The Women and the Boatman

by Mark Gajewski

  “We’ll have to kill Senebi too,” Hemaka said.

  There were enthusiastic nods all around. Even from me.

  “Who in Nekhen would miss him?” Wehemka asked cheerfully.

  “Once Ma–ee’s dead, Abar will be in play again,” Pipi noted. “I’ll want her joined to Wehemka. That’s how it should have been all along.”

  “If we rehabilitate Amenia’s reputation beforehand she can be in play too,” Uncle noted. “We’ll be able to use her influence to advance our cause.”

  Give me back my authority as the falcon god’s priestess, put me in a position to name a new ruler, and I’ll scream Abar’s name from the dais, I vowed. You’re all delusional if you think you’ll be able to control me then.

  “Just as long as we agree the descent Aboo and Dedi always claimed passed through Abar no longer applies,” Teti said.

  “If Wehemka and Abar are joined it won’t automatically make him our new ruler either,” Uncle said.

  “Who, then?” Pipi asked.

  “Me,” Uncle said firmly.

  Pipi snorted. “My son has Aboo’s blood. He has a better right.”

  “This isn’t about descent from a past ruler. We’re forging a new line,” Uncle said. “I’m the wealthiest of us all. I claim the position.”

  “But you don’t have a son. So, if you want my support, you’ll name Wehemka your heir the very day of your confirmation.”

  “What do I care who follows after me? Done.”

  “If you want my support, Hemaka, your pottery works is my price,” Teti said quietly.

  Nekauba stared at Uncle, angry. He expected to inherit those works from Uncle by virtue of his joining to Kapes, the very entanglement he so desperately wanted to get out of so he could have me. I wasn’t surprised Teti was demanding them. He had no chance of being selected ruler. He’d be quite content to walk away with a lesser prize, one assuring his personal wealth. It would be justice, too, since Uncle’s deal with Ma–ee had resulted in Teti losing his own works.

  “The day I’m confirmed my works will be yours,” Uncle Hemaka promised Teti. “But as for the rest – Amenia, Abar, joinings, land, enterprises – who can see yet what’s going to be required to pull this off? We’ll need bargaining chips for the rest of the elites. We can’t afford to get any farther ahead of ourselves tonight.” He scanned the group. “For now, are we all agreed Ma–ee must go?”

  Every man was.

  I slunk back to my corner, doing what little I could to physically disassociate myself from them. But like it or not I was now part of this conspiracy. It couldn’t possibly succeed. No one in this hut was influential or powerful enough to forge the extensive alliance it would take, nor rule Nekhen if against all odds they actually removed Ma–ee.

  “We’ll have to proceed one small step at a time from here on,” Uncle said. “We’ll have to bring more elites into our conspiracy, align them behind me, figure out how to use or not use Amenia and Abar and everything else we’ve discussed tonight.”

  “What next, then?” Pipi asked.

  “We’ll meet again soon – but someplace different. We don’t want to raise suspicions by being seen together in the same isolated spot over and over. Senebi has spies everywhere, after all.”

  Soon after, Teti and Pipi and Wehemka rose and left. Yuny reentered the hut and sat with Nekauba and Uncle. I remained in my corner.

  “You’d better not give the pottery works to Teti,” Nekauba snapped the moment Teti departed. “I’ve earned them. I’ve had to tolerate that whiny daughter of yours far too long.”

  “If you and your father hadn’t gotten greedy and been caught robbing graves you wouldn’t have to worry now,” Uncle replied. “Amenia would still have influence in Nekhen and so would your father and what we’re trying to do would be so much easier.”

  Another shocking revelation. I clenched my hands into fists, furious. Nekauba had been the accomplice who’d gotten away that night in the cemetery. I’d guessed, but I’d never had proof. I wished Nykara’s spear had found its mark that night, killed him too. Uncle Hemaka had known all along what was going on? That made him equally guilty. Had Sanakht shared the proceeds with him? Why had it been my fate to be born into such a horrible family?

  “My pottery works are an asset, and I’ll use them any way I want to achieve my goals,” Uncle continued. “I’ll trade them away to become Nekhen’s ruler without a second thought. You’re not an important player in this plot, Nephew. Don’t make me regret including you.”

