Son of the SunLij, the Pharaoh Knefer-Lijedefer- ElijahSen-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. Sennacherib, King of Assyria - Karl Urban Argamus of Kishlan - Hugo Weaving Garmen - Craig Parker Iri-Natjer - Lij's cousin Pretep-Ra - Lij's cousin and Nat's wife Agor - Kishlan captain Soraya - Kishlan healer Lygia - Mistress of the Slaves Leila Khatun - Keeper of Mysteries Ahmose - Lij's chief concubine Peri - Aton - Another concubine Chief Herald Several friends, aquaintances and folks who merit mentioning, but no names, please! Part 22 - Alarms and Diversions The Nubian guards outside Pharaoh's apartments were used to people demanding to see the king. Iri-Natjer was treated no differently from anyone else. They barred his entrance with crossed spears. Nat glowered. "But I need to see my cousin most urgently, men!" The senior guard looked down at Nat from his superior height. "I am sorry, my lord, but no-one is to be admitted into the Great One's presence, except the master physician Seti-Hop." The guard shifted his stance, taking a firmer purchase with his leather sandals on the marble floor. "But my wife said she was coming to see him a few minutes ago. If you let her in, why not me?" "No one has been admitted to these chambers, lord, except Seti-Hop when he came with the mid day meal. He said that this sickness of the Great One is very virulent. It can kill within hours. No one will see our Lord until Seti-Hop says so." "Well, I shall report this matter to Menkh when he returns. I am not to be put aside like a common man. And if my dear wife should come to you again, please send her away. She has a delicate constitution, and would take the sickness very swiftly." Nat scowled. "I shall return tomorrow to see what Seti-Hop decides." The guards bowed, and Nat stormed down the corridor, an expression on his usually vacuous face that was impossible to interpret. *** Lygia chewed the end of her stylus and regarded Soraya and Leila, sitting across from her at the small table, with the utmost care. "So, Leila, Raya and I have reached our conclusion. The evidence seemed patent even before all the facts were assembled and quantified. The writing implements were ignored in favour of a portion of her favourite goats cheese and a few grapes. Leila put down her cup, and looked intently at her friend. " Enlighten me, I beg you." She smiled and reached for a peach." I have not been able to collect any evidence - nor would I have recognised any if it had presented itself to me. I am not as needle-witted as you." Raya grinned. " He stirred our curiosity from the beginning, so it was natural to watch out for little things. We knew that the Great One had a lover called Sen-Adom, and that they called each other Dom and Lij. Traders like to talk, and they talk more over wine" We knew that Lij had given us a false name - Adom - and that in his sickness, he called out for Dom, as you know. Dom admitted his name later, as did Lij. This would not have been so significant if the other pieces had not fitted together." Gia reached out for another portion of cheese and nibbled it thoughtfully. "When Raya visited Payankhi in his room, she was told that he wished he' d had the teaching of the harpist he was listening to...Brimada. It takes a master to train a harpist, and Brimada is no novice. Sen-Adom is a Master Harper. How many master harpists does the Pharaoh have at court? One, we are informed. Only one." Leila nodded. " Very interesting" " Payan..Dom... informed us that Lij had lately been poisoned, and that the poison was meant for him. A Hurrian trader told us this not long ago regarding the king and Adom. The walls of Great Houses have ears." Raya handed her friend another peach. " But when Dom came down to see the sick slave, he asked if he could bathe him. I found that very telling. What master desires to wash his slave? Even one he is enamoured of ?.." Lygia broke off to give some instruction to a girl who tapped at the door, and, returning to her seat summed up the situation very concisely. " We were told the Great One was sick again, with a terrible illness that killed anyone who came near him. Neither he or Sen-Adom have been seen for some time. " "Then Menkh, the kings cousin - and deputy to all intents and purposes since the queen regent is with child - leaves Egypt in a tearing hurry, with the Kishlan embassy in tow and taking a third of the country's host with him." "Several things intrigued us. Why leave the country when the king is so sick...and with Garmen? Is Payankhi so important a Lord? Why are they now encamped at our borders?" "And why has no-one apparently died from this deadly disease? If it is so virulent, one would expect a few deaths...even servants or slaves or close family. But there have been none reported. " "Put all this together with the fact that Lij shies away