Magic of the Nile (42 page)

Hastening to join his beloved, he was alarmed at how pale and gaunt she seemed. “Are you all right?” Sahure asked, putting one arm around her shoulder.

“Yes.” She nodded as if the single word had exhausted her.

“You won’t be if you’re still here when the Great One Ra arrives,” said Captain Duaen. He leaned casually on the rail, tapping the fingers of one hand on the shiny wood. “Don’t waste my time if you want my help to avoid the god’s wrath. Tell me what’s going on.”

“You’re Ushabti?” Sahure realized the truth, gazing from one girl to the next and back to the captain.

“Servants to the gods, yes.” The other man nodded. He indicated the women with a wave of the hand. “It’s their job to prepare the
Mandjet
and the
Mesektet
for the Great One Ra and his guests each day, before the god sets sail with the sun. As she told you in the cabin, the women sent for me to deal with you. One of my many duties is to keep the unJudged shades who wander the fringes of the Afterlife out of areas they’ve no right to enter.”

The girl in the red striped dress put her hand on Duaen’s arm. “Ra comes soon.”

“Get your woman off the ship now,” he said to Sahure.

Concerned by Tyema’s obvious fragility, Sahure got her to her feet and supported her down the long, polished deck to the gangplank, Isis’s captain following. They had to stand aside while a parade of Ushabti servants came aboard the vessel, bearing platters of the most luscious food Sahure had ever seen, and carrying refinements for the cabin—draperies, pillows and rugs in beautifully colored fabrics, accented in gold thread. A quartet of Ushabti musicians followed, giving Sahure a curious glance as they hurried by.

The moment the way was clear, Sahure descended to the shore, escorting Tyema. Duaen touched his arm lightly. “Over here.”

The Ushabti captain gestured and a small group of acacia trees sprang full grown from the arid black ground in a shower of green sparks. A white stone bench materialized in similar fashion, under the trees. “She can sit for a moment longer while we talk.”

“Thank you.” Gratefully Sahure took Tyema to the bench, where she sank down with a whispered word of gratitude.

“You’re not dead in the Upper World,” Duaen said, following them. “Not yet. If you were, we’d have an entirely different set of problems.” Hands on his hips, the officer surveyed them from head to toe. “I can see you’re both touched by black magic, even though you wear symbols of two powerful Great Ones. How this can be, I don’t understand. Neither Sekhmet nor Sobek traffic in sorcery, although both can combat it in their own way.”

“A human sorceress sent me out of my body,” Tyema said. “She meant me to be a sacrifice to Qemtusheb, in exchange for more power. With the help of Sekhmet, Sahure came after me, fought with the demons to save me.” She reached up and squeezed his hand.

He nodded. “I had nothing to do with the sorcerer.”

“You’re mistaken, mortal,” Duaen said. “I can see the signs plainly—the evil one has attempted to influence you, wants something from you.”

“I haven’t even heard the person’s name,” Sahure protested. “Although I have my suspicions.”

 
“Captain Duaen’s right,” Tyema said. “She’s been trying to affect you. I saw the signs back in the real world. Sobek sent me to Thebes to observe, to find the sorcerer and report to him.”

With difficulty, Sahure tamped down the anger rising in him.
What else has she been keeping from me? How could Sobek send her into such peril so unprepared?
“We can discuss the many other aspects of your assignment later.” Addressing Duaen, he said, “All we want is to get back to the Upper World. I’m hoping the portal Sekhmet created to bring me here will still be open for us as she promised.”

Brows drawn together in a frown, Duaen shook his head. “The Great One Sekhmet meddles in ways my lady Isis won’t be happy to hear when I make my report. Truly, you two mortals are living out a scribe’s tale. Well, since your bodies yet breathe, you’re not my concern. I need take no action other than issuing a most stringent caution not to attempt travel in these realms again until it’s your time to be Judged.”

