The Deathstalker (14 page)

Djeri looked at him. ‘I suppose it will mean working with you, won’t it?’

‘I’m afraid so.’

The soldier extended his hand to Hopi. ‘Well,’ he said. ‘It seems that my fate is linked to Serqet, whatever my wishes may have been. I will say yes to Menna. And there are some compensations – I will be glad to call you my brother, and my friend.’

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The atmosphere in the camp had changed overnight. Isis noticed it immediately. The sense of shock had been replaced with a buzz of excitement, and something in the air had lifted. She stood at the edge of the arena, listening to laughter and chatter as the soldiers began to gather. In the absence of Commander Meref, his second in command had taken control and was approaching the arena with an entourage of fellow officers. The chatter quietened down, and Isis glanced up at Nes standing by her side.

‘Is it going to start?’ she asked.

Nes nodded. ‘Yes. As soon as the officers are seated, they will start bringing the prisoners.’

Isis felt nervous. She wasn’t sure how much she really wanted to see people being handed out as property, but at the same time, she was too curious not to – especially where Neith and her brother were concerned.

The officers sat down. A pair of trumpets sounded and the second in command stood up.

‘Company of Amun, servants of the king,’ he began, ‘you have fought well in recent weeks. Some of you have shown exceptional bravery. For that, you will be rewarded. But before our ceremony begins, I have an announcement to make.’

He paused and seemed to be gauging the soldiers’ mood. Isis saw that they were listening intently, but without hostility.

‘Commander Meref can no longer serve us,’ said the second in command, and a murmur rippled through the assembly of soldiers. ‘It is my duty to take his place.’

As he carried on speaking, someone nudged Isis, and she turned round quickly. It was Hopi.

‘How is the commander?’ she whispered. ‘Is he dead?’

Hopi shook his head. ‘Not dead. But much weakened,’ he whispered back. ‘He is lucky to be alive.’

‘Thanks to you and your spells,’ said Isis.

Hopi looked wry. ‘I suppose so. I’m not sure he deserved them.’

‘You did your duty,’ said Isis. ‘You must always do that.’

The trumpets sounded again, and now Isis saw movement. The prisoners were approaching, escorted by guards. She felt almost sick with nerves. A scribe stepped forward and began to recite a list of soldiers: those who had fought bravely, those who were injured, those who had won awards and those who would receive slaves. It seemed to take for ever. The prisoners had come to a halt, and Isis craned her neck to see if she could spot Neith, but all she could see were men. She couldn’t even see Neith’s brother.

At last the allocations began, and the prisoners were shuffled forward into the arena. Isis saw that the male prisoners had been divided up. There was now not one group, but three, with the women in a cluster behind them.

‘What do the groups mean?’ she whispered to Nes.

He bent down to speak to her. ‘The strongest will be trained as soldiers. They will serve with us in the army,’ he said. ‘The second group will be sent to
the quarries to work. The third group will become personal slaves – that’s reserved for old men and women.’

Isis felt a cold hand clutch her heart. So Neith was going to lose her brother, one way or another. She imagined being separated from Hopi and wanted to cry. Then the scribe caught her attention.

‘Where is Nes, the Lion?’ he called.

Nes raised his hand. ‘I am here.’

‘Nes, as always, you have excelled yourself in battle,’ said the scribe. ‘Another slave is yours for the taking. Make your choice.’

Nes stepped forward and addressed his fellow soldiers. ‘Thank you, comrades.’ He surveyed the slaves for only a second. ‘I have no doubt who to choose. I shall take the girl Neith. Where is she?’

Isis gasped. So Neith would end up on Nes’s farm! She didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. She knew that the farming life was hard, especially for a girl on her own, but surely Nes would treat her kindly.

The guards separated Neith out from the other women and she was pushed to the fore. Isis gazed at her sorrowfully. And then she realised that Nes was still speaking.

‘. . . But I don’t wish to keep her for myself. Long ago, I knew two soldiers who fought bravely and died on duty. Their wives have waited many years for a reward. And so Neith shall go to them, as their handmaiden.’

Isis gripped Hopi’s arm. She couldn’t believe it. Neith was going to Sheri and Kia . . . ?

‘That means she’ll be living with
us
!’ she breathed.

The scribe was busy noting it down. Then he frowned. ‘I’m not sure that’s possible,’ he said.

Isis felt her heart was in her mouth. Surely there couldn’t be a problem?

