Muttering prayers to Zeus that they hadn’t just attacked an innocent caravan, Nikolas lit a torch from the embers of the campfire and strode towards the slaves’ tents. The slaves awoke as Nikolas moved forward, smoking torch held high and he squinted against the sudden light as he called, “Kiya! Lorentis!”
There was movement amongst the furthest shapes and one burst forward, running swiftly to Nikolas and grasping him close, exclaiming, “I knew that you would come…I knew...” said with kisses. Lorentis was not far behind, joining in a communal hug before leaning against Nikolas’ shoulder and sobbing with relief. A few moments later Pamose approached to advise that the camp was secure and the girls each hugged and kissed him in turn.
“I knew that we’d be rescued,” said Lorentis. “Last night the ba of my dead mother visited me and whispered in my ear to be ready to escape if the opportunity presented itself.”
Nikolas rolled his eyes unbelievingly and commented sourly, “It’s a pity she didn’t visit you the night before we reached Kharga Oasis and warn you we shouldn’t go there. She needs to get her priorities right!”
Shortly afterwards the sky began to lighten. In the cold grey light of the pre-dawn Nikolas and Pamose checked the contents of the caravan. There was a wide variety of items ranging from dried palm-dates and dried figs, to spices, perfumes and unguents originating in Punt and golden rings – the latter presumably the result of sales of items brought into Egypt on the inwards journey. And also the slaves.
In addition to Lorentis and Kiya there were two young girls, barely of thirteen or fourteen years of age, who were of obvious quality. They were named Ruia and Muttuy. When questioned Ruia said, “I’m the daughter of a merchant from Asfun, just the south of Thebes. My family sent me to the temple at Karnak to serve the gods for the glory of my family. I was accompanied by two servants and was travelling by donkey when we were stopped by bandits near Iuny. They killed the servants, seized the donkey and our offering to the temple. They took me to Laqueita, east of Thebes, where they sold me to the Assyrian. He provided robes and looked after me and the others quite well.”
Muttuy had a similar story except she was from a family of wealthy farmers near Hefat. One of the male youths, Takany, was similarly of good family and had been seized on the road when headed to Thebes to join his uncle to work in his metal-smithing business. Again they had been seized near Iuny, barely ten miles from Thebes itself. This either spoke ill of the efforts of the garrison at Thebes in their patrolling or implicated at least some of the garrison in the illicit activities that were occurring. The others had been taken from villages further to the south of Thebes. Nikolas was appalled at this traffic in Egyptians of free status. Other than the recently-departed guards most of the rest of the caravan was comprised of servants of the caravan-master, the Assyrian named Aiidum.
By now the sun had finally risen. Nikolas arranged for the slaves and servants to be fed from the caravan stores. Aiidum was brought before Nikolas; he was a short fat man with thick greasy hair hanging in ringlets, food-stained clothing and flashy rings on his fingers. There were the usual protestations; “Master, I am but a poor and simple merchant, making my way in a foreign land. I mean no ill to anybody, and just wish to take my goods back to my own lands and make a modest profit”… etc... etc…
If it hadn’t been for the slaves’ stories Nikolas might have believed him and let the caravan proceed with just the recovery of Lorentis and Kiya and the other illegally-seized slaves. However, clearly the Assyrian was a knowing party to the enslavement of free Egyptians and their transportation to the slave-blocks of Damascus, even if the slaves were treated well while in his possession.
Nikolas had little doubt as to the outcomes intended by Aiidum not only for Lorentis and Kiya, but also the other women and youths at the slave-markets. Nikolas rubbed his brow thoughtfully with his right hand. They were in the middle of a desert with numerous bandit gangs and equally avaricious local nomads about. He wasn’t quite sufficiently annoyed at Aiidum to peg him out for the vultures or jackals to eat, but if somebody else did that he wouldn’t object. His final decision was to strip the convoy and leave the merchant abandoned on the road.
