Louisa sat looking down at the small damp package in her hands, then she glanced back at the Scarab with a slow bitter smile. So, the snake had been far wiser than any of them had known. The scent bottle had been in Mohammed’s boat. The gods had not taken it after all.
14
The slaughter block is made ready as thou knowest and thou hast come to decay … deliver thou thy priests from the watchers who bear slaughtering knives and who have cruel fingers and who slay …
The wise one takes a piece of paper. On it he puts the names of the two priests, Anhotep and Hatsek, and he writes their story. Then he writes a warning for the merchant and for the men of Luxor. This is a tale of two djinn who would slay one another if they could and who would kill anyone who touched their sacred vial. This is an holy ampulla, taken from the sanctuary of the temple. Hands that defile it will turn back to dust; the hands of the priests are stained with blood.
By the time the paper is written the sun has gone down and darkness has come over the house of the merchant. The wise one bows and leaves. The merchant struggles with what he has been told. In his hand is a valuable relic of an ancient age. Does he give it back to the gods of yesterday, wrapped in honour and respect or does he take it to the Frangee quarter and sell it for more money than he has ever seen?
He studies the paper deep in thought. The priests grow impatient. They feed on his life force and that of his sons and of his wives and of his servants and they grow stronger than they have ever been since they came forth by day from the tomb of their concealment.
Several boats were waiting at the quayside to take the queues of spectators out to the son-et-lumière at the temple of Philae on its island. The passengers from The White Egret took their place in the queues with all the other tourists and climbed into the launches, already staring out in excited anticipation across the dark water with its thousands of reflections.
As Anna and Serena sat down in the stern of the boat Anna found herself next to Andy. She frowned as he put his arm round her shoulder and said, ‘No hard feelings, eh, Anna? Have you brought a warm wrap? Apparently the wind off the desert can be very cold after dark while one is watching these things.’
She shifted imperceptibly away from him. ‘Thank you, Andy. I’m well prepared for the evening.’ She glanced at Serena. In Anna’s bag were stowed both the bottle and the diary, in Serena’s, statuette, ankh, incense burner, candles. Neither knew how they would manage to get away from the crowds and into the temple sanctuary in the dark, if indeed it would be possible at all. Anna looked round for Toby and spotted him further up the boat. He was talking to the man at the wheel. They were laughing and gesticulating together as though they had known one another for years and it dawned on her for the first time that Toby was speaking Arabic. She still wasn’t sure what had happened out there at Abu Simbel but somehow it didn’t worry her. Toby had a good explanation for his absence and when the right moment came he would give it to her. That was all that mattered.
‘So, am I forgiven?’ Andy was speaking in her ear. ‘I only had your interests at heart, you know.’
She didn’t know whether he was talking about taking the diary and the scent bottle, or whether he was still referring to Toby, and suddenly she didn’t care. She leant forward away from his arm as the boats began to nose away from the landing stages out into the river.
The temple was floodlit, reflecting all its serene beauty into the waters around it. Beside it the Kiosk of Trajan, described so eloquently by Louisa in her diary, stood up to one side of it, the columns delicate, almost ethereal against the midnight blue of the sky, a stunning contrast to the severity of the pylons of the temple itself. Anna caught her breath at the sheer magic of the sight. ‘Does it matter that it’s not on the actual island of Philae any more? That they have moved it to Aglika?’ she whispered to Serena. How could it matter. It looked so perfect. As though it had been there for thousands of years.
Serena shrugged. ‘It’s Biga Island which was sacred to Osiris that was the truly special place. I think that must be over there.’ She pointed out into the dark. ‘I think it will be like Abu Simbel. That still had something of the sacred about it, didn’t it?’ She was staring out across the water. ‘Even if it’s only the fact that we – the tourists – all go there with a sense of awe. That must create an atmosphere again, mustn’t it?’
‘I don’t think everyone who goes there these days, goes to worship Isis.’ Anna shivered, glancing at the bag clutched on Serena’s lap. ‘I’m scared.’
Serena smiled into the darkness. ‘I think the goddess is still here. She’ll come. There is nothing to be scared of.’