‘By ordination of the priest of Serqet, this girl’s brother must be allocated at the same time,’ announced the scribe.

‘That’s easily resolved,’ said Nes. ‘Her brother is young and spirited. He is to become a soldier. But I will care for him personally and I’ll supervise his training myself. And he shall receive the same rights as any of us to see his family.’

The scribe glanced across at the new commander. ‘Do you agree to this, sir?’

Isis watched the man’s face. He was clearly trying to make up his mind.

‘Yes, it seems fair to me,’ he responded eventually.

Isis let out a sigh of relief. She looked over at Neith, and smiled. It wouldn’t be easy for her, a stranger in a new land. It wouldn’t be easy for her brother, either, fighting with Egypt’s great army. But at least there was some comfort for them. They were being allowed to settle here, and both were in good hands. Perhaps, in time, their future would be bright, after all.

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Chronicle Characters

Hopi
The thirteen-year-old brother of Isis. Ever since surviving the bite of a crocodile in the attack that killed their parents, Hopi has had a fascination for dangerous creatures, particularly snakes and scorpions. He is training to be a priest of Serqet, which will qualify him to treat bites and stings.

Isis
The eleven-year-old sister of Hopi. She is a talented dancer and performs regularly with Nefert and Paneb’s troupe. Her dance partner is Mut.

Mut
The eleven-year-old daughter of Paneb and Nefert, and dance partner to Isis.

Paneb
Husband of Nefert, father of Mut, Ramose and Kha, and the head of the household where Isis and Hopi live. He organises bookings for the dance and music troupe.

Nefert
Wife of Paneb, mother of Mut, Ramose and Kha, and sister of Sheri and Kia. She plays the lute and is head of the dance and music troupe.

Sheri
One of Nefert’s widowed sisters, and a musician in the troupe. She has a particularly loving nature.

Kia
The second of Nefert’s widowed sisters, also a musician living with the troupe. She is slightly more cold and distant than Sheri, but is hardworking and practical.

Ramose
Eldest son of Nefert and Paneb, aged five. Mut’s brother.

Kha
Younger son of Nefert and Paneb, aged two.
Mut’s brother.

Menna
Hopi’s tutor, and a priest of Serqet in the town of Waset. (A priest of Serqet was someone who treated snake bites and scorpion stings.)

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Other Characters in This Story

Neith
A Libyan girl who hopes to find a new life with her brother in Egypt.

Anty
A wealthy scribe in the town of Waset. He has three sons. His third son, Djeri, belonged to the army.

Djeri (you say ‘Jerry’)
Son of Anty, and a charioteer in the army.

Commander Meref
The commander of a company of the Amun division in the king’s army.

Mose, the Great Bull
A soldier in the Amun division, with a fearsome reputation for wrestling.

Nes, the Lion
One of the oldest soldiers in the Amun division, and a famous wrestler.

Nebnufer
A skilled horseman and chariot driver in the army.

Henu
The former husband of Sheri, and a soldier in the army.

Userkaf
The former husband of Kia, and a soldier in the army.

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FASCINATING FACT FILE ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT

The World of Isis and Hopi

The stories of Isis and Hopi are based in ancient Egypt over 3,000 years ago, during a time known as the New Kingdom. They happen around 1200–1150BC, in the last great period of Egyptian history. This is about a thousand years after the Old Kingdom, when the pyramids were built. Waset, the town in which Isis and Hopi live, had recently been the capital of Egypt, with an enormous temple complex dedicated to the god Amun. By 1200BC, the capital had been moved further north again, but Waset was still very important. Kings were still buried in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank, and the priests of Amun were rich and powerful. Today, Waset is known as Luxor; in books about ancient Egypt, it is often referred to by the Greek name of Thebes.

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A Little Bit about Scorpions

Scorpions belong to the order of creatures called arachnids. You’ve probably seen another kind of arachnid plenty of times – did you know that spiders are arachnids, too? Like spiders, scorpions have eight legs and an outer shell called an exoskeleton. But all scorpions have something else as well: they have a pair of pincers, and a tail with a venomous sting at the end.

So does that mean that all scorpions are dangerous? Well, only if you’re the sort of bug that a scorpion likes to eat. Most scorpions’ venom isn’t strong enough to harm humans. There are about 1,500 different kinds of scorpion, but only about 25 are known to have killed people. It just so happens that two of the most dangerous scorpions in the world live in Egypt. They are the two that Menna shows Hopi – the fat-tailed scorpion and the deathstalker.