Son of the SunList of players so far -Lij, the Pharaoh Knefer-Lijedefer- Elijah Sen-Adom, the harpist - Dominic Neferura-Ulive, Lij's wife and sister - Liv Menkh, Chief Advisor - Viggo Pen-Nekeb, A eunuch; body slave to Lij - Sean Astin Seti-Hop, a physician - Ian Mckellan Nefer-Aru, Lij's mother - Cate Blanchett Merit-Aton, Liv's mother - Miranda Otto Setep-Aton another royal physician - Chris Lee Orem, a eunuch, Liv's lover - Orli Captains of the Guard, Zeser-Amon - Sean Bean and His brother, Ankh-Aton - David Wenham Imhotep, the Royal architect - Billy Menep-Atifer-Ankh-Ra - Lij's Granny - An old woman with heart. Several friends, aquaintances and folks who merit mentioning, but no names, please! Part 8 - Trust Not The Tree Lij rose in the morning, tired and sluggish. Dom had risen at first light, and was no to be found. Lij had not slept well, even in Dom�s arms. His stomach felt bloated. He should not have eaten the quail - not two of them, and not so late at night. He completed his ablutions, Pen-Nekeb fussing about him like a mother hen, and went through the connecting door between his and Dom's new apartments, to find his love. Dom was sitting at a table with several papyrus scrolls scattered upon it. He clutched his hair in despair. Lij noted that after repeated entreaties from him not to do so, Dom had capitulated and no longer rose or knelt to greet him when they were alone. "Will I ever get a grasp of the written language?" he asked Lij, staring at some figures on the yellow roll. "Look - is this a man or a woman?" Lij went over to look. He smiled at Dom, and put his arm around his shoulder. "It's a man, I think", Dom continued, after kissing the hand resting gently on him, "isn't it?" "Yes, a king - remember, Dom?" Dom's brow furrowed with concentration. Enlightenment struck. "Oh, yes. The little figure representing "man" has a beard. That means "king"... now, let me see...the duck means "son of", and the tiny circle within a larger circle means... "Ra!" he exclaimed, triumphantly. "It's one of your titles, Lij - "Son of the Sun!" " Dom had laughed when Lij, in a moment of fun, announced that from now on Dom was to address him on certain occasions by all his names and titles. As Lij had twenty-four titles and sixteen names, apart from the five titles and names every Pharaoh has, this was no easy feat. But Dom had secretly learned them, and surprised Lij with the recital one night, as (this being the certain occasion specified) he made love to Dom in their bed. Dom found it difficult to speak, being in ecstasy, but he managed it, much to Lij's amazement. Dom smiled at the memory of that night, and bent over his work once more. Lij walked out onto the terrace. There were several fine fig trees growing here, and Lij absently picked a fruit off one and bit into it. Perhaps a ripe fig or two might ease his stomach. The fruit must be over-ripe! Lij thought. It tasted sour. He walked back inside and threw the half-eaten fig into a dish on the table, and went to help Dom with his studies. They sat there for some time, laughing and talking, while Dom struggled with the unfamiliar shapes and symbols. The room suddenly became very warm, and Lij began to sweat. He needed water. His mouth was dry, and he felt sick. His head hurt. He got up and went to pour himself a drink, when an agonising cramp in the belly seized him. He gave a cry, and held onto the table for support. Dom looked up, then ran to him as he collapsed onto his knees. "Lij! What is it, my love?" Dom asked him, urgently, kneeling down in front of him, holding him up. Lij was trembling and hot. "Lij?" Dom whispered, terrified. "Lij?" But Lij was past speech. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell into Dom's arms. Dom screamed for help, then picked Lij up, and carried him into the bed chamber. Three slaves and two soldiers came running. They stood there, mouths gaping, as the King struggled for breath in Dom's arms. "Get a physician!" Dom shouted. "Now!" The men ran. ** In a small chamber on the other side of the palace, a hand picked up a small phial containing poison. The person that the hand belonged to had, late the night before, stolen into Dom's garden, and painted the poison onto the figs while they hung on the trees. Dom was in the King's bed, the poisoner would not be seen. No one would blame him for the death, either, he had made sure of that. All morning he had been in sight of people whose word could be trusted in evidence. He knew Dom ate of those figs daily just before the midday meal. It was after midday, now. It was accomplished. Someone ran down the passageway outside his rooms, shouting. He ignored the noise, rapt as he was in his own thoughts. How to destroy someone completely? Take away the thing he loves most! Setep-Aton smiled. He hated the king. He would destroy Dom, and the king would be bereft. As the king had made him bereft, by murdering his son, and through this act, his grandson and daughter-in-law, too, had died. Setep-Aton would enjoy seeing the anguish on the king's face. No, more than this - he would relish it! The little king would know what it felt like to lose a loved one. He would make him suffer, watching the poison slowly destroy the person he loved above all others. Then, and only then, would he kill the king. Yes! Let him suffer a little, first! The voice outside had been joined by others, and the hubbub grew louder. He reached over and picked up a fig from the table, and bit into it, laughing. ** Seti-Hop burst through the door, followed by Nefer-Aru and Liv. "Help him!" Dom was frantic, holding tightly onto Lij's hand. Seti-Hop stared at the king, now lying on the bed, in horror. He was blue about the mouth, and panting for breath, eyes closed, his knees drawn up to his chest. Seti-Hop knew, then. Poison! "What did he eat or drink, Sen-Adom? Quickly!" Dom raised anguished eyes to the