The City of Refuge: Book 1 of The Memphis Cycle (12 page)

XIX

“His Grace told me to show you this,” Nehesi said the next morning.

By Lord Nebamun's orders, Khonsu had been allowed to sleep late, and now he was enjoying a breakfast of new-baked bread and watered wine in the shade of the palace's western wall. An honest review of the past night's fiasco had convinced him that he had acted irresponsibly, and His Grace should not have been so gentle with him. Now he smiled at Nehesi and motioned him to continue.

“He thinks it bears directly on your task here,” Nehesi said. “He wants you to be aware of it and take whatever steps you think are best.”

Khonsu set down the loaf of bread, crusted with cumin seed and warm from the oven, and looked up into the Nubian's dark eyes. “What is it?” he asked.

“This,” said Nehesi, offering a parcel wrapped in a length of coarse linen.

Khonsu took it from him and opened it to find what appeared, except for its weight, to be a large block of light-colored cheese. but was, instead, a fine-grained chunk of limestone the color of thick cream. Though it was almost cubic in shape, one side was rougher, scored with slightly curving gouges.

He looked up at Nehesi again. “A rock?” he said.

“Yes, Commander. From the quarry. I brought it back yesterday.”

Khonsu was frowning, but he remembered his manners. “Please sit down, Master Mason,” he said. When the man had done so, and had accepted a cup of watered wine, he turned his attention back to the piece of rock. “Is there something unusual about this one?”

“The marks on the underside-there,” said Nehesi.

Khonsu ran a finger over one of the curves and then looked up at the Chief of Stonemasons. “Very well, Master Nehesi,” he said with a wry smile. “I'll take your word for the significance of these scratches. For myself, I can't tell a thing about them.”

“They were made with a maul,”Nehesi said, his dark brows knotted into a frown. “A dolerite maul, such as they use in the Aswan quarries.”

“But there's nothing unusual about that, is there?” Khonsu said. “These are quarries as well, here.”

Nehesi smothered a snort. “This is a limestone quarry, Commander,” he said. “Limestone can be worked with copper tools and wooden wedges. Try using copper on granite and see how long you keep an edge or a point. A hard stone like granite requires dolerite and a lot of effort.”

“But don't you have any mauls here?” Khonsu asked.

“Didn't you hear me, Commander?” Nehesi asked with a flash of white teeth. “We don't need them. And just as well,” he added. “They're expensive.”

Khonsu reflected that his own intelligence was not making itself shown an any remarkable fashion. “I'm dull today, I see,” he said, handing back the stone. “So the fall was nothing that might have happened in nature?”

Nehesi set the limestone on the ground. “Would it be natural for a plank of wood, lying completely flat upon another, on a level piece of ground, to fall?” he asked. “You saw the quarries. The stone is taken out in blocks. They're flat-sided. They don't fall of their own accord. They must be pried loose. And here-”he lifted the rock again. “-you can see where the rock was torn away. The dolerite cut through virgin stone: you can see the crystals here. It's as though you clawed gouges into sand with your nails. There's a weathered crust on the side opposite the marks.”

Khonsu frowned at him. “Then that means-”

“Someone undercut a support,” Nehesi finished for him. “The collapse was engineered. I'll be reporting on it today.”

**   **   **

Lord Nebamun assembled his key officers for his customary morning meeting and announced his plans for the next week. A messenger arrived from Khebet as he was speaking, with news that the supplies from Memphis had reached Khebet as scheduled and were awaiting them. He concluded his message by inviting Lord Nebamun to join Mayor Huni for an afternoon meal.

Nebamun listened without comment and then dismissed the messenger. “It is a pity the harbor here at Akhet-Aten was filled in when the city was abandoned,” he said after the man had left. “Having it would have saved everyone the annoyance of traveling to Khebet. Well,” he said after a moment, fingering his carnelian amulet, “It can't be helped. Commander Khonsu, General Seti and Ptahemhat will go to Khebet and take charge of the cargo.
Prince of the Winds
can probably carry most of it, but two of the smaller ships will escort you. They can be loaded first and sent back. The Ship's Master told me just last night he's kept them ready to sail.”