  Nekauba spat, then rose and charged from the hut, cursing.

  Uncle half–turned, faced me. He pointed his finger menacingly. “Don’t you dare breathe a word of what you heard tonight to anyone, Amenia,” he warned. “There’ll be consequences if you do.”

  “Who would I tell?” I countered. “The elites don’t exactly come to Yuny’s farm every day, do they?”

  Uncle snorted, shook his finger again, departed.

  I moved past Yuny and exited the hut and crawled into my lean–to. I nestled between my girls. I leaned over, gave Peksater a kiss. At least one good thing had come of my joining to Sanakht. I rolled onto my side, stared in the direction of the unseen river. I reflected on everything I’d heard this night, replayed the entire meeting over in my mind. These bumbling men are going to go up against Ma–ee and Senebi? They’re all going to get themselves killed. With that comforting thought I fell asleep.

  3436 BC

  Abar

  “What did you say?” Ma–ee shouted, so loudly I could hear him from inside the storage room I was inspecting on the other side of the wall from the audience hall.

  His anger was palpable. I exited the storage area, motioned the girls in the adjacent food preparation area who were standing motionless listening to leave, slipped next to the opening, peered around its edge. I seemed to be eavesdropping on Ma–ee all too regularly these days. He was standing in front of his chair on the dais at the very edge of the top step, his face red, holding his flail menacingly in his right hand. Senebi was next to him, equally incensed. Nekauba, the stocky surly potter from the upper settlement who’d caused Amenia so much trouble for years, was facing them, in the space reserved for supplicants, nervously twisting his hands together, his eyes downcast.

  “My Lord, there’s a conspiracy to remove you as ruler,” Nekauba repeated softly.

  He was trembling, his voice nearly inaudible.

  “I won’t tell you to speak up again!” Ma–ee cried.

  “There’s a plot to kill you and your sons and replace you as Nekhen’s ruler,” Nekauba said, clearly this time.

  My hand rose to my mouth. I nearly cried out myself. That there was a plot was old news to me. I didn’t care about Ma–ee, but my sons? I’d always feared for their safety, but Nekauba’s admission made that fear suddenly very real. I assumed the series of raids Ma–ee had launched after the last harvest season that had robbed almost everyone of their private stores of food had finally prompted his enemies to act. What did men have to lose if they couldn’t feed their families? The only thing truly shocking about Nekauba’s revelation was one of the plotters had come forward to sell out his companions.

  Ma–ee stumbled backwards, sank into his chair, stunned.

  “Who’s involved?” Senebi probed.

  You’re an idiot, Senebi! Their leader is obviously the man you and Ma–ee laughed out of this very hall a few months ago, the man Ma–ee broke his promise to and you mocked. Did you fail to order your spies to watch him? Are you so arrogant you thought Hemaka would go away quietly?

  “Hemaka’s the ringleader.”

  “Your uncle? That’s who you’re betraying?” Ma–ee asked, incredulous.

  You’re as stupid as Senebi.

  “He betrayed me!” Nekauba spluttered. “He promised the pottery works I’m supposed to inherit to Teti in return for his support.”

  What possible support can a man like Teti offer? He’s living off the crumbs Hemaka allowed him afte
r Ma–ee burned down his pottery works.

  “So you’ve come to me out of self–interest,” Ma–ee said knowingly. “Teti’s involved. Who else?”

  “Pipi. Wehemka. Yuny. They’re still trying to round up more elites.”

  “My cousin and his father. Not surprising. They’ve never reconciled themselves to me taking primacy over them,” Ma–ee said. “But who’s Yuny?”

  “A farmer. He’s joined to Hemaka’s oldest daughter. They meet at his hut sometimes. It’s out of the way. Actually, he mostly stands guard so the rest of them don’t get caught.”

  “What’s their plan?” Senebi demanded.

  “My uncle’s going to claim Amenia has received a dream from the falcon god. She’s going to announce to the people at some upcoming festival the falcon god wants my uncle to replace you.”