physician. "Nothing that I know of!" he managed. Liv and Nefer-Aru were sobbing in each other's arms. "He must have taken something! Pen-Nekeb, go and see if you can find..." Pen-Nekeb ran out. Seti-Hop pushed Dom out of the way, and bent over the struggling man. "Lord, can you hear me?" Nothing. He felt Lij's belly. Hard and clenched. They would have to get the poison out. But would it do as much damage on the way out as it was doing inside him? They would have to take that chance. Seti-Hop called an agitated servant, and gave instructions, hurriedly. Pen-Nekeb rushed back with half a fig in a dish. The fig was surrounded by dead flies. Seti-Hop knew, then, what had happened. He had heard of the trick, before - years ago. And he remembered who had told him of it. Menep hurried into the room, carrying hot towels in a basket. "Out! - if all you can do for him is cry like babies!" She glared at Liv and Nefer-Aru, who immediately asked what they could do. "Get his clothes off, first." Dom stood whilst Lij's mother and wife stripped him. "Now put the cloths on his belly - helps to ease the pain. Have you sent for salt...?" she barked at the physician. "Yes, Lady", Seti-Hop murmured, stirring something into a cup of weak wine. "Frankincense..." he said to her enquiring glance."... to ease the pain." "Dom, get him to swallow it, somehow." the old lady ordered. Dom took the cup in his shaking hand, and tried to pour some past Lij's lips. It ran out of the corner of his mouth. He tried again, stroking the throat, and murmuring endearments into an unresponsive ear. It went in, and the man's muscles seemed to relax a little. Pen-Nekeb came forward with a jug and cup. "The salt water you requested, Lord", he gave the jug to Seti-Hop, who poured some liquid into the cup, and forced it down Lij's throat. Another followed. Lij's skin was drenched in sweat. His eyes remained shut, and he had spoken not a word. Suddenly his stomach rebelled at the salt water, and he vomited water, poisoned fig and bile in an arc, which hit the hovering Pen-Nekeb straight in the chest. "More!" ordered the physician. Dom forced more down Lij's throat. He vomited it straight back. Lij began to shiver. The shivering soon became shuddering. "More hot towels, quick!" the old lady yelled. Servants ran in and out of the room, as ordered to fetch and carry various items by Menep and Seti-Hop. They laid the hot towels over his body, and hoped for a miracle. Dom wiped the beloved face with a damp cloth scented with herbs, and kissed his love. No one stopped him. No one would have dared. The look on his face was terrible - terrifying - incandescent as he was with fury and despair. Seti-Hop chanted the spell used in such an extreme emergency: "Flow out, thou poison, come forth upon the ground. Horus conjures thee; he cuts thee off, he spits thee out and thou risest not up but fallest down. Thou art weak and not strong, a coward who dost not fight. Thou art turned back and findest not thy way. Thou mournest and does not rejoice. Turn back, thou snake. Conjured is thy poison which was in any limb of Knefer-Lijedefer, the son of Thothmes-Nynetiger. Behold, the magic of Horus is powerful against thee. Flow out, poison, come forth upon the ground." All was silence. Nothing stirred. The spell had not worked. Lij was still breathing, but he did not open his eyes. "Call him", Seti-Hop said, softly, to Dom. "Call him back". "Lij? Come back to me!" Dom pleaded, tears in his eyes. Silence. The room was fraught with tension. The King's breathing was becoming shallower. His skin, paler. Suddenly he stopped breathing altogether, and Dom wailed his despair to the painted ceiling. Suddenly, Menep walked to the foot of the bed, and held out her arms in an ancient gesture of worship. "I have come from Heliopolis", she intoned, in a strange and powerful voice, "Together with the Great of the Great House, the Lords of Protection, the Rulers of Eternity. I have spells which the Lady of All created. I belong to Ra who says it is I who will protect him from his enemies". The atmosphere in the room changed. It became charged with light. "I am she whom the gods desire to keep you alive. Knefer-Lijedefer, Beloved of the gods, Lord of Light, Making Hearts to Live, return from that dark place where you dwell, and stay with us, forever. I give my life for yours - my life to the gods for yours." On the last words her voice changed, and became sweet. She looked at her baby, lying in the bed, so still, and tears welled up for the first time, in her old eyes. "The gods would not accept me, yet", she said, sorrowfully. "But they gave him back to us - look!" Lij's chest heaved; he opened his eyes, blinked twice, and shut them again. Seti-Hop bent over to examine Lij. "He is sleeping", he whispered in amazement. "Lady..." He could say no more. They all stared at her. She smiled, and leaned heavily against Dom's arms. He picked her up and put her on the bed next to Lij, then he looked around the room. "Seti-Hop, you know who did this terrible thing, do you not? I could see it in your face!" The old physician nodded at Dom. "Yes, it was Setep-Aton, I am almost sure. He told me, many years ago, when he was in his cups, and too drunk to know he had spoken of it, that if he ever felt the need to kill someone, he would paint the poison onto the fruit they liked best as it grew on the trees. I dismissed it at the time as drunken stupidity; but I remembered. I have no doubt he did this. But, Sen-Adom, this poison was not meant for the Great One - it was meant for you." Dom�s teeth bared in a snarl, and he spoke low in Pen-Nekeb's ear. The slave left swiftly, coming back a few moments later with a small bowl containing some ripe figs. Dom took the bowl. "I shall take these to Setep-Aton myself", he said to Lij's wife and mother, who were still weeping - "and I shall stay there, with him, until he eats them!" |