Read Sphinx's Queen Online

Authors: Esther Friesner

Tags: #Historical, #History, #People & Places, #Kings, #Girls & Women, #Legends, #Fiction, #Royalty, #Queens, #Egypt, #Middle East, #Other, #Rulers, #Egypt - Civilization - to 332 B.C, #Etc., #Fables, #Juvenile Fiction, #Nefertiti, #Myths, #Etc, #Ancient Civilizations, #Ancient

Sphinx's Queen (10 page)

BOOK: Sphinx's Queen
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I woke up with Nava shaking me gently by the shoulder. Her hand felt damp and cool. “Look at what I did,” she crowed, presenting a fat tilapia for my inspection.

“When did you catch this big fellow?” I asked.

“A little while ago. I woke up, but you and Amenophis were still sleeping, so I went down to the canal and—”

“Splash?” I said, remembering how Amenophis had described Nava’s first catch. “You really are a little osprey,” I said, admiring the fish.

Amenophis rolled over, sat up, and yawned. “What’s going on? Did I miss something?”

“Not if you can build us a fire,” I told him. “We’ve got food!”

“As soon as we eat this one, I’m going back down to the canal to catch more,” Nava announced.

“I’ll go with you,” I said. “Maybe you can teach me your fishing secrets. Then we’ll have twice as much to eat. Amenophis, why don’t you make a cookfire while we’re gone?”

“Gladly,” he said. “There are some sycamore trees nearby. With luck, I’ll be able to gather plenty of wood.” He stood up and started away from the ruins.

I caught up to him in four strides. “Nava can start fishing without me. Could you use some help?”

“Oh, yes!” My offer delighted him, but he looked a little doubtful as well. “I’m forgiven for—for saying you were—”

“I
was
afraid,” I said. “Afraid something had happened to you. I couldn’t stand the thought of it, especially so soon after we found one another again.”

He lowered his head. “I’m honored that you care about me so much. I’ve never had such a—such a friend before.”

Is that what we are to one another?
I thought.
Is that all?
But I had no answer to my own question, only a strange feeling that danced away from me whenever I tried to give it a name.

We reached the place where the sycamores grew. The trees were dead, and an abundance of fallen twigs and small branches littered the ground. We were able to gather more than enough wood for a cookfire in a very short time. I left Amenophis squatting over his bow drill and a handful of tinder and went to help Nava catch more fish in the canal.

“Do you smell that, Nava?” I said as we stood in the water, waiting for the telltale flash of scales. I sniffed loudly and smiled. “Smoke! Amenophis has the fire going. Soon we’ll be able to eat the—”

A horrible shout of pain snatched the words from my mouth. I clambered out of the irrigation ditch in an instant and rushed back toward the ruined house. I was so unnerved that I didn’t think to look back and see if Nava was following until she raced past me, both of us calling, “Amenophis! Amenophis! What’s wrong?”

We found him sitting with his back to one of the tumbledown walls, his right leg drawn up onto his left thigh. He was growling his way through more curses than I’d ever heard in my life, even from the sailors who’d wandered the streets of Akhmin. He stopped only when he became aware that Nava and I were standing over him.

“Look out,” he told us. “It might still be out in the open, so watch your step.”

“What—” I began. Then I saw the reddening wound on his foot. I fell to my knees for a closer look. There was only one mark, not the fearsome double track of a snakebite. “A scorpion,” I said, feeling the old dread rising in my throat. When my sister, Bit-Bit, was very young, I thought she’d been stung by a scorpion while in my care. One of the crueler gods must have enjoyed my terror, but a kinder one took that opportunity to bring Henenu, the scribe, into my life. It had all been a big mistake—Bit-Bit hadn’t been stung after all, just frightened into tears—but this time there was no doubt about what had happened to Amenophis.

“I got the fire started, and I was about to prepare the fish for cooking,” he said. He clenched his jaw for a moment, struggling against pain. “I’d put it over there”—he gestured at the other wall, where the tilapia lay in the shadow—“to keep it out of the sun. I think the creature must have its nest in that crack at the bottom. I didn’t even notice it was there until it scuttled over my feet. I jumped and …” He nodded to his wounded foot.

“What color was the scorpion?” I remembered the question Henenu had asked me years ago. The answer was vital: Brown scorpions didn’t have the power to kill humans, but white ones did.

