Going Forth By Day

by Mary R Woldering

  “So? If we hurry we’ll catch them, or come soon after.” the elder woman looked around in search of her sisters. Deka had buried her face in her hands as she sat by the wall, and poor Naibe still lay prostrate in the middle of the floor.

  Slowly and wryly, the inspector shook his head. “I don’t think you fully understand my words, Lady ArreNu, is it?” he looked up, face fully grim. “Your beloved… Well, as a sojourner, a guest of Our Father’s family…” the priest exuded sympathy, but in his attempt to sound direct, his words failed.

  “What are you not telling me? I will slap it out of your mouth along with your teeth, Prince or no…” Ariennu took a fearless step toward the slim man.

  “He had plotted against our kindness.” Wserkaf sighed, almost nerveless. “Word has already gone ‘round that he had no good intent but to insert himself in our schools so he could take away our secrets and distribute our mysteries to the unholy ones who would plot against us. No one in Ineb Hedj will accept any of you now for fear of being viewed as accomplices.”

  “You executed him. You planned all of this from the moment you knew of us, lured him and killed him.” Ariennu took a step back in shock and disbelief. “He was never used to such wickedness. He believed in this journey.”

  “Executed?” the inspector repeated. “We extended courtesy. He was rude coming in, and even insulting to my senior and to his high office! His Highness could have stopped his proud nonsense right away, but decided to humor him and to see into his motives! You search the spirit of memory in these halls! You’ll see,” Wserkaf considered lifting his amulet to dazzle and quiet her, but raised his empty hand instead.

  Ariennu suddenly felt a gentle wave of relaxation come over her. The inspector had cast a calming spell. For an instant she was wrapped in Marai’s strong arms.

  I understand, sweet Ari. It’s alright. See how it was. She heard his voice, then felt it fade. When she opened her eyes she saw Deka’s sober expression and saw that Naibe had curled into a ball like a child. No, not that, she started, but sensed only compassion. From Wserkaf’s gesture, she sensed Marai’s entrance into the high priest’s plaza three weeks earlier. She saw the way he would not bow or bend his knee to the elder and that he treated a royal son as if he was a peasant. Oh Marai, why…Why? You proud old fool. Did you learn that from me? Did it cause them to plot against you? Ariennu shook her head, dismayed. The hardness returned to her heart as the weight of their futures sank into her soul.

  “So you tell me you’ve arranged it so we’re shunned? So no one will trade with us, because… That there’s nothing but whatever you allow us?” she thought of her own life of checkered businesses, thieving, procuring, and seducing before she had known Marai. Oh. You can’t have us dashing around raising trouble. You have to control us as slaves, she thought to herself as she stared at the dance outfits again. “I see what you’re saying, but it won’t be me doing this. Not this time,” her eyes shut as she smoothed the front of her rumpled kalasaris. “So tell your owner I will not soon be opening my legs for his nasty twig or any other,” she picked up the basket of cosmetics the servant had given Wserkaf and began to fling each of the little pots and jars against the wall. Laughing, she watched each one bounce, splatter, and fall or roll on the floor.

  “Would you stop!” the priest stepped toward her again. He was about to touch her throat in order to force calm into her with another spell.

  The elder woman dropped the basket to the floor and turned to confront the inspector. “You see I’m not afraid of any of you, especially now, so go ahead. You say I haven’t much to go back to. So, what’s the difference,” she stepped close enough that the priest was forced to move back. “You say what you’re offering me is better?” she asked. “Dance for you? Maybe do some tricks? Bit of bending over, too, maybe? Who but your kind would think it’s all we’re good for, simply because we’re not blood royal?” she turned her back suddenly. “Sick bastards, all of you!”

  “And if I were to present you to the king himself ?” the inspector calmly walked over to the heap of bottles and color pots, bending to examine them. “Would you not enjoy the offer of a god’s bedchamber? A woman of your fine skill?” he stood up again. Grateful the sojourning woman had broken only two paint jars. He waited expectantly while Ariennu considered her answer.

