Out of the Black Land - By Kerry Greenwood Page 0,51

‘Indentured labour can only be used during Shemu, the harvest season, when no one works in the fields; and then only really for the months of Pakhons, Paoni and the first decan of Ephipi, after which it becomes too hot. And they demand not only the best food—which is in any case wise, as a healthy workforce is more productive—but priests, physicians and an army of cooks and overseers.’

‘Nevertheless, that is my desire,’ said the King softly.

Imhotep took one look at the determined royal countenance and threw himself to the floor, kissing the king’s jewel-encrusted sandals.

‘Lord of the Two Thrones, Master, I will do all that you wish,’ he said, and the king left a measurable pause before he lowered his flail and let it slide across Imhotep’s back.

‘Ptah-hotep,’ he said to me, ignoring the man lying at his feet. ‘You are happy?’

‘Great Royal Lord, I am,’ I replied.

‘Come to me tomorrow, early in the morning,’ he said. His voice was always soft. Nefertiti, the Great Royal Wife, was sitting close beside him. His arm was around her waist and his soft fingers were stroking her bare side, just as though they were lovers. She blushed and nestled closer to him, her slim arms around the bulk of the king. It was most odd, but rather charming.

‘Lord, I will come,’ I agreed, though I had no need to reply. He knew that no one in the palace would oppose any order he cared to make.

‘I am thinking of a hymn, which I will write,’ he said. His elongated eyes glowed with fervour.

‘Lord?’

‘A hymn to the Aten,’ he told me, and with no further word, he rose and left.

Meryt came to me after seeing Imhotep to the door with all his plans and papers.

‘The little princess Mutnodjme has grown,’ she said. ‘She did not ask anything which might be considered impertinent, except about men and women, and I told her what I could. What are you worried about, Master? I think the twig-broom my lord Imhotep’s speech went well and they have eaten a lot of the food.’

Apart from knowing that Imhotep had now been named and would be forever after known in my household as Twig Broom, which suited him perfectly, I was troubled because the king had named a god I had never heard of; and I thought I knew all of them.

‘Khety,’ I said, ‘Have some of this honeyed quail, it’s delicious, and then look up the lists of gods, and find me what it says about the Aten.’

Chapter Ten

Mutnodjme

The conversation with the Nubian woman in the Great Royal Scribe’s service had been brief but so packed with information that I went straight to my mat and lay down to think, astonishing my sister Merope, my mother and my teacher.

But I did not have time to really consider the implications of what I had heard, because the Priestess of Isis was announced and both Merope and I were banished to be thoroughly washed and perfumed and to have our hair combed and arrayed fittingly.

For the Chief Priestess of Isis is the mistress of magic, of learning and of spells; and was it not Isis who by her sorcery collected up the pieces of her murdered husband, put them back together, all except for his phallus which the fish had eaten, and then magically compensated for that loss, and mated with him to conceive and birth Horus the Avenger? That class of power differed from that of the Pharaoh, but was not to be slighted.

We were ushered back into the big room with the beautiful frieze of flowers—cornflower, lotus, sunflower and all the riverine grasses—a little breathless but terribly clean, and knelt to the tall slim woman in the green robes.

Isis’ Lady was old. I knew that the proper title was ‘Singer for Isis’ but she sounded too old to sing. Her feet were hard and calloused like a dancer’s; and her robes smelt of moon-leaf and unefer, magical herbs.

Tey my mother introduced us, and as is proper, we did not move until the old hand had moved to touch first Merope, then me, on the bare shoulder.

‘Mutnodjme,’ she said consideringly, dismissing Merope with a delicate wave. ‘You are learned, I am told.’

‘Lady, I have a little learning,’ I agreed. I knew how much I did not know.

‘And would you have more?’

‘Lady, if I am allowed to ask questions.’

Khons grinned, and Tey scowled.

‘Mutnodjme, my life has been entirely spent asking questions. Whether you will receive answers, well, there is