“Mayhap you are right. But I grow weary oftrying to impress an unresponsive boy, regardless of the reasonsfor his stubbornness. I feel strongly about this issue, and I donot think I will change my mind.” Hattie sighed again. “TellGeneral Snefru he may proceed with the campaign,withoutPrince Tuthmosis.”
“Very well, Majesty. It shall be as youcommand.” Senemut bowed and left the room.
“Campaigns,” Hattie muttered as she stormedback to her royal suite. Servants in the halls bowed submissivelyand shrank before her wrath. “Soldiers. Little boys running off tomake war! I am sick of it all. I want to go home to my own time, myown country, my own friends. I cannot stand this exile a momentlonger.” She marched into her bedroom, tore the coronet from herhead, and flung it onto the bed.
Nesi awaited her, a look of abject fearetched across her face. “May I serve you, Majesty?” shewhispered.
“Bring me some food, and be quick about it,”Hattie snapped.
“Aye, Majesty.” Nesi turned to go, quaking soviolently that her fragile gown shivered with each step.
At once, Hattie’s conscience stabbed her.“Nesi?”
“Aye, Majesty?” The servant turned withobvious reluctance to face her mistress again.
“I am sorry I shouted at you. I am not angrywith you. Please accept my apology,” Hattie said in a warmer tone.She smiled encouragingly.
Nesi blushed. “It is nothing. I am but YourMajesty’s servant.”
“And you deserve to be treated fairly. Youhave been a great help to me, and I value your service.”
“Thank you, Majesty.” Nesi curtseyed deeply.“I am honored I have been of use to Your Royal Highness.” The girlstill appeared ill at ease, but at least her shaking hadstopped.
“Please fetch me some date wine, a littlecheese, and figs. And some bread, too, but take care that you bringbread made with the special flour. I do not wish to break atooth.”
The servant curtseyed once more and fled theroom as if demons were chasing her.
Hattie was rather proud of herself forfinding a way to insure she could eat bread without wearing herteeth down to a pulp on sandy grit. She had instructed the royalgoldsmith in the preparation of a golden sieve covered with veryfine holes, pierced with a tiny, sharp awl. She demonstrated to herastonished cook the use of the sieve, to strain out sand and otherimpurities from the flour. The cook was suitably impressed, too,with the delicacy of the finished baked goods. If only her otherproblems were so easy to solve!
Her refusal to allow Tuthmosis to accompanyhim on the army’s next campaign had infuriated General Snefru. Hehad been most vocal in his support of the idea—dangerously close toinsolent, in fact. Hattie knew so little about the time in whichshe found herself. Perhaps she should have allowed Tuthmosis to go.Senemut felt it was appropriate, after all, and she trusted him.Had she erred again? Perhaps the real Hatshepsut would have allowedTuthmosis to train with the army. Was she jeopardizing her chancesof returning home by forbidding the prince to go? She was chargedwith protecting him, but was she being overprotective?
Hattie dropped down onto her bed and pressedher fingers against her aching temples. What she wouldn’t give fora couple of aspirins! She needed to concentrate on finding a wayback home where she wouldn’t have to worry about campaigns, sulkycrown princes, or damaging her teeth in a place where the practiceof dentistry was limited to chanting a prayer to ward off evil, andwrenching the offending tooth out of the inebriated patient’sjaw.
Traveling through time was easier said thandone, however. Hattie still didn’t know for certain how she hadended up in Hatshepsut’s court, so she didn’t have the first ideaof how to return home, although she strongly suspected the necklacehad something to do with it. Her memory continued to be a bit hazy,most probably from the blow to the head she’d sustained when shefell in the vault at the museum. The last thing she remembered wasa wave of dizziness, clutching the necklace, and falling to thefloor, then a brief, dreamlike encounter with the image ofHatshepsut. When she awoke, she discovered she had beengiven—without her permission—a splitting headache, a differentbody, a new life, and an apparently one-way ticket to the past.
Tuthmosis was not making that new life anyeasier. Every time she tried to reach out to the boy to befriendhim, he ignored her or turned away. He still seemed to bestruggling with the loss of his father and the adultresponsibilities suddenly thrust upon him. Yet he wouldn’t accepthelp from Hattie, the one person who wanted to ease his pain.
Senemut had suggested, when she firstarrived, that the boy be sent away to train with the army. And nowit was clear General Snefru agreed. She had rejected the advice outof hand, thinking Tuthmosis was too young, but perhaps she had beenhasty in reaching that conclusion. Boys in her own time, often asyoung as Tuthmosis, went to military academies. It was a good wayto instill discipline and a healthy respect for authority. Perhapssending Tuthmosis into the army was the ancient world’s equivalentof military school?
She would discuss it with Senemut the nexttime she saw him. He might have been right all along. He was anative in this time, after all, while she was just an interloper.She should give his advice more credence.
The curtain flew to one side and a tinyfigure burst into the room. “Mother!” Neferure ran to Hattie andthrew her small arms around Hattie’s knees, effectively pinning herin place.
“Hello, darling.” Hattie gently disengagedthe child and lifted her into her arms. “I am happy to see you, butshould you not be at your lessons?”
“I wanted to see you. Senimen will not mind.”Neferure flung her arms around Hattie’s neck.
Hattie patted the girl’s back and bounced herup and down as she walked across the room. “Do you like your newtutor?” she asked, setting Neferure down on the bed.
“Aye, Mother, I like him well enough. But whydo you not teach me?”
“I am sorry, little one, but I have too manyother duties. Senimen will teach you well, if
