by Scott Peters
A medjay dozed at the end of the gangplank. The man came to with a start.
"Oh, it's just you," the medjay said, recognizing Zet. "Go on up."
On the forward deck, Senna had an outdoor sitting area. Cushions lay under a broad sunroof made of thick fabric. The feathered pillows fluffed up around him as he sank deeply into the luxurious mass. An instant later, he was fast asleep.
The following morning before dawn, footsteps woke him. Someone was running onto the ship.
A moment later, Senna could be heard grumbling. "By the snout of Anubis, what's the emergency?"
Ari murmured a reply that Zet couldn't quite catch.
Zet propped himself up on one elbow and rubbed his face.
What was going on?
He got to his feet and headed for the door to Senna's cabin. When he reached it, a boy not much older than Zet came out. He shot Zet an apologetic look. The next moment, Zet knew why. Senna was making angry noises, slamming things around.
"Zet!" Senna shouted.
Gulping, Zet went in.
"What happened?" Zet asked.
"This!" Senna held up a scroll in his fist and shook it. "This message is what happened!"
As the architect turned it over, the huge seal became visible. Anyone would recognize the marking stamped in thick wax. Pharaoh had written to Senna in the night.
Senna nodded, seeing Zet's face. "Yes, the Mighty Bull himself." Then he wrung the paper between his hands with a look of despair. "He's coming tomorrow morning!"
"Tomorrow! But . . . he wasn't supposed to be here for three more days!"
"Pharaoh does what he wants. And if that's arriving early, he'll do so."
"We have no idea where she is. That's not enough time." Zet's skin prickled with cold sweat.
"It will have to be. We've kept the secret from Pharaoh this long. But there will be no keeping it from him when he arrives."
"Wait, he doesn't know? How can he not know?"
Senna grimaced. "Queen Mother's orders."
"Can she do that? He'll be furious!"
"I never should have listened to her! He'll have to be told. He'll say it's my fault!" Senna swallowed, looking pale. "It'll be my neck. I might be Pharaoh's favorite architect, but Princess Merit is his favorite daughter. And then there are the Hyksos demands. He won't like it. He won't like it at all!" Senna sank down into a heavy slump and put his face in his hands. "He's coming early, because they've won a great battle. Imagine what he's going to say when he gets here and learns . . ."
"That the Hyksos want the barricade removed," Zet murmured.
"Yes. If Pharaoh does this, everything he's won will be lost. The Hyksos will continue south. Soon, they'll be fighting in Thebes."
The image of battle in Zet's hometown struck such fear into him that he felt sick. His wonderful town, with his family and their house, and their bright, happy stall in the market, it would all be destroyed.
What would Pharaoh do? Give up his daughter for the peace of Egypt? Let the Hyksos kill her so the rest of Egypt's people could live? Or save her and fight a losing battle? It was a horrible choice to face.
Zet had to do something, fast. Time had almost run out.
"I need to talk to Merimose," Zet said.
"Do what you will. I fear it will make little difference."
Outside, the deck was still cool and damp with dew. He pounded down the gangway and sprinted along the shore. Moments later, he reached the medjays' sturdy vessel. A broad-shouldered man stood on the watersteps, barring his entrance.
"I need to talk to Commander Merimose," Zet said, breathless.
"He's not—" he paused. "Hold on, I know you!"
In that instant Zet, recognized him, too. "You're the desk officer from the main office at Thebes!"
"And you're the pottery boy who won that big reward some months back," the man said with a grin. "But you can't talk to the Commander. He's not here."
Chapter Twenty-three
The Lady Prisoner
Zet should have figured Merimose wouldn't be there. He had to find him, fast. Before he could speak, the medjay leaned forward.
"Good news, though." The man's eyes flickered. "I think they found our missing Priestess."
Was it possible? "Where?"
"Can't say. But they'll be back in a few hours."
Zet let the news sink in. Was it possible they'd really found her? It was too much to be believed. Too much to hope for.
Cautiously, he said, "That's great."
