In the dreary light of the false dawn the group moved off the track and into the low hills to the east, to hide and rest. Nikolas estimated they were somewhat less than half way to Kharga. They found a narrow but deep dried wadi, which ran north-south and which would provide them with shelter from the blistering sun for most of the day. Near the entrance of the wadi there was a depression in the wall, not large enough to be called a cave but large enough in which to hide and have a view of the road to the north. The place had a rank smell; apparently it was the usual resting place of jackals, some of which were seen slinking about nearby.
They each took several swallows of water from the stolen waterskins, and shortly after they took shelter they saw an armed group of guards moving north along the track. They watched them go, staying carefully out of sight, resting and regaining their strength. The bread stolen from the camp was passed around.
About midday the guards returned south along the track, passing by quickly. Nikolas spent the afternoon in a semi-doze, watching a thin long-legged, long-tailed Nidua lizard and several shorter and thicker geckos catching insects on the sand nearby.
Several brown moths had taken shelter in the shade and were being stalked by the geckos. The lizard caught a scorpion that was hiding under a rock, carefully nipping the sting off its tail before crunching the scorpion in its strong jaws. Several grasshoppers feeding on a nearby patch of milkweed, one of the few items of vegetation in sight, were ignored by the reptiles who knew that the insects would be poisonous as a result of their diet.
As Pamose pointed that out to Nikolas, the latter felt one of the thoughts that had been plaguing him about the investigation fall into place.
One of the men quietly called out a warning when he saw a carpet viper nestled in a nearby crevice raise its head and start to move as the temperature dropped in the late evening; the men kept an eye on it as it moved away. Towards dusk a family of rock-hyrax emerged from their hide to bask on heated rocks and forage what vegetation was present, as well as feeding on insects and digging to reveal grubs and small skinks which they consumed with relish. The family consisted of five adult members, each as long as a man’s forearm and weighing three to four kilos, and eight young. The light brown-grey fur of the animals blended well with the background of the sand and rocks and the animals always had one or two individuals on sentry duty keeping a close watch on the sky for danger from above and also for any desert foxes or jackals lurking amongst the rocks.
“Sitting here in the shade with water and bread is better than being hungry and breaking rocks in the sun,” commented Pamose.
Nikolas nodded his agreement. “It’s good to be in control of our own destiny again. First we go to Kharga to rescue Kiya and Lorentis and gather supplies: then to Thebes to obtain assistance both for ourselves and the villagers. We’ll see how Rewer likes working underground in a mine! As a special favour I’ll even let you take the first shift with the whip!”
Pamose smiled in appreciation. “I think that Ako and the villagers have a prior claim and I wouldn’t expect him to last five minutes once a relieving force arrives. It’s a pity that the village doesn’t have a tree from which to hang his body before they feed him to the hyenas.”
The party rose and continued their journey. Taking nothing for granted Pamose set both an advance-guard and a rear-guard to warn of danger. The precaution paid off about two-thirds of the way to Kharga when the advance-guard returned to warn of a small encampment just off to the side of the track. Crawling up close Pamose and Nikolas observed the camp for a few minutes and then slipped back for whispered consultations.
“Two small tents; two guards. No fire, so probably regular soldiers have been put here in this narrow part of the pathway to trap us. Probably ten men in all,” said Pamose. “Since we’ve seen them but not been seen ourselves we can probably take them out, remove the problem and move on. We’ll be richer for extra weapons and supplies. The problem is we only have two swords and two knives and they’ll now be fitter and stronger than us, so unless we achieve total surprise we’re likely to have difficulty.”
“Also, when the bodies are found after daybreak they’ll know for sure where we’re headed,” added Nikolas.
Pamose nodded. “Yes. It’s best if we leave them alone and go around them. This is one case where discretion is definitely the better part of valour.” After whispered consultations with the other slaves they spent over an hour carefully moving one by one on a circuitous path around the encampment and meeting up again on the track half a mile beyond. Several times they saw movement of small animals near the path, probably foxes hunting lizards and rodents in the dark.
