The Amarnan Kings, Book 3: Scarab - Tutankhamen

by Overton, Max

  Horemheb drew Penno to one side, and lowered his voice so they could not be overheard. "A commander must learn to be flexible. Amenemipet gave those orders before he knew I was here. Surely you do not expect a man of my position to be marched off by this ragged excuse of an army?" He gestured at the native troops waiting patiently for their officer's commands.

  Penno flushed. "No sir. Of course not, sir. But...but he is my superior officer. Could we not...well, compromise?"

  Horemheb massaged his temples gently with the fingers of his left hand. "Amenemipet is not my superior officer, Penno. I do not have to obey him."

  "Er, technically he is, sir. He stands for the Viceroy in his absence. The viceroy stands for the king."

  "I know who stands for what, Penno. But at this moment I am the most powerful man in the Two Kingdoms and the Provinces after the king and Tjaty Ay. I would be superior to Viceroy Huy if he was here." Horemheb drew himself up, thrusting his shoulders back and leaning forward to stare into the Lieutenant's eyes. "You asked for a compromise, Penno. Well, I am a reasonable man. I will accompany you and your troops to the palace, as will all my men, but as a token of my good will I will refrain from flaying the skin from your back. Is that enough of a compromise for you?" He turned on his heel and stalked back to where Mose had the entire troop of a hundred and fifty men drawn up, fully armed.

  "Good man, Mose," Horemheb murmured. "Let's show these provincials we are not to be toyed with. Lead them out, double time."

  Mose grinned and rapped out his orders. The soldiers leaped forward, running straight at the local troops who scattered before them. They thundered along the street and started up the hill, running fast but staying in formation, Horemheb and Mose at their head. The populace ran screaming, as if the pillage of the city was imminent. After a few moments confusion, Penno led his own troops in a loose rabble after them.

  Penno managed to catch up with Horemheb at the gates of the viceregal palace, just as the guards of that residence were about to defend themselves and their posts. "Hold!" he cried out, panting for breath. "Do you not recognise your General?" He turned to Horemheb, holding his chest as if in pain. "Sir, I am on your side in all of this. I was merely following my orders, as a good soldier should."

  Horemheb nodded. "Yes, I suppose you were." He grinned suddenly and clapped the lieutenant on the shoulder. "Well, you are under a new commander now, with different orders. Lead me to Amenemipet. Mose, take charge here. No-one is to enter or leave the palace without my permission." The general gripped Penno's shoulder and swung him round. "That goes for your troops too. They are also under Mose's command."

  "Of...of course, sir." Penno gave the necessary commands to his men and despite doubtful looks and a bit of muttering, the men saluted and fell into line with the troops from Waset. Mose strutted and started making dispositions with the two hundred men now under his command.

  Horemheb grunted and started up the palace steps, paying no attention to the servants and minor officials standing gawking in the corridors and entrance hall. Penno hurried after and guided him through the maze of rooms to the viceregal chambers and the official Hall of Justice. Outside the hall with its huge double doors, Penno paused.

  "He did not want guards here, sir. Whatever he wants to say, there are to be no witnesses." Horemheb said nothing, so Penno continued. "Shall I announce you, sir, or do we just march straight in?"

  "Let's just slip in quietly," Horemheb replied. "Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of him in an unguarded moment."

  Penno nodded and pushed half of the door open a fraction, its motion silent on well-greased hinges. The two men slipped inside the imposing chamber.

  Deputy Viceroy Amenemipet sat alone on the viceregal throne in the Hall of Justice, reading from a papyrus scroll. Despite his studied concentration of the symbols, the meaning seemed to elude him as he went back over the passage several times, finally giving up and throwing the scroll to the floor. His head came up and he started as he caught sight of the two men standing just inside the doorway. He jumped to his feet with a stifled exclamation before realizing the loss of dignity the act caused, sitting down again heavily.

  "Where in Amun's holy name have you been, Penno? I thought I told you to bring the commander here immedi...Horemheb! You? You're the commander?"

  "Just so, Amenemipet. Were you expecting someone else?"

