through a narrow channel as straight as a city road. Emerging into the Nile, the dark current grabbed my vessel and almost spilled me over. But I sailed to the western bank and dragged the skiff into thick brush. This would be our escape vehicle, for the three of us.
Hiking toward the palace for the last time, the Aten peaked over the horizon and shot rays of soft light across the ground. Groaning carried across the open desert in sharp crescendos. My eyebrows peeked in bewilderment, spotting giants resting upon thrones in the distance.
Was this one of my answers, or another trick? Cutting across barren land, the statues rose into the heavens. Basking in the young light of the Aten, their appearance was unmistakable. Both were Amenhotep III. The moaning originated from one of the titans, although neither of their lips parted. Behind them loomed pylons and a gateway more massive than even Karnak.
I paused in the vast shadow of the seated kings, their feet stretching longer than I was tall. What did his grumbling mean? He didn’t form distinct words, but his pain was obvious.
The morning sun grew fierce, causing the statue’s groan to transition to a roar. Then it ceased.
A troop of singing men approached from the west. Donning my hood, I crouched behind a statue and waited. Great doors of plated gold swung inward as flags fluttered from staffs, also of brilliant gold. The contingent bowed their shaven heads and marched inside at more than half-speed. I had fought my fate with all the strength I possessed, but now something called to me.
Stepping between the sentinels, I followed. A paved trail littered with silver and gold bricks celebrated the rays of the Aten. Overwhelmed with enchantment, I struggled for breath—the most magnificent temple the world would ever know.
Priests wandered the sunlit interior. Radiant reliefs adorned pillars and walls, portraying Amenhotep smiting enemies or worshipping animal-headed beings. A black stone with mirroring depths was carved into a mummy holding the crook and flail.
“Interesting, is it not?” a voice spoke.
Lurching, I turned to bolt out of the golden gates. But the magician stood beside me, examining the artwork. He’d abandoned his wig and reclaimed the scrawling black wrinkles, contrasting against the white cat on his shoulder and hiding his consuming spider veins.
“Sculpted from volcanic glass. Obsidian.”
“Are you talking to me?” I whispered.
“Well, I am a crazy old man and sometimes mutter to myself.” He smiled, not looking at me. “But don’t worry, there’re no longer any others inside this temple who can sense you. They’ve been disposed of by the Hunter … and you’ve finally seen under his hood, haven’t you—”
“I don’t trust anyone, including you.”
“I granted you the opportunity to leave, remember?” He reached his palms toward the obsidian Pharaoh.
“You tried to usurp the throne but Akhenaten prevailed! You’re no better.”
“We had different reasons for our ambition.” He bowed toward the statue. “I attempted to save Egypt in return for you aiding me. But it’s late and my powers grow feeble—”
“How did I aid you?” My face wrinkled with skepticism.
“You stayed to fight when you had no chance and could’ve run. I saw your raw will, the sheer determination of a mere boy, and realized mighty people still dwell beside the river, even if one cannot spot them with the naked eye. For a moment you gave me hope. But I still foresee the kingdom’s demise. And if you did not solve the sphinxes’ riddle, you would’ve led the Hunter straight to me. He tracked the magic you now command. One of the hearts in that bag would’ve been mine.”
My jaw dropped. The sphinxes may not have deceived me …
“But you’ve reclaimed the power to save yourself. Forsake this land and never return.”
“I will vanish! I’ve nothing left here.” I paused in the midst of heaving breaths. “But before I leave, please tell me why Amenhotep’s statue groans.”
“He cries for Egypt, suffering even in death.” The magici
an pointed at me. “The stars are fading.”
“What?” Looking down at the cloak, the stars that originally shown like beacons now appeared as embers from a dying fire.
“What became of the original owner?” he asked, a muscle in his neck twitching.
“He was murdered by Akhenaten’s soldiers, and melted into the sand.”
He ran a hand across his spotted head. “He may not be dead. Was he shaven as a priest?”
“No, he wore his hair and beard long and gray.”
“That one hates bathing and shaving. Believes them to be a waste of time.” The son of Hapu nodded at someone and smiled. “He is quite odiferous. A time bender. Now his grimy cloak drapes your shoulders.”
“A time bender?” I asked, ignoring the itching arising on my back.
“He is about twenty years old, in the time of this world.”