They reached Kharga about an hour before dawn. As the dawn light stained the eastern sky red they carefully approached a patch of dense vegetation at the oasis, where the undergrowth ran down to the water’s edge. They filled their water-skins before they hid themselves in a thicket of dom-palms, balanites trees, papyrus and tall grass at the edge of the oasis. Bitter melons were growing nearby but Pamose instructed the slaves to leave them alone as their strong laxative properties would cause problems. As dawn approached a large number of fruit-bats returned to roost upside-down in the palm trees. Their large shapes, each nearly as long as a man’s forearm, hung like strange black fruit, moving and making calls from time to time.
Not long after dawn the day was enlivened by a cobra slithering into the shade cast by the trees. It immediately sensed the presence of the eight fugitives, not surprising given their rank odour after weeks without bathing: it also sensed their belligerence and weapons in hand and decided to take itself off elsewhere. The food that the cobra had probably been seeking, a number of frogs or toads, were croaking loudly nearby. Small birds flew in to drink at the oasis: coursers with their long legs and distinctive stripe on the head; the tiny black wheatear with its white crown; doves; sand-grouse which dunked themselves in the water to soak their feathers and flew off to allow their young to drink the water from their bodies. The smaller birds could also be seen flitting and hopping in the vegetation close to the oasis, catching insects and hopping about on the water-lily leaves close to the bank. Larger tawny-coloured Lanner falcon could be seen drinking at the edge of the water and several times individuals who were circling above stooped and caught birds or frogs. A few larger birds such as vultures came to drink. A small jerboa mouse scurried past and hopped quickly away, its absurdly long tail with its black tuft of hair jerking as it ran.
Nikolas slapped at mosquitoes and gnats as they buzzed about his head, ignoring their bites to his lower body, but when he saw a leech inching across the ground towards him from the tall grass he whispered a quiet warning to his men. Leeches were not in themselves dangerous, but all men find them loathsome and they must not be ripped away once they have started to feed on their victim’s blood otherwise the resulting wound inevitably festers.
Hidden in the grasses the escaped slaves would not be able to use the traditional methods of applying either a sprinkle of salt or a heated stick to the creature to make it withdraw its head voluntarily.
The escapees spent the day quietly hiding in the shade amongst thick bushes, conversing with only the occasional whisper. This was the first day for some time that they’d had to enjoy without performing heavy labour and without being fettered close to another prisoner and they were content to lie back and doze quietly.
About midmorning the fugitives saw Pamiu leave a largish mud-brick building not far away at the edge of the settlement and then return later in the day. The day passed slowly; the group rested in the shade of the trees, swatting irritably at the insects that rose to bite and harass them.
As with most small villages, Kharga went to sleep shortly after dark. Nikolas and his party waited several more hours and then moved quietly towards Pamiu’s house, easily climbing over the low stone wall that was intended only to keep out wandering goats. The two men with knives quietly took out the man standing guard and then they moved inside. Moving q
uickly, they dispatched six other guards sleeping in one room and seized Pamiu in his own room.
After quickly rifling the building for more weapons, valuables and food they moved off into the desert. Pamiu had been knocked unconscious and awoke tied to stakes in the ground. They were now some considerable distance from Kharga; his cries would not be heard.
Pamiu was initially reluctant to divulge any information, but after Umtau started to flay him, carefully cutting his skin away from the flesh starting at the stomach, he soon became more cooperative.
Nikolas felt himself detached, almost as if he was looking on from outside his body. He was normally the most innocuous of men but the events of the last week, the risks he and his men must take and the need to recover the women overrode any scruples he might ordinarily have had.
