by Paul Davis
The barge was turning in midstream as Kaires went to the lower foredeck, where Captain Nehesi stood at his post, Gallus by his side. There was no moon, but the stars were bright and reflected off the river, so despite Nehesi's concerns it was possible to see the way ahead with some confidence. As soon as they were facing north, the rowers got into a steady rhythm, and slowly but surely the barge began to pick up speed.
Before long they faced the first of their choices, to return up the westernmost branch of the Nile or head up towards the east, past Heliopolis.
‘Which way, Kaires?’ asked Gallus. ‘If we choose the wrong one they may get away.’
‘My guess is towards the east. It's land they are more familiar with.’
Gallus turned to Nehesi. ‘You heard him! Take the one on the right!’
The barge began to turn to the east and head up towards Heliopolis, when suddenly Kaires spotted something.
‘No!’ he shouted, ‘Take the other branch! They went that way!’
‘How do you know?’ asked Gallus. ‘Nehesi, do as he says!’
Kaires pointed to a bale of straw in the shallows of the river, near the bank. ‘The straw. The felucca had a cargo of straw. They're getting rid of it, maybe disguising the boat as something else, or just lightening the load for more speed. They must be taking one of the central branches, maybe to Buto or Busiris.’
‘They may have thrown that out earlier, and it went downstream and ended up there. Doesn't mean they went that way.’
‘True, but it's our only chance. I think they threw it out into the shallows and it got stuck there.’
‘Go for it!’ said Gallus.
The barge had slowed a bit with the change of direction, but soon began to pick up speed again. Kaires pitied the rowers, who must already be tired out; there must be still a long way to go. Eventually they reached another fork in the river, one branch heading back towards Naucratis, the other up into the central Delta.
‘Take the right branch now,’ said Kaires. ‘It would give them the best chance of throwing us off. If we don't catch up soon there are any number of ways they can go.’
‘Faster, Nehesi!’ shouted Gallus. ‘We can't let them get away!’
Nehesi reluctantly gave the order to increase the speed again, and the Gloria Aegyptae raced into the eastern channel. ‘They can't possibly keep up this speed for much longer!’ he said.
They rounded a corner where the river narrowed. Kaires, looking ahead, saw that the reflections of the stars in the river were blacked out by a large obstruction just ahead of them. ‘Watch out!’ he screamed, but it was too late.
With a loud noise of cracking and splintering, the barge collided at full pelt with something just ahead of it, and shuddered to a halt, throwing everyone off balance down on to the deck. Kaires picked himself up and ran to the bow. As he looked over he could just make out the outline of a boat below, crushed to splinters between the barge and the riverbank.
-0-
Early light began to filter into the sky from the East, illuminating the dew sprinkled fields of the Delta, already in to their second harvest of the year. The passengers sat on the riverbank, watching the soldiers drag the remnants of what once had been a trading felucca up to a place where the bank sloped more gently down to the river.
The felucca had been completely crushed, and was barely recognizable as a boat. The Gloria Aegyptae, having been the Royal Barge, present at Actium, was equipped for the possibility of war with a bronze prow, and had suffered little damage. All of the impact had been absorbed by the felucca, destroyed as the lethal projection sliced through its centre with as little resistance as a spear through water. It had never stood a chance.
A few bags of gold coin had been rescued from the wrecked boat, but most had gone under the waters of the Nile. Gallus would send down divers, and spare no effort to recover as much as possible, but a good deal was inevitably lost. Even so, Kaires doubted it was more than the tiniest fraction of what still waited for them back at the tomb.
One of the brothers was dead, crushed instantly in the collision. The other was pulled seriously injured and half drowned from the wreck. Kaires had done his best for him, but didn't expect him to live much longer. Gallus had got what information he could from him, enough to piece together the story. As they had rounded the bend, travelling as fast as they could in the darkness, the felucca had gone into the shallows near the bank and stuck fast. The brothers had tried to free it, but the side was holed and it was taking on water. Myrine had quickly realised there was no hope and had fled, taking as much gold as she could carry with her. The brothers were more confident - they had changed their cargo and were now just one of many trading feluccas, so they decided to try and patch up the damage. They had just started when the Gloria Aegyptae struck.