Khonsu bowed. “Very good, Your Grace.”

“I suggest you check the bills of lading carefully against the delivered cargo,” Nebamun said.

Sennefer elbowed his way past Khonsu and stared almost accusingly at Nebamun. “Do you think my medicines have arrived?” he asked.

“Yes, Master Sennefer,” Nebamun sighed. “You may accompany them and look over the supplies for the infirmary, which did indeed arrive, as you well know. I saw you speaking with the messenger before he came in here.”

Perineb folded his arms with a smile.

Nebamun caught his glance and returned the smile. “Father Perineb will accompany you as my representative,” he said.

Perineb looked thoughtful, but he made no comment.

“Won't Your Grace be accompanying us,?” Seti asked.

“No, General,” Nebamun replied. “Reverence can make my excuses to Mayor Huni.”

“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Khonsu said. “I'm not sure that's a good idea. If you suspect the mayor may be winking at shortages in the supplies, slighting him like this could be dangerous.”

Nebamun's eyes creased a little at the corners, but his voice was frosty when he replied. “You're kind to concern yourself with my safety, Commander. Mayor Huni does not frighten me.”

Khonsu colored a little at the snub. “Your Grace will remember that the security of the supply lines is one of my concerns.”

Nebamun's eyes met his for a long, cool moment, then warmed. “I beg your pardon, Commander. They are indeed your responsibility and you are right to show concern. But I won't be accompanying you.”

**   **   **

Khonsu rested his forearms on the top bar of the flagship and gazed toward the shore.

The morning's conference had ended with Nebamun's announcement of a regular town patrol under Paser's leadership that would not only keep the peace in Akhet-Aten but serve as a liaison between the quarrying force when it was finally set up and the expedition's headquarters in the city. Paser was directed to conduct an inventory of the houses and properties and give His Grace some idea of the salvage to be found in the city.

Nebamun announced that Seti's group would be put to work patrolling the outlying boundaries in search of smugglers or thieves, since it did not appear that the quarries would be worked within the near future. No mention had been made of the abortive attempt to catch the intruder, to Seti's and Khonsu's relief, and now, with Akhet-Aten and its shadows safely behind them, the atmosphere on the ship was one of relaxation and enjoyment.

Seti drummed his long fingers on the polished wood and watched as a crocodile heaved itself up on the far bank of the river. “We're behind schedule for setting up quarrying operations,” he said. “I'm not sure we'll begin soon. His Grace is keeping us on a tight leash.”

“Very tight,” Khonsu agreed. “With everything here, he's wise to move cautiously. I'd heard stories of “the accursed city', but I never thought to see the reputation being supported. We have been fed tales of ghosts, curses and intruders at every possible turn.”

“His Grace is being circumspect,” Seti agreed.

“He's a sensible man,” Khonsu said. “It's through his levelheadedness we're still at the city. If anyone else were in charge, the venture would have been scrapped long ago.”

Sennefer, standing beside General Seti, snorted. He caught Khonsu's suddenly annoyed expression and shrugged. “Don't misunderstand me, gentlemen,” he said. “His Grace is less of a pig-headed fool than most of the rest of humankind. But you didn't see the month leading up to the start of this expedition, almost two years ago. You might have changed your mind if you had.”

“What do you mean?” demanded Seti.

Sennefer folded his arms with a frown. “Pharaoh came to Memphis in person to speak with Prince Thutmose. They spoke behind closed doors. His Grace was summoned to the Presence after some time. That is when things became interesting.”

He broke off as one of Khonsu's men came up to announce that they were approaching Khebet.

“What happened?” Seti asked after the man had left.

