"And in return?" Shabaka skeptically asked.
"Only that one day you help me, should I need it. Good begets good. Come, we will eat, and I will see if there is something among my wares that covers your body better than that rag you are wearing."
"You are familiar with the city near the water?" Shabaka asked, falling into step with the man.
"Yes, it is my home and I look forward to returning there. And yes, you may travel with me."
Shabaka nodded in acceptance, thankful for the fate bestowed on him.
Chapter Thirteen
Neti could smell it on the breeze, long before they even came within range. The stench of rotting meat concerned her, for it was uncommon for bodies to rot in the desert. The sand absorbed the fluids just as quickly as natron did, especially if the body was covered. Jackals and hyenas were quick to smell the dead, so they often picked the bones clean. However, given the distance into the desert that they had traveled, it could be argued that it was too remote for even such scavengers to wander.
They had not come across any more bodies, and it caused Neti to believe that they could have veered off course, that Khabo might have gotten the path wrong. She knew that if they were to make it to the city next to the water and others were also headed there, then their paths would eventually cross.
Khabo and Moses retained a tense and silent interaction, which necessitated her intervention, something that had also become irksome. Their communication consisted of glares and loaded silences as they continued along the path Khabo had indicated, a situation that worsened after they had run out of flatbread and dates the previous afternoon. They had not come across any other travelers, and so could not barter for food. Moses' complaints of an empty stomach and the need to find food had seen her bite her tongue and not give harsh retorts on several occasions.
The stench suddenly increased to the point that Moses finally commented on it. "What is that smell?"
The intensity caused a band to tighten around Neti's heart, for without even seeing it, she knew that it took several bodies to create such a stench. "There are bodies up ahead," she quietly commented.
"Bodies?" Moses replied, stopping to look at her. "How can you know?"
"A single body could not stink so much," she replied, however she kept walking, her instincts already having identified from which direction the stench originated.
"You think it could be them?" Khabo asked, siding up to her.
"We have not seen anyone for days, there is no telling who it might be," Neti replied, hoping beyond all hope that she was correct and that they would not find that which she feared most. "How far are we from the water?"
"Just more than a day," Khabo said, "which is why it is difficult to understand such a loss."
"It is simple. They ran out of food and water, just like us," Moses spitefully retorted, "I still say you have gotten us lost."
"There is water enough in the wells," Khabo countered. "This crossing is not that harsh, even with little to no food, you can make it."
"Then why have they died?" Moses challenged.
"Possibly because they were stubborn like you." Khabo replied.
"I will not be spoken to like that!" Moses said, dropping his goods and making for Khabo.
"Enough!" Neti exclaimed, lowering her satchel to the ground and turning toward Moses. "We will reach the desert's edge soon enough. You will not die of starvation, so stop this! I have had enough."
Moses looked at her, shocked, however, he swallowed before answering, "How can you be so certain?"
"Because I have no reason to question Khabo. Besides he will die with us, if we do not make it."
Moses looked toward Khabo and nodded.
"Now, if you do not mind, I am going to investigate the origin of that stench, for all we know it could be animals."
Neti gathered up satchel and started ascending the dune, her legs sinking deep into the loose sand as she moved. On searching the summit she came to a standstill, as she took in the scene before her. The bodies were partially covered by sand and were randomly scattered, in odd positions, some on their backs or sides. The scraps of fabric covering their bodies ruffled in the breeze as the heat rose from around them.
"Why have you?" Moses started, but grew silent as he caught up with her and his gaze followed hers. "You think they were attacked?"
Neti hesitantly shook her head, "There would be tracks in the sand."
Moses looked around the area, "The wind could have covered them."
Again Neti shook her head and pointed toward knobs in the sand, "They would have taken the crates."
Khabo came to stand beside them, "This is not good."
Neti turned to look at him, "You think this is the curse."
Khabo shrugged his shoulders in response.
Neti made to descend the dune, however Khabo grabbed her arm to stop her. "This could be a trap."
Neti turned to look at him, frowning, "A trap, how so?"
"Look," he pointed to various points. "The crates are still here, not many, but those who travel these paths would search them for goods . . . or lie in wait for someone to search them. I do not like this, it feels wrong."
"Not to mention that it really stinks," Moses added.
"I have no interest in searching the crates, although it would be more important for us to determine who these people are." She grew silent for several moments, before quietly adding, "They might be the ones who took Shabaka."
"And if he is down there? Among them?" Moses hesitantly asked.
Neti took a deep breath as she answered, her voice shaking, "It would be better if we knew." She then turned and started her descent. Khabo lowered his pack and followed, leaving Moses on the dune summit.
"I will keep a look out for others!" Moses called after them, also lowering his pack to the sand, turning around to look.
Neti nodded, however, continued her descent, knowing that Moses had never really had the stomach to deal with the more pungent corpses they had worked on.
