by Scott Peters
"I'm through, aren't I!" Hui whispered.
"Yes! Don't stop," Zet whispered back.
Soon Hui's blade appeared more easily, stabbing out in various spots along the wall.
"Start kicking," Hui said.
"Stand back," Zet whispered.
Chapter Twenty-five
Run!
Zet glanced both ways. Then he delivered a hard kick to the wall.
The bricks held firm.
"Come on!" He slammed into it with a second kick. His bare foot stung with the force of the blow. He kicked it a third time. The wall shook a little, but didn't break.
"Harder!" Hui whispered.
Zet backed twenty steps away. He sprinted forward and launched a kick so powerful that the force of his strike sent him flying onto his behind.
The bricks shuddered. And cracked inward. Hui's hands appeared, and then his face. He grinned at Zet through the hole.
"Lying down on the job, I see," he whispered.
"Ow?" Zet said, half laughing, half groaning as he rubbed his foot.
Hui broke his way through and stretched his arms. "Freedom!"
"Not yet," Zet said, "But I'm pretty sure Darius stole those jewels. And I think he's sent the medjay into an ambush. And come to think of it, I haven't seen him all day."
They talked quickly. Zet told him about the donkey with the food supplies, and how he felt sure it had gone to the canal last night.
"Their camp must be on the opposite bank," Zet said.
"Do you think the rider will bring food there again tonight?"
"Possibly. Food and messages. I suspect the kidnappers are still over there with her, and whatever trap the medjay have fallen into is as far as you can get from that place. On this side of the water, in the mountains or something."
"We could wait here," Hui said. "Until the rider comes for a donkey. But that might be dangerous."
"Agreed. What if we go to the wadi and hide out? And if the boy doesn't come, we'll find a way across the canal before dawn and start searching."
"How wide is it?" Hui said.
In the big ferry, it had seemed narrow. But standing on the bank had been a different story. "You don't want to know."
They crept around the far end of the barn and paused. The stable master still stood talking with his friends near the door. Despite the darkness, he and Hui would have to move carefully not to be seen.
In the far distance stood the hulking mountains. The Traveler—the moon god Khonsu—rested between the peaks. Soon Khonsu would forge his way through the shimmering stars.
"We'll have to go around the paddock," Zet whispered. "Make a run for it on the far side."
Hui nodded.
Ducking low, they skirted along the enclosure. A furry cluster of donkeys nosed at the ground, looking for grass. Zet and Hui reached the far side, when Zet noticed gate access into the donkey pen.
On impulse, he tried the handle. It lifted easily.
"Come on," he whispered, opening it and squeezing through.
"I'm liking this idea," Hui whispered.
"Why walk when you can ride?" Zet said, pulse racing.
He spotted the brown donkey he'd seen earlier that day. "Hey, Brownie," he said, taking hold of its rope. To his relief, the soft-nosed creature followed him out the gate. Zet scrambled up onto its back.
Meanwhile, Hui was still dodging amongst the pack. He yelped, barely missing a kick from a big donkey. Another almost took a chomp of his fingers.
"Quit playing around. Let's go!" Zet hissed.
"What do you think I'm doing?"
Zet was growing more nervous. "The stable master's going to bring them inside any minute. Hurry up!"
"Tell that to my gray-eared friend here!" Hui said, waving a handful of grass under a small donkey's nose. The donkey took the bait and trotted after him. Hui shut the gate and clambered on top.
Zet gave his animal a nudge. "Come on Brownie. Let's get away from here."
Brownie started into a happy trot. But when Zet looked back, he saw Hui's animal hadn't budged. Shouts came from the barn. Flea dung!
"A little help?" Hui said.
Zet trotted back to Hui. "Toss me your rope!"
Hui did. "Wake up, Gray Ears! It's adventure time!"
After Zet gave Gray Ears' rope a few tugs, it reluctantly started forward. And then they were off. Zet headed for the construction site. He didn't want to risk getting lost like the night before. He kept turning back to peer into the darkness, sure he'd see the stable master coming after them.
Soon, it became clear they'd gotten away.
Zet shot a grin at Hui. His best friend's wide grin shone back at him in the moonlight. It felt great to be back on the chase together!
Hui whooped. Zet did the same.
Riding made everything go so much faster. He hadn't spent much time on a donkey, his animal was tame and required little direction. Hui's seemed happy to follow, as long as Zet had hold of the rope. They reached the chapel in no time. From there, Zet was able to find the wadi without too much trouble. Being higher up on the donkey's back had advantages. He could see farther.
They reached the broad, ink-black canal and stopped.
The surface flowed quickly, making sucking, gurgling sounds where it rushed against the shore.
"Sobek's fangs, I hope we don't have to swim across that," Hui said.
They sat for a long moment, staring.
"The boy will come," Zet said, trying to convince himself as much as Hui.
"You're not going to like this, but—maybe the rider's just a boy stealing food for his family."
They looked at one another. Zet pondered this horrible possibility.
"We better find someplace to hide," Hui said.
A stand of rushes far down the bank provided the only spot. But there was nowhere to tie the animals. Hui, master of all things trickster-like, came up with the idea to tie each animal's lead rope around its two front legs. They could move, but couldn't take off.
