by Chris Blake
“Hey! What’s wrong with us?” Isis demanded.
The general thumped the table, which made the vizier’s drinking goblet wobble.
“Because having one child in battle is bad enough,” he said. “But three? That’s utterly foolish! You would be nothing but trouble.”
Vizier Ay cleared his throat and nodded. He fixed his beady black eyes on Tom. “Besides, I still don’t trust this one,” he said.
“What are you talking about?” Tom asked, feeling his anger rising.
Vizier Ay leaned in and scowled. “It’s funny how the Hittites invaded just as you appeared! Suspicious, don’t you think? You will not be at the battle.”
Tom and Isis exchanged a worried look as they saw their chance of finding the amulet slipping away.
“We promised to stand by King Tut!” Isis said.
“No!” both the general and vizier said.
King Tut stood up quickly, knocking his chair backwards. “The last time I checked, I was the only pharaoh in this room,” he said in a sure, strong voice that surprised Tom. “I need my servants’ help. So they’re coming with me and that’s final!”
“On to the barge! Quick march!” General Horemheb yelled at the troop of soldiers.
Tom was surprised to see that the soldiers were not wearing uniforms or armour – just plain white loincloths. They were carrying everything the Egyptian army would need for the battle. Tom watched with excitement as they rolled chariots below deck and carried shields, spears, bows and arrows aboard.
“Follow me,” Tut told Tom and Isis. He started to walk up the gangplank.
Cleo, who was terrified of water, clung to the wooden gangplank with her claws.
“Don’t worry, Fluffpot,” Isis said, scooping up her cat and tickling her under the chin. “It’s the last time I’ll make you get on a boat – I promise! With a bit of luck, we’ll be in the Afterlife soon.”
Tut was wearing a tall blue crown that doubled as a helmet. There was a golden cobra attached to the forehead. That is so cool! Tom thought. Dad would love to get his hands on one of those for the museum!
The loaded barge set sail up the Nile.
“We’re going north,” Tut explained. “That’s where the border with the Hittite territory is.”
As Tom held a sunshade over the king, he gazed at the passing scenery. Papyrus plants and palm trees lined the riverbank. Beyond the bank grew green fields of fruit and vegetables. Farmers tilled the land with water buffaloes harnessed to ploughs. They sailed past majestic tombs and temples built close to the water. Cheetahs, gazelles and hippos came down to the river to drink. As the barge sailed further north, sandy mountains rose up in the distance.
“Where are we stopping?” Isis asked Tut, interrupting Tom’s daydreams.
The king shrugged. “I’m not sure. Nobody really knows where the enemy’s army is gathered. General Horemheb just wants to join forces with the whole Egyptian army and march north until we meet the Hittite troops.”
Tom frowned. He checked that Horemheb wasn’t eavesdropping and lowered his voice. “Listen, Tut. Lumping your entire army into a single unit sounds madness. What if the Hittites have separated and you’re ambushed from two different directions?”
Tut’s eyes narrowed. “Then we’ll be surrounded and I could lose all my men at once.”
“Exactly,” Tom said. “If I were you, I’d split your army into two divisions. It’s less risky.”
Tut nodded. He called General Horemheb and Vizier Ay over and told them his plan. They protested loudly.
“Your Majesty, I can’t—” the general began.
Tut clapped his hands, silencing the two men. “Having two divisions is a much more sensible idea. So that’s what we’re going to do. I will lead the Isis squadron.”
Isis sighed with satisfaction at the mention of her name.
“He’s named it after the goddess, not you!” said Tom.
“And you, general, will lead the Anubis squadron,” Tut finished.
“As you wish, Your Highness,” the general said, bowing low.
“It’s so beautiful in Egypt,” Tom said, when Tut had gone off with the general to study maps of the north. “The scenery, the animals, the buildings … all of it.”
Isis smiled. “Egypt is the best place on earth. That’s why we need to protect it and kick the Hittites out.” Then her smile disappeared. “But being here makes me miss my family terribly. I want to get into the Afterlife more than ever so I can see them again.” She looked grim-faced. “We’ve got to find the last amulet, Tom.”