from any physical contact, and you' re there." Leila raised her eyebrows questioningly. " It is death to touch the king unbidden. Did you not notice his reluctance, Leila? Besides, that way he has of raising his chin just so, and looking haughtily down his shapely nose when displeased, does not argue for any slave I have ever had the training of." "And his hands are not those of a slave - even bed-slaves have to work. This man has done no menial task. Didn't even know how to empty a slop pot if I remember correctly." Gia sighed. " Of course, on their own these facts would have meant nothing. But, together...." Soraya nodded. "Indeed it does seem so. Dom and Lij are Sen-Adom and Knefer-Lijedefer, I have no doubt of it. Our beautiful man is the Lord of the Whole Earth. If this was to be discovered, Gia, our world would be destroyed, not to speak of his. Argamus, careless ruler as he often is, would not let such a prize slip through his hands. What do we do, now?" Lygia sipped her wine. "We speak to Agor. We will not disclose to him or anyone else what we have discovered, not even to Dom and Lij, yet awhile. We will see if we can find a way, once Sennacherib has tired of Lij - as he has tired of all the others - to return Lij to Dom, and Lij to his people. But first..." she sighed..."I must prepare him for the Assyrian, tonight." Soraya frowned. "Can we not delay it by sending Lij to sleep again?" Lygia shook her head. "If we are to help them both, we must not prevaricate any longer. It will be too obvious if we delay the inevitable again. We need to project an innocent demeanour. So, no, we cannot." Lygia took Soraya's hand. "Raya, you have truly fought to keep this cub safe. But tonight he must go!" Soraya convulsively pressed the hand holding hers . "I do not wish to see him harmed by this tyrant! Why Argamus permits him to remain here, I cannot understand. He is truly evil." They went to find Lij. *** " I see it. We should reach it by nightfall," breathed Pen-Nekeb. Menep whispered a prayer of thanks. At sunset they and their party reached the palace gates. *** Lij stood before Lygia his eyes as round as saucers. "What is this equipment?" he stuttered, looking at it in horror. There were leather wrist and ankle straps, belts, whips and iron manacles and chains piled high on the floor. Lygia's smile did not quite reach her eyes. She had been at this point before, with several others, and the lad looked frightened. For the first time since he had arrived in this strange place, his composure seemed fractured. Lygia blessed the strict training that must prevail in the houses of the great. He swallowed his fear, and smiled tremulously over at her. He picked up a thick belt with silver rings set along its length. "What is this for, Gia?" She pressed him gently against the wall. " I'll show you, Lij. It's better than the telling. Put it on." It was manifestly too large an item for the slender man's waist, but as there were holes along its entire length, it was fastened easily. Lygia took the ankle cuffs and the hand cuffs, and buckled the former on whilst Lij battled with the latter. Then she chained him by these to the wall and joined them to the belt. She picked up the whip and ran it along his arm. His muscles tensed. "Will he whip me with it?" he managed, quietly. "I am a whipmaster, and I know what I am doing. But not everyone who wields one does." Lygia smiled. "Is Dom fond of the whip too, Lij?" He blushed scarlet. "He, um, is very fond of certain practises, as am I. But we do not harm each other. No, we do not like that, no." "We do not know what he does, Lij. The Assyrian, I mean. We have had two of his boys come to us for treatment slightly hurt, before being sent back to him again. All we know is he likes me to show the new boys this equipment. You are the first one who on seeing it, that has not burst into tears. I commend your self control." Lij lowered his eyes. "I have had time to practise and perfect it. I do not like other people to know what I am thinking. My face is not a mirror of my thoughts." No, only a mirror of your feelings, Great One! Lygia smiled. "What are you thinking, Gia?" "Oh, nothing that matters, my dear. Look, I shall unbuckle you and show you the other items. Lij sighed. Dom, where are you? I need you, now! *** It was not difficult for the little dusty group to gain ingress into the Kishlan palace. They arrived hard on the heels of a very volatile female dance troupe, who had flounced and screeched and complained and demanded better lodgings. The guards and officials were charmed to receive such accommodating traders. It is true that Pen-Nekeb had to restrain Menep from commenting on the size of the rooms allotted them, but this was done with a raised eyebrow and a wry grin. The answer was a loud bark of laughter, and a hand raised in acquiescence. It was