"I'll relax when they get back," the medjay said, as if reading Zet's mind.
Zet knew he should report the news to Senna. Instead, he headed for the barn. He wanted to tell Hui first.
What had Merimose learned last night that had tipped the medjay off? He pondered this as he walked. And would finding the kidnappers get Hui off the hook? That wasn't guaranteed.
When he neared the pasture, a pair of floppy-eared donkeys milled about. One was gray, the other brown. They both had wide eyes, rimmed with thick lashes. As Zet passed, the brown one trotted over and stuck his nose over the bamboo enclosure.
"Hello," Zet said, laughing. He stroked the animal's soft nose. The other donkey approached, looking hopeful. "Sorry, I don't have a snack for you guys. Maybe next time."
Turning away, he made for the barn door. It was deserted. The stable master was probably still at breakfast. Zet pushed at the door and found it unlocked. He stepped inside, into the dusty gloom. Straw crunched as he walked, perfuming the still air.
Movement caught his attention.
He glanced left, through the bamboo bars. It was the cell with the Hyksos woman. She sat against the far wall, looking wide-awake and cautious.
Their eyes met.
Zet's first thought was that she didn't look Hyksos. She looked like any normal Egyptian. Dark hair and intelligent, almond shaped eyes.
"Good morning," the woman said, with no trace of foreign accent.
"Hello," Zet replied. He was tempted to question her, but kept walking.
"Wait," the woman called after him. She rose and hurried to the bars. Worried lines creased her forehead. "Has there been any news?"
"Of the Priestess?" Zet said.
"Yes, and the girl who was with her."
"Your daughter?"
Her proud shoulders sagged. "Ah. So you know."
"I do." He studied her face. "I never would have guessed you're Hyksos. I'm not surprised people were fooled."
"I am not Hyksos. Whoever told you that is a liar. But I suppose the whole camp believes it now."
Zet frowned. "There's no point in keeping up your story. The medjay know."
"That's where you're wrong. They know the truth. I told them I could prove it, and begged them not to smear my name. They gave me their word. I guess their word means nothing!"
Zet was completely confused. "Well, if you're not Hyksos, what are you?"
"I'm Egyptian!" she cried. Her cheeks had turned a deep shade of red. With apparent effort, she seemed to calm herself. "I'm Egyptian," she repeated quietly.
"And your daughter?"
"We're innocent!" she said, and then clammed up.
"My friend is being held in another cell. He's tied up in all of this. They think he stole something, and he might have to stand trial. If you've already told the medjay, and if you're innocent like you say, what's the harm in telling me the truth? If you're not Hyksos spies, and you didn't hatch this kidnapping plot, surely you'd want to help me?"
The woman was silent for a long time.
Zet was growing antsy. He thought she was going to refuse, to send him on his way. He was about to leave when she nodded.
"All right," she said. "I grew up in a village in the North of Egypt. Next to the Hyksos border. In my fifteenth year, Hyksos warriors invaded our village. I was kidnapped, taken from everyone and everything I loved."
Zet watched her face. Her cheeks were flushed and her breathing had increased. She looked frightened, as if she w
ere living it all over again.
She let go of the bars and wiped her hands on her linen skirt. "Still, I survived. Things could have been worse. I'd been learning the healing arts. I saved a dying man, and that earned me a little respect with my captors. But when a Hyksos warrior took me as his bride, I was desperate to escape. I tried and failed many times. Things grew worse when we had a daughter. Seeing her tiny face, I knew I had to get away or die." Her face was hard. "I refused to let her be raised as Hyksos, sworn enemies of my people!"
"What did you do?"
"I didn't run, like the other times. I secretly sold one of my husband's jeweled daggers and bartered for passage south. Traders smuggled me and my daughter aboard a trading vessel, hidden in rolls of carpets! We went all the way to Thebes, as far as we could get."
The story was too fantastic to be a lie. He suspected she spoke the truth.
"How did you go from being runaways to working with—"
He almost said Princess Meritamon. But it was too late. Her eyes widened. She knew.