Gallus had sent soldiers running along all the paths, but there had been no sign of Myrine. Leaving a number of men to deal with the wreck, he was now impatient to get back to the tomb and inspect the rest of Caesarion's gold. He was ordering everyone back on board, ready for departure.
Kaires sat with Iola on the bank, a little apart from the others, who had given them a respectful distance. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Kaires put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him. It was the first time she had ever seemed really vulnerable. Despite her confidence, he realised underneath she was still naive and innocent. He said nothing, just stayed holding her tight, letting her head rest on his shoulder and gently stroking her hair. He felt like he could stay like this for ever, protecting her from the world.
‘I can't go back with you,’ she said, voice husky with sorrow. ‘On the barge. You must go on without me.’
‘What do you mean, Iola? You must come with me. It's all over now. We'll spend a few days at the pyramids then carry on our way. Gallus has said that despite everything he means to go as far as the First Cataract, once he’s set his soldiers to work on the tomb. He’s putting Sergius in charge of it. He’ll be pleased; it means a big promotion for him. I must introduce you to him, you’ll like him. All the others are carrying on, too. We can’t leave you behind; you’re too important a part of us now. And we need someone to keep Chaeremon and Strabo apart. ’
Iola managed a weak smile ‘I can't.’
‘Think what we will see. The Great Temples. The lost city of Akhetaten. The Colossus that sings at dawn. Most of all, see it with me. Marry me in the first city we come across. You're all I want, Iola. Live your life with me. Become a healer. We'll share everything together. Wait till you meet Hotepet, she'll love you too. Although not as much as me, because I love you more than anyone else ever could, with my whole life, my whole being. Say yes, Iola. Your life must go forward now. Don't look back.’
‘Kaires, you know I love you, and I’ll love you forever for what you have just said. But you don't understand. How can I? How can I go back amongst you all, after what has happened? What will they all think of me? My mother, a criminal and a murderess. She killed my father, regardless of who struck the actual blow. All for the promise of riches that might not even have existed. Whatever anyone may say, they will always look at me with the suspicion in their eyes - she must have known something...’
‘They know it isn't true. Myrine abandoned you to your fate. No one will blame you.’
‘It's no good, Kaires. I'm her daughter. I will never be free of her taint. And if I was so selfish as to marry you, the taint would spread to you, too, and our children. I can't do that to you. You'd have no place in society anymore. I will always be the murderer's daughter.’
‘What do I care about society?’
‘You'll care when no one visits, and your patients drop off one by one.’
‘Not if I have you.’
She stood up. ‘Goodbye, Kaires.’
‘Iola - no!’
‘I must find her. It is my only hope of attaining some peace; to bring her to justice myself.’
‘Gallus's men are searching for her right
now.’
‘They'll never find her. I know her. I 'm the only one who stands a chance of finding her. I won't stop until I do.’
‘Then I'll come with you. We'll find her together.’
‘No Kaires. Go your own way in life. I can't walk the same path as you.’
‘Iola, don't leave me like this. I can't bear the thought of going on without you. There must be some way...’
Tears filled Iola's eyes once more, and she turned to go back to the barge. ‘I must get my things before it leaves,’ she said.
Kaires sat, desolate, on the bank. He felt as if the bottom had dropped out of his world. When, a few minutes later, Iola returned with her meagre belongings, he ran over to her again.
‘Please Iola, think again. Where will you go? What will you do? Don’t cut yourself off from me. I couldn’t bear it. How will I know where to find you?’