They first asked about the whereabouts of Pamiu’s money-hoard and of Pamose’s Ramesses Seal. Idu and Hanuka were immediately sent back to the house to recover these and also to bring what clothes they could find so that the group could change out of the slave clothes they each wore. Others were sent to the horse-lines of the local barracks to seize five chariots and ten pairs of horses. Two others went to refill the water-skins at the oasis. Although Pamose would shortly recover Ramesses’ Seal, clearly the anti-Ramesses plot had spread widely and the support of the military in this area was at best doubtful.
Nikolas then sought from Pamiu further information on the women and the Assyrian merchant named Aiidum to whom they had been sold. Pamiu knew little other than his name and destination. The fate of Kiya and Lorentis was very high on the list of priorities of Nikolas and it took some time before he was satisfied that Pamiu had told all he could on this topic.
Finally, Pamiu was questioned about what he knew of events locally. He knew little other than the names of his immediate superiors and the payments they had made to him. He said he was instructed which caravans to leave free of attack and those on which he could prey, such as that of Nikolas. Pamiu assumed that the orders came from the army general in charge at Thebes, General Iymeru, but were relayed through nameless messengers. Nikolas made a careful note of the few names disclosed.
He raised one eyebrow at Pamose, who shook his head. He had no further questions. Nikolas nodded to Umtau, drawing his index finger across his throat. A few seconds later Umtau drew a knife blade across Pamiu’s throat.
‘I do hope we don’t think of any more questions for him,’ thought Nikolas.
T T T T
Departing in the chariots about an hour before dawn they at first picked their way carefully along the track to the east in the darkness using the chariots.
As the light improved they then pushed hard, changing and watering the horses every hour. The journey that had taken four days on foot to travel west was accomplished in a little over one day.
On the way they overtook four groups of travellers and met five groups coming the other way. Not able to avoid these groups because of the telltale dust rising from the chariot wheels hanging in the air, and not wanting to kill each and every member of every caravan, the fugitives could do little other than steer clear of each group they came across and assume that they would be reported to the authorities in Kharga within the day. They would just have to trust to speed to keep ahead of the pursuit.
T T T T
After a difficult and tiring journey they arrived at Thebes shortly after midnight, dusty and exhausted. The city gates were closed and they sought shelter in a grove of palm-trees to await dawn and the opening of the gates.
Nikolas gathered the men together and said, “All right, lads! We’ve done well so far. We’re at Thebes. Any man who wants to leave us now is free to do so. Pamose and I will be continuing east after a caravan that has the women taken from us when we were captured. Who’s with us?”
Three of the slaves who had joined at Kharga and the last of the guards recruited at Thebes decided that they would not continue.
Nikolas drew a purse, heavy with the silver seized at Kharga, and paid each man 10 deben of silver – as much as they could otherwise have expected to earn in five years if free.
Umtau stated in his quiet, almost monosyllabic, manner that he would accompany the Great Lords on their journey. Idu and Hanuka also stayed on.
They entered the city shortly after dawn. One guard was left with the horses in the palm-grove outside the gate. Umtau requested from Nikolas, and was given, permission to visit the house of his cousin near the market
There was a strange, almost eerie feeling about the city as they moved through its streets which were much less busy than normal, many of the businesses remaining closed with doors and windows barred. Small patrols of soldiers moved watchfully along the thoroughfares, hands on weapons as they walked.
When Pamose and Nikolas reached the secret-police headquarters they found it an abandoned and blackened burned-out shell. Matters had clearly progressed in the time since they had left.
Nikolas and Pamose walked through the strangely quiet streets to the market. Again, while most stalls were open, the number of customers milling about was less than usual. Posing as a minor merchant who had just entered the city, Nikolas engaged a food vendor in conversation.
He was informed that civil disturbances had been going on for most of the last week. The enforcement agencies of the kmet, in particular the secret-police but also some sections of the local military garrison, had been targeted. The secret-police headquarters had been torched three days before and its occupants massacred as they had sought to escape the fire. Apparently the body of the local secret-police chief, Senni, had hung from a tree for two days before being cut down by a passing military patrol.
