The Amarnan Kings, Book 5: Scarab - Horemheb

by Overton, Max

  "Gently, Khu," Scarab admonished. "We both know Ashraz and what he is. He would scarcely announce himself to us if he meant us harm."

  "Ah, Lady Khepra...may I call you Scarab?"

  "She is Lady Khepra to you, Amorite," Khu growled.

  "He knew me as Scarab long before I became Lady Khepra. I will allow it, Ashraz."

  "Thank you. Well then, Scarab, how could I possibly mean you harm? I have seen the power that you wield through your gods. I have no desire to suddenly find myself dead."

  "I am forgetting myself," Scarab said, smiling. "Here, I am the host, yet I have not offered you refreshment. Will you take wine with me, Ashraz, or do you prefer beer or water?"

  "I find wine to be a civilised drink, Scarab."

  "Khu, will you please find a servant and have wine brought to us?"

  "I should not leave you alone with him."

  Ashraz laughed. "You think I would dare touch her? I have seen what she can do."

  "It will be alright, Khu," Scarab said.

  Khu left to find a servant to bring wine, and after the door closed, Ashraz wandered to the window and stared out. Scarab joined him.

  "Do they have anything like that in Amurri?" Scarab asked.

  Ashraz shook his head. "They are a wonder of the world. That casement of white limestone reflects back the sun to dazzle a man, even if he believed such a structure could possibly exist."

  "You know something of them? I mean, you mention limestone."

  "I have heard of them from travellers, and once I saw them, gleaming like mountains from afar. Surely the gods created them."

  "Not gods, but men, centuries ago. I am told they represent the ben-ben mound, that original pyramid that was the first act of creation by Atum."

  "Atum is one of your gods, is he not? One of the nine you worship?"

  "Yes." Scarab paused for a minute and then, still looking out of the window, she added, "Atum it was who gave me the...thing that brought with it the gifts of the gods."

  "A talisman? It is the source of your strange powers?"

  "Yes, but I lost this thing between Taanach and Gubla. I am powerless, Ashraz."

  "I wondered why you did not just leave the White City when it is obvious Lord Horemheb keeps you here against your will."

  "Now you know. What will you do?"

  "Do, Scarab? What would you expect me to do?"

  "I imagine Aziru's spymaster could put the information to good use."

  "Perhaps," Ashraz agreed. "Between Gubla and Taanach, you say? What if a man should find this talisman? Would it bring with it the gifts of your gods?"

  "I doubt it. It is my belief that only I can wield it and only if the gods somehow return it to me."

  "You must feel defenceless."

  "I am still trained in combat, Ashraz. You should know that in case you think to kill me."

  "If I did not kill you first, Amorite," Khu said softly.

  Ashraz swung round. "I must be getting old." He swore colourfully. "I did not hear you come in."

  Khu motioned to the servant standing behind him to set the wine on a side table. He poured three cups of wine and handed them to Scarab first, and then Ashraz.

  The Amorite waited until the servant had left before sampling the wine. "Not bad," he said, "But not as good as the one from Ay's estates."

  "You know his wine?"

  "Oh, yes. I know many things about Kemet."

  "Why did you come and see me?" Scarab asked.

  "Word came to me that you had lost your powers. I decided to come and see for myself."

  "And now that you know?"

  "You told him?" Khu looked incredulous. "Why?"

  "A good question," Scarab said. "Why did I tell you, Ashraz?"

  The spymaster sipped his wine and contemplated the Kemetu man and woman. "You find yourself in a delicate situation. Horemheb seeks to make use of you for his own dynastic purposes and I have no doubt he will rid himself of you as soon as he can decently put you away. Ordinarily, you would have no difficulty countering this threat." Ashraz smiled. "If you had your powers you could just walk out of the White City and nobody could stop you. You do not, therefore you cannot. I do not believe that Scarab just gives up, however, so she seeks an ally in the most unlikely place--an Amorite spy."

  "How can you be of use to me, Ashraz?"

