Suzanne Robinson (21 page)

Anqet tightened her arms around Seth’s neck. She pressed herself into his firmness. That familiar knot of tightness formed in her groin. Seth’s kisses grew frenzied, and with impatient movements, he tore the shift. He leaned into her so that they collapsed on the ground with Seth above her.

Anqet twisted her legs around Seth’s and heaved upward with her hips in an unthinking natural movement that evoked a sigh of pleasure from the count. He slithered down her body, spreading wet kisses on her neck, breasts, and stomach. His mouth reached the knot of sensation between her legs and caressed it.

Anqet shuddered. Her hands twisted in Seth’s hair A volcano erupted within her And still Seth touched her.

A desperate frenzy made her writhe under Seth’s lips and hands. Anqet caught him under his arms and pulled Seth up until he was between her legs He loomed over her.

“Beloved,” he said. “There will be pain.”

Anqet said nothing. Instead she reached out hesitantly and clasped his penis. That gesture ended Seth’s doubts. He nestled between Anqet’s legs and plunged within her She felt a lance of pain that gradually eased as Seth guided himself in and out of her.

A new avenue of delight opened as he journeyed inside her body. Anqet clamped her hands on Seth’s buttocks and directed the rhythm and force of his movements until he lost all restraint. Anqet felt him pulsate inside her He trembled with pleasure and cried out, a startled, shaken moan that filled her with triumph and called forth a burning explosion of her own body. Seth arched his back, then collapsed into her arms. Anqet cradled him and kissed his hot cheek It was as wet as her own. She heard Seth’s broken whisper.

“I don’t understand.”

Anqet didn’t have to ask what he meant.

“You gave your love. For once, you gave your love, along with your body”

Somehow they ended up back in Seth’s bedchamber Anqet woke on her side, Seth’s body curled around her, his arm draped over her. She drew his hand to her breast and lay thinking. No Egyptian girl grew up in ignorance of sexual matters. Her mother had spoken to her of sexuality and love when Anqet was still a little girl. Now she understood why Taia took such care that her daughter understand the physical act. Sex was a powerful force. Making love with Seth was like taking a journey in the sun-boat of Ra.

Often Anqet had come upon her parents in each other’s arms. Oblivious of her presence, they appeared suffused with the light of the solar orb.

Anqet kissed Seth’s palm. He nuzzled the back of her neck and yawned. The count sat up abruptly and stared down at her His auburn hair was tousled, and he grinned a charming, lecherous grin.

“Beloved,” he said. “What a marvelous bottle and stopper we make.”

He lunged at her They shared passion. Afterward, Anqet rested her head on Seth’s chest and listened to his heart beat. She whispered to him.

“My love.”

“Mmmm.”

“There’s something I have to know, now that I can think clearly.”

She paused, searching for words that would fit her dilemma. She’d made a mistake before with Seth.

“I have to know,” she said. “I cant believe you burned your mother’s body and deprived her of eternal life.”

Seth’s heartbeat fluttered, quickened. Anqet raised her head and looked at him. As before, on the galley, his face was emotionless. He was as distant as the northern
homeland of his mother, but Anqet refused to let him shut her out.

“Let me share the pain. My father and mother always told me that sharing each other’s pain made their love a fortress.”

Seth grimaced. Anqet pressed her hands against his cheeks.

“I love you, Seth. Don’t shut me out of our fortress.”

Her lover took a deep breath, his eyes closed. He took her hands in his. Anqet watched the color fade from his lips.

“Our gods were not her gods,” he said. “Father would send me to the priests for instruction, and she would scoff at the teachings and tell me the stories of her own gods—the gods of the forests and mountains.” Seth licked his lips and cast an apprehensive glance at Anqet. “She said she belonged with her own gods, not these ‘foreign monstrosities.’”

Anqet squeezed Seth’s hand. “Go on.”

“Father wanted her with him in his tomb, and in the afterlife. She believed that her ka had to return to the forests of her tribe.”

“They brought you into this fight?”

“Yes.”

Anqet put her arms around him.

“She died,” Seth said. “Father put her in their tomb to wait for him.” He pulled away from Anqet, sat up, and hugged his knees. “She made me promise to—to set her soul free to return home, but I couldn’t. Father would have … So I waited. Sometimes at night I would dream that her ka screamed at me to fulfill my promise, but I waited until Father was gone. And now his soul screams at me.”

