Orphan of the Sun (24 page)

‘So none of Nebnufer's gang have gone back?'

Kenna shook his head. ‘They have been given leave while the council decides how to proceed. There is a rumour that Userkaf will be promoted to foreman until Nebnufer's trial is over. Many of the men support him.'

Meryt's mouth dropped open in shock. ‘Userkaf as
foreman
…!' she exclaimed.

‘Yes. Makes sense, I suppose,' said Kenna. ‘It will suit him. He has never been the most patient of draughtsmen, after all.'

Meryt stared at him, trying to take it in. So that had been the purpose of it all! The position of foreman was coveted by all, of course, for it brought with it wealth and status and many contacts among government officials; but Meryt never imagined that anyone would go to such lengths to obtain it. It was breathtaking. In Kenna's own words, it made sense – but far more sense than he was aware of.

She thought of Teti's words:
You must do as the gods direct you. They will guide you, if you allow them to
. She chewed her lip. There had been no guidance as yet, but an idea was beginning to form and she wanted to think about it. She scrambled to her feet. ‘I had better get going,' she said. ‘I would like to see Mose before nightfall.'

Kenna nodded. ‘I will fetch him right away.'

‘Thank you, Kenna.' Meryt felt wistful. ‘Maybe
some day, I will be able to repay you for all you have done for me.'

‘Don't say such things,' replied Kenna, looking wounded. ‘It's nothing. I only wish I could do more.'

As she walked back to the northern gate, Meryt was thinking hard. What she could not get out of her mind was the night of Nebnufer's party and the image of Kha, offering her a glass of water. She thought of his gentleness, the kindness in his eyes, the way he had seemed quieter than everyone else. And then, later on, he had disappeared. The explanation seemed to hover at the edge of her mind but she could not quite see it.

She reached the village wall and leant against it to wait for Mose. Perhaps there was more to be gleaned from her dream about the painter. Meryt put her fingertips to her temples and closed her eyes to go through it again. There he had stood, alone in his ragged loincloth on the Peak of the West, with the moonlight shining upon him. There he had stood, alone … alone … Meryt thumped the wall with her heel. Had she hit upon the answer?

She stirred as Mose's familiar voice greeted her. ‘You look far, far away, Meryt,' he said, and she opened her eyes to see her cousin smiling up at her.

‘Mose! Oh, I'm so glad to see you.' She waved at Kenna, who was already retreating to the village gate. ‘There are many things I need to ask of you.'

Mose placed his hand in hers, and they walked a
little further down the wall before squatting to talk.

‘Baki is getting better,' Mose informed her. ‘I placed the charm under his head, as you told me to, and I gave Mama the balm. They are beginning to work.'

Meryt looked at him quickly. ‘Really, Mose? Are you sure?'

‘Yes,' said Mose. ‘He is not so hot now and he has started to ask for food again.'

His words had a strange effect on Meryt. On the one hand she felt a rush of relief and astonishment. On the other, the news was like a crushing blow, because she could no longer share in the family's happiness.

She bit her lip. ‘And how is your mama?' she asked.

Mose was silent for a moment, his young face struggling. ‘There is something wrong,' he said eventually. ‘But we don't know what it is. She is happy about Baki but something else troubles her.' He shook his head solemnly. ‘I wish you would come home, Meryt. I think she misses you.'

Meryt looked up and saw a falcon circling above, its graceful, pointed wings outstretched as it soared on the gentle breeze. The bird was silhouetted against the sun, which seemed to form a golden halo around it. Her heart beat a little faster. The sun-god Re was embodied as a falcon, for he was a facet of the falcon god Horus, the king of all the gods. Could it be that the gods were guiding her, as Teti
had said they would?

She reached for the scarab amulet that she wore around her neck, and pulled it over her head. ‘Take this,' she said to Mose, and placed it in his hand. ‘Give it to your mama.'

‘But you always wear that, Meryt,' exclaimed Mose. ‘It is your protection. You will not be safe without it.'

‘Don't worry about my safety, Mose,' she said. ‘This amulet was my father's, but I want Tia to have it now.'