“We must speak of different men. The one I saw couldn’t have been a day less than eighty,” I said.
“The man is one of a kind amongst the current threads of the present. He can control time so masterfully, he could crawl away and yet be moving so fast no one would be able to see him. Slowing down time for others or speeding it up for himself, he floats through the webs like a spider. Unfortunately, he’s used his gift far too frequently and now has no time left. His mortal body has aged even when he’s slowed down the fabric for others. Living only two decades in our world, he’s spent closer to eight in his own.”
Thoughts bounced around in my head, confusing me.
“More importantly, have you seen evidence of the other gods? The Aten is the disc, but what of Re? And Osiris, Horus, Amun? Many others.”
“I saw Karnak.” I swallowed. “Are you a blasphemer?”
Chuckling, he held a finger to his lips. “Yes, but do not tell! No one can force beliefs upon you; he’s already tried. Now go—”
A redheaded woman took the magician’s arm. Staring with vacant eyes, Tiye faced the obsidian statue. “My Amenhotep as Osiris himself.”
Dashing from Amenhotep’s mortuary complex, I hiked until the Gleaming Palace of the Aten arose before me. I donned my cloak and snuck between guards who were withering in the heat like plants. But when I passed the rearing sphinxes, an ear-piercing shriek rang out.
I froze in fear. Glancing at each other, the soldier’s eyes grew wide beside the setting sun. Silence. Those damn sphinxes were a twisting thorn in my heel! Did Akhenaten control them? I ran into the palace and the comfort of shadows.
I didn’t have to wait long outside Pharaoh’s bedchamber. Akhenaten and Kiya appeared in the corridor under a servant’s lamplight. Their footsteps came at a nearly normal pace. Crouching in a dark corner, I attempted to breathe quietly, but tension racked my body. What if he could see me? My heart beat so loud they must’ve been able to hear it. They stepped closer and closer. I should run. My hands trembled and sweat rolled down my brow. His golden scepter struck the tile at my feet, issuing a clap. I flinched.
Akhenaten’s eyes focused on mine! His expression didn’t change, but his dark orbs told me he knew. Run! But before I could flee they passed into the room and shut the door.
Releasing a stifled sigh, I crept to Nefertiti’s private doorway. Within minutes her beauty lit the hall, flanked by two female servants. My heart sang. Her slowed movement appeared like the enchanting spell of a temptress. I slipped into her room.
A single lamp flickered as sweet rose and citrus permeated the air. She entered. The servants slid her dress off, revealing her naked body. My pulse quickened and I felt faint. I’d never beheld such beauty. Biting my lip to control myself, blood trickled into my mouth. I shouldn’t stare, but I couldn’t look away. After being dressed in a white sleeping gown, she lay on her framed bed, her head cradled into the crescent pillow. Her eyes closed. The servants extinguished the lamp and exited.
Faint moonlight shone through the windows, outlining her figure. Her chest rose and fell under the light fabric. My mouth went dry as fear set in. I couldn’t move. She would be difficult to hide as the wife of a commoner. Would it be safer outside Egypt’s borders? But where would we go? What would we do? Could I make her happy? Would we be able to remain hidden from Akhenaten?
I clenched my jaw. If she loved me, I could make her happy. My fingers wrapped around Father’s bracelet in a crushing grip. “Nefertiti,” I whispered. “Nefertiti!”
Journal Translation
NEFERTITI’S EYES POPPED OPEN. Glancing around under the pale light, she rose to her elbows. “Who’s there?”
“I-it’s Horemheb,” I said, sliding off my cloak.
She gasped as I emerged from the darkness. “By Amun, what, how—”
“There’s not time, please listen. I’ve come for you!” I offered a shaky hand. Damn my weakness. “We can leave forever and find happiness.”
She slid her soft palm against mine. “Horemheb, if you weren’t nervous, I’d think I may not mean much to you, or you were blind with arrogance. I’ve always loved that you care for me so deeply and you’ve protected me …” She took a deep breath. “But what would become of us?”
“We can move to a small farm, like where I was born. I’ll work elsewhere until we can harvest our own plot. The kingdom’s large enough to hide in. We’ll be happy.”
Smiling, she closed her green eyelids. “We might be able to hide. And you’d be a good farmer. If you can serve Akhenaten, you can do anything.”