Tom put his hand on her shoulder. “We will, Isis. I promise.”
Cold laughter suddenly rippled through the air. “Don’t be so sure, you cheeky children!” cackled Anubis.
An almighty wind blew up. The calm waters of the Nile started to churn as if a storm was coming, even though the skies were still clear.
The barge lurched to the side, sending anything that wasn’t fastened down sliding along the deck.
“We’re going to capsize!” Isis yelled.
Before Tom knew what was happening, Ay stumbled towards them.
“You, boy!” the vizier bellowed. “I knew you weren’t to be trusted! You have upset the gods!” He grabbed Tom by the collar and dragged him to the edge of the barge.
Tom stared into the murky water. “What are you doing?” he cried.
“I’m tossing you into the Nile to appease the gods!” Ay declared. “Hope you Hittites know how to swim!”
“I’m not a Hittite!” Tom protested, clinging to the side of the barge.
But it was no use – Ay flung Tom overboard and into the Nile with a splash!
As Tom ducked below the surface, he heard Anubis’s cruel laughter ringing in his ears.
“Enjoy your swim!” the god’s voice boomed.
At least the river’s warm, Tom thought, treading water.
“Grab this!” Isis shouted, throwing a rope over the side of the barge. But as Anubis laughed again, the end of the rope got tangled in a clump of reeds.
Tom looked round for something else to grab, and spotted a log floating nearby. He started swimming towards it. Nearly there, he thought. But as he drew closer, he realised the log had eyes. Then he noticed its teeth – big, sharp teeth.
“A crocodile!” Tom yelled.
He racked his brains to remember what he had seen on nature programmes on television about crocodiles.
His mind was completely blank.
The huge reptile drifted through the water towards him. Its eyes blinked lazily and its jaws opened wide …
“Help!” Tom screamed, desperately trying to swim away.
Just as the crocodile was about to snap its deadly jaws shut round him, there was a whizzing sound and – thwack! – an arrow lodged itself right in the crocodile’s head. The scaly beast sank to the bottom of the Nile with only a few bubbles on the surface of the water to show that it had ever been there.
Tom looked up and saw the king standing on deck, holding his bow. He was beaming.
“You did it!” Tom shouted. “Amazing!”
“I couldn’t very well let a crocodile eat my friend,” Tut said, standing tall and looking more kingly than he had ever seemed before. “What can I say? I’ve had great teachers,” he added, grinning at Isis.
“Quick, Tom!” Isis yelled. She held out an oar. “Grab this!”
Swimming back to the boat as quickly as he could, Tom reached for the oar. But the vizier appeared at Tut’s side.
“Leave the Hittite spy for the crocodiles, Your Majesty,” he said.
Ay tried to snatch the oar out of Isis’s hands, but Tut stood firm.
“Step back!” the king commanded. “My friend isn’t a Hittite, and I say he gets back on the boat.”
The vizier stormed off to the other end of the barge as Isis and Tut pulled a sopping-wet Tom back on board.
“I know you like the wildlife here, but no more throwing yourself at the crocodiles, OK?”
Isis said, offering him a cloth to dry off with.
“Don’t worry,” Tom said, looking into the murky water. “I’m not planning on going for another dip in the Nile.”
As the water became calm again, the barge sailed smoothly on towards the north. Tom dried off quickly in the hot sun.
At last the barge was moored and the equipment and horses were carried on to dry land. The troops gathered on the riverbank, looking serious.
Cleo, however, meowed happily. She wriggled out of Isis’s arms and padded a safe distance from the water.
“I think somebody prefers fighting to sailing,” Isis told Tom, as they both took their places at Tut’s side.
“Men! Split into two divisions!” Tut ordered his troops.
As the soldiers gathered their weapons, Tom, Isis and Tut armed themselves with shields. The shape of the shields reminded Tom of tombstones from ghost stories. They each took a bow and a quiver of arrows.
General Horemheb led his men off to the east. Tom, Isis and Tut climbed into Tut’s gleaming chariot, and led the second squadron in a different direction.