Sahure was relieved, although he found it hard to accept such a simple resolution. “Will the Great One Ra—”

“Sekhmet can answer to him,” the Ushabti captain said with confidence, holding up a hand to interrupt Sahure’s question. “She’s his daughter, after all.” Closing his eyes, he pressed one hand to the pectoral on his chest for a moment, the black knot of Isis glowing with a curious violet light. “Your portal remains open.” Duaen blinked and addressed his remarks to Sahure. “I sense the disruption, the eddies of Sekhmet’s power holding it for you.” He pointed one hand to the east. “In that direction. The Great One must have felt she owed you a great debt, mortal, to do so much.”

“We should be on our way, then.” Sahure felt his impatience rising along with his concern for Tyema. She’d been in this realm longer than he, maybe the magic here was sapping her life-force.
Or maybe her body lies near death in the world above.
“My lady weakens the longer we stay here.”

“A final question, then I’ll delay you no longer. On the other side of the lake, did you see the guardians of the boundary?”

He had to think for a moment to understand what Duaen was asking. “The baboon statues? Yes. Finding them told me we must be on the fringes of the Afterlife.”

Duaen shook his head. “Much more than mere statues. They should have torn you limb from limb, for trespassing where you didn’t belong.” He pointed with his flail before tucking it back into his belt. “You see, the guardians line the lake in the direction you must travel.”

“If they didn’t bother us before, why would they take action now?” Tyema asked.

“I think you were protected by the energy Sekhmet poured into your man’s amulet,” Duaen answered. “The magic also helped you survive the voyage on the
Mandjet
. But now the power is much depleted, fading.”

“We’ll keep our eyes open and travel fast,” Sahure said.

“If the baboons come to life, they’ll swarm you in a pack and you’ll be dead. A
ka
is a delicacy to them, and the pack cares not whether the mortal still lives in the upper world. They can run faster than any human. Even I’d be hard put to outrun them in full cry.” Duaen plucked the flail from his belt and held it out to Sahure, golden handle first. “Take this. They’ll recognize the symbol of my authority derived from Isis and let you pass.”

Sahure reached to take the flail, its weight familiar in his hand as if it was his own blue and gold symbol of an officer’s authority from his commander, although the handle of his wasn’t decorated with a golden Knot of Isis. The Knot glowed with magic power. “Thank you.”

Duaen shrugged. “From one warrior to another, in recognition of your courage. Any man who would voluntarily descend to the Afterlife and battle Qemtusheb’s demons to rescue his woman has my admiration.” He made a slight bow to Tyema. “An equal honor to meet a woman who inspires such gallantry.” His tone turning businesslike again, Duaen continued giving information. “Once you pass the end of our boundaries and enter the no man’s land, the baboons should lose all interest in you. There are other dangers, but as you made it through the area before, I imagine you can make your way again. Now, the final problem you face is time, which moves differently here than it passes in your world above.”

“What can I do about time?” Sahure felt ready for anything at this point in the mad adventure. He took Tyema’s arm and brought her to her feet, in preparation to depart the boat landing area before Ra got there and took umbrage at the presence of humans.

“Hope Sekhmet remembered the issue and established her portal in such a way as to place you back in the correct moment.” Duaen shrugged. “There’s no other remedy I can offer. Such things require a Great One’s power and I’m only Ushabti. But I thought you should be aware of the possibility. Sekhmet can be a bit careless in her arrangements.”

Sahure held out his hand. “Thank you.”

Duaen’s clasp was strong as he said, “I wish you well. Perhaps we’ll meet again one day, when your
ka
has traveled to the Afterlife properly.” With a half wave, he walked in the direction of the activity surrounding the boat. In Duaen’s absence the trees and the bench behind Sahure vanished as if they’d never been, a slight breeze springing up as the items disappeared.

Sahure linked hands with Tyema and set off at a fast walk, skirting the lake. He kept glancing at the amulet on his wrist, noting how the enamel was fading, losing its vibrant blue color. Only the eye at the center retained its original brilliance.

“I think one of the statues twitched as we went by it just now,” Tyema said, her voice low.

He showed her his wrist. “Sekhmet’s magic is nearly gone.” Pulling the flail from his belt and drawing his sword, Sahure fell behind Tyema by a step or two, turning to check behind them.