Iola touched the small chain that hung around his neck, supporting a lapis stone. ‘Let me take this,’ she said. ‘It will keep you close to me. When I've found her, when justice is done, I'll send it back to you. If you still want me, then come. If not, then forget me.’
‘Don't risk your life over this, Iola. She is dangerous. You are her daughter, but she is ruthless. She wouldn't hesitate to harm you if it meant saving herself.’
‘I know that, Kaires. Let me go now, there is nothing more you can say.’
Kaires took the chain from around his neck and put it around hers. He hugged her to his chest, and kissed her once on the lips.
‘Go then, but come back to me,’ he said.
She smiled through her tears, and slowly walked off along the path which led away from the bank.
-0-
To Gallus’s annoyance, Nehesi insisted on personally checking for any possible damage to the Gloria Aegyptae before consenting to set sail, which meant waiting for him to dive under the hull to inspect it himself. He also refused to allow the rowers to be worked any further, insisting there was more than sufficient wind coming from the north to keep up a good pace. Gallus spluttered and grumbled, but had enough respect for Nehesi’s professionalism not to insist. Barking at anyone who came close, he paced up and down the upper deck, which he soon had to himself.
Throughout the journey back to the pyramids Kaires lay in his room, his aching limbs recovering from the night’s ordeal but his heart inconsolable, beyond healing.
There was more than enough of Caesarion's gold still in the tomb to put Gallus in a very good mood. The amount that Myrine had taken, though enough to keep her wealthy, was only a fraction of what had been left by Cleopatra for her son. Most of what the brothers had taken had been recovered, although some was lost forever under the waters of the Nile. If that thought passed through Gallus's mind, it caused no more than a momentary wince, as he went back to mentally assessing the weight of coin, gold metalwork, silverware, electrum, lapis lazuli, opal, ivory, turquoise and precious stones that was now under guard and being loaded for transport back to Alexandria.
Sergius had finally coaxed Kaires out of his room and the pair had spent an evening comparing notes over a jug of wine. They had parted early the next morning, Sergius heading back to Alexandria, Kaires remaining on the barge for one more evening. He had decided that he couldn’t carry on with the trip; his mind was too restless to let him concentrate on further travel. There were too many things drawing him back to Alexandria, where he thought his only hope of finding peace lay.
Kaires and Gallus sat on the Gloria Aegyptae watching the sun set behind the pyramids for the last time. They were alone on the Prefect's private reardeck, each with a cup of wine.
‘You still mean to carry on with the trip as far as the First Cataract?’ asked Kaires.
‘Yes, as Strabo says, I really ought to see the land I'm governing. Really, I suspect he just wants to be sure I go so he can see it all for himself. But it seems a good idea. My plan for improving the irrigation systems needs a bit of refinement. Meanwhile, it will take a few weeks to get all the gold back to Alexandria. Most of it will have to go to Rome, of course. But there will be enough to fund an expedition into Arabia Felix. You should come, Kaires.’
Kaires smiled but shook his head. ‘I belong in Alexandria. I've been away too long as it is. I'll head back there tomorrow as soon as you set off south.’
‘You can spare a month or two. But I know what's really taking you back there, so I won't stop you. I'm very grateful to you, Kaires. I’ll miss you.’
‘I don't know why you should be grateful. Myrine played me like a fool.’
‘She was the fool in the end. We'll track her down, and then she'll pay for it.
‘Somehow I doubt you will. She's gone forever. And she's made me lose something I value far more than any of Caesarion's gold.’
‘I know, and I’m sorry. I'll do what I can, Kaires.’
Kaires stood. ‘Thank you, Gallus.’
He left the Queen's Suite and made his way upstairs to the top deck. He wasn't hungry, but felt he ought to eat something. The others were all gathered together at the stern, but he sat down on his own, at the bow end. He didn't want to talk to anyone.
Haemon gave him a few moments to himself then came over to join him. ‘We've been talking,’ he said.
‘Forgive me, Haemon, I'm not in the mood.’