  The elder woman felt a sardonic laugh rise in her throat. Skill. Of course! Is it that damned obvious? The gall of him suggesting the king to me? Over the bodies of how many noble maids with gods in their eyes, much younger and ripe, who feel they’ve already gained the right to that royal couch? Her eyes narrowed.

  “Oh, I don’t think so.” She quipped. “The king? Is that so I could tell lies like your own mother did and say I have bedded a god and not some handful of faceless vagrants traipsing past my own bedchamber door?” she stared him down, face to face. “Truth is…” she smirked “I have bedded a god, and often, and you know it. So what did you think a mere king that I do not accept as a god can do for me that he has not?” she turned and faced the wall, unwilling to speak any longer.

  Wserkaf felt his own rage overtake him. He seized the elder woman’s shoulders and rammed her forward into the wall. He raised his clenched fist high to punch her mouth as she glared back over her shoulder at him, but something stopped him. He didn’t hear the voice inside him, but he felt something flutter beside him like a gentle woman’s voice.

  Calm. My sweet and blessed child.

  Enraged that his own calming spell had been returned in his own mother’s voice, he flattened the rust-haired woman against the wall so he could explain his displeasure up close. He heard her laughter as he pressed her and struggled to compose himself. He knew she wanted pain, but knew he had been tasked to control the women rather than giving in to his own rage.

  Ariennu managed to wriggle her hand loose and grabbed at the apron fall over the joining of Wserkaf’s official shendyt, caressing it for a moment. She was teasing him and fondling him. Ignoring the gesture, the inspector held Ariennu’s shoulders still and continued to press her into the wall. As she caressed him, feeling his shape, he made gentle circles with his forefingers over the tops of her arms, forcing a sense of pleasure into her.

  “Nnnh…” she groaned a little, hating the pleasure she instantly felt. “So, you know touch magic,” she mumbled through her teeth. For an instant, Ariennu envisioned where their mutual hand play was leading and realized how disgusting the idea was to her. The fight suddenly went out of her in a winded sigh, but the rage stayed. “I suppose maybe I shouldn’t even care about what you do with me. Just show me where the bath in this miserable place is and then you go and get me some fine henna, some paint brushes and some perfume too.” She turned. Her arms encircled his shoulders in a lascivious embrace and kiss. Her tongue dug between his lips and she rubbed against him, hands reaching and caressing insistently.

  The priest threw her to the floor in disgust…staring at her in horror as she picked herself up from the place where she had sprawled.

  Ariennu wanted to vomit but couldn’t. She looked around the small confined room again. Deka still sat dreamily against the opposite wall, her sense of outrage contained.

  “Priest,” a low, almost sweet voice sounded behind the inspector.

  Ariennu froze. It was Naibe, her voice was hoarse from weeping.

  The priest turned to see the young woman standing behind him. Her light brown eyes were dark and hollow when she stared up into his eyes.

  Casting her glance down suddenly, she spoke as if she was overwhelmed with shyness. “Come to me. I have something for you” she huskily croaked. Something about the tone of her voice both seduced and commanded. Her sweet and passionate face had grown so very hard.

  Inspector Wserkaf took a step closer to her, almost involuntarily curious, but stopped in shock to see her upturned right palm extend to him in a backhanded caress that had traveled down his side. The plain knife Hordjedtef had loaned him suddenly jarred loose from its place i
n his belt. As if by magic, it floated with a half-turn into Naibe’s hand. In that instant, she had become the captive warrior who self immolates rather allowing herself to be defeated. Naibe reflected for a moment, turned the blade slowly as if she dreamt of her own death. Grasping the hilt in both hands, she plunged it towards her heart, but the inspector grabbed the dagger and flung it aside. Everyone’s eyes fastened on it as it skidded and clattered on the smooth brick floor.

  “Kill me, priest. End my day of agony, if my Marai is gone.” Naibe gasped, letting her torrent of emotion loose again and sobbing wildly until she could barely breathe. Both Deka and Ariennu rushed to her and took her in their arms, afraid she would scramble after the blade and use it on herself before the priest could stop her this time.