The eyelids of the baboon sculpture they were passing snapped open, revealing glowing red orbs which the guardian immediately focused on his face. Sahure raised the flail as the creature shifted from stone to flesh and fur, the transformation moving rapidly from face to haunches. The guardian bared its impressive teeth at him in a deceptive yawn. “Can you see the last of the statues yet?” he asked Tyema over his shoulder.
 

“I think so. Maybe ten more.” Her voice was so weak he had to strain to hear her.

They were hurrying past the next baboon, already awake on its pedestal of frozen flame. Snarling, the animal reached toward Sahure with one paw, snatching it back when he showed it the flail, golden Knot flaring a bit brighter. Still glaring at him, the creature subsided. “We’ve got to go faster,” he said to Tyema.

They broke into a run. The next baboon was in the act of climbing down from the pedestal. Sahure heard snarls and the pattering of many footsteps behind them. Grabbing Tyema, he said, “Stop. Stand still. Be ready to run if I tell you to, but right now I think we’re acting too much like prey, rather than beings who have a right to be here.” Moving with great deliberation, he turned, sword at the ready, flail clutched in his fist. What he was facing set him to swearing under his breath. “Set’s teeth!”

A pack of baboons confronted him, their ranks swelling by the moment as more of the statues came to life and swarmed to join the group. The alpha male at the head of the pack was impressive, nearly five feet tall, long canines exposed in its doglike face as the creature growled at him. Sahure focused on this baboon, showing it the flail. The alpha’s eerie eyes flicked their gaze to the symbol of authority for a moment and back to Sahure’s face.
I can almost see it thinking I’m not the proper owner of this.
Sahure straightened. “We pass through these lands by the authority of Sekhmet and the permission of Isis,” he said to the baboon, putting as much authority into his voice as he could muster.
Well, we’re here by permission of Isis’s captain.
He felt no embarrassment to be addressing an animal as an equal. The alpha baboon held his life and Tyema’s in its grasp. “Walk forward,” he hissed to Tyema, giving her a nudge in the ribs with his elbow.

They traveled on, Sahure guarding Tyema’s back, the baboons following them, keeping just out of reach of his sword, silent for the most part, red eyes glowing. Occasionally one or two of the younger ones would make a threatening noise or gesture but the alpha maintained his icy silence, never glancing away from Sahure. As he and Tyema passed the last of the pedestals, the baboons stopped, forming a line.

Making it clear we’d better not try to retrace our steps. Gods willing nothing ever pitches me or Tyema into this cursed realm again.
Taking a deep breath, he turned his back on the throng of deadly baboons, although the move required every iota of his willpower, and took Tyema’s hand. “We’re close to the portal,” he said, recognizing some of the particularly spectacular rock formations. “There’s a steep staircase. Can you manage?”

“I’ll have to.” She stumbled badly and he caught her.

He examined her in his arms, did a double take as for a moment she seemed almost transparent to him, like a will of the wisp or a mirage in the desert. He blinked and she regained form in his eyes. They dodged around stalagmites. Sahure knew he was dangerously focused on Tyema, but her fragility alarmed him. From time to time he heard slithering noises, saw eyes gleaming yellow in the crevices of the cavern, but thankfully they weren’t attacked by any of the other terrors the Book of the Dead listed as dwelling in this region.
Maybe the flail conveys more protection than even Captain Duaen realized. I’ll have to make sacrifice to Isis in gratitude for his help.

They reached the base of the staircase. “I can’t carry you, not even on my back,” he said, sheathing the sword. “The angle is too steep. But I’ll be right behind you, should you slip.”

“How far is the portal, once we get up there?” Tyema bent over, hands on her knees, breathing hard for a moment.

“Not far,” he said, trying to remember exactly. “I can carry you through the tunnel. And then we’re through the spirit door and safe in the palace where we belong.”

Straightening, she came to him, putting her arms around his neck and pulling his head down so she could kiss him. For a long moment there was only the warmth of her embrace and the feel of her body against his. Sahure savored the closeness in this awful place. Pulling back, she framed his face with her hands, rubbing his nose with hers for a moment. “I love you. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you what I was doing in Thebes, my true mission from Sobek.”