Out loud, she said, "The Priestess was born with an illness. Her back is curved, and it affects her terribly. Meanwhile, my reputation as a healer was growing." She smiled sadly. "Her father heard about me, and the rest is history. My daughter and I went to live in her household. Kissa was learning my skills. But she's not just a healer, they're close friends."
"So you never told them your daughter is part Hyksos?"
Her cheeks colored. "No. Not even Kissa knows."
Zet's jaw dropped.
"She was a baby!" the woman said. "She didn't choose her father. She's loyal and honest and wouldn't hurt a mosquito."
"Then why did you tell the medjay about her now?"
"I didn't. Two men from my old village did. They saw me and recognized me, and remembered," she said with a miserable laugh. "Manu and Darius."
"Darius," Zet repeated.
She drew away. "You know him?"
"A tall, sunburnt man with a round belly? We're not friends. He attacked me at the construction site."
Zet's thoughts were racing. Darius grew up on the border with the Hyksos. Understanding fell into place. Darius would do anything for quick profit. Even his own brother, the boat Captain, said so. Had Darius approached the Hyksos, or had they approached him? How much were they paying him to be their spy? How many other evil acts had Darius committed for the enemy against his own people?
Did Merimose and the other medjay know Darius was guilty?
Zet wanted to ask more questions, but the entrance creaked open.
A shaft of light illuminated the straw dust that floated in the warm air.
The stable master entered, carrying what appeared to be breakfast. He paused at the sight of Zet, and his brow furrowed in a dark line.
"What are you doing in here?" he demanded.
"I came to talk to the runner."
"My fault," the woman added. " I stopped him to see if there's news. Is there?"
"No," the man growled. "And the runner's not here. You need to leave. Now."
"The runner's not here? Where is he?" Zet said.
"That priest came for him this morning. That's all I know."
Chapter Twenty-four
Glimmers of Fear
When Zet stumbled back out into the sunlight, he stared across the paddock in confusion.
Why had the Priest of Osiris taken Hui away?
And on whose authority?
Maybe Senna would know. He headed for the architect's boat. Then he realized he'd better hurry. He hadn't reported in with the news that Merimose had a lead on the Princess. Senna would still be worried out of his mind.
As he ran however, he couldn't help pondering what he'd learned from the woman. Darius had gone to the medjay about her. If the medjay trusted him, they were wrong. Was it possible Darius would do something to stop the men? What if he'd set a trap?
The hopeful feeling he'd felt earlier started to fade.
A small voice inside warned him something was off. He wished he could talk to Merimose. But he had no way of learning where the medjay had gone.
A calm had fallen over the waterfront. Far overhead, tiny birds circled in the vast blue sky. In the bay, several fish broke the surface, flashing into the air. They skimmed across the water, appearing and disappearing. A bird swooped down and snapped one up in its beak. The harbor surface turned dead calm.
Senna hadn't yet heard the news. The wrinkled old architect listened to Zet with eyes that were more wary than hopeful.
"Do you know what the priest wanted with Hui?" Zet asked.
"No idea." He shoved a basket of ostraca Zet's way.
"What are these?" Zet said, staring down at the white, pottery shards covered in Senna's scribbled hieratic.
"Messages for my workers. Now that you're no longer the Queen Mother's spy, it's time you got to work."
"But they haven't actually found her—"
"That's no longer your concern. The temple construction will go on! And until you're excused from duty, you work for me."
"But I could still—"
"This one here is for Hori," Senna said, picking out a shard. "You'll know him by his red belt." He went on and on. There were so many shards, Zet had no idea how he'd keep them straight.
"Put the strap over your head," Senna advised, "There you go. Excellent."
With the leather shoulder strap slung across his chest, Zet had to lean sideways not to fall over. He couldn't believe he was going to do this, when the case wasn't yet solved! Then again, at least he'd be out running around. He'd run out of leads. Sure, he could ignore Senna's orders and take off, but with what purpose?
He set out to find Hori.
