'Meren, you've grown callous, and I won't-'
'No!'
Idut jumped and scowled at him. Before either of them could speak, Cherit held up a wrinkled hand for silence.
'Idut, you're a fool. There's evil rampant in this house, and you're worried about conventions.'
Wah sidled over to Idut. 'The venerable Lady Cherit speaks with wisdom, my dear. Two people have died suddenly. This is no longer an ordinary matter. Let us all retire to the garden as Lord Meren requested.'
The family complied, but as Bentanta tried to follow them, Kysen delayed her. Meren joined them.
'Lady, where is the pomegranate wine you brought with you?'
'Most of it has been drunk. Why?'
'You gave some to Sennefer?'
'Yes, this morning. He was distraught over Anhai. What's wrong?'
'But there's some in his chamber.'
Bentanta glanced at Sennefer's door. 'At the feast he asked for some. I had two jars sent to his chamber.'
'When was this?'
'Early, not long after the feast began. He tasted it and couldn't stop praising it.'
'So you instructed a servant to bring jars to his chamber. And the jars were sealed.'
'Of course they were sealed.' Bentanta looked at him closely. 'My pomegranate wine couldn't have killed him.'
'Not the wine, no.'
'I'm not lackwitted, Meren. You think his wine was poisoned, so you suspect me of killing him. Use your own wits, will you? Why would I want to kill Sennefer?'
Meren glanced at Reia. 'Escort Lady Bentanta to her chamber.'
'I do not allow anyone to send me to my room, Meren.'
'Then allow me to explain something,' he said. 'My cousin is dead from drinking tainted wine that you provided. His wife is already dead after quarreling with you.
She held something of yours that you wanted back, which you refuse to explain. You deny any evil-doing, but can't prove your innocence. This is no longer a matter between friends, Bentanta. It's an official inquiry into two deaths by the Eyes of Pharaoh, not a plea for help by your playfellow. Go to your chamber.'
He signaled to Reia, who bowed to Bentanta and indicated the way to her room, which lay on the opposite side of the house. Bentanta pressed her lips together, but said nothing. Turning her back on Meren, she marched out ahead of the charioteer.
When she was gone, Meren opened the door to Sennefer's room and summoned Nebamun. Nebetta was rocking back and forth on her knees beside Sennefer's body while Hepu stood over her. The physician came out holding the cup and flagon of wine. Kysen went in and retrieved the opened jar. Then Meren shut the door on the grieving parents.
He led the way to the hall, took a chair on the dais, and waited while Kysen set the round-bottomed jar in a stand. 'Now, tell me again what's in the wine.'
'I'm not certain, lord, but I think it's been tainted with a poisonous plant, the tekau. It has long, deep-green leaves and purple-black berries. My physician's book lists the signs that come upon one poisoned with it, and states that it is an illness one cannot treat if too much has been eaten or drunk.'
'And so far the only wine that's been tainted is this we have here,' Meren said.
'Iry has examined all the other jars,' Kysen said. 'When she arrived, Bentanta had twelve jars delivered to the kitchen storage. Most of it was consumed at the feast with no ill effects. There were three jars left in storage, and they have been found untainted. It seems the only poison is in this one open jar.'
Meren rose and bent over the vessel to study the bits of clay clinging to the twine fastened to its neck. 'It could have been poisoned before it was sealed, I suppose.'
'Or someone could have tainted it after Sennefer opened it,' Kysen said. 'If he opened it after the feast, in his chamber, someone still easily could have stolen into his room after he was asleep and put the poison in the jar. Anyone in the guest house, that is.'
Meren went back to his chair. 'True. You've been invaluable, Nebamun. Please go back to my aunt and attend to her.'
'She is making herself ill with grief, lord. Shall I give her a draught to calm her?'
'Yes, if she'll take it.'
When Nebamun was gone, Kysen lowered himself to the floor of the dais and shook his head. 'I don't suppose you've thought of a way to blame a servant or a slave.'
'Ky, all of them have been with the family for generations, and most were too busy at the feast to be involved with Anhai's death. Kasa has worked with my men to account for their whereabouts that night. As for Sennefer, only those who handled the wine or had the opportunity to taint it concern us.'
'Who brought the wine to Sennefer's room?'
'Kasa,' Meren said. 'And I don't think Kasa had a reason to harm Sennefer or Anhai. He barely knew them and had no dealings with either.'
Kysen turned around and clasped his arms around his knees. 'But Bentanta had a reason to harm Anhai, and if Anhai shared her secret with Sennefer, she had a reason to harm him too. What was this great secret?'
'She won't tell me, and the search of her chamber and possessions has yielded nothing, especially not torn papyrus.'
'Then you haven't seriously tried to make her tell you.'
'Don't worry. I'm through being the gentle courtier and hesitant childhood friend. I'm going to her chamber now.' Meren rose and smoothed the pleats in his over-robe. 'However, I almost feel like changing into armor.'
'Fear not,' Kysen said with a wry smile. 'Reia will be there to protect you.'
'You think yourself fortunate, but you, my dear son, are going to question my dear sister's proposed husband.'
'Not Wah!'
'I can't talk to everyone, Ky, and he's the only stranger who was here for both deaths. Perhaps the gods will bless us, and you'll find out he's the murderer of both. Unfortunately…'
'Ra?'
'Yes,' Meren said. 'Ra was at Green Palm, and he could have stolen back to kill Anhai and poisoned Sennefer's wine too.'
'An evil prospect, but how likely?'
'I'm not sure,' Meren said. 'Once I would have said Ra doesn't care deeply enough about anyone or anything to be provoked into action. But if Anhai used him, and Sennefer laughed at him for it-' Meren threw up his hands. 'I don't know anymore. At times he's rabid with anger. He thinks he's been persecuted his entire life, mostly by Father and by me, but he's fed this grudge for so long that he's made a habit of seeing injustice toward himself from countless sources.'
'And he drinks.'
'Wine has ruined many a man's judgment,' Meren said.
Kysen rubbed his chin and stared at the flagon and wine cup. 'The doorkeepers for both houses were back at their posts after the feast. Anyone outside would have had to avoid them, and none of them saw anyone sneaking around the grounds. I suppose it's possible that someone from outside could have used a rope to climb the outer wall and steal up the back stairs to the roof to enter.' He rose and stood beside Meren.
'You're going to question Aunt Idut?'
'Yes, and Great-Aunt Cherit,' Meren said. 'I wish you could do it, but they wouldn't listen to you. And I'll have to talk to Hepu, and perhaps Nebetta. Gods, this day seems endless.'
'I'll visit the temple tonight. You get some rest.'
'After this day, I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep. I'm not going to rest until I find out who's killing people in my house. And gods, what a choice of culprits!'
'You've thought of the possibility that Sennefer could have killed Anhai, and someone else killed him in revenge?'
