‘Do you understand the trust I place in you by speaking in this way? By revealing such considerations?’
I nodded.
He stood up and walked to the fountain where he observed the water pulsing. Then he turned back to me.
‘Find her. If she is alive, save her and bring her to me, together with those associated with the act. If she is dead, bring me her body so that I can give her to eternity. You have ten days. Call upon what resources you require. But trust no-one in this city. You are a stranger here. Keep it that way.’
‘May I speak?’
‘Yes.’
‘I will need to question everyone who had access to the Queen. Everyone who knows her, who works for her, who cares for or does not care for her. That may include your own family, Lord.’
He looked at me, taking his time. His face darkened again. ‘Are you implying that maybe your
‘I must consider every possibility, no matter how unacceptable or unthinkable.’
He was not pleased. ‘Do what you must, with my authority. I will give you permissions. However, remember that this authority brings responsibility. If you betray it in any way I will have you executed. And if within ten days you have not succeeded, know this: I will also kill your family.’
My heart turned to a stone. The worst of my fears was confirmed. And he knew it. I could see it in his face.
‘And as for that little journal you keep your thoughts in, if I were you I would burn each scroll as you write it. “Somewhere between a mule and a mother-in-law”? I was not flattered. Remember your own advice. Take care.’
He poked his staff at me, stared hard, and then I was dismissed from his presence.
9
As I came through the doors, Khety was waiting for me. He could tell I was shaken. He waited for me to speak.
‘Where’s Tjenry?’
‘He had to go. Mahu sent for him. He’ll meet us tomorrow.’
I nodded. ‘I need a drink. Where does a thirsty man go in this dry town?’
Khety took me to a pavilion by the water, separated from the dust of the roadway by a wooden fence and a fancy gateway which was connected with nothing at all on either side. We could have stepped around it easily, but since someone had bothered to design and construct it, we complied and passed through. Inside, a large wooden platform extended a little way out over the water, and tables and chairs were arranged casually around it. A crowd of groups and couples were sitting there, their drinks and faces lit by lamps, and by the lanterns that hung over their heads. Most of the faces looked up to observe me. I noticed again how they came from all parts of the Empire. Perhaps they were already gathering for the Festival.
I chose a table to the side, near the water, and we sat. The wine list was interesting, and I ordered a jar of young Hatti: light enough for the time of day and for consuming with a snack. The servant returned with a plate of figs and-incredible rarity! — almonds, some bread, and the jar, inscribed with its date, origin, variety and maker. I tried it. Excellent. Clear as a bell.
‘You do not order Egyptian wine?’
‘No, Khety. I respect the wine from Kharga, and the Kynopolis stuff can be excellent. But for a foot soldier like me a Hatti white is a rare opportunity. Try it.’
‘I know little of wine. I drink Egyptian beer.’
‘Very healthy, but not much fun for the palate.’
‘Actually the wine is fine. Light and clear. I appreciate it.’
‘Try actually enjoying it.’
‘Yes, sir.’
He took another sip. ‘It is enjoyable.’
‘Have an almond. They’re delicious.’
‘Oh, no, thank you.’
How would I get this man to open up? He looked at me like a wary and not particularly bright dog. I wished Tjenry were here instead. He seemed to have more of an appetite for life.
‘Khety, we face an impossible task. Has your charming boss explained to you the nature of the mystery?’
‘No, sir.’
‘Well, I am going to tell you. And in doing so it will make us equal in one crucial respect, and one respect only. We are both under the same fate: if we fail to solve the mystery, we will suffer the same consequences. Do you understand?’
He nodded.
‘Good. This is the mystery.’ I paused for dramatic effect. ‘The Queen has disappeared and my task is to find her and restore her to Akhenaten in time for the opening of the Festival.’
His eyes widened and his mouth stayed open. ‘Disappeared? Do you mean…?’
It was the worst acting I had seen in some time. He knew. Everybody knew, apparently, except me.
‘For heaven’s sake, stop pretending. Apparently her absence is the talk of the town.’
His face cast about for a way out of his dilemma, but he quickly realized he was discovered. He put up his hands and shrugged with a frank little smile.
‘Good. Now, perhaps we can start again.’
He looked at me, interested now.
‘What’s been going on in this city?’
‘What do you need to know?’
‘The politics.’
He shrugged. ‘Dirty.’
‘So, nothing new in the portal to the eternal, then.’
‘What?’
‘Just something Akhenaten said to me.’
I sipped my fine wine and pushed the rare almonds towards him. He took one, reluctantly.
‘I’m just a middle-ranking Medjay officer,’ Khety said, ‘so what do I know? But if you’re asking me, here’s what I think.’ He moved closer. ‘Everyone who’s come to the city is on the make. Most people are here because they’re investing in the future-their own, their family’s. They realize they can rise within the new administrations and authorities. It’s a chance to rise above their stations. And there’s so much wealth here. It’s being siphoned off from the rest of the country, and for all I know from the whole Empire. A friend told me the garrisons in the north- east are hardly manned now, even though there is serious trouble brewing up there. Everyone here is from somewhere else, somewhere where they couldn’t even scrape a living any longer. The preparations for the Festival have put enormous pressure on everyone; the craftsmen are charging five times as much for their work because of the conditions and the hurry, and their bosses are taking a cut. They’ve drafted in thousands of immigrant workers but I’m sure the budget isn’t all being spent on food and wages. The wealth’s disappearing, the Treasury can’t keep up with the overspending, the cutbacks are hurting the rest of the country…I think it’s a disaster already happening.’
The sun had now disappeared over the river, over the Red Land.
‘So what has all this to do with her vanishing?’
Khety went quiet.
‘Don’t be enigmatic, it’s annoying.’
‘Sometimes it’s dangerous to speak.’
I waited.