  The same plan I’d had. Because of Ma–ee’s threat to kill Amenia’s baby it hadn’t worked.

  “So Amenia’s in on it too!” Ma–ee exclaimed. “That girl’s caused me no end of trouble.”

  Caused you trouble? I nearly laughed out loud. Exactly the opposite. You’re the one who stole her from Nykara. You used her to get revenge on him. You threatened her baby so she’d select you to rule. She never did anything to you. You’ve twisted everything around in your mind.

  “Uncle is forcing her,” Nekauba insisted. “After they depose you Uncle’s going to give her to one of the elites who’s backing him, as a prize. Probably Wehemka.”

  “Where is Amenia? She disappeared after your father was killed robbing graves,” Senebi pressed.

  Nekauba flushed at the reminder. “Uncle stashed her at Yuny’s farm years ago. He forbade her to ever go into Nekhen again.”

  “Stashed her away so we’d forget about her, so he could use her at need,” Senebi averred. “Just like he told us in this very room. Hemaka’s been planning this for a long time, Ma–ee.”

  “Where’s Yuny’s farm?” Ma–ee asked.

  “I think I’ve been there,” Senebi replied before Nekauba could answer. “Remember the raids after the harvest?”

  “Of course.”

  “That night one of my men reported Nykara had interfered at one farm. Some woman had pleaded with Nykara for mercy and he made my guards leave empty–handed. I personally went back the next day and took every single bit of food the family had hidden away. Burned their hut to the ground for good measure, too.”

  Merciless pig! No wonder the people hate you, Ma–ee, when such a heartless and cruel man does your bidding. Wasn’t stealing their food enough?

  “Who could the woman have been but Amenia, for Nykara to risk helping her?” Senebi continued. “I didn’t see her when I was there – I’d recognize her, of course – but she could have been gleaning or fishing or whatever it is women do on a farm, or even hiding from me. Anyway, since Nykara knew Amenia was on that farm, and went out of his way to interfere on her behalf…”

  “He’s probably in on the plot,” Ma–ee finished. “Is he?” he snapped at Nekauba.

  “Uncle told me last night he’s gotten someone important to join the conspiracy.”

  A vague answer, which everyone in the hall could act on as they saw fit. For Nekauba, who hated Nykara as much as Ma–ee did, it was a way to use Ma–ee to get rid of Nykara, to finally and permanently remove him as a rival for Amenia. For Ma–ee and Senebi, it was a convenient reason to eliminate a man each considered to be his nemesis. Given what I knew of Nekauba, from Nykara’s recounting of his past activities, he was probably lying about the “someone important.” Who else would be foolish enough to get involved in this obviously lightweight conspiracy?

  “Why have you come to warn us?” Senebi queried, his eyes narrowing.

  Nekauba drew himself up. “What they’re planning to do is wrong. To threaten you and your family, Ma–ee? I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. I only went to the meetings because Uncle ordered me to, not because I wanted to be part of their plot. So… I was thinking I could pretend to be one of them and report back to you details – who else has joined the group, exactly what they plan to do, when they plan to do it.”

  “What do you want for being our spy?” Ma–ee asked. He turned towards Senebi, away from Nekauba. I saw him roll his eyes.

  “I want you to give Amenia to me when you round up the conspirators. And I want my uncle’s pottery works.”

  Ma–ee was right. Nekauba had come here out of self–interest. Nekauba wasn’t warning Ma–ee because he cared for my family. He’d wanted Amenia for years. Both Nykara and Hemaka had kept her away from him. Nekauba had figured out a way to eliminate them both so he could have her. He was as devious as Ma–ee and Senebi. Greedy, too. I supposed he had a right to be angry if his uncle was going to give his inheritance to Teti. But that spoke volumes about Hemaka’s lack of respect for Nekauba.

  Ma–ee leaned back in his chair, rubbed his chin with his forefinger. “What do you think, Senebi?”

  “A small price to pay. What do we care about the woman, or a pottery works?”

  “You have your answer,” Ma–ee told Nekauba. “Provide us with solid information about these conspirators and you’ll have all you desire, and more.”