  Deka embraced her and whispered into her wild hair to her to calm her. “Shh, Brown Eyes. Shh!”

  “Send me to him, please. Somebody! Let me sleep with him forever!” the young woman wailed.

  Wserkaf carefully picked up the knife, pausing to say something to the three, but fled the room. Tending to these women had become unbearable.

  Ariennu heard the man speak to someone outside, then saw maids coming to lead them to the women’s area. Once again, these maids picked up the clothing and adornments and filled in behind. Wserkaf led the guards who had moved in front, but didn’t look back. Ari knew Naibe had shaken him

  The youngest woman suffered and cried like one on the brink of madness.

  Sobering herself, Ari whispered to the others in Kina-Ankht. “Let’s just do this. I’ll think of something, I swear. We’ll get them back. We’ll kill all of them for this. Just let them think we agree to this for now,” she hoisted and half-dragged Naibe-Ellit as she and Deka, followed the maids out of the storeroom. They were followed by the guards who had been attending the room the entire time, just as the elder Hordjedtef had ordered. The elder of the wives wondered why the men hadn’t come in to protect the younger priest, but dismissed that thought in favor of considering what lay ahead for the three of them.

  It seemed as if they walked forever to the eldest of the wives. They crossed an area between the front plaza and private rooms, then entered a small and steamy bath area just big enough to walk around the warm water-filled pool in the middle. Ari knew at once that this was the pool where Marai had bathed when he contacted them each evening to tell them he was well. It was so easy to sense him here that it almost took her breath away. Hmmm, is that your ghost? You watching us? You hoping we can be strong? It’s Ari you’re looking at. You know I’ll get us all through this. Would help if you could send some righteous devils to help us get these bastards for what they did, she shook her head and noticed once again how tired and hungry she had become.

  The two young bath maids cast oils and crushed flower petals in the warmed water. They whispered to Ari in subdued almost chiming choral tones, followed by giggles. “For health, sweet ones, rest and food to come soon.”

  “Take it away. I will not eat your food,” Deka hissed. She stared directly at the serving girl, then put her hands on the pretty red dish of stewed meats and grain. She gently pushed it back into the girl’s arms, her mouth twitching in a kind of delight as the girl shrank back in an almost bewitched terror.

  No, Deka, you have to eat. We have to be strong if this is going to work. Ari shook her head but shuddered inwardly. For a moment she thought she heard Marai’s voice breathing the fervent words across time: That I may be strong whereby you are strong…

  The Ta-Seti woman ignored Ariennu then turned to Naibe, to help her undress. She removed her own clothing and eased the younger woman into the hot bath with her.

  Ari took the bowl of food from the girl and greedily dipped up a small portion of the food and ate it. “It’s fine. It’s not poison. I just wanted some of it while it was still hot.” she remarked, but after a bite or two she stopped eating.

  The eldest wife stood alone for a moment in the sweet smelling, steamy fog. Deka held Naibe’s head above water so she wouldn’t be able to drown herself, then splashed a little of it up onto the young woman’s face. As the two women started to bathe, Ariennu took off her clothes and searched the darkened room for a place to hide the bag of Child Stones until they had finished. A tiny space in the brick in the darkest of the corners caught her attention. She slipped the bag into the crack and then climbed into the bath. With a gentle wave of her fingertips over the place, she cast an illusion of solid brick over them. After they finished their bath, she would get the eight Child Stones and find a new place to hide them again.

  CHAPTER 5: THE CHOICE

  As soon as Ariennu was certain the illusion she’d cast over the small bag of Child Stones was secure, she let her dark thoughts sweep over her again. The two maids who had dressed the bathwater and brought the food returned to check on all of them once Ari was in the warm water of the shoulder-deep pit pool. Any other day, the elder woman might have been amused by their dainty manner. Today it made her feel ill.

  “Go!” she hissed. “Just go! Get out of here! I know you’ve been sent to spy on us!” her voice rose to a shout. “You need to tell your masters if we say anything new? Get out, before I come out myself and put you under this water!”

  The girls startled a little, then backed up and began to leave the steamy, closed little room, now more frightened than insulted.