After riffling through the various wares Nikolas took eight donkey-loads of valuable goods, leaving behind most of the larger and lower-value items such as sacks of dried dates. The slaves were invited to return west and all took up the offer. The Assyrian’s servants were also offered protection if they chose to march west with Nikolas’ group. Several, the more intelligent who were more afraid of bandits than they were of Aiidum, agreed. Those donkeys not carrying the requisitioned goods had their pack-saddles removed and were used to carry some of the newly-freed slaves.
Nikolas and his much-enlarged party walked westwards, leaving Aiidum and three of his servants to consider the ruins of the caravan sitting in the middle of the wilderness. As Nikolas passed the low hills to the west, the vultures were already circling in the sky above where Aiidum’s caravan had been left. Nikolas wondered how long it would be before those vultures living on the ground also gathered, and whether Aiidum and his few remaining men would be able to cover the relatively short distance to the village. Given the presence of the bandits that had been slinking amongst the hills Nikolas doubted that the merchant would be permitted to go more than a mile.
Nikolas called a halt after moving out of sight of the ruined caravan and he and Pamose placed Lorentis and Kiya in their chariots. Nikolas announced, “Men, I’m going to press on ahead with Pamose and these ladies. Umtau, you’ll be in charge of the new caravan. You’ve got sufficient food and water. We’ll meet you at the eastern gate of Thebes. The journey will probably take you two or three days. Now the rest of you guards, harken to what I have to say! The women and servants marching with you are under my protection – even the former servants of the merchant. Anybody who abuses them will answer to me. Some of you will remember the treatment meted out to the robber chief at Kharga, and have probably told the others what happened that night. This will be done to any man who abuses their position by imposing on the women and servants. The donkeys carry items of value which will be shared out when we get back to Thebes, provided you look after those who I’ve placed in your charge. I’ll personally skin alive those who don’t care for their charges!”
Those who had been at the interrogation at Kharga had indeed already whispered around the campfire on previous nights the story of Nikolas’ implacable questioning and Umtau’s ruthless and pitiless use of the knife that night to those who had joined at Thebes. There would be no questioning of his authority amongst this group.
As Nikolas moved to mount his chariot he sighed deeply and shook his head. He briefly pondered his loss of innocence and the deeds that had taken him beyond the pale of civilized behaviour.
With a sigh he pulled himself up onto the chariot and pushed Kiya in front of him against the padded wicker frame of the chariot, to help her keep her balance. Holding the reins each side of Kiya’s head, he flicked them to put the horses into motion; they gave the horses their heads and headed back towards Thebes.
T T T T
Moving now with less urgency it was towards the evening of the second day they drew near the eastern gate of the city as darkness was beginning to fall and saw the gate already closed. The reason was obvious. A company of soldiers leant on their spears just outside bow-shot of the walls, swapping insults with the troops inside the city. A squadron of chariots stood patiently a little further away, slightly to the north. Beyond them to the north a large cloud of dust and sand raised by thousands of feet and hooves drifted in the slight breeze.
Thebes was under siege.
CHAPTER 10 – SIEGE AT THEBES
Year 53. 2nd Akhet. Month Pa-en-ipet.
Late September 1223 BC
Pamose dropped Lorentis off with Nikolas and carefully drove the chariot alone towards the nearest guard outpost. He raised his right hand in greeting, the left hand carefully controlling the r
eins, and he advised the guards that he had business with their officer. He was then escorted north and passed from view in the gathering darkness. An hour later Pamose returned with a guide, both chariots carrying burning torches to light the way. “It’s all right Nikolas!” he called as he approached. “It’s the Hathor Brigade, sent by Pharaoh to restore peace. Two thousand troops should be a big enough message! General Minnakht has an envoy in the city at the moment and expects the city gates to be opened in the morning!”
He then led the other chariot north towards the main camp, past increasing numbers of soldiers setting up camp for the night. Many small fires flickered in the dark as men stacked weapons and slumped wearily to the ground. The general’s camp was bathed in light from many torches. Messengers scurried hither and thither. As they were directed towards a smaller tent Pamose commented, “Minnakht is busy at the moment and can’t see you.” Nikolas waved a tired and dismissive hand; the last thing he wanted at the moment was a formal interview. The first was a bath, closely followed by food and sleep.
