Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows

‘But are you sure Ay is in charge of her circumstances?’

‘Yes, or at least he was at the start.’

I thought about that.

‘Is she right about Horemheb?’ I asked.

He nodded.

‘Horemheb married her for power. He seduced her very effectively, but all he wanted was an entree into the royal family. He knew no one would want her for herself, and so she was a kind of bargain.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘She was damaged goods, so to speak. She was always a bit strange. Even from her childhood she was troubled, hysterical. So she came cheap. The family were keen to see her put to some use, and the alliance to a rising military star seemed valuable at the time. He was obviously going somewhere. Why not keep the army within the family? And obviously he got a remarkable preferment out of it. The other side of the bargain was that as a member of the family, by the grace of the deal, he would agree to behave; to give her at least the public semblance of a married life, and to harness the army to the strategic business and international interests of the family. After all, under the terms of the deal, that would be in Horemheb’s own interests, too.’

‘And is that why Mutnodjmet still remains incarcerated within Malkata Palace? Why don’t they send her to her husband?’

‘They must have come to some mutually beneficial arrangement. She lost her mind. She became a liability to both parties. To Horemheb she became a horrible embarrassment; she is the price he paid for his ambition. She loves him, but she revolts him. He wants to be rid of her. To Ay she was also a problem, for she is part of the dynasty, but she could not sustain a public role. Therefore it was in the interests of both parties that she disappeared from life, to become a kind of non-person without actually dying. But she is kept alive, for now. And as you see, she is quite mad, poor thing.’

‘And Horemheb?’

‘The ruthless young crocodile quickly outgrew his pond. He grew bigger and bigger. And soon all the fine meat and the rich jewels they fed him were not enough. He will rid himself of her as soon as it suits him to do so. He has been watching Ay, and Tutankhamun, and Ankhesenamun, and all of us. And now, with the catastrophic death of the King, I’m afraid his moment has come.’

He seemed thoroughly sobered by his words. He looked about himself, at the smooth, cold luxury of the palace, and seemed for a moment to see it for what it truly was: a tomb.

‘But one thing is now clear,’ I said.

‘And what is that?’

‘Both Ay and Horemheb are complicit with the Physician. Ay made the arrangements for her care. Horemheb knows how his wife is being incarcerated. But the question then is: who recruited the Physician to do what he did? Did Horemheb command the Physician to make his wife an opium addict? Or was it his own idea? And did the Physician act on his own agenda in terrorizing the King, or on the orders of someone else? Horemheb, perhaps?’

‘Or Ay,’ said Khay.

‘Possibly. For he would not wish the King to take control of his own power, as he did. And yet his own reaction to what happened indicates he had no knowledge of how the objects came to be in the chamber. In any case, it does not feel like the kind of thing he would do.’

Khay sighed.

‘Neither possibility is optimistic. In any event, now that the King is dead, you may be sure Horemheb will arrive here soon. He has important business to conduct. His future is all before him. All he needs to do is conquer Ay and the Queen, and the Two Lands will belong to him. And I for one fear that day with all my heart.’

The hour was late. We had arrived back at the double doors of the Queen’s apartment. Guards had been stationed there for the night. I asked Khay to leave me there, to speak to the Queen alone. He nodded, then hesitated, and turned as if to ask me something confidential.

‘Don’t worry,’ I said. ‘Your secret’s safe with me.’

He looked relieved. But he also looked as if he was about to tell me something else.

‘What?’

He hesitated.

‘This is not a safe place for you any more.’

‘You’re the second person to say that to me tonight,’ I replied.

‘Then you know to be very careful. This is a pool of crocodiles. Take care where you step.’

He patted me on the arm, and then walked slowly away down the long, silent passageway, back to his small, diminishing amphora of good wine. I knew my time too was running out. But I had my clue. And, with luck, Nakht would have saved the boy, and he would now be healed enough to talk. If so, perhaps I could connect everything together. Identify the Physician. Stop him from committing any further acts of mutilation and murder. And then I could ask him the question that was burning in my head. Why?

38

I knocked on the door. The Maid of the Right Hand nervously opened it a fraction. I pushed past her and her protestations, and walked through into the chamber to which I had first been brought. In another life, I thought, before I entered this labyrinth of shadows. Nothing had changed. The doors to the courtyard garden were still open, the hammered bowls were lit, and the furniture remained immaculate. I remembered how I had felt this was her stage scenery. She appeared, alarmed, from the bedchamber. She was relieved to see it was me.

‘Why are you here? It is very late. Has something happened?’

‘Let’s go outside.’

She nodded, uncertainly, drew a light shawl around her shoulders, and stepped through the doors into the garden. The maid quickly lit two lamps, then scurried away at a gesture from her mistress. We walked in silence to the pool, carrying the lamps, and seated ourselves on the same bench, in the dark, with just the lamps to hold back the darkness of the night.

‘Why didn’t you tell me about Mutnodjmet?’

She tried for a moment to look innocent, but then she sighed.

‘I knew if you were any good you would find out eventually.’

‘That doesn’t answer my question.’

‘Why didn’t I tell you? Isn’t that obvious? She is our terrible family secret. But why are you asking me? She could not possibly have anything to do with everything that has happened.’

‘You thought you were the best judge of that.’

She looked wounded.

‘Why are you saying this now?’

‘Because she is the person who left the carving, the box and the figurine.’

She laughed briefly.

‘That’s not possible-’

‘She’s an opium addict. As you know. She has a doctor. He calls himself the Physician. He has managed her need for his purposes. In return for carrying out the little tasks of leaving his presents around the royal quarters, he supplies her with the drug. So he keeps her in need, and she does whatever he requires. But what is more, that same man has also been killing and mutilating young people in the city, using the same drug to subdue them.’

She struggled to take it all in quickly.

‘Well then, you have solved the mystery. All you need to do is arrest him. And then you will have performed your task, and you can return to your life.’

‘She cannot name him. I am sure Ay or Horemheb can. But that is not why I am here.’

‘No?’ she said, apprehensively.

‘You have been visiting Mutnodjmet, and taking her out of her apartments.’