  "I have freedom of movement. Now I know that your talisman is somewhere between Taanach and Gubla, I can look for it. If I find it, I have something with which to bargain. Maybe then we can come to some mutually beneficial agreement."

  "I do not have much time," Scarab said. "In less than fifty days, Horemheb ascends the throne and my fate is tied to that event."

  "Then I shall have to move fast." Ashraz drank again. "I can send word to my agents in the north, and I can be there myself in half a month."

  "And if you find it, you will bring it to me?"

  Ashraz evaded the question. "It would not be of use to anyone else." He put down his cup and rose to his feet. "What does this talisman look like? Remember, I have never actually seen it."

  "Scarab, think before you tell him," Khu said. "Can you truly trust this man?"

  "I am in the hands of the gods, Khu. It is a golden scarab, Ashraz, about so big..." She put thumb and forefinger together. "I would say it is unmistakeable, but I have seen men think it nothing more than a carved rock in the form of a scarab."

  "A golden scarab that some people cannot see?" Ashraz laughed uncertainly. "If anyone but you told me, I would think them a liar."

  The sound of marching feet and shouted commands came muffled through the doors. Khu opened one of them a crack and looked out. He slammed it and slipped the bar across.

  "Palace guards, heading this way."

  "I must not be found," Ashraz said. "If Horemheb takes me, I die, and with me, your hopes, Scarab."

  "Out the window, quickly then."

  Ashraz looked and grimaced at the drop. "I'll be killed." The doors quivered as men started pounding on them. "Ah well. Farewell, Scarab, I will be back as soon..." He slid over the sill and dropped, crashing into some shrubbery, rolling over and limping away.

  "Let them in, Khu."

  The doors burst open and armed soldiers rushed in, searching the room. One pointed out of the window and yelled. A junior officer joined him and signalled to his men who ran out, in pursuit of the fugitive. A more senior officer entered and looked at Khu, dismissing him before approaching Scarab.

  "Lady Khepra, you are in good health?"

  "Of course. What is the meaning of this invasion?"

  "My apologies, lady. We received word that an Amorite spy had gained access to your chambers. We were concerned that he might be an assassin."

  "Then you need not be concerned any longer...Ipywer, is it not? I had Lord Khu with me at all times. He is all the protection I need."

  Ipywer stared at Khu for a moment. "What did the Amorite want?"

  "He came to offer me jewel, knowing that I appreciate beautiful things."

  "And where is this jewel?"

  "He took it with him when he left. I can see now, by the manner of his departure, that the man was not who he said. I thank you for your intervention, Ipywer."

  The officer bowed. "I am glad to be of service, Lady Khepra. When we catch him we will find out what he really wanted." Ipywer bowed again and left, closing the doors behind him.

  Khu crossed to the window and looked out. Neither Ashraz nor the palace guards were in sight, but shouting sounded in the distance. "Do you think they'll catch him?"

  "That too is in the hands of the gods."

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  * * *

  Chapter Seven

  Four of Scarab's followers had left Ineb Hedj five days after Horemheb and his army had triumphantly entered the city. In the days before the king-apparent had tightened security around his prize, Scarab supplied them with gold and silver and sent them north on a fast ship. Abrim, Gershon, Dahvin, and Hakkan were a
ll members of the Pillar, the paramilitary force of Shechite tribesmen sworn to safeguard Scarab, whom they knew as 'Eye of Geb'. They had come ashore near Zarw, bought horses with their gold and ridden hard for Kanaan and Amurri. Their destination was the road between Taanach and Gubla, where the Eye of Geb had lost her golden scarab, but to get there they swung east, away from the coast, to avoid the Kemetu legions. They had vowed to find the golden scarab and return it to its owner in Ineb Hedj before the seventy days of the dead king's funeral arrangements were up.

  They had taken sixteen days to reach the place and were now slowly riding the Taanach to Gubla road, their gaze downcast as they scoured the ground for a glint of gold. It was a hideous task. Even at a fast pace, the ride between the cities took five days, and they had to cover it at a slow walk. Moreover, they had to keep an eye out for Amorite patrols.