  The deputy had gripped the arms of the throne as he recognised the general, and he released the gilded wood slowly, flexing his fingers as he stared at his unexpected visitor. "Why should I expect anyone? I was...I was just anticipating some low-level officer bringing news from the north." He took a deep breath and raised his chin, staring down the length of the hall. "I would remind you, general, that I represent the king in Wawat and your mode of address leaves much to be desired. I should not have to remind you of proper court etiquette."

  Horemheb started to walk down the length of the hall, his sandaled feet echoing in the empty sandstone hall. "King Nebkheperure Tutankhamen is represented in Wawat by Viceroy Huy, not you Deputy Amenemipet. And even if Viceroy Huy was here, I would tell him the same thing I am telling you, albeit in a more polite way--I outrank you."

  "That is absolute nonsense and you know it, Horemheb. You may be General of all of Kemet's Armies, but you said it yourself last time you were here, we have equal rank." Amenemipet smirked. "But, of course, as Acting Viceroy, I automatically outrank you. Down on your knees, Horemheb, and I may forgive you your gross impertinence."

  Horemheb smiled and said nothing, standing at ease in front of the man seated on the throne.

  Amenemipet scanned the general's face, a flicker of doubt weakening the haughty set of his features.

  "You do not know, so I will forgive you your own disrespect," Horemheb said quietly. "Read this." He took out a small scroll from the leather pouch at his waist and handed it to the seated man.

  Amenemipet took it gingerly, staring at the scroll as if it were a viper. He unrolled it and read the contents swiftly, paling as the import struck him. "This...this cannot be genuine."

  "You recognise the seal of the king and Tjaty Ay?" Horemheb's relaxed voice took on a bronze-edged hardness. "That document names me the third rank, after the king and Tjaty Ay, in the Two Kingdoms and the Provinces, including Wawat. I have full powers to pursue my mission, up to and including putting people to death for obstruction and declaring war on tribes and nations if it will further my mission. I can confiscate anything I need, without paying for it; conscript any man into my army--in short, do as I please. Do not make the mistake of standing in my way, Amenemipet."

  The deputy gaped, his face pale, for nearly a minute before asking in a strangled voice. "What do you require of me?"

  "Sir."

  The deputy's hands clenched spasmodically and he said nothing for a moment. Then, "What do you require of me, sir?"

  "Your assistance, Amenemipet. Your unstinting and enthusiastic assistance." Horemheb reached out and took back the scroll, returning it to its pouch.

  "Y...you have it, of course, sir." Amenemipet swallowed and glanced at Penno who stood wide-eyed behind the general. "Leave us Penno."

  "Stay."

  Penno smiled fleetingly. "Yes, General."

  Horemheb glanced around the huge hall and saw some chairs along a far wall. "Penno, bring two chairs. For yourself and Amenemipet." He turned back to the man still seated on the viceregal throne. "I would not want the two of you to have to remain standing while I sat."

  Amenemipet gulped and shot to his feet, stepping quickly down from the raised dais. Horemheb seated himself on the throne and smiled benignly as Penno brought the chairs. The lieutenant remained standing but Amenemipet collapsed onto his and sat looking down at the floor. Neither Horemheb nor Penno said anything and the deputy looked up, first at one then the other before flushing and standing once more.

  Horemheb nodded. "You may sit." He waited a few minutes longer, staring hard at Amenemipet before leaning back and resting
his arms on the sides of the throne. "I have come to Wawat to find and crush the rebel who calls himself Smenkhkare. To do this I must find him. Where is he, Amenemipet?"

  "Set's bollocks! How would I..." The deputy swallowed. "I don't know...sir."

  "I thought as representative of the king, you might know everything that went on in this province. How about you, Penno? Have you heard anything?"

  "There was an attack on soldiers near Kubban half a month ago, sir."

  "I know, I was there the following day."

  Penno's eyebrows lifted. "You were? What happened?"

  "Smenkhkare and a hundred of his men ambushed soldiers from Kubban fort and massacred them. We followed them for half a day before we turned back to the river."

  "A pity you did not pursue them further...sir. You might have rid us all of this burden." Amenemipet shifted in his chair and looked away. "I say this merely as an observation, not as a criticism."