For the first time in a month, surrounded by two thousand soldiers, Nikolas went to sleep feeling secure and clean.
T T T T
Next morning Nikolas woke at first light after being disturbed by the noise of the army starting to stir beyond the thin leather wall of the tent. Nearby Pamose, Lorentis and Kiya slept on undisturbed on their narrow stretcher-beds, arranged one on each side of the square tent with a space of about two paces in the middle. Nikolas dressed quickly, pushed open the flap and stepped outside. He stood near the tent entrance gazing around at the seeming confusion of small groups of men sitting around campfires, standing and moving about with no apparent purpose.
Gradually the small groups coalesced into their companies and Pamose joined Nikolas, clapping him on the shoulder as he did so.
“Let’s go to imy-r mSa wr General Minnakht’s tent and see what’s happening,” said Pamose.
At their approach the guards stationed at each side of the entry saluted by slapping their right palm against their bare chests. They were permitted to enter after the guards first checked with an officer inside. There General Minnakht sat on a folding camp stool, a scowl on his face as he issued instructions to a group of officers. An elderly distinguished-looking man wearing formal clothes and wig stood to one side. Minnakht gestured Nikolas and Pamose towards a side table where a variety of breakfast foods had been placed along with jugs of fruit juices. Nikolas helped himself to bread, fruit, small baked delicacies and a cup of pomegranate juice.
On receiving their instructions the officers left one by one, until Minnakht was left with the elderly man, to whom he then proceeded to give instructions for the morning’s negotiations with the city garrison. Towards the end of those instructions Kiya and Lorentis arrived at the tent still wearing their travelling clothes; they also broke their fast by helping themselves to the repast provided. The elderly man walked slowly and with great dignity towards the City gate together with a small official party; the large wooden gate in the massive mud-brick wall swung open to allow them to enter.
Afterwards Nikolas and the others sat outside in the shade of an awning watching the army go through its daily routine and messengers shuttle back and forth between Minnakht’s command tent and the nearby gate. It was the first time that Nikolas had seen any army, let alone an Egyptian one, and he was fascinated by the bustle of activity: the preparation and distribution of food; the latrine-digging parties; small parties of men hurrying back and forth for indefinable purposes. A makeshift parade-ground had been set up on a flat piece of clear ground and several hundred men were drilling at one-on-one combat; archers were practicing in improvised butts against straw targets. Nikolas found both the equipment and tactics used of great interest as they were quite different to the small band of warriors that his father maintained in his household in Crete. Apart from some of the men wearing a headpiece made of boiled leather, too flimsy to really be called a helmet, the infantry were entirely unarmoured.
The spearmen carried large ox-hide shields that provided protection virtually from neck to ankle; the swordsmen and axe-men carried smaller square shields. About half the men carried spears; one in five men carried a bow, either a simple small bow or more often a decurved bow – the latter resulting from the shortage of suitable wood in Egypt as the design allowed the use of inferior wood, but with resulting poor performance. A few, particularly the officers, carried higher-quality longbows or recurved bows of laminate construction. The charioteers were practicing on foot with the short but very powerful reflex bow, a recent innovation in military technology adopted from the Assyrians.
Other soldiers carried a variety of striking weapons; stone maces tied to stout sticks with animal-gut bindings, small single-handed bronze battleaxes and two types of bronze swords – a short straight sword about as long as a man’s forearm and hand and the khopesh, a shorter reverse-sickle-shaped sword where the sharp edge was on the outside. Most of the men carried only one weapon, although a few of the spearmen or archers carried small hand-axes, maces or knives that they had probably acquired themselves. Nikolas was surprised that such a wealthy country as Egypt would field such a poorly-equipped force in one of its elite units.
In the late afternoon the caravan led by Umtau came into sight, breasting the small rise to the east and shortly afterwards arrived near the command tent. Nikolas and Pamose walked over and gave instructions to set up camp before arranging for food and drink to be provided from the army commissariat.