  "This is hopeless," Hakkan complained as they drew close to Gubla on the twenty-fifth day. "We have gone over the ground and seen nothing. Someone has probably found it already and we are just wasting time."

  "Nobody will have found it unless the gods allow it. We have all seen it gleam gold in the hands of the Eye, but we have also seen it look no more than just a carved rock."

  "So the gods have let somebody find it."

  "Go back to Ineb Hedj and tell the Eye you lost heart," Abrim said. "Evidently, your oath of loyalty means nothing."

  "I did not say I would give up, just that what we are doing is not achieving anything."

  "You have a better idea on how to find it?"

  "I think I do," Gershon said. He stopped and the others gathered around him to listen. "Look, we walk, leading our horses, but with one eye keeping a lookout for patrols. Our attention is divided, and every time we spot soldiers we have to ride away into the hills or hide. What if we just walked? No horses, no gold and therefore no need to hide. Soldiers are not going to trouble poor peasants."

  "What do we do with the horses?" Dahvin asked.

  "We could sell them and buy more when we head back," Hakkan said.

  "And if we find it ten days out, we have to walk back another ten before we can do anything. We need the horses handy."

  "What if one of us was to follow a few hours behind with all the horses? He could keep to the foothills, move slowly, but be there quickly if there was trouble."

  Abrim thought it over. "We will try it. Hakkan, you will take the horses. Stay away during the day but find us at dusk. The rest of us will walk. If we start back to Taanach now we could..."

  "What if the golden scarab is between here and Gubla?" Dahvin asked. "We are only half a day's ride. We should check that first."

  "I do not think it necessary," Abrim said. "The Eye told me she was at least a day from Gubla when she first noticed it missing."

  Hakkan took the horses and rode off into the foothills to follow later. The other three turned back toward Taanach and started walking, Abrim to the left of the road, Gershon to the right, and Dahvin in the middle where he could sweep his gaze to both sides.

  "I think it is a waste having you in the middle," Abrim told Dahvin. "The scarab undoubtedly fell to one side, but we do not know which side, so you should choose a side and search there."

  "It could have fallen in the road itself."

  Abrim shook his head. "Think on it, Dahvin. If it fell on the bare ground of the road it would certainly have been found. If it has not, it is because it has been concealed."

  They started walking, slowly, scanning the rocks and dirt on either side of the dirt road, estimating how far from the road it might have fallen from a woman on horseback. They found nothing, the ground and rocks being covered with a dull patina of dust. Every hour or so, they would stop and stretch, rubbing sore neck and shoulder muscles before taking a drink of water and moving onward. Twice that first day, they encountered riders. Once it was a small caravan of a dozen donkeys bound for Gubla. They greeted the merchants in a friendly fashion, keeping their hands in plain sight, and offered no interest in their cargo.

  The other party of riders was a group of Amorite soldiers, and here the Shechites moved to one side of the road and stood with heads bowed as the soldiers rode past. They showed no interest in the ragged tribesmen beyond a curt glance, and when they had passed by, Abrim led his men back to their task.

  When the light of day failed them, Abrim set a marker by the roadside and the three men walked off the road to a gully nearby where Hakkan met them, bearing food and water in the horses' panniers. They ate and talked around a small fire before damping down the glow and sleeping. In the morning, Hakkan stayed in camp to get the horses ready for travel while the others returned to the road, starting their search anew at the marker left in place the previous evening. The found nothing that day, nor the next seven, and by the time they were within a day or two's ride of Taanach, they were getting discouraged again.

  "It is not here," Gershon said. "We may not want to face it, but the gods have led some traveller to find it already. It probably adorns the jewellery case of a lady in either city."

  "So what are we to do?" Abrim asked. "Return to the Eye and tell her we failed her? You know what her fate will be."

  "There must be something we can do," Hakkan said that night around the camp fire. "Could we not return to Sinai and find another hundred members of the Pillar and rescue the Eye from her captor?"

  "Finding members of the Pillar is easy enough," Abrim said, "But rescuing her is another matter. Horemheb has thousands of troops in or near the city."

  "So what do we do?" Dahvin asked.