The sun bounced off the cracked desert flats.
“So we’re heading north?” Tom asked Tut, shielding his eyes against the glare.
“That’s right,” Tut said. “Towards the coast. I think we’ll be travelling a good while before we see the enemy. The Hittites can’t have got very far down into Egypt yet.”
But only minutes later, there was a cry from a scout who was riding in a chariot ahead.
“The Hittites are coming!”
Sure enough, a dark line of chariots was carving its way quickly through the sand towards them. The line started to curve inwards as the Hittites closed in on Tut and his troops.
Willing his thumping heart to calm down, Tom studied the enemy as they came closer. Their metal helmets glinted in the sunlight. Tom could see that most of the Hittite men were carrying sharp spears and wore metal armour over long tunics. Even their horses were wearing armour!
“There are loads of them, and their chariots are massive compared to ours,!” Tom cried. “And we’re not wearing any armour!”
King Tut nocked an arrow and raised his bow. “Who cares if we’re outnumbered?” he said. “We’re the greatest nation in the world. CHAAAAARGE!” he yelled to his men.
The Hittite chariots thundered towards them, their arrows flying through the air.
“Shields up!” Tut called.
The arrows bounced off the Egyptians’ shields. Tut’s men returned fire.
Thwack! Thunk! The king fired off arrow after arrow, helping to keep the Hittites at a distance. But then a wall of heavy enemy chariots and armoured horses charged into the Egyptian soldiers.
Tom knew they were in real danger. He needed to get his friends to safety. Grabbing the reins, he quickly swung the royal chariot out of harm’s way.
“Retreat! Retreat!” Tut shouted to his men.
As they fled away from the Hittites, Tom and Isis heard the bearded Hittite commander bellow after Tut, “We’re going to control this land all the way to Thebes, little boy! That’s right – limp home now!”
Tut led the battered soldiers back towards the river, where they sheltered behind some boulders.
“Should I just surrender?” Tut asked Isis and Tom.
Isis’s eyes flashed. “Never!” she said. “It’s your job to defend your country. Come on, Tut! Egypt needs you.”
Tom scratched his head and tried to remember everything he had ever read about Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman battle tactics. An idea suddenly popped into his head.
“I’ve got it!” he said. “Your chariots are light and fast, right? And the Hittites chariots are big and clumsy.”
“So?” said Tut.
“So, where are the Hittites camped?”
“My scouts told me they’re at the base of a steep hill not far from here.” Tut put his helmet on the ground and rubbed his temples.
Tom clicked his fingers. “Exactly! If we attacked them from above and shot our arrows down the hill, there’s no way their horses could pull those heavy chariots up the hill quickly enough to fight back in time.”
“You should listen to Tom!” Isis said. “I call him Professor Smartypants for a good reason – he’s the smartest person I’ve ever met!”
“Really?” asked Tom, blushing.
“Really.” Isis nodded. But then she winked and added, “But don’t let it go to your head!”
Using an arrow, Tom started to scratch a little map in the sand.
“If the Isis division attacks here and then the Anubis division attacks from the other side—”
“The Hittites have their escape route cut off,” Tut finished Tom’s sentence. He beamed and put his helmet back on. “Brilliant! This plan is so cunning. We need to get word to General Horemheb – quickly! And when his division has reached the top of the hill, have him sound his horn three times so my division will know to attack.”
Tom was breathless with excitement as he, Isis and Cleo rode a chariot over the desert to where the Anubis division of soldiers was gathered.
“I can’t believe we’re caught in the middle of a historical battle between the Egyptians and the Hittites!” Tom said excitedly. “Even though we still haven’t found the amulet.”
Isis flicked the reins to make the horses go faster. “We can worry about the amulet later. Right now, we need to concentrate on saving Egypt.”
Cleo made a meowing noise and rubbed up against Isis loyally.
When the chariot rolled up to General Horemheb, Tom and Isis stumbled out.
“You need to come quickly!” Tom said, panting.