"Not that Gray Ears will run anywhere," Hui said with a grin, patting his donkey.
Then they hurried back to the river to wait.
And wait . . .
Khonsu, the moon god, reached his zenith in the sky, and still no one had come. The chill air was making Zet stiff. He wanted to get up and stretch. And he was getting worried.
Suddenly, he heard something.
"Someone's coming," he whispered and ducked lower.
Chapter Twenty-six
The Boy and His Donkey
The small boy approached, riding quickly.
Zet wanted to jump up and tackle him. Good sense won out.
The boy's hood hid his face. Still, it was clear he didn't expect to be followed. He didn't even bother to look around. He simply led his donkey to the water's edge.
Zet frowned. There was no boat in sight.
Then the boy did something strange. He tucked the long sides of his cloak up underneath himself until he was sitting on them. Then he settled back in place.
With a kick of his pale heels, he urged the animal forward down the riverbank. Soon water rushed over the donkey's front hooves. Again, the boy kicked the beast. He made a clicking noise with his tongue, urging the donkey on. Finally it gave in.
In amazement, Zet watched it wade up to its flanks.
And then the donkey began moving across the wide canal.
Swimming.
The donkey was swimming. That's how they got across. No wonder Darius wanted that skiff! It would be a lot better than this.
"Come on," Zet said.
Hui was already on his feet.
They ran for their animals. Getting them into the canal was another matter. Zet and Hui pushed and pulled. Finally they managed to do it. Despite the struggle, the donkeys were strong swimmers. But the delay had lost precious time.
The boy was just a small figure in the darkness when Zet and Hui reached the far side. The donkeys waded out and shook, sending water in all directions.
"Good boy, Brownie," Zet cried. "Now hurry, before we lose him!"
The partial moon rose steadily higher, but the foliage was thick.
The boy vanished in the tall, weaving grasses. They spotted him again, far up ahead. Together, they followed the boy for close to an hour. Zet thanked the gods they had the donkeys. Brownie plodded steadily onward. Zet patted its neck in gratitude.
In the distance, the boy never bothered to turn around. Again, Zet wondered if the boy was simply a thief stealing food for his family.
A dark mass of trees blotted out the starry sky. They passed into the grove. Thick trunks broke the scrubby undergrowth. Date palms swayed overhead. The palm leaves made shush-shush sounds in the gentle wind. The air smelled sweet. Clusters of heavy fruit hung from reedy stalks.
Soon, the flowery scent mixed with the smell of brackish water.
He heard a rushing river. The Nile. After they left the canal, they must have cut across land at an angle to meet up with it.
A faint light glowed ahead. Then he saw a mud brick building. It looked like some kind of old storage facility. Maybe shippers used it to store goods on their way up and down the river. Whatever the case, the cloaked boy headed straight for it.
"Stop," Zet whispered.
Hui nodded his chin at the date palms. "We can tie up back there."
They did so, and then snuck as close to the building as they dared.
It was smaller than Zet first thought. Just a shack. Down on their bellies, they crawled around the perimeter. A poorly constructed lean-to came into view. It was set up to guard the front door. Zet spotted sleeping pallets under the makeshift shelter. Lamplight flickered. The air was smoky.
They crawled further and spotted a smoldering fire. Three men stood around it, talking to the boy. Someone laughed.
The boy's donkey was tethered next to two others.
One man went to unload the saddlebags and Zet saw his face. Darius.
"I hope you brought something good!" Darius said. "This calls for a celebration."
"We'll be rich," said the man who still wore his leather wrist-guards over his thick forearms. Manu, the other traitor from the border village.
"That we will," Darius agreed. "The medjay are dead, so we're in the clear. I guarantee they weren't expecting to meet a band of Hyksos in the mountains."
Zet listened to the news in horror. Merimose, dead? He wouldn't think about it now, he couldn't.
While Darius unloaded the supplies, the third man stoked the fire.
Since the kidnappers only had three donkeys tied up—the boy's and two others—Zet guessed the third man stayed all day to guard the prisoners. Then Darius and Manu came here straight from the worksite, after spending the day keeping their eyes on Senna and the medjay for signs of trouble. As for the boy, they had him pack up food when people went to sleep and steal out here to feed them.
At the thought of the prisoners, Zet's heart began to slam. Princess Meritamon was inside that shack! Just yards away.
The man by the fire emptied the contents of one sack into a cook pot. Then he stuck the cook pot right into the smoking coals.
"Three men," Hui whispered, his mouth close to Zet's head. "And we don't have weapons."
Zet stared grimly at the little group. He motioned Hui backwards.
"We have to get them away from there," he whispered.
Hui nodded, mischief beginning to flicker in his eyes. "Distraction time."
They snuck back to the date grove and worked out a plan.
"Poor chumps," Hui said. "They're in for a surprise."
It was easy to joke around, but they both knew the danger they were in. If things went wrong, this would turn deadly. Smart or not, Zet and Hui were just boys. If it came to a fight, they'd never win against full-grown men. They'd be killed, and no one would ever know what had happened to them.