“But what?” I asked, tapping my foot while watching the door with apprehension. She had told me she loved me. We needed to leave, not have a discussion. Women …
“Things are different now.” She blushed. “I am the Queen of Egypt, the Great Royal Wife. Akhenaten and I … we have a daughter.”
“What?” I cried, clamping a hand over my mouth.
“She grew inside me after the hunting expedition.”
How did I not notice her child? “We can care for her as our own. Leaving her with the beast who created her would consign her to a life of misery.”
Nefertiti stuck out her lower lip. “I didn’t want anything to do with Akhenaten. He made me suffer for my defiance. But things are different now. He is Pharaoh and Thutmose, my once betrothed crown prince, is dead.”
I stood in dumb silence, unable to believe my ears. “He’s your cousin.”
“Lay with me, Horemheb,” she said, patting her woven bed. Settling down beside her, my body grew excited. “This isn’t something I can run from. I do have feelings for you, and in another life you could’ve been the one for me, but you cannot compare to the greatness of Akhenaten.”
“Please, Nefertiti,” I begged. “I love you more than life itself. I’ve suffered this affliction only because I didn’t want to leave you. Someone tried to help me escape back in Memphis, but I endured misery to save you … and myself.”
Liquid brimmed in Nefertiti’s eyes and graced her cheek as a trickle. Catching the droplets with my fingertip, she burst into tears. “Horemheb, I love you for everything you’ve done and who you are, but there’re more important things!”
“Than love and happiness?”
“To be taken care of!” She rolled her eyes. “And my status, child, and life here!”
What? “We’ll figure it out! Farmers have large families, and everyone’s living in plenty.”
“Horemheb,” her tone turned sour as she twisted away, her soft skin sliding against the firm bed. “I love you, but that isn’t the life I want. I desire so much more. I yearn for people to look upon the great Nefertiti with envy and jealousy of all her wealth and power, and wish to be me. I hunger for a husband who is God, who can adore my beauty for eternity, even if he doesn’t tenderly care for me in this life. One who has everything a woman desires.”
“Akhenaten?” I asked in disbelief.
Her voice grew distant. “He’s the pinnacle of our world. That’s what people long for above all, only most women can’t obtain the man at the top.” She stared into my eyes, her own not those
of the same person I’d fallen in love with. Holding my breath, I dared not inhale her deceitful scent. “I’d rather be struck and scolded while living with all the possessions and power I’d ever dreamed of than be a happy farmer’s wife. The sooner you understand, the sooner you’ll find yourself an equal woman.”
My heart cracked, decay breaking through the surface as it stopped beating for eternity. Nefertiti may as well have cut the pumping organ from my chest with Akhenaten’s soul-drinking knife and fed it to the Devouring Monster. Pain beyond the hippo attack, the enduring infection, Akhenaten, Father’s death, solitary confinement, disgracing Father by serving the murderous king, pain beyond any other that came later in life stabbed me directly in the heart. Lying still, I couldn’t respond. Nefertiti exited the room on soft feet, closing the door behind her. I’d be put to death if she came back with a guard or Akhenaten, but I didn’t care.
Stupefied, I couldn’t go any further. The pit of my stomach burned and scarred my soul, never to heal.
But the door opened and a woman stepped inside, locking the latch behind her. Nefertiti’s white nightgown stood out in the darkness, hugging her curves. Stepping closer, she kissed my cheek. My body tensed in surprise. She kissed my lips, hers lingering. I knew she wouldn’t turn down my love! Our bodies melted together, all the parts of her sensuous skin rubbing on mine. We experienced a transcendence I had no idea existed. I could alter my fate, and this world could be amazing …
Awaking with a jolt, the first rays of the Aten ran across the ceiling. We had to get out of here! And I had to get Croc. I sat up on the floor while Nefertiti slept on the bed above. Sliding my kilt on, I reached for the panther skin. Empty space. Where was it? I rummaged under the bed. Nothing. I tore the place apart. The time-bending garment was our only escape!
I shook Nefertiti, but something else was out of place. She rolled over. My jaw dropped as I screamed.
Present Day
“YOU BELIEVE THERE WAS A talking sphinx?” I asked Maddie from the air-conditioned bus seat, not covered with a towel this time. We’d sorted through the images within the secret chamber under Lake Nasser and headed north.
Eve of the Pharaoh: Historical Adventure and Mystery Page 28