They told him all about the Hittites’ deadly ambush.
“This is your fault!” General Horemheb barked, pointing at Tom. “I told the king we shouldn’t have split up.”
“But don’t you see?” Tom began. “The Hittites think—”
“I don’t want to hear another word from you, boy,” Horemheb bellowed in Tom’s face.
Isis stamped her foot. “Listen to Tom, you stubborn old goat! His plan is far cleverer than anything you and that wrinkly old vizier could think up!” she shouted.
The general raised his whip at Isis but then seemed to think better of it. He pointed the handle at Tom. “What is this plan of yours, then, boy?” he asked.
“Well, the Hittites think the entire Egyptian army has been defeated now, don’t they? They have no idea there’s another division, waiting nearby. What we have now is the element of surprise!”
The general frowned. “What do you mean?”
Tom explained about attacking from the top of the hill.
“What do you say, General?” Isis asked. “Isn’t it a good plan?”
“No!” General Horemheb barked. “It’s not a good plan.”
Tom’s heart sank. King Tut had trusted them with an important mission, but they’d failed.
General Horemheb clapped Tom on the shoulder. “It’s not a good plan, boy. It’s a brilliant plan!” he said. “We’ll crush them!”
Tom stared at him in wonder. “You mean it?” he asked.
The general nodded just once. He turned his back on Tom and Isis and bellowed at his troops, “Prepare to attack, men!”
The Anubis division marched across the stony desert, sounding like thunder clouds crashing together. Crunch, crunch, crunch went their sandalled feet behind Tom and Isis’s chariot.
“If you don’t mind driving,” Isis said, “I’ll shoot.” She twanged the string on her bow. “This is my homeland and I’m going to do everything I can to protect it.”
Tom drove his horses up the hill that loomed over the Hittite camp. His heart was thudding like a drum. At the top, he pulled up the horses. The Anubis division ground to a halt behind him.
“Look!” he whispered to Isis. “See the black line and cloud of dust over there?”
Isis squinted into the distance. “Yes. It must be the Isis division,” she said.
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“We’re ready,” Tom said. He looked over his shoulder and nodded to the general.
The general picked up a horn and signalled to Tut’s division with three loud notes.
“Attack!” the general cried.
The Anubis division started to roll down the hill in a fierce avalanche of horses, chariot wheels and feet. Below them, the Hittite soldiers were panicking, as the Egyptian soldiers rained arrows down on them.
“Get up that hill!” Tom heard the Hittite leader shout.
But, as Tom had predicted, the Hittite chariots were clunky. Their horses reared and whinnied, unable to drag their heavy loads upwards. As the Isis division closed in from the opposition direction, the Hittites were trapped. They had no choice but to fight back.
“Archers, at the ready!” the Hittite leader yelled.
Tom looked up at the sky as it grew dark with Hittite arrows.
“Take cover!” he called out to Isis.
Ping! Clank! Thwack! The arrows thudded into the wooden sides of the chariot, or bounced off the Egyptian shields.
Isis fired several arrows, but as the Hittites launched another attack, Tom was forced to swing the chariot round and head back up the hill.
From the safety of the top, he gazed down into the mayhem of the battle below. He suddenly noticed a tall blue crown.
“Hey! Isn’t that Tut?” he asked.
Just then, a Hittite spear flew straight towards the king. It punched into his armour with such force that Tut was thrown from his chariot.
“We’ve got to rescue him!” Tom cried in horror.
King Tut tried to stand up but fell down again. He was using his shield to protect himself from the trampling hooves and soldiers’ feet that hammered the ground on all sides.
“Oh no!” Isis wailed. “He’s badly injured. We need to get to him quickly, Tom, before he’s crushed!”
Would they reach him in time?
“Yah!” Tom bellowed at his horses. He cracked the whip and steered the chariot down the hill at full speed, as Hittite arrows whizzed by.
Crashing through the Hittite ranks with gritted teeth, Tom and Isis finally reached Tut. Isis held out her hand to the boy king, just as an enormous Hittite soldier sprinted towards them with his sword drawn.