“Now what?” Paser asked Aya.
There was still business to attend to. “The joinings.” They were her responsibility now. She nodded at her brother. He moved directly in front of her, faced her. “Iuput, tomorrow night, after we honor the falcon god and the fertility goddess, you’ll be joined to Hemetre.” The girl rushed from the crowd to his side, gazed at him happily, smiled broadly at Aya.
The women and girls of Aya’s band ululated.
Meru stared at Aya, fuming.
“I’m thrilled for you both,” Aya said. “I’m sure your union will be one of great joy.” She envied them. She’d never had a great love like theirs, doubted she ever would.
They moved aside. Everyone in her band, and Qen’s family, began pressing more closely towards her. Meru’s people milled about behind them, some curious, some greatly disappointed. Those in Aya’s band seeking partners had been anxiously awaiting this night for months. With all the turmoil, who would join with whom was now anyone’s guess.
“Khensa, you’ll be joined to Harwa.”
Qen’s youngest niece and Aya’s nephew didn’t look quite as happy as the first couple had.
Aya glanced at the crowd, remembered Qen and Paser’s secretive discussions on behalf of their progeny. She’d been suspicious of Qen then, but now knew he’d been telling the truth about their mutual objective. Honoring that objective would hopefully cement Paser’s support. “Khenut, you’ll be joined to Harkuf.”
Both were ecstatic.
“An excellent choice,” Paser smiled.
“Qen told me it would please you,” Aya said. She addressed her oldest daughter. “Ahaneith, you’ll join with your cousin Isu.” He was a good and decent boy. Aya hoped Ahaneith might eventually find a modicum of happiness with him. He certainly had none of Menna’s drawbacks.
“It’s not too late!” Menna cried, stepping towards Ahaneith. “Come with me!”
Ahaneith burst into tears, put both hands over her face. She was, Aya realized, still under Menna’s spell. Aya hoped that in a few days, after everything was fully explained to her, she’d realize the horrible fate she’d just dodged.
“See? You’re making a mistake, denying your own daughter what she wants most,” Meru told Aya. “My son is right!” he cried to everyone else. “It’s not too late for any of you!”
Isu moved to Ahaneith’s side, roughly grasped her arm, glowered at Menna, pulled her into the crowd.
“Intef, you’ll take Takhat to your hut,” Aya continued, turning her back on Meru. A far better choice for her sister than Khay.
Takhat seemed to think so too.
“Tiy and Kheti, you’ll wait to be joined until we meet another band, or until Qen’s younger nephews come of age.”
They nodded, disappointed.
“You could both be joined tonight,” Meru interjected again.
“You could have been too!” Aya retorted, looking over her shoulder at Meru. “But you weren’t willing to pay the price.” She turned her back on him, beckoned Qen’s sister forward. “Semat, you’ll join with Hunefer.”
The man who had pursued Aya half a lifetime ago and had been the odd man out in the last round of joinings appeared shocked. He stumbled to Semat’s side. She was shocked too. Aya thought they’d make a good match.
“She should be mine, in place of Nofret!” Hannu spluttered, putting his hand on Aya’s shoulder, spinning her around to face him.
“I’ve given her to someone else,” Aya rejoined, slapping his hand away. “How does it feel, Father, to have no say in the matter?”
His fury made her smile.
“The only man left for you – besides me – is Qen,” Meru told Aya.
“You’re very perceptive. I certainly don’t intend to join with you, Meru.”
“Qen? Have you gone mad?”
“He’s a far better man than you.”
“You promised to join with me!” Meru cried petulantly. “Admit it! If you join with Qen everyone will know your word is no good! Your people will know they can’t trust you!”
“My word?” Aya asked. “I never promised you anything. You’re delusional. You made a bargain with my father for me when Kakhent was still alive! Then you killed Kakhent so you could have me! What kind of a man does either of those things?” Aya heard the dark mutterings of her people, saw anger on the faces of Kakhent’s sons, the outrage on Qen’s.