‘And she’ll call off her priests?’
Serena slowly shook her head, her eyes on the illuminated stone soaring above the black water. ‘Who knows what she’ll do.’
As the boats queued to come in turn against the landing stage below the temple the passengers rose to their feet and made their way forward, climbing across the seats, ducking under the awning, passing the throbbing, noisy engine housing as the two-man crew gently eased the boat closer in. They could smell the oil now, the fumes from the exhaust. The noise set their teeth on edge.
Anna and Serena quietly hung back, watching Andy inching his way up the boat.
‘He’ll look for us!’ Anna shook her head. Serena looked blank and she had to repeat the words, shouting in Serena’s ear against the sound of the engine.
Serena nodded. ‘Where’s Toby?’
Anna gestured towards the crowd of figures ahead of them.
‘Perhaps if Andy sees us with Toby he will back off,’ Serena shouted in reply. They were near the front now, and each in turn found themselves being helped up onto the wooden landing stage.
Serena, who had landed first, stood apart from the others and waited for Anna. To her annoyance she could see Andy had done the same.
‘We’ve got to get rid of him, otherwise we haven’t a chance of slipping away.’ She was glancing around her into the shadows. There was some scrub, some small trees, but the area was well lit and the way to the range of seats where the audience would sit was clearly marked.
‘Come on, you two. We want to be near the front!’ Andy called.
Anna glanced at Serena. ‘You go on, Andy.’ She folded her arms. ‘I’m going to sit with Toby.’
She saw the anger on his face. ‘You are joking?’
‘No. No, I’m not joking.’ She returned his look coldly.
‘You don’t believe his story?’
‘I don’t know what to believe, Andy. And it’s none of your business anyway. Please, go on. You follow the others.’
For a moment she thought he was going to refuse, but suddenly Toby was there, waiting at the side of the path. Andy glanced at him in obvious disgust and turned away. Within seconds he had disappeared into the slowly moving queue of people. Toby joined them. ‘Do I gather I scared him off?’
‘You did.’ Anna smiled. ‘And that was important because we’re going to slip away. We want to get into the sanctuary while everyone is distracted and have another go at calling up the priests.’
Toby glanced over his shoulder. ‘You haven’t a hope. Look at the lights. And there are men there, ushering people to their seats.’ He watched as men and women and children streamed past them. ‘Surely it doesn’t have to be in the sanctuary? Near the temple will do. What about down there somewhere?’ He pointed away to their right below the Kiosk.
‘Are you going to come with us?’ Serena was clearly becoming agitated.
Toby shook his head. ‘Not unless you want me to. This is a women’s thing, isn’t it? But I’ll help you find somewhere and stand guard if you like.’
‘We’ve got to move quickly. Once everyone is seated we won’t be able to slip away at all.’ Serena was staring round frantically. ‘The whole place is floodlit. I hadn’t realised the island would be so small. It’s going to be too difficult to find somewhere private!’
‘It’ll be all ri
ght.’ Toby smiled at her reassuringly. ‘Look, follow me down here.’ He ducked suddenly off the path between some low bushes. ‘See?’ he called quietly. ‘The shadows are incredibly black where the lights don’t reach. It’s the contrast. No one will ever spot you down here at the water’s edge. It’s the perfect place.’
Their feet slipping on the sandy track they followed the narrow path he had found round the side of the island away from the lighted ranges of seats. Clinging to the stony edge of the land below the Kiosk of Trajan they found a strip of bushes and a line of beach. Toby crouched down in the darkness.
‘Unless you’re unlucky and a stray spotlight comes this way, no one will see you here. They’ll be blinded by all the floodlights and once the light show starts everyone will concentrate on that. OK? You’ve got about an hour, I gather. I’ll make my way to the back of the audience and keep my eyes open and I’ll come and meet you here, at the end.’ He looked round. ‘Good luck. Be careful.’ He kissed Anna quickly on the lips and turned away. There was a rustle of dried fronds and he had gone.