  “Thank you, My Lord. Thank you,” Nekauba said gratefully. Bowing repeatedly and profusely, he backed his way out of the audience hall.

  As soon as Nekauba was gone Senebi signaled and the guards on either side of the entrance moved to block it. One of them loosened the reed mat tied to the lintel and lowered it, closing off the opening.

  “That man – Nekauba? He’s an idiot,” Ma–ee said.

  And a fool. And obsessed with Amenia. And a traitor to his family.

  “What now?” Senebi asked.

  “This is the best thing that could have happened! The timing couldn’t be better!” Ma–ee exclaimed gleefully. “The inundation festival begins tomorrow. I’m going to deal with these conspirators during it, publicly, send a message every important man in the valley will witness first–hand. I guarantee no elite will ever challenge me again.”

  “What do you need me to do?”

  “Tomorrow, during the ceremony in the oval court, station guards near Hemaka and Yuny and their families. Make sure they’re discreet. We don’t want to scare anyone off. At my signal, have your guards drag them to the foot of my dais. Men, women and children.”

  “Amenia too?”

  “We don’t dare risk her escaping justice. Go to Yuny’s farm right now and seize her. Do it personally. I want her standing before me in this very hall before sunset. Don’t return without her.”

  “You can count on me,” Senebi assured him.

  “Snatch Nekauba during the ceremony tomorrow too,” Ma–ee added. “If he’ll betray his own family he’ll betray me.”

  Senebi nodded. He smiled wickedly.

  Ma–ee rose, began to pace back and forth on the dais. “This conspiracy is a gift, Senebi! A gift! I’m going to be able to tie up so many loose ends!” His delight was as palpable as his previous anger. “Hemaka knows I burned down Teti’s brewery so he could become an elite. Now I can make sure he never tells.”

  “You’re going to kill him?”

  “I’m going to kill all of them.”

  I nearly gasped out loud. Hemaka and Nekauba and Yuny were committing treason by plotting against Ma–ee. Executing them would be justice. Killing innocent women and children just to be vindictive was outright murder.

  “Amenia too?” Senebi asked.

  “Especially her. I need a scapegoat for these poor inundations,” Ma–ee replied. “Who better than the so–called priestess of the falcon god?”

  It was all I could do to keep from rushing from hiding and confronting Ma–ee. I restrained myself. Amenia had nothing to do with the plot. Hemaka was planning to use her for his own ends, against her will. Now Ma–ee was going to do the same, direct the people’s anger over what he’d done to them away from himself. But what was the point in confronting him? Once Ma–ee made
up his mind, no matter how flawed the information he based his decision on, there was no changing it. So it was best neither he nor Senebi was aware of my presence, or that I knew what was about to happen. At least I’d have a chance to try to prevent the worst of it.

  “What about Nykara?” Senebi asked.

  Ma–ee sighed, sat in his chair again. “What to do indeed. Nekauba implied he’s involved.”

  “His interference at the farm proves it,” Senebi insisted.

  “I ought to execute him too.”

  My heart was suddenly in my throat. I stifled a cry. I loved Nykara. Someday, when Ma–ee was dead and my son Shery ruled Nekhen, I was counting on Nykara to help me put Nekhen to rights and then expand Shery’s influence throughout the valley. I couldn’t let Ma–ee kill Nykara based on a lie. I just couldn’t.

  “Nykara’s lorded it over me my entire life,” Ma–ee snarled. “He forced me to give him the fleet back. He killed that lioness I took credit for when Aboo lay dying – he could spread that tale about at any time and make me look weak. Killing Nykara would solve a lot of problems.”

  “I’ll make sure we take him, then,” Senebi said.

  “No,” Ma–ee said decisively. “Let him be. Death would be too easy a fate. I made him suffer when I ordered Hemaka to give Amenia to someone else. Think how much more he’ll suffer when he sees me execute her right in front of him. Because you’re going to force him to watch from front and center, Senebi. Bind him if necessary. I may even force him to help me dismember her once she’s dead. That’ll haunt him the rest of his life. And he won’t dare try to stop me, because she plotted against me, and killing her is my right.”