Paser drew his knife, stepped towards Meru. Meru drew his in response.
Aya held out her hand, stayed Paser. “I won’t let you kill a patriarch. I won’t let you stoop to Meru’s level. His band has disintegrated tonight. He’s paying the price for what he did.”
Reluctantly, Paser stepped back. His eyes did not leave Meru’s face.
Aya stepped so close to Meru that they were almost touching. “So I will not join with you. In fact, I’m not joining with Qen either. From this day, my life is my own, to do with as I see fit.”
The look of utter disbelief on Meru’s face warmed Aya to the depths of her heart. She had her revenge for the way he’d dishonored her. It was even sweeter because it had caught him totally off guard. The surprised murmurs from the crowd were proof that no one had expected such a development.
Meru stared hard at her, then laughed grimly. “So you say now. Let’s see how proud and mighty you are the day you become mine, Aya. It’s only a matter of time. In a few days, a week, a month, these people will realize what they’ve done tonight, what they’ve thrown away. They’ll rid themselves of you then.” He scanned the crowd. “Qen, what’s in your family’s hut in my camp is forfeit. Never show yourself in my camp again – not you, not your sister, not anyone from your family. You are all dead to us.” With that he angrily pushed past Aya to where his people were standing, then brusquely herded them in the direction of their camp.
Aya watched Meru disappear into the darkness without regret. She’d come within a hair’s breadth of being his today. All around her the people were buzzing, trying to make sense of what had just happened, of how Aya had deposed Hannu so effortlessly, had gained the support of Kakhent’s sons. Qen’s sister and her younger children stood to one side, the young ones tearful, apparently bewildered as they saw their friends and relatives walking away and leaving them behind. Iuput and Hemetre were embracing joyfully. Takhat was sobbing, as were several of her cousins, apparently with joy or perhaps only relief. Ahaneith rushed to Aya and she dropped Qen’s staff and embraced her daughter. Ahaneith’s tears were of confusion and loss.
With her arms still around Ahaneith, Aya addressed her people. “We’ll feast again in the morning, and honor the gods at midday. The joinings will become official at sunset tomorrow, when I bless them.”
With that the crowd began to disperse, drifting across the dried out mud flats towards camp in small groups, animatedly discussing the evening’s events. Isu came forward to reclaim Ahaneith from Aya and they followed after the others. Aya saw several of the new couples walking hand in hand, by themselves. Aya whispered a prayer to the falcon god to watch over her daughter and sister in the days and years to come, and grant them happiness. Then Aya caught sight of Qen, in company with his two youngest nieces and his three nephews. He had a hand on one of his nephew’s shoulders, using him for support in place of the staff that lay at Aya’s feet. She’d make sure to return it to him shortly. The children seemed to be pestering Qen with questions, which he appeared to be patiently answering. For the first time since she’d met him, Aya regarded Qen with gratitude, not mistrust or suspicion. That she now ruled her band was due to him.
Eventually, only Aya remained on the flats. She walked out onto the peninsula, seated herself a few feet from its southern shore, removed the ostrich feathers from her brow, gazed over the vast expanse of the moon–dappled lake, thought over everything that had happened tonight. She’d taken control from Hannu and now led an expanded band. The boys and girls of her band had partners. Ahaneith was free of Menna. Takhat was free of Khay. She was free
of Meru. She was going to be able to live the rest of her life at her lake doing everything she loved to do, on her own terms and no one else’s. She touched the talisman. The falcon god had made everything possible. Aya swept her eyes over the lake, caught sight of Qen’s boat a dozen yards away along with his raft. The dream that the falcon god had sent her more than a decade ago popped into her head. She’d come to doubt that dream, but after what had happened today, she didn’t anymore. She rested her hand on her belly. You’ll be my fourth daughter, Aya whispered. When you’re older, another band will settle at the lake, and I’ll find a man among it’s people who will love me and make me happy. He and I will have a son, your brother. Someday, you and he and his father and I and Ahaneith and Pageti and Betrest will all float together upon the lake, on a magnificent boat just like Qen’s. I know. For I’ve seen it. And someday you will too.