Serena had already sat down on the sand, and was fumbling in her bag. ‘I don’t think anyone would see a candle with all the bright lights around. I’ll light it later with the incense. I need that to summon the goddess.’ She was talking to herself. She took a deep breath and bit her lip. ‘I’ve brought a scarf to lay out the things on.’ Her hands were shaking as she spread out her statuette, her ankh, the incense, the candlestick. Anna reached into her own bag and brought out the scent bottle. Unwrapping it she laid it at the feet of Isis. Then she froze. Somewhere above them they could hear voices suddenly. A shout of laughter rang out across the water.
‘They can’t see us,’ Serena murmured. ‘We’ll wait until the show starts.’ She glanced at her watch in the darkness and shrugged. She could see nothing. ‘It can’t be long now.’ She was fumbling with the matches and swore as the box opened upside down in her hands and the matches cascaded into her lap.
‘Take it slowly.’ Anna reached over and touched her arm. ‘There’s no hurry. And we’re safe here. Toby’s right. No one could see us even if they were looking straight at us.’ She paused, looking up. ‘Listen, it’s starting!’
The lights suddenly went off all over the island. Serena caught her breath. The darkness around them was tangible. The show had begun.
It was hard to ignore the noise behind them. The disembodied voices, the music echoing across the water, the play of lights, weaving history out of the darkness, but the two women kneeling close together on the sand were concentrating on the tiny square of pale silk before them. Serena struck a match and the flame flared, shaking slightly as she held it over the cone of incense. It took three matches to light it, then at last the thin wisp of smoke began to rise. She turned to the candle. Its flame blazed up for a moment, trembled and skittered sideways and threatened to go out. Then at last it steadied and burnt clear.
‘Isis, great goddess, I invoke thee!’ Serena was speaking in a whisper. ‘Hear me great goddess, here in thy island, near thy great temple, hear me and come to our aid. Summon thy servants Anhotep and Hatsek; let them come before us to settle their disagreements and decide on the future of this sacred ampulla with its contents of thy tears.’
She reached forward and picking up the bottle held it up towards the indigo velvet of the sky. Behind them the sounds of music and strange unearthly voices swelled and echoed across the water to the black volcanic cliffs in the distance. Anna shivered violently.
‘Isis, send thy servants here! Protect us, guard us with thy magic and send them to speak here, tonight on thy sacred ground!’ Serena’s voice had risen dramatically. Behind them there was a pause in the sound and the lights dimmed. The island held its breath. A faint flurry of wind touched Anna’s face and she saw the candle flicker. Her hand went to the amulet at her throat.
Serena’s eyes had closed. She laid the bottle down on the ground and then raised her arms again towards the sky.
Somewhere out across the water a bird gave a sharp cry. They could smell the cold clean air of the desert, threaded with myrrh and juniper and honey from the lighted cone.
A faint light had appeared on the shore a few yards from them. Anna caught her breath. She glanced at Serena and then, quietly, over her shoulder at the temple. She could see the spotlights, tracking arcs against the sky. None was pointing in their direction.
The light near them grew larger. It elongated into the shape of a figure and gradually it appeared to grow more solid. She held her breath. Serena had lowered her arms and crossed them over her breast. She was kneeling, head bowed, waiting.
She’s waiting for me to speak. Anna’s mouth was dry with fear. She had to speak, to demand of the priest what he wanted. She looked up towards the figure on the shore. It had moved closer. It was standing over Serena. She saw the shadow pass over Serena’s face.
Serena’s eyes opened suddenly with an expression of acute anguish. ‘Traitor!’ she screamed. ‘You foul traitor!’ Behind them the music crescendoed. Her voice was lost in a cacophony of sound. ‘The tears of Isis belong to the boy king. They will save his life!’
Anna gasped. An intense pain gripped her head. She couldn’t breathe. She could feel her body growing hot and suddenly she was standing up. She could feel herself towering over Serena.
‘They belong to the gods! The tears belong to the gods and I shall see they serve no other!’ The words were being wrenched from her own mouth.
She saw Serena look up. The shadow figure was wispy and ragged. Another blast of wind from the desert and as the candleflame shrank and trailed black smoke Serena scrambled to her feet.