  “If I need something, I’ll call you,” Ariennu cautioned the girls and then whispered to Deka to either hand-talk or speak in Kina to her. For a few quiet moments the only sounds were the occasional splashing noises of the women’s bodies as they moved around in the warm, fragrant water. It was almost peaceful.

  In a few moments, an older woman with medium-brown skin and cool-but-penetrating black eyes entered the bathing room. She stood near the edge of the water with her arms folded her across the pale straps of her informal day gown. Simple gold jewelry in the form of armlets and bracelets adorned her. When one of the maids brought her a folding three-legged stool, she sat on it at one side of the deep, hot pool and quietly observed the women.

  Ariennu sensed the woman had some kind of kinship to the high priest, and couldn’t resist a taunt. “Oh. Look, sisters, He has a daughter.” Ari’s mocking voice trailed up, even though she corrected her guess and decided the elegantly dressed older woman was probably Hordjedtef’s wife. “What a curse your life must be, poor thing, to service the old man in his infirmity. His faltering benben must disappoint so.” Ariennu added, one eye searching for the result of her insult.

  The older woman showed no reaction, warm or cold, at first. Her expression remained aloof and imperious. After a few moments she announced herself.

  “Countess Lady Saeteptah,” the woman’s voice rose just a little. In another moment, because the three women in the pool acted as if they hadn’t understood her words, the “Countess” leaned forward on her seat. “Do be grateful, sojourning women.” The slightly plump, but refined woman spoke to all of the women in the bath at once. “It could go far worse for you.”

  Ariennu knew the fleeing maids must have told her about being threatened and sent out. She took in more of the woman’s appearance. In the hollow of her throat Ari saw a plain amulet of Seshat, goddess of the written word. A blue beaded cap covered her entire head. These symbols meant the countess was highly educated in writing, calculating, and other wisdoms. Ari was suddenly glad she had hidden the eight stones and knew the woman might also be able to read their thoughts. Her being in the bath was worse than having ignorant maids in the room. Ariennu immediately regretted that she had asked the girls to leave. Not wanting to be read, she took a deep breath and ducked under the water, pretending to wet her face and hair. At once, she sensed the small voice whispering in her brow.

  Charm her,

  Be kind

  Guide and lead

  those who grieve.

  Do not give in to weeping.

  Ariennu heard the small voices, and answered as secretively as she could while she held
her breath under the water. She kept her communication brief, before the countess decided she was drowning herself. How could you let this happen to him? Is there nothing that lasts between you and Marai? Between you and us? Were you amused to bring us so far only to watch as we are brought down? When the Children’s voices didn’t answer her question, she sighed in defeat and let her head come above the surface of the water. She gently stepped on Deka’s toe to warn her.

  The fancy old kuna reads thoughts. Watch out.

  The maids had returned to refresh the water. They dipped out a cauldron of cool water and poured in hot, perfumed water to replace it. After that, they lugged in a smoldering brazier and placed lumps of incense on the coals. As they fanned the newly burning fragrance, the air filled with a heavy and intoxicating sweet smoke. They added more scent to the bath and continued their chant. The countess supervised in silence, nodding in approval at the girls’ work.

  The song-chanted by the maids reminded Ariennu of a little song that Deka often chanted in times of stress. She almost thought she heard the Ta-Seti woman hum part of the maids’ song in recognition. Ari slipped to the edge of the pool, deciding to speak for the others.

  “Please explain, Your Grace,” she whispered in her own slightly halting Kemet speech. “You say worse when we are killed by this?” she shook her head. “No, the tomb would be a better place.”

  “His Highness told me that he has sent word out to men of the highest rank just now. We have advised them of your presence and your situation and have asked for them to come into our home to sup with us this evening,” she spoke officially, but avoided direct eye-contact with the women in the pool. Covering her nose with a wisp of cloth to keep the odor of the incense from making her dizzy, she continued. “They will appreciate your company and perhaps a dance if you would do that for them,” she attempted a slightly artificial smile. “I understand one of you…” she began.