evening before they were bathed, rested and admitted into the presence of anyone from whom they might glean any information concerning Lij and Dom. Nekeb and Menep went into the slave quarters alone. The others waited, biting their finger ends, in the common rooms. "No men admitted here!" said the attendant guards at the thick door. The man raised his head and looked squarely at the guard . "I am no man, I am a eunuch. A complete eunuch." he stated with no emotion whatsoever. Menep smiled at him, and whispered, "You are a fine man, Pen-Nekeb and if I say so, it is so, as you know." "Thank you Great..er, Menep," he whispered. "Shall we go in?" he asked the guards. The guards realising that the eunuch's claim would have been checked earlier, let them in. *** Set-Hop was sought out by a young we'eb priest in his chambers. "I was instructed you should be informed immediately, Master. A large jar of peach kernels has been mislaid in the dispensary storeroom." Seti-Hop strode like a panther along the corridors to the king's rooms. A captain was stationed there. "Let no one into these rooms, my friend, if the ground sink beneath your feet. Has anyone entered since I took food in earlier?" The captain shook his head and opened the door, and both men went in. They stopped outside the door to the Pharaoh's sleeping quarters, and Seti-Hop opened the door very carefully. "Stand back, my friend", he commanded, loudly, "the very air in this room is sick." He peeped in, and satisfied with what he saw allowed the captain to glimpse the familiar dark hair and finely chiselled features of the Thothmides resting on the pillow, and apparently fast asleep. He shut the door quietly, and the men went out into the main corridor. "You will guard the God with your life. No one - no one, not even you, is allowed beyond the outer door, do you understand?" The seasoned captain nodded gravely. "We will give our lives rather than let anyone pass these portals. No one will be allowed in but you. This I swear." Seti-Hop was satisfied. "I will return in two hours with the Great One's evening meal. I leave you in peace. I have a riddle to solve." The captain smiled his farewell, and resumed his former position beside his companion. "I saw him, asleep. He looked peaceful. I swore to the master physician we would guard him with our lives. Ah, here is the next to relieve you. Tell the rest of the command that I have seen the Lord, and of my oath given on their behalf. Farewell." Silence descended. The guards stood like stone, guarding their Lord's rest. No one else disturbed their watch. *** Lygia and Soraya were informed, as they had requested to be, that there were perfume traders from Egypt come to court. They asked that the travellers be admitted immediately, as Soraya was, she said, urgently in need of the best frankincense, which was available only from Egyptian territories. They received the traders in Lygia's office. The two women indicated that the travellers be seated. Nekeb wasted no time in prevarication. "I would be grateful if you could introduce me to Soraya the healer. She sent a message to me through Hiplar the perfume seller regarding my cousin, Lij. Is she here?" "Pen-Nekeb?" asked Soraya, hestitantly. Nekeb nodded. "This is Menep. She is my friend. You may speak before her." "I am Soraya", said the healer, quietly. "And this is Lygia, Mistress of the Slaves." "How is he?" Nekeb breathed. "My cousin - is he well?" Lygia smiled at the couple. Menep seemed to be having trouble controlling her breathing, but she spoke, nevertheless. "May we see my chick now? He..." She stopped, unable to speak further. Lygia went to Menep, and took her trembling hands gently. "Is he a relative, my dear?" Menep returned the pressure on her hands, convulsively. "Yes, he is my grandson", the old woman managed. "Please..." Lygia sat beside her. "Great Lady" ..and both Egyptians were shocked to silence by her words... "Great Lady, he has gone to the Assyrian. Tonight Sennacherib would not be denied. We can only hope." Menep turned her head into Lygia's shoulder, and Soraya sat beside Nekeb who was struggling to keep his composure. "All we can do now is wait." the healer said, sadly. *** Lij stood outside the great bronze door, awaiting admittance to Sennacherib's presence. He had decided on the walk up from the slave quarters that killing himself before all hope had been lost was wasteful. While he was still in the same place as Dom, there was still hope. If..when...Sennacherib took him to Assyria, well, he had taken the knife from the kitchens. It was sharp, and would pierce his heart quite efficiently. He had seen men die in this way. It seemed relatively painless. But it would keep. Any contact with his beloved Dom was better than none. The guards swung the door open. Lij walked inside, and they slammed the doors shut behind him. |