As Mose stared down at the amulet, Meryt felt the empty space where it had always lain. She did feel oddly exposed, but the sun was now warming her neck and she felt quite sure that she was doing the right thing. Her heart felt lighter, and she closed Mose's hand around the amulet and smiled. ‘Tell her it is sent with my love,' she said.

Mose seemed nonplussed, but he nodded and rose to his feet. ‘I will,' he promised.

‘And if she wants to know where I am, tell her I am staying with Teti,' she added. ‘I hope she will come and find me. Take care, Mose.'

‘See you soon, Meryt.' Mose turned and trotted off towards the gate with his side-lock bobbing in the last rays of the golden afternoon sun.

When he had gone, Meryt's thoughts quickly returned to Kha. Part of her wanted to act on her instincts at once, but another part warned against it. Mose had been right to point out that she had no protection. She would first return to Teti, and ask to
take another look at the
Dream Book
.

Teti welcomed her back into her home, and together they cooked an evening meal. When they had eaten they sat on the roof to eat slices of watermelon, and as darkness fell, Meryt described her dream about Kha and the golden amulet. ‘I think I understand most of it,' she said. ‘But there is one thing that puzzles me. The amulets are burning up in the heat and the gold is melting away. But when Kha stands alone on the mountain, he is bathed not in sun but in moonlight.'

Teti nodded. ‘This is something the
Dream Book
can answer. As it happens it is a good sign,' she said. ‘But you are right to be cautious.'

She fetched the papyrus and another lamp, and read each entry carefully to herself, muttering over the words. ‘Here,' she said at last. ‘
If a man sees himself in a dream with the moon shining: Good. He is being pardoned by his god
.'

‘Why …' Meryt shook her head in disbelief. ‘That's perfect.'

Teti gave her a querying look. ‘What do you mean?' she asked.

‘It is more than I could have hoped for,' said Meryt. ‘But I would like to sleep on it before I act, and speak to Kha before I tell you what I think – for fear I am wrong.'

Teti looked amused. ‘Very well,' she said. ‘You are growing wise, Meryt-Re. But I'd like you to have greater protection all the same. Wait here.'

Her words reminded Meryt of the emptiness around her neck where her amulet had been, and she wondered how Tia had responded to her gesture. She thought of how her aunt had been so anxious over Baki's care, scarcely leaving his side from the moment he returned from the priests. It made sense. Meryt realised how deeply Peshedu's death must have haunted her. What a burden to carry for all these years … no wonder her aunt often seemed tired and restless. Meryt felt her heart swell with sympathy.

Teti reappeared at the top of the stairs, and Meryt saw at once that she was dangling another amulet from her hand.

‘This is for you,' said Teti. She sat down next to Meryt and slipped the string over Meryt's head. ‘It is from my store of protective amulets and I have pronounced a special blessing over it.'

The amulet was larger than the scarab, and weighed more heavily around Meryt's neck. She looked down and fingered it, fascinated. It was a little dwarf-like child with bandy legs, similar to the household god, Bes, but without his lion's mane, shaped in faience and glazed a light golden brown.

‘It represents our lord Horus the Child, to protect you in your innocence,' said Teti, ‘but it also contains the protection of Ptah, for it is in his world that you tread.'

Meryt smiled. She liked the funny little object, and
she thought she could already feel its strength weaving a web around her. ‘Thank you, Teti,' she said. ‘I shall treasure it. It has come at a good time, because today I gave my scarab to Tia.'

Teti's eyes grew wide, and Meryt saw something new in their regard. It was respect. ‘The gods guide you well,' she said. ‘To pass on one's own protection to another is an act of great power. It will not go unrewarded, I am sure.'

‘I don't want a reward,' said Meryt shyly. ‘It just seemed the right thing to do. And there is still much to be done about Nebnufer.'

Teti played with one of the wicks, teasing away the ends with her little tongs. The flame flickered, casting shadows on her face, and when she spoke it was in a low, serious voice. ‘And there I cannot help you,' she said. ‘I have seen that you must travel this path alone. But you will do so well, Meryt-Re. You need not be afraid, for the gods are with you.'