‘I understand. But I thought I'd tell you what we've been discussing. We've all grown rather fond of Iola...’
Kaires looked up, without a smile. ‘I'm sorry, Haemon, I know you mean well -’
‘Wait a moment, Kaires. It's just there's no need for anyone to know about Myrine's involvement in all this. As far as the world is concerned, we are all under the impression that everything was down to Prokles. We’ll say that poor Myrine was taken hostage by the thieves, and we don't know what became of her. Iola need expect nothing other than sympathy. We are all quite agreed on this, even Strabo. He'll explain it all to Gallus.’
‘I appreciate it, Haemon. But I don't see Iola being so easy to persuade. I don't even know if I'll ever see her again.’
‘I think you will. You have become as much a part of her as she has you. When you do see her, I'm sure you can persuade her that we were all mistaken about Myrine’s role Now everyone is clear that she was blameless, and will say so.’
Kaires hesitated.
‘Go on, Kaires, make your life easier for once.’
For the first time in a while, Kaires almost smiled.
‘You're all going on with Gallus? To the First Cataract?’
‘Every one of us. We might actually be able to get down to some work, now. Shame you won't come too. I'll come and see you when we get back to Alexandria. We'll miss you, you know.’
‘In a strange way, I'll miss you all too,’ said Kaires.
-0-
The next morning Kaires stood on the quayside with his belongings. He watched as the Gloria Aegyptae slipped majestically out into mid stream, heading south. He wondered what sights he was missing, and felt a pang of regret. The passengers stood at the stern, waving goodbye. Even Gallus, on his private deck below, raised a hand. Kaires returned the gesture and turned away. Several feluccas had been commandeered to transport the treasure back downstream, and Kaires had a place on one of them. There were still a few hours before it was going to leave, so he left his things at the loading bay and decided on a last look round. He wondered if he'd ever see the pyramids again. As he started up the causeway to the Sphinx, a small voice piped up beside him.
‘Do you need a guide?’
‘Why not?’ laughed Kaires. ‘Show me everything.’
Delighted, the small boy took his hand. ‘This way! Over a hundred years ago the Great Pharaoh Kufunus...’
Epilogue
Kaires was at home, writing, aware that the Prefect was due back on the following day. Since he had returned to Alexandria, he had been reluctant - perhaps unable - to sit down and record the events that had so deeply affected the lives of so many, not least his own. But he co
uld put it off no longer. He had been up most of the night, determined to lose no more time. Even now, at this late hour, he was still unsure if he could complete an account of something as yet unresolved. He couldn’t rest until it was all behind him, at least as far as possible, and he was exhausted. He hadn’t touched food since he had started writing, only a little water, and as the hours passed he was keenly aware of the weight of past events beginning to take its toll.
He sat back in his chair to take a breath.
A soft light was now entering through the small windows high in the wall behind him, and along with it the gentle cooling of the dawn breezes that swept across the harbour as the sun rose. He stretched forward and extinguished the lamp. He couldn’t remember ever having been so tired.
As he picked up his pen again he paused at the sound of a knock at the front door. He heard Remi, his servant, scramble down the passageway and draw back the bolts to admit the visitor. After a few muffled words came another knock, this time at Kaires’s own door.
'Who is it?'
The door opened a fraction. 'A boy, sir, with a parcel. Says it has to be given into your hands. Won’t pass it on otherwise.'
Kaires was immediately alert again. 'Show him in!'
The door opened further and Remi stood back to allow the messenger, a boy, to enter. 'Dr. Kaires?' he asked, slightly out of breath.
Receiving a nod he removed a small box from a fold of his tunic and laid it on the table in front of him.
'Who is it from?'
The boy gave a name.
Kaires carefully released the box from its wrappings. A note fluttered down on to the table. Ignoring it for a moment, he gripped the box and lifted the lid. As he saw what was inside, his throat caught, and for a moment he was lost.