The vendor spoke of the river running red with the blood of the murdered and the crocodiles feasting on discarded corpses. The rebels appeared to have taken the opportunity to remove not only their political rivals but also anybody else against whom they held a grudge. Martial law was in force and a strict dusk to dawn curfew was in place. There were rumours of a large military force approaching the city from the north, now said to be within a day’s march. There was no indication as to which faction that army supported.
Nikolas quickly made purchases of foodstuffs and clothing for the men and grain for the horses. Pamose had more specialized purchases, of swords and particularly bows and arrows. These items had been in the Kharga armoury when the chariots had been stolen and hadn’t been able to be seized. Six bronze short-swords and six small but powerful laminated recurved bows, together with twelve quivers and bundles of spare arrows were ordered and arrangements made for the collection of the purchases later that day.
Nikolas asked around the market and at the caravanserai whether anybody had seen a small group of Assyrians headed towards the coast, without success. Nobody recalled such a group having passed by within the last few days. Many people passed through the city and no records were kept. All Nikolas had was the name of the merchant and their possible destination – if the Assyrian had told the truth and had also not changed his mind.
Nikolas was sure that Pamiu had told them all he could. He burned with anger at the treatment that he and the others had received over the few weeks and at the peril in which Lorentis and Kiya found themselves, and was determined to leave nothing undone to recover the women under his protection.
Next stop was the infirmary at the Luxor temple. One of the guards injured in the fight at Netjerikhet’s house had died. Two were now well enough to be discharged and were eager to join in the hunt for those responsible for their injuries. Pamose arranged to meet with them at midafternoon at an inn near the market. Next he obtained lodgings for the party for the night in a nondescript inn in the northern suburbs of the city, not far from the Karnak temple.
That afternoon they met at the ‘Golden Corn Sheaves’ tavern near the market. Umtau had returned with his cousin Zirman, who also wished to join the group. Zirman was not quite as massively-built as Umtau, but his muscles rippled as he moved and his ebony skin gl
istened with oil and health. In their simple and heavily-accented Egyptian, the Nubians explained that they had been members of a heavy-infantry unit stationed in the south but that after their discharge Umtau had fallen on hard times and had been seized as a slave to pay his debts. Both were experienced soldiers and handy with spear, axe or bow.
Nikolas arranged for the two men from the Luxor temple, Penbuy and Rudiju, to take horse-feed and the supplies to the man remaining with the horses near the west gate and to have the horses moved that evening to be outside the east gate as the rest of the party in the temple were well rested and able to keep a shared watch, but those who had travelled across the desert were exhausted and needed a full night of sleep.
When they met at the inn that evening Pamose tried to reason with Nikolas. “My friend, you must face the facts. They’re gone; we don’t know in what caravan they travel, or even if they are still alive. They may already be sold to another slave-dealer and be on a boat headed down-river. Or the caravan may have reached the coast and taken ship for which port only the gods would know! Let it go; grieve in your heart, but let it go! We have our duty to Pharaoh to continue and cannot chase after mirages.”
“I shit on Pharaoh and the work he’d have us do,” replied Nikolas angrily. “I’ll not give up on my friends, even if I have to go to the ends of the earth! Nothing else is more important to me and I’ll follow the only lead I have – Quesir. Are you with me, or not?”
After a brief pause Pamose pulled a wry face, nodded and clasped Nikolas’ left shoulder. “Yes, I’m with you. We’re all fortunate to have a friend such as you!”
While Nikolas was not prepared to even consider the possibility of failure to recover Lorentis and Kiya, he had already given thought to the matters raised by Pamose and felt that they had a reasonable chance of success. The Assyrian merchant may or may not have tarried for several days at Kharga. He had been due to start a long and arduous journey and would have wished to have both his animals and servants fully rested before setting out. The journey between Kharga and Thebes would have taken at least three and probably four days. He would have had to spent at least a week transacting his business, buying and selling goods and again resting his animals.
Murder in the Palace: A Nikolas of Kydonia Mystery Page 19