Hapuseneb entered and bowed, his hands behindhis back. “Majesty, forgive me for intruding on your sorrow. I knowyour heart is burdened and your spirit oppressed.”
“Thank you for your sympathy, Hapuseneb,” shesaid, rising tiredly from the bed.
“How are the young prince and princess takingthe news?” He paced back and forth, glancing at her occasionally,but never turning his back.
“Tuthmosis is away, training with the army,as you know,” Hattie said, frowning. She was mildly intrigued byHapuseneb’s behavior since he had never before shown any concernfor her. “I have sent him a messenger bearing the news. Neferure isheartbroken, as you may well imagine. Senemut was her first tutorand she loved him well.” Hattie sighed and massaged her temples. “Icannot comfort her, nor can she comfort me.”
“It is regrettable,” he murmured, dartinganother glance at her and then looking away.
“Aye. It is.” She paused, but he didn’trespond. “Is that all you came to say, or do you wish somethingfrom me?”
Hapuseneb opened his mouth and closed it,then tried again. “I…forgive me for my audacity, Majesty, but Ihave brought you a gift. I think it will help to lighten yourheart.” He brought out his hands from behind his back at last andthrust at her a beautifully decorated, small cedar box. “I pray youwill accept this poor token of my esteem.”
“Why, Hapuseneb! I am surprised.” Hattieallowed her expression to soften. Perhaps she had misjudged him. Ifhe could offer her sympathy in her time of grief, he couldn’t beall bad. “It is very kind of you, and I thank you.” She reached outfor the box and Hapuseneb placed it in her hands, an odd smileplaying about the corners of his mouth.
Hattie ran her fingers over the exquisitecarving on the lid, then opened the box. It was deep and dark,revealing nothing of its interior. Caring little whether it was apiece of jewelry or a poisonous snake, she plunged her hand intothe box and pulled out its contents. Her jaw dropped as she sawwhat dangled from her trembling fingers. It was the golden pectoralnecklace that had brought her to Egypt, the eye of Horus glitteringin the dim light. Confused, she turned to Hapuseneb. “What isthis…where did you get…”
A wicked grin split his face. “I have ridEgypt of the usurper Senemut, and now I shall rid her of you,too!”
An electric shock pulsed through Hattie’shand and up her arm. She tried to let go of the necklace, but shecouldn’t seem to loosen her grip on it. Her legs buckled and gaveout, and she dropped to the bed.
“Why?” she whispered, as waves of dizzinessassaulted her. She should be happy to be returning to her own homeat last. Wasn’t that what she had worked for all this time? Hadn’tshe turned the palace upside down searching for the necklace, andtried to find a magic spell or charm to aid her? Why, then, was shefrightened now that her goal was at last at hand?
Realization suddenly dawned that home was nolonger Chicago…it was Egypt. She belonged here, as she had neverbelonged in Chicago.
“Because you are a meddler. Because you area woman, and haveno place on the throne of Egypt.” Hapuseneb sneered. “And becausethe boy will be more easily controlled than you. Egypt will founderunder your rule. We need a warrior king on the throne. And I intendto fashion that warrior king.”
The scent of incense burned strong inHattie’s nostrils and her vision blurred. “So, it was you allalong?” she whispered, struggling to hold onto consciousness.
“Aye, it was me,” he hissed. “Snefrudispatched your precious Senemut, but I claim credit for finallyridding Egypt of you. My name will live forever!”
Hattie’s vision grew black around the edgesbefore all sight disappeared. Hapuseneb’s evil grin was the finalthing she saw. She was falling, falling into a deep, dark pit withno one to catch her, no one to help her. She was all alone.
Suddenly, she felt the same cooling sense ofcomfort she’d experienced when she passed out in the museum aftertouching the necklace. Turning, she saw the lovely, slender womanshe knew at last was the real Hatshepsut, not just a figment of herimagination. “You!” she breathed.
“Aye. You have performed the task I setyou, and I am most grateful. Tuthmosis is safe and will live torule Egypt. I know now who the traitors are, and do not fear, theywill be punished.” The queen frowned. “When I was poisoned byHapuseneb, my powers were not sufficiently strong, in my illness,to allow me to purge my body of the venom and also keep mykaintact. All I could do wassearch down through the millennia, bodiless, for one who couldperform my task and make my body habitable again. My blood runstrue in your veins. You were the perfect choice.”
“I am glad I could help you. You say we arekin and I believe you now, for Egypt seems as much a part of me asmy own flesh.”
“That is as it should be,” Hatshepsut said.“Yet you have gone further than I asked. You have also loved andprotected my beloved daughter Neferure. I thank you for that withall my heart. Now you can take up the threads of your own lifeagain and be happy.”
Hattie sighed. “But it is too late for me tobe happy…too late. Senemut is gone.”
Hatshepsut smiled enigmatically.“Possibly.”
Hattie opened her eyes wide. “What do youmean, possibly?”
Hatshepsut shrugged. “I must return to mybody now, else my ka will be lostin the void forever. You will understand soon…this I promise.” Sheheld up her hand in blessing. “In a moment, you will return to yourown life. But know that my immeasurable gratitude goes with you.”She faded away, leaving Hattie alone in the darkness.
But not for long. Glowing in the dark, likean image on a distant movie screen, Hattie saw Hatshepsut lyinglifeless on her bed in the palace at Thebes. Hapuseneb leaned overher, holding a small mirror under her nostrils to check for thebreath of life.
Hatshepsut’s gown suddenly shivered as ifstirred by a violent wind. Her chest rose sharply and she sprangupright, knocking the mirror from Hapuseneb’s hand. He