“Brown.” He summoned up a wobbly smile. “Not very big, either. I shouldn’t be carrying on like this. You’ll think I’m a child.”

“Not many children know the kind of words you were using,” I replied dryly. “You should make a thanks-offering to the goddess Serket that you didn’t disturb one of her white scorpions. Until then, let me see what I can do for the pain.”

There wasn’t much to be done except pour cool water over Amenophis’s foot. Nava and I ran back and forth to the canal, carrying water in our cupped hands. Amenophis put on a brave face, saying that we were spoiling him, but I could see he was still suffering. When we ate our fish, he only picked at his portion. Later that day, when Nava managed to catch another, he left his share entirely untouched.

“I think I’d rather sleep than eat,” he said. “My father’s chief doctors all agree that sleep is the best healer.”

It’s bad now because it’s a fresh wound
, I thought.
It’ll be better tomorrow
.

My comforting thoughts were shattered that night when Amenophis’s moans woke me up. He was biting on his knuckles, trying to mute the sounds of pain, but it wasn’t working. I knelt by his side and touched his forehead. It was hot.

He opened his eyes and looked up at me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

“Don’t worry about that. How bad is the pain?”

“It’s probably not that bad. I’m making a fuss over nothing.” He used brave words, but his voice rasped, and even by moon and starlight, I could see his chest rising and falling far faster than normal.

I fed more wood to the embers of our dying fire and examined his foot. The site of the scorpion’s sting looked swollen, though I couldn’t tell if it was also discolored or if the darker area was just dirt. I shivered as I remembered the words I’d read in one of the papyrus scrolls Henenu had had me copy, a physician’s account of dealing with wounds:
When the flesh turns dark, if nothing further can be done to turn the infection, the darkness of death will follow
.

Infection …
I closed my eyes, trying to picture more of that unknown doctor’s words. Had he spoken of a remedy for such things? I couldn’t remember. My thoughts kept straying back to my home in Akhmin, and the face of my second mother, Mery, floated like a veil before me, obscuring my memories of the physician’s scroll.

She was in the kitchen, looking at a wound that one of our younger slaves had gotten while cutting meat.
Thank the gods, this isn’t too bad. A little cleansing, a little honey, a strip of fresh linen, and you’ll be fine. And eat some honey, too, just to be sure you heal inside and out. I don’t think you’ll object to that, will you?
Mery smiled kindly.

Honey! Sweet, wonderful honey. Its purifying, protecting, healing powers for treating all sorts of scrapes and cuts were used not just in our household but everywhere, from the humble homes of the poor to the palace of Pharaoh himself. I’d been so appalled at the possibility of Amenophis dying that the obvious cure had slipped from my frantic mind. Now I could reassure myself that his wound was still fresh enough for a good application of honey to help it heal and banish any demons of infection that might try to invade his body. All I had to do was find some.

All I had to do …
As if it were that easy! The same cruel god who’d laughed at my panic over Bit-Bit so many years ago was probably holding his aching sides and weeping with mirth tonight. Where was I going to find honey? We were in the middle of nowhere, as far as I knew, far from any hope of help, far from any people, except—

I stood up and went to wake Nava. “Dear one, Amenophis needs you,” I said.

“What’s the matter?” Her voice trembled. “Is he dying?”

“No, the gods forbid it, but he does have a fever. Take this”—I tore off a small rag from the already ruined hem of my dress—“and soak it in the water and put it on his forehead. Be sure you take a little fire to light your way. I don’t want to come back and find out that you fell into the canal.”

“Come back?” she repeated, growing more agitated by the moment. “Where are you going?”

“I have to get something to heal him,” I said, keeping my words calm. “Honey. Bees sometimes make nests in dead trees, and I saw some dead trees earlier today, while you were fishing.”

“Oh.” She nodded. “Good luck. I’ll take care of him for you. Come back soon.”

“I’ll try,” I said, taking a small brand from the fire to light my way.

As I walked through the night, backtracking along the path we’d taken next to the irrigation ditch, I was beset by guilty thoughts.
Holy Ma’at, forgive me for what I’ve done. Everything I said to Nava was true, but some lies are like scorpions; they hide themselves in the words we choose not to say. But I had to do it, even though I will suffer for this when my heart is judged. If Nava or Amenophis knew what I’m really going to do, they’d move the mountains to stop me
.