  "We keep looking."

  Two more days passed and they came close enough to Taanach for Aziru's soldiers to be a nuisance. This close to the city, the troops were bored and willing to pick a fight or just be obstructive. The Shechites were stopped and questioned.

  "State your business," an Amorite officer demanded.

  "We are herders," Abrim said. "From the hills. We are returning there."

  "What are you doing down here?"

  "We came to see the sights of the city, spend our copper. We went to Gubla because we heard it has beautiful women and offers a good price for our goats. Now we are going home."

  The soldiers walked around them, their swords still in their belts. "Open your wallets." The three Shechite men did so. The officer emptied them out and held up a copper bracelet. "What is this? I thought you said you had spent all your copper."

  "Indeed we did, sir, on women and beer, but we need to buy food for our journey in Taanach."

  "There is a tax on everyone entering Taanach from Gubla," said the officer. "By chance, it is this amount of copper for three men."

  "But sir, if you take all our copper, how will we buy food?"

  "That is no concern of mine, now be on your way." To highlight his command, he drew his sword.

  Abrim and the others hurried away. As the soldiers were still on the road behind them, Abrim pointed off to the hills and suggested they lose themselves in the gullies and ravines until the guards had gone. "It is near the time when we need to seek Hakkan anyway." They camped and discussed what they were to do.

  "The closer we get to Taanach, the more that is going to happen," Gershon said.

  "And now that we have no copper, the soldiers will get angry that we cannot pay them." Dahvin added.

  "Of course we have copper," Hakkan said. "Even some silver still. Put a little in your wallets for the next lot to steal."

  "And if the same soldiers stop us, where has the copper come from?" Gershon demanded. "It is too dangerous to continue."

  "We must continue," Abrim said. "But I agree, we cannot risk further encounters."

  "So what do we do?" Dahvin asked.

  "I do not know, but let us sleep on the decision."

  The others slept, but Abrim stayed awake for a long time. He thought about how the nine gods of Iunu had come to the woman called Scarab, had healed her and rescued her, giving her awesome gifts. The golden scarab talisman from Atum is t
he key. Without it, the other gifts cannot be called up . A further thought niggled at Abrim's mind, but he could not pin it down, so he fell asleep instead.

  As they broke their fast at dawn the next day, Abrim found the answer. "I have thought hard about our problem," he told the others, "And it seems to me that if the gods gave her the golden scarab to do their will, and then took it away from her, the only way she will recover it is if the gods return it to her."

  "Wonderful," Gershon murmured. "And how exactly do we force the gods to give it back?"

  "We do not, for who can force a god? We can ask though--offer up our prayers and a sacrifice. Maybe the gods will hear us and relent."

  "Which gods?" Dahvin asked.

  "The Nine of Iunu--Scarab's gods--of course."

  "They are not the gods of the Shechites."

  "Geb is, so is Set. Pray to them."

  "I am happy to pray to all nine," Hakkan said. "If it will help. But what do we sacrifice?"

  "We have a little wine, some dried meat, some grain. It is all we have, so it must be enough."

  Dahvin looked round at the others. "Let us do it then."

  Abrim led them in prayer, though he was not sure how to do it. He stood and, after a moment's hesitation, faced a little west of south. "Iunu lies in that direction," he murmured. Lifting his arms, he called out, "O Atum, creator of the universe, hear our prayer. Remember your servant Scarab whom you rescued in the desert and to whom you gave the great gift of the golden scarab. Restore it to her, we beg, that she might once again be your faithful servant." Abrim lowered his arms and looked round at the others. "What do you think?"

  "Perhaps you should ask the other gods as well," Dahvin said.

  "The golden scarab came from Atum though. She told us that each god gave a different gift."

  "All the gifts depend on the carving though. Can it hurt to ask them?"

  Abrim nodded his agreement. "Anything else?"

  "Should we ask that it be returned to us, rather than the Eye, as we are here and she is not?" Hakkan asked.

  "I imagine the gods know that already," Abrim replied.

  "If the gods know it all already," Gershon muttered, "Then why do we bother to ask them?"