Qa'a (The First Dynasty Book 3)

by Lester Picker

  “Is this your interpretation, Mhotep, or did you hear this with your own ears?” I was in Nekhen to research the ancient scrolls to refresh my memory of the history of the Second Wife. I had requested Mhotep’s presence to assist me, since he had reorganized sections of the library during his tenure as Keeper of the Scrolls.

  “No, brother, these things I have heard myself, although I am careful to also listen to conversations of others, now that I am… well, you know.” Mhotep was busily pulling scrolls from ceramic jars that I had requested. He always displayed nervous energy and his large eyes stood out in contrast to his shaved head and small nose.

  “Urshte is always the doubter. When he found out that Nomti’s financial dealings were completely proper, his suspicions were raised. He had no idea what Nomti was doing with his profits, but what Nomti was doing was taking his profits and investing them in other businesses in Upper Kem. He serves as an advisor, especially to young businessmen, but also to older ones without enough gold to buy more goods or perhaps with no goods to trade for what they require.”

  “And so why was Urshte suspicious?”

  “One day I heard Urshte ask Nomti if he did not use some of his profits to buy favors. Nomti thought for a while and wondered aloud why he would need to do that and for what purpose. Urshte sat down, and while I wrote letters in a corner, explained to Nomti the need for him to curry favor in order to increase his power, for he was well situated to do so as a favorite of the King.”

  “And Nomti said?”

  “He did not respond right away, but merely listened. There were long silences. Finally, he explained that power was not something he desired, only wealth and recognition for doing his job well.

  “Then Urshte asked him if his business ventures were not a form of power, since so many businessmen in Upper Kem were indeed indebted to him?”

  “And his answer?”

  “Nomti granted Urshte that it might appear to some that way, but that he saw it differently.”

  “How so?”

  “Nomti said that power usually goes in one direction and often runs contrary to the desires of those without such power. In business Nomti sees his partners as brothers, and even sisters, since he funds businesses run by women, too. They work together. His only interest is in seeing those brothers and sisters make a fair profit. He prospers from that, they prosper, Kem prospers, the King prospers from taxes, temples are built, and everyone is happy. That is how he sees it.”

  “And how was their conversation left?” I was now most intrigued.

  “These were actually several conversations that took place over a ten-day or more. No decisions were made, if that is what you are asking. Yet…”

  “Go ahead.”

  “You have asked me not to speculate, but rather only report facts.”

  “Yes, I did say that. But you have done a very good job of reporting those facts and I can see that something yet troubles you. Feel free to speak.” I saw Mhotep’s chest rise with pride.

  “Well, you know how when we were students, we would take a position on what a scroll was meant to teach us? The elder priests would listen, then try to get us to see another point of view, sometimes even try to persuade us to their position?”

  “Yes, of course. I have done that myself many times with my students when I was still here in Nekhen.”

  “Of course. Well, that is distinctly what I had the impression Urshte did with Nomti.”

  “And? Is this a problem?”

  “Not with Horus priests. But Nomti is not a priest and he is not familiar with this art. I had the impression that Urshte did not try to educate him so much as, well, manipulate him.”

  “Interesting, Mhotep. I commend you for such a detailed report. Please keep this up, for this may bear fruit in the future. As for this,” I said waving my hand over the pile of scrolls he had placed before me, “another excellent job. Now, please leave me to read through these so I do not appear the fool before the King of all Kem!”

  Once Mhotep left, I put the scrolls aside to think over all he had revealed to me. True, this was far from the task that Qa’a had set for me, yet I saw nothing wrong with knowing about other matters going on within the Two Lands, matters that would undoubtedly affect the King. In fact, the more I thought on it, the more convinced I became that I could be quite valuable to Qa’a if my informants let me know what the rich and powerful were doing. I made a note of additional priests and servants that I knew throughout the Two Lands that I might be able to recruit.

  By the end of Akhet, when the floods has subsided and the workers returned to their villages and families, Nomti had accomplished every one of his ambitious goals. Two sections of the canal were complete and, although tiny compared to all that needed to be done, they taught the engineers, architects, supervisors and workers great lessons that would make construction even more efficient during next year’s floods. Nomti had a knack for creating success from failures. As new building techniques proved useless, or even destructive, causing injuries or deaths, he simply rallied his engineers to try new approaches. In this way, grain by grain and stone by stone, his goals for the year were met.

  At this joyous news, Qa’a arranged to visit the work sites in the Eastern desert and to combine that visit with one of his favorite pastimes, hunting. Buikkhu arranged for a hunting party to be formed and as the waning days of Akhet approached, the King and his party of soldiers and fellow hunters in the Royal family headed south. There Nomti joined them, along with a party of bushmen from Kush, who were to guide the hunt.