I don’t know how long I walked before I saw the dots of fire in the distance. Thutmose’s encampment was in sight. I extinguished my makeshift torch and moved on, letting the moon and stars and those campfires guide my ever-more-careful steps.

When I determined I was close enough to risk being seen, I got down on my belly and studied the scene before me. Everywhere I looked, I saw men sleeping on the ground, their gear within easy reach. There were no sentries. Why would there be? Though these soldiers were escorting the crown prince of the Black Land, they did so in the heart of Pharaoh’s realm. Prince Thutmose could sleep safer here than in Thebes, where the royal palace often hummed with the schemes of power-hungry men and women.

Sleep safe, Thutmose
, I thought, my eyes on the lone tent that stood some distance away from the common soldiers’ encampment.
Sleep safe and sleep deep until I’m gone. O Isis, lend me your magic! Give me the keen eye of your son Horus to let me find what I seek in Thutmose’s tent. And seal his eyes with slumber as heavy as clay until I’m far away
. I paused for five heartbeats, gathering my nerve, then crept forward.

The goddess heard my prayer. I was able to work my way silently around the campground where the men slept and slip into the big, square tent. It was almost perfectly dark inside, though my eyes were able to pick out the shape of the field bed where Thutmose lay. It stood directly across the tent from the doorway where I now crouched, waiting. The slow, regular breath of a man enjoying peaceful sleep and pleasant dreams filled my ears. Could he really have no regrets about hunting us so ruthlessly? He’d condemned me to die, and on top of that, he’d tried to destroy me before the lawful sentence could be carried out. He’d never made a secret of how deeply he despised his brother, and he’d probably relish coming up with a merciless punishment to inflict on Amenophis for the crime of helping me. Did none of this trouble his soul?

I wish I knew
, I thought, gazing at the dark form resting on the field bed.
And if it’s true, I wish there were a way to draw
all that venom out of your heart. I don’t like you, but you’re Amenophis’s brother, and he loves you in spite of everything. For his sake, I wish I had the power to heal you, Thutmose
.

Once I was convinced that Thutmose was sleeping soundly, I tucked the door cloth a little to one side so that a small spill of light came into the royal tent. It was enough to let me see what I sought: the sturdy shape of a wooden chest set against the tent wall to my left. I moved toward it on hands and knees, my prayers now begging the gods to grant me the skill and luck to open it without making a sound.

If there was any honey to be found in this camp, it would be here, among the prince’s things. This was no formal military expedition—more like a hunting party, traveling light for maximum speed—so there’d be no doctor along to look after the men. That meant no doctor’s kit, but it didn’t mean Thutmose would travel without basic remedies, in case of accident or emergency. He valued his own life too highly for that. A jar of honey and a roll of linen to dress wounds were as basic as could be.

I laid my hands on the lid of the wooden trunk.

“Rrrrrr?”

The musical rumbling of an inquisitive purr took me by surprise. I gasped as my hands touched a warm, furry, living shape. Two luminous, bright green eyes met mine for an instant before the cat perched atop Thutmose’s travel chest leaped right at me. I tumbled backward, holding in my cry of alarm. My small attacker dropped gracefully into my lap and began kneading my legs, purring ever more loudly. Tiny claws pricked my flesh through the thin layer of my shabby dress until I couldn’t take any more. I picked up the cat and set it on the ground before getting back onto my knees to lift the lid of the chest.

Two strong hands shot out from behind me to grab my wrists, and a well-known voice spoke softly in my ear, “What do we have here? A thief?” I was forcibly turned around, my back pushed painfully against the hard edge of the wooden chest. “Who are you … girl? You’re a brave one, daring to rob me. What shall I do with you? Hmm. Maybe I should let my soldiers decide that. Come.” He hauled me to the doorway of his tent and flung back the door cloth. By moonlight and starlight and firelight, I saw Thutmose’s cold, handsome face once more, and he saw mine. If I live to greet endless dawns, I will never forget the cold-blooded, gloating sound of his laughter, low in his throat, as he recognized me.

“Nefertiti.” He pressed his mouth to mine hard enough to erase all doubt: It was a conquest, not a kiss. “Welcome home.”

5
T
HE
H
UNTERS AND THE
H
UNTED

BOOK: Sphinx's Queen
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