***
A month had passed since the inundation festival and a new normalcy had settled over the camp on the ridge. Five new huts now stood at the west end of the original group, homes of the recently joined couples. There were thirty–five members in Aya’s band now, all but ten of them adults, almost evenly split between male and female. For the first time in Aya’s memory, there were now enough boys and men to watch over the animals and enough women and girls to properly care for the crops and camp.
Just after breakfast, Aya led her daughters and sister towards a melon patch on the west side of the closest basin, just past the edge of the large field east of the ridge that they always planted with emmer. It was a magnificent day, promising to be warm but not hot, the sky blue and cloudless. The dew on the long grass both wet Aya’s feet and cooled them. She glanced towards the lake; while it was still flooded, the waters were beginning to recede. A layer of rich fresh soil silvered with small pools of water on the plain marked the farthest extent of the inundation. In a month or so the ground would be dried sufficiently to begin sowing. Aya, six months pregnant now, had already conceded that she’d have to oversee the activities this year, not actively participate. Stooping and bending a month from now would be difficult. Besides, there were enough women to work that her presence wouldn’t be missed this once.
“It’s ruined!” Ahaneith cried.
Aya hurried towards where her daughter was standing along with the other women, at the edge of the melon patch. Normally Aya would have been leading them, not trailing, but walking quickly was beyond her capabilities now too. She reached the patch, pushed through everyone. The ground as far as she could see was littered with smashed melons. Not only had they been broken apart, but most of the pieces had been smashed or stomped into the ground. There was no salvageable fruit anywhere.
“Meru!” Takhat exclaimed angrily. “He’s trying to starve us!”
“That’s impossible,” Aya replied. “There are too many foodstuffs around the lake. He’s just being malicious. He wants our people to think I can’t protect them from his depredations.”
“It’s more than malicious when he destroys the most productive melon patch around the lake,” Takhat said. “Thank the gods I’m not part of his band.”
“We’d better see what else he’s done,” Aya said grimly.
She led the group partway around the shore of the basin, to a section where tubers grew in profusion. The ground had been entirely dug up there too. Every tuber was gone.
Aya gazed upward, saw Meru watching her group from atop the western end of the ridge that overlooked the basin’s northern edge. “Wait here,” she told everyone. She scrambled from the marsh up the steep ridge as quickly as she could.
Meru waited, watching her come.
Aya reached the crest, strode to him. “You’re responsible for the melons and tubers?” she asked angrily.
“I took what I needed and destroyed the rest,” he said calmly.
“Could you be any more petty?”
“Petty?” Meru asked. “I’m just using what belongs to me the way I see fit.”
“How were those melons and tubers yours?” Aya asked.
“All the territory stretching from the edge of your emmer field to the river in the east, and from the lakeshore to the cliffs in the far North is now mine. I’ve claimed it for my band. I’ll do whatever I please in it.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Aya snapped. “This whole country was given to my people by the falcon god. We’ve shared the resources in it with you ever since you led your band to the lake. They must continue to be held in common.”
“That’s how you see the world, Aya. I don’t. I certainly don’t know your falcon god, don’t recognize anything you claim he’s given you.” Meru smiled. “So, if anyone from your band enters my territory after this, they’ll be taking their lives into their own hands.”
“You’re threatening to kill us?” Aya was outraged.
“You know what I’m capable of,” Meru said smugly.
Aya did indeed. Kakhent and Meru’s own father were dead because of him.
“Just to be clear, that means the waiting stations in the wadis belong to me too. Your people are farmers, not hunters. You don’t need them.”
“You’ve got what – twenty people in your band now, and only half of them adults?” Aya retorted. “You think you can enforce your ridiculous claim?”