  Horemheb ignored him. "Smenkhkare headed inland from Kubban, up the dry river valley. He knows this area--you know it too, Penno. Where would he go?"

  Penno sucked his teeth noisily, his brow creased in concentration. "It depends on what he needs most, sir. A year ago he had a thousand men and could do as he pleased. Now? Well, you say he has a hundred men only so he will not raid the gold mines, nor will he attack the forts or cities. My guess is he will seek a hideout somewhere and build an army again."

  Horemheb nodded. "Where?"

  Amenemipet snorted. "Where? This is a large province, Lord Horemheb, perhaps half the size of Kemet or more. He could hide an army in this wilderness. He did so once before."

  "A fact I am aware of. Give me your considered opinions, both of you. I realise you cannot know his whereabouts but we have to start looking somewhere."

  "Then deep into Kush. He'll go to Kurgus and south from there to the fifth cataract or further," Penno said promptly.

  "Nonsense," Amenemipet scoffed. "There is nothing down there but warring tribes. He will want to stay close to the temples and cities. My guess is he will go as far south as the Tanjur wells before turning west again and crossing the Great River into the western desert."

  Penno shook his head. "The land near the river is too cultivated and there are many villages. He will not run the risk of being seen."

  "Suddenly become an expert on rebel tactics, have you?" Amenemipet sneered.

  "At least I get out into the countryside and see what's out there, rather than sitting in a palace all day drinking wine."

  "How dare you!" The deputy leaped to his feet, fists clenched. "You forget who you are talking to."

  "Enough," Horemheb snapped. "Sit down, both of you. I do not need the quarreling of young boys; I want reasoned and constructive advice. However, I can see that neither of you has any knowledge of Smenkhkare's whereabouts, so we will have to find some."

  "How?"

  Penno raised his eyebrows in an exaggerated manner. "We send out scouts," he muttered.

  "Yes, we send out scouts, as many as we can. We find Smenkhkare and we crush him utterly."

  "I hope you brought more men with you than came in your barge," Penno said. "I don't have many to lend you."

  "What you saw is what I have," Horemheb replied quietly.

  "How many?" Amenemipet asked. The general told him and the deputy swore colourfully and at some length. "Then we are all dead men."

  Horemheb sat back on the throne and observed the two men in silence. Penno sat calmly and expectantly, though the fingers of his right hand drummed incessantly on his thigh. Amenemipet was far more nervous, actually sweating and shifting in his chair.

  "It is not as bad as you fear," Horemheb said after a few minutes. "Smenkhkare fled from my army at Waset with no more than two hundred men. When he ran past Kubban, drawing the men out after him, he had perhaps half of that, maybe a bit more. Even if he manages to draw in disaffected elements from the province, he will not be able to amass more than three or four hundred. Less if we hurry. Then I will force him to battle, destroy his army and kill him."

  "You are going to destroy four hundred of his men with a hundred and fifty of your own?" Amenemipet narrowed his eyes and glared at the general. "You may be third in the land, Horemheb, but you have taken leave of your senses."

  "Only a hundred and fifty of my army will be those I brought. The rest will come from Wawat. That is why I am here instead of tracking Smenkhkare from Kubban." The general smiled thinly at the deputy. "I will show you I am not senseless and then you will apologise to me on your knees." He turned to Penno. "How many men have you here in Sehotep-Neteru?"

  "Since you depleted my force for your march on Waset, three hundred."

  "And how many forts in Wawat?"

  "Twenty-one."

  "How many men in each?"

  Penno shrugged. "It varies. Seven major forts, one of which was Kubban, have one to two hundred men. The others maybe fifty. Less if disease and warring tribes have taken a toll."

  "I will leave you fifty here, take a hundred from each of the main forts, except Kubban, and twenty from every other fort, including Kubban. That will give me over a thousand men. Enough to smash Smenkhkare's rabble."

  "You would concentrate your force in one place, leaving the cities, temples and forts almost defenceless, sir?"

  "They will only be defenceless if they are attacked, Penno," Horemheb said grimly. "That is why it is imperative we find Smenkhkare. I want scouts sent out today, hundreds if necessary, to cover every possible place he could hide out."

