Out of the Black Land - By Kerry Greenwood Page 0,49

will show you the caresses women use amongst themselves to give each other pleasure, after they have done their duty by harsh, unfeeling men. Then your wife will adore you and never murmur against you.’

‘I would like to please you,’ I said, overcome with a rush of pure gratitude to this generous Nubian, who had awarded me her loyalty as well as her body.

‘Then you shall,’ she said, giving me a quick kiss. ‘Now, I must order your household, for the Royal Architect is coming, even Imhotep himself, to show the King Akhnamen may he live the plans of a new city he is intending to build. I have drawn more wine from the kitchen, and we should serve them some food. Hani and Tani can attend. Is that according to your will, Master?’

‘It is,’ I replied, and she went away.

My clerks were grinning at me. Did everyone know what I had been doing? I adopted my most serious manner and they grinned even more. Khety whispered to me, ‘Well done, lord!’ and I was within a finger-span of clipping his ears, as my own master might have done to an impertinent student.

However, it did mean that the palace gossips would have a new morsel on which to mumble their jaws. Man-loving Ptah-hotep has lain with his Nubian—well, well. I could easily bear the imputation that I cared only for black women. That would only mean that I was a commoner and had commoner’s tastes. And I am a commoner, and I do have common tastes. My most dangerous secret would be safe; but there must be something for such persons to know about the great, and I was happy if they knew that.

Imhotep had already arrived. He was a thin fussy youth with grand ideas, especially about his own station. He had slapped Hani, the clumsier of the twins, for approaching too close in serving him wine; and Hani, shocked, had spilled a full cup into the imperious architect’s lap. Meryt was mopping him, but the cloth would have to be pounded in lye before it could be worn again. Hani was crying, Tani was comforting Hani, and their brother Teti was glaring and picking up the shattered remains of one of my best wine-cups. I reminded myself that I outranked all of them.

‘Hani, stop crying; it was an honest accident; I’m not angry. Go and help Meryt set out the feast. Tani, get some more wine. Teti, finish cleaning the floor and accompany Hani.

‘My lord Imhotep, do not be distressed. My slaves are not used to being struck, I would be obliged if you do not do so again. Come into my quarters and I will be honoured to give you my finest cloth to replace the one you are wearing.’

Imhotep, knowing that he was in the wrong—one is not supposed to strike slaves, it reveals one as a man with no self-control—came with me and selected a cloth I had inherited along with my office. It was almost solid with gold embroidery and he was welcome to it. He stripped off the wine-stained one and dropped it on the floor.

‘I should not have slapped your Nubian, lord, forgive my hastiness. But the King Akhnamen may he live is going to look at my plans and by Thoth who is our protector, I’m so scared,’ he said frankly. I looked on him with immediate approval.

‘I know how you feel,’ I told him. ‘But we shall make a good production of this. Meryt has the feast ready. The wine is the best. Tani and Hani shall serve it, and they will catch the King’s attention, being identical twins.’

‘Yes, where did you get them?’ he asked as we left my sleeping chamber.

‘From the temple of Khnum, which is selling some of its surplus prisoners. They are relatives of Meryt, my housekeeper.’

‘And as long as you sleep with their sister, they will be loyal,’ he commented. ‘A wise precaution, my lord.’

‘Now, what plans have you and how can we display them to their best advantage?’ I asked, passing over the comment about Meryt. That aspect of our relationship had not occurred to me.

‘I have drawn a big map, perhaps that should go on the wall,’ he said, fussing again.

It took a long discussion before we decided that Tani and Hani should hold up the large drawing, providing an amusing reflective effect; while Teti served the wine; and Khety, Hanufer and Bakhenmut answered any questions about the office which it might please