Seth lowered his head. Anqet put her hand on his shoulder; it trembled, and she pulled him back into her arms.

“This setting free,” she said. “You did it by fire.”

Seth nodded. “At night. In the desert, where none could interfere.” He rested his head on Anqet’s shoulder.
“I had to do it. I promised. She didn’t belong in the Two Lands, so I set her free to go home.”

“And now you fear to meet your father in the afterlife, knowing he will blame you.”

Lifting his head, Seth whispered to her. “Yes.”

“But Seth, in the afterlife there is only contentment. I’m sure Osiris has given your father the wisdom to understand what you did.”

His voice low and breathless, Seth asked her, “Are you sure? In truth?”

“Of course. Besides, your father loved and married Rennut after he lost your mother. They will be together with the gods.” Anqet kissed Seth’s cheek and whispered in his ear “You tried to do what was right. In that you are no different than any good man faced with such a choice. Seth, you are good. You put another’s happiness above your own.”

Auburn hair swung forward as Seth lowered his head. When he raised his eyes, they brimmed with gratitude and humor.

“I thank you, but don’t let anyone else know of my virtues. I’ve spent much time collecting opinions to the contrary”

Anqet grinned at him. “Then show me more of your corrupt and evil talents, my lord count.”

It was midmorning when they emerged from his rooms freshly bathed and attired. Gasantra was gone, but Rennut waited for them. With Anqet looking on, Seth’s stepmother managed to whine long enough to get Seth to make the daily tour of the estate in her place. Taking Anqet’s hand, the count headed for the service buildings to the rear of the house. Seth scowled at Anqet when she sniggered at him.

“I can’t help it,” he said. “I want to be alone with you, but she’d find us wherever we were. I’d rather do her chores myself than listen to her complain about how wrinkled her skin will get if she has to go out.”

“Poor Seth.” Anqet looked up at him innocently. “You could ask Gasantra to run the place for you.”

He chased her all the way to the brewery. They arrived at the low adobe building, breathless and laughing. Seth scandalized the master brewer by kissing her at length in the middle of the room where workers ground wheat, crumbled dough into water jars, and sieved brew into vats. The kiss ended any thoughts of work. Ignoring the smiles of the men and women around them, Seth and Anqet wandered through the stables, past the granary and bakery, and back to the gardens.

They stopped under the shade of a sycamore. Seth pushed Anqet against the trunk of the tree. Placing his hands to either side of her head, he pressed his body to hers and kissed her. Anqet smiled under his kiss. She could feel Seth’s erection.

“Curse you,” he said. “I come near you and swell near to bursting.”

“I suffer a like malady.”

Seth smiled. “I know, but I was beginning to think you had inhuman control over it.”

“That’s not fair,” Anqet said. She pushed him back so that she could see her lover’s face clearly. “I thought you evil, and you did your best to encourage that belief.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why, Seth?”

The count pulled her down beside him to sit beneath the tree. His eyes grew unfocused while he pondered his answer.

“Out of habit, I suppose.” Seth took Anqet’s hand. “For as long as I can remember, people have treated me as if I were tainted, like a good wine with impurities that made it not quite acceptable. After a while, I learned that it can be convenient to be thought evil.” Seth’s old malicious grin made an appearance. “You’d be surprised at the rewards vice brings.”

“Since we are speaking of evil,” Anqet said, frowning, “you may as well tell me who the dupe is.”

Seth gave her a blank look. “What dupe?”

“Remember the night you tried to seduce me at the palace, and Lord Sennefer interrupted? I listened to your
conversation with Merab later on. Seth! Let go. You’re hurting me.”

Seth slackened his hold on her arms, but could barely contain his excitement. “I never saw Merab that night. What are you saying? Merab met someone else? Who? What did they say? Bareka! You’ve known this for days and didn’t tell me.”

“Calm yourself.”

Anqet removed herself from Seth’s grasp since he was unable to resist shaking her.

“If it wasn’t you, who was it?” she asked. “It was so dark. Merab was talking to someone, but I couldn’t see him clearly. I assumed it was you.” Anqet thought furiously while Seth watched her. “I could only hear a few words. Something about ‘old heretic.’”

“Akhenaten, the king’s brother, the old pharaoh,” Seth said. “They were probably talking about the royal tomb.”

