all rejoiced with the father.
'It is a good omen,' the men told each other. 'The gods smile upon us. From now onwards our venture will prosper.'
Taita sought the counsel of Nakonto. 'What is the custom of your people? How long must the woman rest before she can go on?'
'My first wife gave birth while we were moving cattle to new pasture.
It was past noon when her waters broke. I left her with her mother to do the business beside the road. They caught up with me before nightfall, which was as well, because there were lions about.'
'Your women are hardy,' Taita remarked.
Nakonto looked mildly surprised. 'They are Shilluk,' he said.
'That would explain it,' Taita agreed.'
The next morning Li-To-Liti slung her infant on her hip, where it could reach the breast without her having to dismount, and was up behind her man when the column pulled out at dawn.
They continued on through well-watered, grassy countryside. The sandy earth was gentle on the animals' legs and hoofs. Taita treated any light injuries or ailments with his salves so they remained in fine condition.
There were endless herds of wild antelope and buffalo so there was never any shortage of meat. Days passed with such smooth regularity that they seemed to merge into one. The leagues fell away as vast distances opened ahead.
Then, at last, an escarpment of hills appeared on the misty blue horizon ahead of them. Over the following days it loomed larger until it seemed to fill half of the sky, and they could make out the deep notch in the high ground through which the Nile flowed. They headed directly for this, knowing that it would afford the easiest passage through the mountains. Closer still, they could see each feature of the heavily wooded slopes and the elephant roads that climbed them. At last Meren could no longer contain his impatience. He left the baggage train to make its own pace and took a small party forward to reconnoitre. Naturally Fenn went with them, riding beside Taita. They entered the gorge of the river and climbed up the rugged elephant road towards the summit of the escarpment. They were only half-way up when Nakonto ran forward and dropped on one knee to examine the ground.
'What is it?' Taita called. When he received no answer he rode forward and leant out from Windsmoke to discover what had intrigued the Shilluk.
'The tracks of horses.' Nakonto pointed to a patch of soft earth. 'They are very fresh. Only one day old.'
'Mountain zebra?' Taita hazarded.
Nakonto shook his head emphatically.
'Horses carrying riders,' Fenn translated, for Meren's sake.
He was alarmed. 'Strange horsemen. Who can they be, so far from civilization? They may be hostile. We should not continue up the pass until we find out who they are.' He looked back the way they had come.
On the plain below they could see the cloud of yellow dust the rest of the column had raised, still three or more leagues away. 'We must wait for the others, then go forward in strength.' Before Taita could reply a loud halloo rang down from the high ground above and echoed off the hills. It startled them all.
I176
'We have been discovered! But, by Seth's pestilential breath, whoever they are they speak Egyptian,' Meren exclaimed. He cupped his hands round his mouth and bellowed back up the pass, 'Who are you.7'
'Soldiers of the divine Pharaoh Nefer Seti!'
'Advance and be recognized,' Meren called.
They laughed with relief as three strange horsemen came clattering down to meet them. Even at a distance Meren saw that one carried the blue standard of the House of Mamose, and as they came closer still their features were clearly Egyptian. Meren started forward to meet them. As the two parties came together they dismounted and embraced rapturously.
'I am Captain Rabat,' the leader introduced himself, 'an officer in the legion of Colonel Ah-Akhton in the service of Pharaoh Nefer Seti.'
'I am Colonel Meren Cambyses, on a special duty for the same divine pharaoh.' Rabat acknowledged his superior ranking with a salute of one fist clenched across his breast. Meren went on, 'And this is the magus, Taita of Gallala.' True respect dawned in Rabat's eyes and he saluted again. Taita saw from his aura that Rabat was man of limited intelligence, but honest and without guile.
'Your fame precedes you, Magus. Please allow me to guide you to our encampment, where you will be our honoured guest.'
Rabat had ignored Fenn for she was a child, but she was conscious of the snub. 'I don't like this Rabat,' Fenn told Taita in Shilluk. 'He is arrogant.'
Taita smiled. She had become accustomed to her favoured position.
In this she reminded him strongly of Lostris when she had been sovereign of Egypt. 'He is only a rough soldier,' he consoled her, 'and beneath your consideration.' Appeased, her expression softened.
'What are your orders, Magus?' Rabat asked.
'The rest of our contingent follows with a large train of baggage.' Taita pointed at the dustcloud on the plain. 'Please send one of your men back to guide them.' Rabat despatched a man at once, then led the rest of them up the steep, rocky pathway towards the crest of the pass.
'Where is Colonel Ah-Akhton, your commander?' Taita asked, as he rode at Rabat's side.
'He died of the swamp-sickness during our advance up the river.'