‘Anna!’ Her voice was coming from a great distance. ‘Anna, be strong! Think of the light! Oh great Isis, protect Anna. Make her strong! Anna! Anna, can you hear me?’
But Anna was far away. Looking up towards the sun she could see it rising high in the sky, a glorious ball of flame in a blue ocean of eternity. She could see the high golden cliffs, the temple entrance, hidden and secret, where the goddess had her home on earth.
Slowly she moved closer to it, drifting on the hot desert wind, listening to the sands whispering across immense distances. In that hidden temple lay all the secrets of eternity, guarded by just two high priests sworn to the service of the gods through life after life for all eternity. She moved closer, sensing the prowling jackal, the sacred desert lion, sworn to serve as she was. And at her feet the serpents of the desert, cobra and viper and asp. In her hand she held a knife, its blade pure gold brought from the deepest heart of Africa to reflect the flame of the sun god and turn it into fire.
‘Anna!’
A voice from thousands of years away echoed in the silence. The river in all its beauty licked the shores of the desert, rose in flood and brought green bounty, subsided and rose again.
‘Anna! For God’s sake!’
For God’s sake. The one God, all the gods. Such a simple thing. A few drops of sacred liquid, sealed in a tiny glass container, and washed with the blood of a friend.
‘Anna! For pity’s sake, can you hear me? Anna!’
She smiled and shook her head. She could see the river now, down there at her feet. The waters are cool, life-giving; they feed the sacred lotus and lap the sands so that the lioness can drink …
‘Anna!’ Suddenly it was as though Anna’s head snapped back on her shoulders. A shower of ice-cold water caught her in the face.
Serena was shaking her violently. She let her go to scoop up another handful of water and lobbed it at her, then she caught her and shook her again. ‘You didn’t protect yourself, you fool! He had you. Hatsek was inside you! I could see his face in yours. I could see his features. I could see his hatred. You would have killed me, Anna!’ Serena pushed her away so hard that Anna staggered and fell. ‘Have you any idea how dangerous that was?’ She was standing over Anna at the edge of the river, her hair awry. Behind them the makeshift altar was scattered, candle and incense overturned, the st
atue lying on its side.
Anna rubbed her face. It was wet with Nile water. She shivered. ‘What did I do?’ She stared round, confused. Behind them a light fell suddenly on Trajan’s Kiosk illuminating the tall ornate columns. Serena grabbed her and pulled her down into the shadows. ‘You were Hatsek, don’t you understand! He possessed you, Anna. He took you over!’
‘He used my voice? Like Anhotep used yours?’
The sand. The desert wind. The blazing sun. They still filled her head, though the sky above her now was black and sewn with a myriad stars. ‘He used my eyes. But he wasn’t seeing this.’ She gestured around her, confused. ‘I saw the temple. The temple where Anhotep tricked him. It was hidden in the cliffs somewhere in the western desert on the edge of the mountains. Anhotep wanted the sacred water of life for the pharaoh, to use it as a medicine. But that was sacrilege. Nothing could have saved him anyway. It was not to be. The history was already written.’ She shook her head slowly from side to side. ‘The servant of the goddess was a servant of the one God. Of the Aten. It was Anhotep who was the traitor.’ She stared up at Serena confused. She didn’t know what the words pouring from her own mouth meant any more.
‘No.’ Serena shook her head. ‘No, Anna. That’s not true. They fell out. There was treachery and deceit. There was murder which had to be hidden.’ She stared down at the ground and then with an exclamation of dismay she dropped to her knees. ‘The bottle! Where is it? It’s gone!’
Anna shrugged. ‘Let it go. The priests have taken it. It doesn’t matter. It’s better lost. So many people have died –’
Serena stopped scrabbling in the sand and looked up at her. ‘What do you mean so many people? How many people?’
‘Many. It wasn’t just Hassan. There have been generations of people through thousands of years. Whatever was in that bottle, whether they were priests of Isis and Sekhmet or of Amun or of the Aten, the liquid was not something we were supposed to have. Let it go back to the gods.’
Whispers in the Sand Page 41