Neti systematically worked through the bodies, going over each of them and tried to establish their possible heritage. Although most were fair-skinned and made their dismissal easy as not the one she sought, the band around her heart loosened a little with everyone she dismissed. Some she could dismiss even at a distance, their lanky sinewy build so far removed from Shabaka's physical form. She breathed a sigh of relief when glancing over the last few bodies, as their small statures and light skins were an obvious disqualification.
Khabo had remained close to her, having kept his thoughts and opinions to himself as they moved among the corpses. Although he finally spoke as they finished assessing the last body, "This is very strange."
Neti nodded her head, "There has been no attempt by any scavengers to consume the flesh, not even the vultures. The fluids have not drained from the bodies, I have never seen such a thing. It is like there is a barrier keeping the fluid within the body so it could rot."
"It is a curse," Khabo stated, although there was fear in his voice.
Neti knelt at one of the bodies, at first reaching out to touch it, but halted herself midway. She had no way of knowing whether it was a curse, and, if so, if she would be affected. She knew little of the actual curses that the high priests cast on royal scarabs. It was outside her practice, and one she proposed to study once she returned to Thebes. "I think it is safe to say that whatever happened to them, the atmosphere around them is enough to keep the scavengers at bay. But I do not think that this is the group that took Shabaka."
"Why do you say that?" Khabo asked, his confusion evident in his voice.
"From what we have heard, there was a group of women traveling with them. I have not seen any female bodies," Neti said gesturing around, "these are all male. Their dress identifies them as slaves, with those two possibly being the owner and his helper, but I see no women, not even the clothing of women."
She looked over the area, before asking, "Is this on the path to the co
astal city, or were they traveling elsewhere?" she asked, looking at Khabo.
"It is slightly off the path but not uncommon for some groups to wander to the side."
"I wonder if the two groups might have parted ways?" Neti mused. "But then why would they do that when they are so near the water?"
"That I cannot answer," Khabo said, and then turned toward her, "You think Shabaka might be with the other group?"
Neti shook her head as she spoke, "I do not know what to think. There are so many contradictions about this trip. We had some reports of a small boy, but there are several men here who from a distance could have been mistaken for a young boy. These men are slaves that you indicate would travel this way, as they are no more than crate bearers."
Khabo looked around him, as he carefully voiced his thoughts, "You think that my Nubian prince is still alive?" On completion of his question his gaze locked with Neti's.
Neti held his gaze for several moments before visibly swallowing, "I hope he is."
* * *
Shabaka moved through the throngs of people in the square. For the limited amount of time he had spent in the city, he had been able to determine that it was building toward a trading day, for every day more goods and more people arrived.
He had quickly familiarized himself with the layout of the small town, its trading areas that were broken into various groupings, unlike those in Thebes. Slaves and livestock were traded near the pier, with fabrics, spices, and pottery in the square above, while merchants walked around selling baked breads and sweetmeats.
The man he had met at the oasis had been helpful in familiarizing him with the city. The clothes the man had provided had helped him blend in with the locals. The frankness of their response to him was refreshing. He could walk among them and they would simply walk past him, no one cast glances his way or whispered behind raised hands.
The anonymity was also one of the reasons why he had not reported to the city guard, although he knew he should have, so that message could be sent back to Thebes that he was safe. However the ability to move through the crowds without people needing to acknowledge his presence had in fact eased his search. It had allowed him to identify possible traders and shutties who possibly facilitated the trade of tomb artifacts and illicit gems, something that had taken much longer when he had been in Thebes.
Without rank no one saw him as a threat or even considered that their actions and interactions with others could be under scrutiny. Thus he quickly identified those who moved around and traded in certain areas and also what they traded, while slowly moving through the trading squares and looking through all the wares on display, without the need to hurry along or be interrupted by others, at times talking to the various shutties.
The guards were there to ensure orderly trade than marshal which goods were traded, a matter he thought best to take up with the pharaoh, for more than once he noted some suspect goods and dealings, although the guards did not seem to notice.
He had sought the group of men he had traveled with, as the women having arrived the day after him. The man had set up near the pier, having placed the women on display, seemingly oblivious of anything not involving the trade of the women. The lack of the other trader had him consider the possibility that there were set trading points for artifacts and that a great deal of their trade might occur in a place similar to Apisit Ripisit. He also knew if that were the case, it would take some time to discover the location. And once such a place had been identified he could return to Thebes and report it to the pharaoh.
Chapter Fourteen
The sun had just risen to its zenith as Neti, Moses, and Khabo entered the town on the water's edge. Khabo had taken the lead and shown them where they could find accommodations, although the woman of the house looked them up and down. However she quickly changed her stance when Neti requested two rooms and forwarded her a few gold nuggets.
The woman had willingly shown them to their rooms and handed Moses some flatbread at his moans of starvation. After which, Moses had gone to notify the captain of the guard, which unsurprisingly was housed in a small building just off the main trading square, of their arrival, while Neti had sought out a hamman, needing to scrub the dirt and dust of the desert from her body.