  Seventy men left Sehotep-Neteru that day, and another fifty followed the day after. Some went north as far as Kubban fort before turning up the road to the gold mines, taking every valley and track into the wilderness. Others forged their way up the dry river valleys of Derr, Abu Hoda and, further south, Tanjur. More cut across country, traveling by way of goat track or game trail, toward the valley that led down to the Kurgus boundary stelae. They traveled light, living off the land where they could, and all were tough, experienced men who knew the country and its people.

  On the third day, sailors went out onto the Great River Iteru, sailing north and south, putting in at little villages, out of the way temples, and lonely farms, keeping eyes and ears open, talking to any willing to exchange a bit of gossip.

  The Viceroy of Wawat, Huy, returned ten days later and immediately ordered Horemheb into his presence. Horemheb was closeted with the Viceroy for half a day, after which he came out and went about his business as if nothing had occurred. Huy remained in his private chambers, or conducted the day-to-day business of governing the province from the forecourt of the temple of Nebmaetre Amenhotep, staying out of the general's way. Amenemipet stayed with the viceroy for the most part, preferring his company to that of his enemy.

  With all those men out looking for Smenkhkare's force of rebels, it was hardly surprising someone found them. A month after the first scout set out, a man returned to Sehotep-Neteru with news of a discovery.

  Penno came bursting into Horemheb's chambers, interrupting the general as he pored over maps of Wawat and dictated annotations to a portly scribe.

  "Sir, we've found him. Qenna here..."

  "Hold!" Horemheb snapped, cutting the lieutenant off. "Now, compose yourself and report properly, Lieutenant Penno, you are not some lad catching sight of a girl bathing."

  Penno stood to attention. "No sir, sorry sir. Sir, we found him." He could not restrain himself and grinned broadly.

  Horemheb sighed. "Very well, tell me. Who found him?"

  "This man, sir. Qenna." Penno dragged forward a tall Nubian clad in simple animal skins. The man towered above Penno by at least a head and shoulders. Puckered scars circled his huge biceps and climbed his broad shoulders and bull neck to stud his face and bald head in swirls of cicatrices, pale against his velvety blue-black skin. Deep brown eyes stared at the general with evident curiosity and a gentle smile broke his dark visage with a slash of white teeth. Awkwardly, the huge man bent and kne
lt on the tiled floor in front of Horemheb, but did not lower his great head.

  "Tell me, Qenna," Horemheb said gently. "Where did you find him?"

  "Mighty lord," Qenna rumbled in a deep voice that seemed to originate deep in his taut belly. "I, and two of my fellow scouts took the Kurgus road, down from the point where it meets the upper Tanjur valley."

  Horemheb nodded. "I know the place. I found him there once before." He gestured for the scout to get up and waved him to a chair. The huge man sat down gingerly, the timber creaking as he lowered his weight onto it.

  "He was not there, mighty lord, though there was recent sign of many men passing. We followed, down to Kurgus itself and the markers set up by the kings. There we lost the tracks, so my fellow scouts and I separated. One went upriver, one downriver, and I went into the wilderness that lies between the river."

  Horemheb frowned. "Between the river?"

  "The river turns sharply near Kurgus, flowing north, then south," Penno said. "There is a triangular region between the north and south stretches of the river."

  "Show me." Horemheb dismissed the portly scribe and leaned over the map.

  Penno pointed out the position of Kurgus and how the river ran. "The map is not very accurate, but this is the place called 'Between the River'."

  "Alright, Qenna, go on."

  "Yes, mighty lord. I ran into the hills for two days until I found the tracks of many men again. I followed and came upon a village, a very strange village."

  "Strange? How?"

  "Mighty lord, when my people build a village, the headman is in a large hut in the middle with smaller ones scattered all around. This one had huts in rows and the chief's hut set to one side. Many villages have a thorn fence as protection against lions, but this one had armed men walking around the edges as well."

  "A military camp," Penno commented. "Who could it be but Smenkhkare?"

  "Very likely," Horemheb agreed. "But I would like a bit more proof before I commit all my men to attacking him. Was there anything else, Qenna?"