Near dusk the diplomat and his party exited the city gate and walked slowly to Minnakht’s command tent. Nikolas, Pamose, Lorentis and Kiya slipped in unobtrusively behind, standing just inside the tent entrance. “My Lord Minnakht, I bring good news,” said the old man in a firm and clear voice. “The garrison will surrender the city at dawn tomorrow. The North Gate will be opened and at the same time those of the garrison who wish to flee will depart the South Gate; this includes the garrison commander Iymeru and several of his officers. I have given undertakings on your behalf that they will be permitted to leave unmolested and that they will have until dawn the next day before any pursuit is made.”
Minnakht nodded his agreement and took the proffered papyrus, before melting sealing wax and pressing his signet ring to the document. A messenger then took the document back to the City gate. “Well, everybody,” said Minnakht in a loud and firm voice. “They’ve delayed us for a couple of days but at least the city will be back in Pharaoh’s hands tomorrow.”
Nikolas, Kiya and Lorentis returned to the caravan before eating an evening meal of lentil stew, the usual army fare. Then with the setting of the sun they retired to the tent provided for them. Inside the tent it was almost dark. Nikolas and Lorentis each sat on their own stretcher beds. Pamose was nowhere in sight.
“Where do you suppose Pamose is?” asked Kiya.
“I don’t know; off doing whatever junior officers do in an army camp. Knowing Pamose he’s probably training crocodiles to make a mass attack from the river!” said Nikolas frivolously as he stretched and lay back on the bed.
T T T T
When they awoke next morning the army was already striking camp in the pre-dawn light. As the disk of the sun rose over the horizon, the horns blew at the great temples of Luxor and Karnak to greet the new day and the nearby North Gate swung open. Minnakht’s soldiers formed up and started to march in. In the city Iymeru’s few hundred rebel troops were drawn up on parade, supervised by their junior officers – the senior officers had taken the opportunity to flee.
Nikolas and his party waited until most of the army had entered the city before moving towards the gate. Inside they could see that Iymeru’s troops had been disarmed and were being marched back to their barracks. Ships had already been requisitioned to assemble at the docks to take these troops north, where they would be split up and join garrisons in the Delta – Minnakht wanted no troops of questionable loyalty under his command. The city was quiet, the stre
ets were nearly deserted and the market closed due to Minnakht’s declaration of martial law.
Pamose made arrangements for the caravan party to proceed to the caravanserai, where they would meet next day when the market reopened. Umtau remained with the caravan party and Nikolas, Pamose, Lorentis and Kiya found a clean and quiet inn nearby where they took rooms. Although most of the city was closed for business Nikolas had noted a tattooist’s shop near the caravanserai.
Something had to be done about the slave brands burned into the skin on the shoulders of the men from Kharga.
It was a short walk to the tattooist’s shop and, although it was closed like most of the city that day, the door opened to his insistent knocking. Nikolas looked at a number of stock designs displayed, choosing a red and blue scorpion design, about twice the size of his thumbnail. After reassuring the tattooist that he was not an escaped slave, which was easily achieved by handing over the agreed price in metal in advance, Nikolas spent an uncomfortable two hours wincing at each of the hundreds of times the tattoo needle pricked his skin to deposit the ink. Satisfied with the result, which masked the brand scar, Nikolas promised the tattooist more work for the next day and then returned to the inn. Nikolas, Pamose, Lorentis and Kiya met in the privacy of Nikolas’ room. As Pamose related to the women the story of what had happened to the men since they were seized at Kharga, Nikolas tallied up their portable assets. Their foray into the bandit’s lair at Kharga had resulted in Nikolas more than recovering the substantial sum he had lost when they were taken prisoner. Rings of copper, silver and gold lay in piles together with uncut gems on the linen sheet atop the bed. In addition, they would receive another substantial amount when he sold the items seized from the caravan at the market the next day.
Murder in the Palace: A Nikolas of Kydonia Mystery Page 21