It was a comfort to think of Teti's words later that night when Meryt lay alone under the stars, thinking of what she must try to achieve the next day. And yet, even though she felt confused and uncertain about the future, she knew that she had lost her fear. Her fist closed around her new amulet and she smiled up at the velvety black sky, tracing patterns from one star to another. Perhaps there was hope, after all.

She did not remember falling asleep. When she woke, she felt a heaviness on one leg, and realised
that Teti's cat had snuggled up to her in the night. She stroked it absently, staring out at the pink streaks of dawn that were rising in the east. She shifted the cat gently to one side and stood up to stretch before padding down the staircase to the courtyard.

There was no sign of Teti anywhere, and Meryt guessed that she had gone out to gather herbs. She sat and ate a piece of bread with some of the
rekhet
's salty goats' cheese, chewing slowly. There was no hurry. Now that the darker season was drawing in, most of the village would only stir slowly – especially the men who had been granted leave from work. But when the sun had gained a little strength she set out, heading into the village and taking an alley that led to the north-eastern corner, beneath the wall.

She found the house of Kha the painter and knocked on the door. It was his wife who opened it. ‘He isn't here. What do you want with him?' she asked suspiciously.

‘It is only about his work,' Meryt reassured her. ‘I wish to consult him, that's all.'

The woman looked Meryt up and down, then shrugged. ‘He is moonlighting. In the tomb of Paser,' she said, pointing up at the western hillside.

‘Thank you,' said Meryt politely. ‘May the gods be with you.'

She felt the woman's stare on her back as she made her way west, but did not turn round. Taking the western gate, she made her way around the tombs until she found the section that Kha's wife had
pointed out. She did not know this part of the cemetery well and she had to ask a passing stonemason where the painter was working.

When Meryt found the right tomb shaft, she looked around. The chapel that would stand over the tomb had not yet been built. A low mud-brick wall marked out the courtyard boundary, but that was all. Meryt peered down into the shaft, which had been dug into the rock almost vertically. A steep, narrow stairway had been hewn into the rock, and she could see that the darkness would soon engulf her. She took a deep breath and lowered herself down backwards into the shaft, gripping the steps above her with her fingers as her feet found ones further down. When her feet touched a layer of solid rock she realised she had been holding her breath all the way down, and her legs were shaking.

‘Who's there?' called a voice out of the gloom ahead of her.

A flickering light showed somewhere below. The passageway she stood in was not big enough for her to stand in upright, and Meryt bent over to creep forward a few steps. There must be another stairway down into the tomb chamber, and she was terrified of tumbling down it accidentally. With her hands, she groped along the ceiling, but all at once the flickering light grew brighter and a man's hand appeared, placing a lamp near her feet.

Meryt peered down the next shaft. Standing below her was Kha.

‘It's … it's Meryt. The lyre player from Nebnufer's party,' she managed to say.

Kha looked astonished. ‘Whatever are you doing here? The tombs are no place for a girl.'

‘I need to speak to you,' said Meryt nervously. ‘Please don't send me away.'

The painter stared up at her, puzzlement in his eyes. ‘Well – if you wish.'

Kha lifted the lamp and guided her feet down the steps as she began to descend once more. The second shaft was not as deep, and when she reached solid rock again Kha led her forward into the tomb chamber itself. The passageway opened out before her, and Meryt gasped in delight. It was beautiful. Following the design laid out by a draughtsman, Kha had completed the ceiling and two of the walls with intricate paintings in vibrant colours that took her breath away.

Kha smiled at her response. ‘You have never seen inside a tomb before?'

Meryt shook her head, gazing at the paintings in wonder. Of course, she had seen plenty of chapels, but somehow it was different standing here in a chamber below the earth, seeing the freshly painted scenes by the flickering light of a lamp.

‘See, here Paser greets the gods in the Next World,' Kha explained. ‘And here, he and his wife tend the fields in paradise, where the crops are always lush and plentiful.'

Meryt longed to reach out and touch the paint, but
instead she smiled and said, ‘It must be a pleasure to work on something so sacred.'

‘It is easy to forget that,' Kha confessed, with a little laugh. ‘Nothing seems sacred when you do it every day.'