Sennefer looked thoughtful. “No one was present at that audience other than His Grace, His Highness and Pharaoh,” he said. “So I'm not sure what was said. I do know His Majesty was upset when he left Prince Thutmose's palace. General Ramesses arrived from Thebes some days later, and they spoke again. People who had business nearby reported hearing raised voices, but they couldn't make out what was being said. At the end of that time His Grace left for his own home. I saw him: he was white-faced and shaking.”

“I wonder what happened to upset him so,” Khonsu said. “He seems the calmest, most reasonable of men.”

Sennefer lifted one mobile eyebrow. “I can't say,” he said. “But the rumors began to fly. We heard that His Grace had flatly refused to obey a command from Pharaoh himself. And then I heard that His Grace had actually raised his voice not only to Pharaoh, but also to Prince Thutmose, whom he reveres and loves. There were four more meetings over the course of the next two weeks, and His Majesty and General Ramesses were present each time.”

“My father mentioned nothing of this to me,” Seti remarked with a frown.

“No one was talking,” Sennefer said. “And Memphis was abuzz with speculation. Personally, I think it was His Grace cutting up rough. He can be stubborn and obstreperous, I can tell you!”

Ptahemhat was scowling. “I don't want to hear you discussing His Grace like this,” he said.

“Is that so, son?” Seti said with a genial smile. “Feel free to go to the other side of the ship, then.”

Ptahemhat stared at him, turned on his heel, and left.

Khonsu watched him and then turned back to Sennefer. “What was the trouble about?” he asked.

“I'm not sure,” said Sennefer. “I think it may have sprung from His Majesty's and Prince Thutmose's decision to send this force, and their choice of Lord Nebamun as leader. I can't stop thinking that someone was strongly opposed to the entire venture.”

“But why?” Khonsu asked. “We have seen what a capable man His Grace is. And it can't be because of the tales of ghosts. Why, Lord Nebamun has belittled the notion from the first.”

“None of those concerns explains my father's presence in Memphis,” Seti said.

They were approaching Khebet. Khonsu could see the quays of the city, thronged with cheering spectators. He nodded to the ship's Captain.

“I doubt the quarrel had anything to do with ghosts,” Sennefer said as the oars emerged from their portals, dipped, raised, and dipped again, propelling them swiftly toward the docks. “I suspect it had something to do with His Grace going to Khebet. I still remember him after his first meeting with His Highness and Pharaoh, storming out of His Highness' Palace. He ordered that a team of horses be harnessed, and when they came he took himself off to the desert to spend the rest of the day racing through the hills between Memphis and Sakkara!”

They were alongside the docks now. Seti turned away from the dockworkers who stood waiting with coils of rope and looked at Sennefer. “Well, he's here now,” he said. “Something must have changed his mind.”

Sennefer smiled and raised his hands. “I think it was a lady,” he said. “Prince Thutmose's daughter, Lady Mayet.” His sharp face softened into a warm smile. “She's one of the most charming women I have ever had the privilege to know. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that the sun rises and sets on Her Ladyship for Lord Nebamun. She spoke to Prince Thutmose and then to her husband. And here he is.”

Seti straightened and watched the activity on the dock as they were made fast. “And here we are,” he said. “I'm looking forward to meeting this fellow Huni. I wonder what ghost story he'll have for me.”

**   **   **

Huni had seemed to take Lord Nebamun's absence as an insult but managed to disguise the fact from anyone lacking perception. As they sat down to dine, he spoke of the intruder from the north with the air of one recounting a well-known story after much rehearsal.

Seti stopped him. “I've heard all this before,” he said. “I am inclined to dismiss it as a figment of someone's imagination helped along by a lot of strong, cheap beer.”

Huni caught Ptahemhat's stare and the glance Seti shot Khonsu. “Oh no,” he said. “It's true. I have seen him, myself.”

“Have you, now?” Seti asked, contemptuously genial.

“I have seen him in the night, beneath the moon. His horses move silently and he seems to glitter in the moonlight. They always take him for a desert patroller who got separated from his company.” Huni's voice dropped lower. “And then you see his face...”

Khonsu turned a quizzical smile on the man, stirred in spite of himself, by a sense of doom.