“I think my men are better marksmen than yours, and I think we can outnumber you at a specific point any time we want, because you have to defend such a large area and I can concentrate my force wherever you’re weakest. Besides, I don’t think your people have the will to die for fruits and vegetables. There are plenty elsewhere.”
“Which are inconvenient for us to harvest, at best.”
“You can end this unpleasantness, Aya,” Meru said sharply. “Join with me. I won’t even make you acknowledge me as your patriarch. You can continue to lead your people. We can rule the lake country jointly.”
“Never!” Aya snapped. “You’re a petty, vindictive man who can’t stand not getting his own way.”
“And you’re a fool!”
“A fool who easily defeated you. Or have you forgotten so quickly?” With that, Aya turned on her heel, then began carefully descending the steep slope back towards the basin. Halfway there she spotted Ahaneith standing some distance from her sister and younger daughters, talking animatedly with Menna. Aya altered course, headed towards them.
“Come with me,” Aya heard Menna plead as she came within earshot.
“I want to, with all my heart,” Ahaneith replied, taking hold of his hands. “I can’t stand Isu! When he touches me… He’s nothing like you.”
“The thought of him with you in his hut drives me mad!” Menna exclaimed.
“Get away from my daughter!” Aya shouted, hurrying to her daughter’s side.
“That’s not what Ahaneith wants,” Menna said, his eyes narrowed.
Aya grabbed her daughter’s arm, yanked her away from Menna, spun her around. “Wake up! Look around you! Look at what Meru and his sons have done!”
“It’s only what you’ve forced us to do,” Menna simpered.
Aya laughed mirthlessly. “You don’t even have enough guts to take responsibility for your own actions.”
“I love him, Mother!” Ahaneith cried, tears streaming from her eyes. “That’s something you’ll never understand!”
Probably true, Aya admitted to herself. I’ve never met a man I could love, and likely never will. “What I do understand is that we’re going back to camp. All of us. Right now!” She turned to Menna. “As for you, your father’s threats work both ways. Get off my land!”
***
That evening, Aya made her way to the campfire blazing before Iuput’s new hut at the very end of the row atop the ridge’s western end. He was giving final instructions to the three boys slated to guard the animals this night, relieving those who had watched during the day. They rose and headed in the direction of the savannah just as she arrived. Close by, Hemetre was ladling stew into a bowl for Qen. Ever since the fest
ival he’d been overseeing the herdsmen at night, freeing Iuput to sleep in his hut with Hemetre. Aya assumed Qen would join the boys after he ate. He alone in her band had no permanent hut; the few nights he wasn’t with the herdsmen he slept on his boat.
Hemetre greeted Aya and invited her to eat.
Aya sat down cross–legged on the ground beside Iuput.
“I’ll let you speak alone with Iuput,” Qen said, waving the bowl Hemetre was offering him aside, grabbing hold of his staff to help him to his feet.
He’d barely spoken to Aya since the night he’d given her leadership of the band, and then only in response to her questions. In fact, she rarely encountered him at all these days. When he wasn’t with the animals Qen was on his boat, fishing the deep water. Most of those times he was accompanied by Betrest and Pageti. They loved being on the lake. Qen had taught both of them to steer. They were growing strong helping haul nets full of fish on board his vessel.
“Stay and eat, Qen,” Aya replied. “You should probably hear my news too.”
Qen took the bowl from Hemetre. She seated herself next to Iuput, on the side opposite Aya.
“Meru’s claimed the land half a mile to the west outward from his basin, all the way to the edge of our fields,” Aya said without preliminary. “He’s claimed all the land to the east of his basin too, to the river, even our waiting stations in the wadis.”
“By what right?” Iuput cried, incensed.
“Because he knows he can get away with it,” Aya said. “Because he knows I won’t risk the lives of our people to oppose him. The loss of just a few of our men to his arrows would cripple us.”
Daughter of the Falcon God Page 31