The air within the city was hot and sticky and although she had grown up in the Thebian valley, well used to the blistering summers, the air above the coastal city was different, the smell of the water different. She knew she would have enjoyed it more were she there under different circumstances. The city had a buoyancy to it, the people were less haggard than those living in Thebes, although Neti considered the fact that most of the people she had come across were traders, and that might have something to do with it.
She quickly noted that the city's main trading areas were in good repair, more so than the scant homes they had passed on their way into the city. Compared to them the casually erected pole tents in the market square were in better repair. And while the upkeep of the city seemed to be the occupant's least area of concern with all their attention centered on the trading of goods, the people themselves were a vibrant mix of cultures—some she had never before encountered and they seemed to speak in singing tones. Their clothes were energetic, almost alive with color, unlike the white or lined cloth found in Thebes, and people jingled whenever they moved. The sound emanated from either shells sewn to their clothes or small amulets fastened to ankles, wrists, or necks. .
Neti took in the sights as rapidly as she could, knowing there would not be another opportunity. In the morning they would determine how best to approach the search for Shabaka, or find anyone who had seen anything. She returned to the home and shared a simple meal of bread and beer with Moses and Khabo, before settling for the first night of decent sleep she had had in days.
* * *
The following morning it seemed as if the world around them had changed entirely. A group of large barks had arrived during the evening, and were offloading wares and goods, while the city came to life.
Neti walked through the market place, and while the chanting and calling from various shutties enticed many to look at their wares, it did little to soothe Neti's nerves. She was once again dressed as a madam, although this time not as elaborately as she had been in Thebes. The woman with whom they had boarded had looked her up and down and Neti could see the dislike in her eyes as Moses and Khabo looked her over, even Moses wearing his sash with the pharaoh's colors had little effect on the woman's demeanor.
After a short discussion about how best to proceed, Neti and Khabo had set out for the market place. The smell of baking flatbread and fried meat had lured many to the wandering traders, who seemed to give little concern for those of Neti's stature. Had it not been for the years of exposure to people's scorn when she had been younger, she would have thought the people rude, however, she could understand their reasoning, for who would want to be seen befriending a madam, unless they were a shuttie, who seemed almost desperate to draw her attention.
She knew it was not the people as much as their perception of what she appeared to be that governed their actions toward her, yet she knew her own fate would have been similar to those of the girls she was about to view, had she not been as young and had the gods not took favor on her.
Khabo maintained a steady distance behind her. He had explained to her the process of viewing girls at the yard. However, knowing what needed to be done and actually going through it and putting up a convincing enough act were two totally different things. Her fascination with the various goods on display came naturally, for not even on the best of market days in Thebes was there such a selection.
The various cloths, scented waters, and makeup would tempt even the most frugal of women to barter. Then there was also a vast selection of chains and amulets, with glimmering frying plates that she was certain a cook like Yani would long for. Thus, it was not difficult for her to wander from shuttie to shuttie, admiring their wares, many of them befitting a place in the pharao
h's palace.
Their beauty and craftsmanship had her wonder about the places of their origin. The thought had her hesitate for a moment, remembering that this was the city to which Ma-Nefer and those associated with him had brought their stolen wares. She looked around her, still seeing the vibrant colors, although the magic surrounding them seemed to have faded. She looked differently at the shutties, almost suspiciously although she was certain that a great deal of the wares would in all likelihood not have been stolen, the thought that they might be lingered with her and was enough to pull her thoughts and attention back to her purpose there.
A shuttie called out loudly to gain her attention and she turned to look at him, remembering that she was to portray a certain amount of disdain when she looked at their wares and spoke to them. She lifted her head as she made her way to him, taking her time to look over his wares. Within moments she understood his insistence, for certainly a women of her stature would find enjoyment in the selection of exotic perfumes and makeup, although she had little interest in such elaborate things.
In Thebes she wore what was needed, and with the lofty attitude she declined the shuttie's wares, claiming them unsuitable for her needs, unwilling to even remain in order to listen to the man's swaying speak and lavishing of compliments. She had heard many men in Thebes resort to such measures to get citizens to buy goods, and she was not interested in hearing whatever compliments he chose to bestow on her.
For a mere moment she shifted her gaze to Khabo, just assuring herself that she was not alone, and then set off for the lower market near the pier, where she would view the women. However, even her experience of Apisit Ripisit could not have prepared her for what she found there.
The square was large with the heat and humidity of the day already steadily rising. The women were kept in groups, each lined up next to their shuttie. A simple cloth covered their bodies as they looked at the opposing wall, only shifting to drop the cloth covering or bending to cover themselves. The sheer number of young women within the area caused Neti's stomach to churn as she came to a halt. Well aware that many would be looking her way, with her heart pounding in her chest, she looked around the yard, wondering where to start.
Secret of the 7th Scarab (The Mummifier's Daughter Series Book 4) Page 13