Anqet nodded. “Then they mentioned the ‘dupe.’ I think Merab was talking about a place to store the royal furnishings.” Anqet slammed a fist into her hand. “I couldn’t hear. The only words I caught were the ones the stranger said to Merab. He said ‘change’ and ‘further,’ or something like that.”

Seth pondered her news but eventually gave up trying to make sense of such vague information.

“If only you’d seen who it was,” he said. “I’m sure it was Merab’s leader.” The count shrugged. “There’s nothing to be done about it.”

Anqet moved closer to Seth, once again afraid for him. “You court danger, my love.”

“If I don’t, I get bored.”

“Great Amun-Ra! Don’t sat that.”

Anqet could see that any attempt to dissuade Seth from peril was useless. She would have to live with anxiety.

“You don’t understand the excitement of the hunt,” Seth said. His eyes brightened to a gleam of sunlit metal.

Anqet quelled this enthusiasm with a stern look. “I’m
afraid I do, having been the quarry of one of your hunts.” She held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. Tell me how beautiful I am instead.”

Seth chuckled at her and began to chant lines from a bridal song.

“Beware, my lady.”

They both jumped. Khet stood nearby, grinning at them.

“Beware. Sweet words in my brother’s mouth often signify danger.”

Seth groaned. Anqet laughed.

“Go away, Little Fire,” Seth said.

Khet hesitated, then came forward. He stood in the shadow cast by the sycamore. He carried a bookroll, and his hands slid back and forth over its surface.

“Seth?” the youth said.

Seth dragged his eyes away from Anqet. “Mmmm.”

“I want to be a priest.”

“No you don’t.”

Anqet saw Khet swallow. She felt admiration as the boy lifted his chin and braved the count’s wrath.

“I want to be a priest of Amun-Ra.”

Seth dropped Anqet’s hand. “It’s Sennefer, isn’t it? He’s been filling your ears with godly prattle. Blast his name. I told him no. I’m telling you no.”

Khet flashed defiance at his brother. “Sennefer says I can aid the Two Lands best by serving the Hidden One. I can help the poor. Pharaoh needs honest priests.”

Anqet watched the two with growing dismay but did nothing to interfere.

Seth faced his younger brother and griped him firmly by the shoulders. “It’s wrong for you, Little Fire. You don’t belong in a temple chanting to a statue, counting
tithes, scrambling for place among a pack of vicious place-seekers.”

“I belong with Sennefer” Khet searched his brother’s face. “Don’t I?”

Glancing down at Anqet and back at Khet, Seth shook his head. “You belong with the one who makes you happy, with the one to whom you give happiness.” Seth released Khet. “I forbid you to become a priest.”

“No! He wants me to work with him. I have to.” Khet dodged his brother and raced away.

Seth started to follow, but Anqet restrained him.

“Wait,” she said. “Let me talk to him.”

“You?”

Anqet got up. She placed her hand on Seth’s cheek. “He and I have become friends while you’ve been conducting your mysterious meetings and doing Rennut’s chores.”

Anqet sped after Khet. She found him beside one of the garden pools. The bookroll lay discarded on the ground, and Khet sat facing the water One of his hands was buried in the fur of the hound Meki. The dog had been brought to Annu-Rest at Seth’s order, and boy and dog had become each other’s shadows.

At Anqet’s approach, Meki lifted his head and glanced her way, then rested it back on Khet’s knee. Anqet sat beside the dog. Khet’s hand glided over the soft fur as it had over the surface of the bookroll. Anqet looked at the flushed face with its high, delicate cheekbones and murky eyes.

“He loves you,” she said.

Khet nodded, still subjecting the water to an intense examination.

“He doesn’t give his heart to many.”

“I have to be a priest,” Khet said.

“Why?”

Meki groaned. Khet stopped twisting his fur He avoided Anqet’s eyes.

“I don’t know,” he said.

Anqet leaned over the dog and spoke in a conspiratorial tone: “Seth and I are in love.”

“I know.” Khet sighed. “I had to listen to an inventory of your virtues and physical attributes from the moment you arrived. It was almost as boring as composition.”

Anqet ignored this comment. “You know what I have discovered about love? It’s something my parents taught me without my knowing it.” Anqet paused. Khet frowned at her, but she had his attention. “The best kind of love is the kind that is given freely. Did you ever feel that you had to earn Seth’s love?”