  “We start with Ibex,” the lead hunter said in broken Kemian, on the day we set out from Nekhen, “and perhaps gazelle. Still some lions left in the savannah near Kush. King want to hunt one?”

  “Of course!” Qa’a said, his eyes lighting up. “As the desert increases in size, the gods have taken away our lions. I wish to kill one for its hide.” Cheers arose from his King’s Guard.

  “Or for the Chief Priest’s robe,” Buikkhu suggested.

  “Fine, the second lion will be for Khenemet, then,” Qa’a said, smiling.

  For the next ten-day and two days more we sailed and hiked along Mother Nile’s shores, past Abu Island, where two of the black Horus priests who were from Kush and knew the hunting areas joined us. As Ra set on that final night, we camped on a bluff above the river. We feasted on fire-roasted fish and a strange plant whose fleshy meat grew below the ground and was delightful to eat and provided much fullness to one’s stomach. That night I slept well.

  I awakened for prayers to praise Ra’s appearance and as he rose in the sky I was greeted by a wondrous sight. Before us spread a never-ending carpet of grasses, tall as a man, that glowed like golden candles in Ra’s morning light.

  The excitement in the camp was high, and we ate breakfast quickly. The night before the Kushites had reported that there were several prides of lions in the area. They led Qa’a along a well-worn path through the grassland, accompanied by twelve of his King’s Guard, each carrying a battle spear, sword and knife. The rest of the King’s retinue trailed behind, myself included, whispering so as not to alert the animals, although I believed they could hear us coming even if we were silent. Behind us another contingent of King’s Guards protected the rear.

  Suddenly the grassland gave way to a large plain and in front of us was the marvel of marvels. Animals like donkeys, but striped black and white roamed in large clusters before us. Huge herds of antelopes and gazelles flitted about nervously. In the distance we witnessed a pack of elephants, thirty or more, stripping leaves from acacia trees. Water buffalo, hundreds of them, moved slowly in unison, nibbling on the grasses. The fetid smell of such a multitude of animals was nearly overpowering. It took many minutes for me to catch my breath and make sense of what I saw.

  As the puzzle became clear, I noticed the Kushites pointing to a large tree. In the shade was a pack of lions, some napping and others lazily feasting on a recent antelope kill. The largest male, his huge golden
mane framing his immense head, sat contentedly next to the carcass. The females would approach the kill cautiously and await the male’s approval before sitting down and biting into the red flesh. Buzzards waited impatiently nearby for the beasts to eat their fill and leave the area.

  “They are huge,” Nomti whispered in my ear. “I have only seen one in the King’s menagerie and he was fearsome enough, but only half the size of that one there.” I could only nod my agreement, so fascinated was I by the spectacle before me.

  The Kushites rested on a knee, their spears the only weapons they carried, except for their shaman, who also carried a knife. Qa’a squatted beside them, as they laid out a plan with their hands. My heart raced thinking what they would soon confront. In a moment the Kushites stood, split into two parties, and fanned out. Their intent was clear. They would confine the beasts from running to the sides, while Qa’a and his soldiers approached the pride directly. The King commanded the rear Guardsmen to stay to protect us.

  Men may make the most elaborate plans, only to provide great amusement for the gods. On that morning, the gods must have laughed heartily, all except Horus, for his brother would soon be in mortal danger.

  As soon as they began their approach, Nomti poked me in my ribs with his elbow. “Look, Merkha, the male is nervous.”

  “Of course, he is,” I answered smugly, watching the male jump to his feet, his neck straining to better see us. “He sees the men coming for him.”

  “No, it is not that. He looks past them.” To my horror, I followed Nomti’s gaze and saw the new characters that the gods had thrown into the play. Hyenas.

  They slinked in behind the King and his men, their heads bent low to the ground, their eyes riveted on the lions’ kill. When the Kushites saw the hideous pack they waved their arms in alarm, but Qa’a and his men misinterpreted their action. They took it for a signal to attack the lions and, with Qa’a in the lead, they advanced, spears at the ready.

  Nomti grasped the situation at once. Qa’a and his men would be caught in a battle between the lions, protecting their kill, and the pack of hyenas, wanted to steal it from them. Already aroused, there was no telling what the male might do in his frenzy. The females were already pacing to and fro, anxiously waiting for his lead. At that moment the lion let out a bellowing roar that stopped the men in their tracks.

  Now the Kushites were jumping up and down, trying to alert Qa’a to the danger that came from behind. That only caused more confusion, as the lions felt cornered and bared their teeth in alarm. They circled their kill, facing outward, their every muscle taught, awaiting the fight that was nearly upon them.

  One of the females could take it no longer and charged straight for Qa’a. When it was no more than two cubits away from him, he threw his spear and hit the animal between the ribs. She went down immediately. Defenseless, Qa’a held out his hand and one of his soldiers handed him his own spear and pulled his sword from his leather sheath. All the men were sweating profusely, from a mixture of fear and heat, as Ra rose in the sky and heated the air.