It turned out Hori had a message to take back to Senna. To Zet's dismay, so did everyone who received one of Zet's shards. Even worse, most he just had to memorize, because few of the men bothered to write them down. And every single person he asked about the missing priestess stared at him blankly.
"I don't know nothing about that!" said one.
"Don't involve me, I got my job to think about," said another.
By the time he'd made his fourth trip, he climbed on board Senna's boat, he was sweaty, frustrated and bordering on furious. "Wouldn't it be easier to go there and set up camp for the day?"
"Do you realize how hot it is outside?" Senna cried, raising his fluffy brows.
Zet mopped sweat from his face and arms. Senna handed him another basket.
"Now hurry!" Senna said. "These are important. They've put the wrong foundation stones down. The wall is liable to fall over."
And so Zet dashed out into the blazing heat.
Lunch came and still the medjay hadn't returned. The fissure of worry he'd felt that morning was growing. He'd managed to detour by the barn and learn from the annoyed stable master that 'no, Hui was not back yet'.
Somehow he managed to choke down some food, but his stomach felt jittery.
By late afternoon, patches of ground that had burned his feet earlier grew dark with shadow. An unusual coolness settled over the valley. His sweat turned chill. Zet shivered.
Back on the waterfront, he glanced toward the medjay's boat. The same man who'd been there in the morning still stood at the foot of the gangplank.
Otherwise, it was deserted.
Ra, the sun god, hovered on the horizon.
What could have happened? What could be taking them so long?
Was it possible the medjay had been led into a trap? Or on a wild goose chase?
When dinner came and went, Zet's stomach began to cramp with fear. Something had definitely gone wrong.
Merimose and his men could be in real trouble right now. Hyksos could have ambushed them. Maybe Merimose was somewhere in the desert, fighting for his life.
And what of Hui?
Zet swallowed down a horrible dizzy feeling.
It was his fault Hui had come here. If something happened to Hui, the guilt and horror of losing his best friend would kil
l him.
Workers were filing toward the dinner tent, laughing and talking like everything was normal. For them, it was. Zet couldn't even think about eating. When he spotted Jafar, Zet turned away and slunk into the shadows. He ran straight into Naunet.
She smiled, but her smile quickly faded. "Are you all right?"
Suddenly, he wanted to tell her everything. He needed to talk to someone, and he felt sure she'd understand. Then he remembered—she thought Hui was a thief.
He nodded. "Yes, everything's okay."
"I wanted to ask if you want to bring your dinner and eat at the watersteps by our boat?" she said, coloring.
"Really?" To his dismay, he felt his own face growing hot. What was the matter with him? Anyway, he couldn't. He had to find Hui. Right now. "Thanks, I really want to. But I can't."
"Another time," she said, sounding disappointed.
Running on silent feet, he ran for the barn. When it came into view, he slowed. The stable master stood chatting with a few workers out front. Zet skirted through the tall grass, making his way around back.
He went to the end of the building, feeling pretty sure he'd reached Hui's cell wall. Then he picked up a loose stone and tapped it against the mud bricks.
"Come on, Hui," he whispered. "Be in there!"
Crickets hummed. Distant chatter and the smell of roast game wafted on the breeze.
Zet knocked again, harder this time.
"Hui! It's me!" he whispered.
There was a short pause. Then, a soft chink of metal against stone rang out from the opposite side of the wall.
Zet's breath caught.
Hui was there!
The tapping came again, several hand-widths away from where Zet stood. Zet moved toward the sound. He knew Hui had been digging the mortar from between the stones in his cell. This must be the place. He tapped the rock to be sure, and an excited tapping came from the other side.
Zet found a sharper stone. He started digging at the sun-dried mud that sealed the bricks together. Hui was clearly doing the same. Together they worked hard and fast. Zet was terrified they'd be caught. Still, he kept working.
No way was he letting Hui stay in there any longer.
Suddenly, the tip of a blade shot through to Zet's side. It glimmered in the moonlight, and disappeared back between the bricks.