  As soon as the female went down, the male lion charged. So absorbed were Qa’a and his guardsmen, they did not pay attention to the hyenas that approached from behind. With a yell that I would never have imagined could come from Nomti, he called out to the remaining guardsmen that stayed with us.

  “The King’s orders be damned!” he bellowed. “Get between the King and the hyenas, but do not drive them toward him. Run!”

  The Guardsmen started out as a unit, but Nomti seized one of the captains by the arm. “No! Split in two and approach from both sides and force them back.” The men did as Nomti commanded, and were soon in a mad dash to help their King.

  Hearing the yelling, Qa’a made the mistake of looking back, confused by the sight of his men abandoning us. In that moment of hesitation, with his spear still pointing at the lion, the beast charged. It knocked the spear from Qa’a’s hand and in one vicious move clawed him across his chest. Blood immediately poured from the gashes.

  Qa’a turned, just as one of his Guards plunged his spear into the beast’s side. This enraged the lion and he spun around, his mouth snarling. In one jump it was atop the soldier, bit into the poor man’s neck and shook him from side to side. All I could think of was my niece’s flax-filled doll.

  But by now Qa’a had recovered his wits and drew his sword. As he turned to battle the lion, I saw his bleeding chest, raked as it was with four of the lion’s claws. Blood soaked his kilt. The underlying muscle could be clearly seen. Yet emboldened by Horus’ spirit, Qa’a raised his sword and in one stroke cleaved it into the neck of the lion. It turned as if to witness who dared to assault it, but then immediately fell on its side upon the dead soldier.

  Qa’a stood over the animal, his chest heaving, weakened by his wound and fight. The tip of his sword rested upon the ground. Qa’a looked dazed as he viewed his dead soldier’s corpse. When he looked up again, he saw a wave of hyenas, hairs on their backs raised, advancing toward him.

  Qa’a was weakening by the moment. He stood bent at the waist, his face smeared with sweat and blood, but he managed to raise his sword. In a moment the hyenas surrounded him and two of his Guards. The men backed away slowly and as soon as they were a few cubits from the bodies, two of the hyenas began attacking the carcasses.

  “We must defend the ka of our brother!” Qa’a shouted, and the three of them began hacking into the hyenas, but they were no match for their adversaries. The hyenas dodged their blows, backed away and then attacked them from the side and back, growling and biting them.

  Now the soldiers that had left our side were upon the pack, throwing their spears. Two hyenas were struck and keeled over. As the others saw more soldiers arriving, they ran, their tails tucked between their legs, looking back every few cubits to be sure they were truly outnumbered. They stopped not far away, turned, and with filthy tongues hanging from their mouths, watched as the remaining soldiers rallied to their King.

  That night, Buikkhu stayed by Qa’a’s side, soaking his wounds with juniper berry juice to prevent festering. The Kushites had already carefully washed the wound with a potion they used for such attacks, for they were fierce warriors and renowned hunters and their men were often mauled. When Buikkhu tried to sew the King’s wounds, their shaman grabbed his arm and shook his head. Instead, he removed a bone needle from his own medicine bag while his apprentice ran to the forest to retrieve a special plant. The shaman stripped the thinnest strands from the stem, braided them and used the resulting thin string to bind the King’s wounds. We all watched in wonder. Despite Qa’a’s protestations, Buikkhu also gave him a medicine to help the pain. Within minutes Qa’a was asleep.

  Over the following days, Buikkhu and the shaman ministered to the King, so that on the fifth morning Qa’a was able to stand and walk. He winced with each step, but in a few more days he was strong enough to begin the trek back to Mother Nile.

  As for the rest of us, that ten-day was most instructive. I, for one, learned a great deal about exotic animals I had never seen before. I watched the female lions and their young offspring grieve at the site of their fallen leader, rubbing their muzzles against his cheek, as if by their tender ministrations they might bring him back to their midst.

  In a few days time, another male entered their territory. It was a fully grown male and immediately went about the task of taking on the younger males who challenged him. He dispensed with each of them in a day full of terrible fights. Then, he did something shocking.

  As we watched in horror, he sought out each cub and, with a vicious bite of its powerful jaws, killed it. The mothers simply stood by and witnessed the slaughter. Once he was done, he began mounting each of the lionesses.

  The Kushites hardly noticed. “It is their way,” one of their most respected hunters explained, shrugging his shoulders. “King cannot tolerate rivals. Only want his children to share in kills.”

  It was similar with the other animals I observed. Each group,
whether it was the giraffes or the elephants, zebras or water buffalo, had a male leader and many, many male and female followers. It made me realize the rightness of the Two Lands, with our King, anointed by Horus, as our leader, followed by all our people. It was the natural order, the only way that our kinds, animal or people, survived.