In the dark, Zet and Hui did their old secret handshake for good luck. Then Hui darted away. Zet headed back for the shack. He lay on his belly in the dark. Insects crawled over him, tickling any bare flesh they could find. Finally, from far in the distance came the sound of splashing.
Hui had reached the Nile.
At the hut, all heads turned.
"What was that?" muttered Manu.
A soft, higher voice spoke. The boy. "Someone's coming from the river!"
"Shut up and let me listen," Darius snapped.
The splashing came again. Then a voice boomed, "Who's over there? At my shack?"
A second voice said, "Wait, it might be thieves!"
Hui sounded so convincing, even Zet was almost fooled.
Darius leaped to his feet. He grabbed his knife and stuffed it in his waistband. The others did the same. They squinted in the direction of the Nile. It was impossible to see. A papyrus forest, twice as high as any man, stood along its edge.
From the papyrus's depths, the deep voice spoke again. It was a forced whisper, but one designed to carry.
"Into the boat," the voice said. "We'll head back and get the others."
The splashing came again.
When Zet saw the way Darius bared his teeth in a grin, Zet felt sick. The yellow stumps shone in the moonlight.
Darius waved the other two men forward. "Quietly," he said. Then, to the boy, "Stay and keep an eye out."
At this Zet scowled. Just what he needed. If Zet tackled him, the boy could shout a warning.
The boy moved closer to the shack's barricaded door. As for the three men, they left the circle of light and made for the river.
And for Hui.
Chapter Twenty-seven
The Shack
The underbrush swallowed the three men to their chests. It would take another few minutes to reach the tall papyrus. When they got there, Hui would lead them further up river. Still, Zet had to act fast.
The boy stared off, watching the thugs.
Silently, Zet approached. At the last moment, the boy must have sensed him because he began to whirl. Zet grabbed him from behind and clamped his hand over the boy’s mouth. The boy stiffened in shock. Then he began to struggle. He was smaller than Zet but wiry.
“Shut up or you’re dead,” Zet hissed, panicked they’d be heard.
The boy kept struggling. His hood fell over his face, almost to his chin. He wrenched forward and managed a muffled cry before Zet’s hand clamped back in place.
Zet’s heart pounded in terror. “I swear I’ll kill you!”
He’d never do such a thing, but he hoped he sounded convincing. To his relief, the boy stopped struggling and went limp.
A shout from the Nile sent tremors of fear shooting through him.
“Pull out your swords, men!” shouted a deep voice. Hui’s.
What was he doing? He was going to get himself killed!
Sweating in fear, Zet kept hold of him. He had to free the prisoners. Now. He forced the kid around to face the door to the hut. A long wooden bar blocked it from the outside. The boy tried to bite Zet’s palm, but Zet had been expecting something like that. He squeezed the boy’s cheeks on either side with his thumb and forefinger.
The wild kid bit down on empty air. Then he started struggling again.
With one arm around the boy’s neck and the other over his mouth, Zet kicked at the wooden bar. It rose slightly from its housing, but not enough to open the door. He kicked again, a second and a third time. With every kick, he felt sure the men would hear. The fourth time, the bar came up and over the wooden support that held it in place.
The door eased outward a fraction.
Zet drove his adversary up against the wall beside it and wrenched the door open with one hand. The boy nearly got away, but Zet quickly grabbed him and pushed him forward. Together, they tumbled into the little room.
Inside, the boy stood panting like a wild animal.
Zet didn’t dare let go. He reached back and yanked the door shut.
A lamp burned on the floor. Two grimy girls sat against the wall, watching.
They were on a sleeping pallet. The girls were wide-eyed. One looked terrified. The other uncertain but hopeful.
Despite their grime, and the fact that Zet had never seen her up close, he immediately recognized the second one as Princess Meritamon. She wasn’t smiling like the girl at the royal festivals, but neither did she cower in fear. Her eyes, shaped like almonds, curved up slightly at the corners. She gave Zet a fast, frank assessment, with a confidence that could only come from being the daughter of Pharaoh himself.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
“Help me,” Zet said, still holding the struggling boy. “Find something to tie him up!”
The other girl—Kissa—shrank against the wall.
“Him?” Princess Meritamon said. “Gladly. But that’s no boy.”
“What are you talking about?” Zet said.
“See for yourself.”
Zet grabbed at the boy’s hood, and his struggles increased. When he yanked the rough cloth down, a mass of hair tumbled free. Familiar eyes flashed as they met his. Zet felt like he’d been punched in the stomach.
“Naunet?” he said.
She gazed at him. “Why did you have to get in the middle of this, Zet?” Her voice was soft but heart-wrenching.
He stared at her in confusion. This had to be a mistake!
Tears appeared at the corner of her eyes.
Then she opened her mouth to scream. Shocked and devastated, he covered her mouth just in time.
Naunet’s warning scream turned into a muffled cry.
Meanwhile, Kissa and Princess Meritamon ripped the sheet that covered their sleeping palette into several strips. As the Princess moved, Zet suddenly saw how curved her back was. It looked painful, and the thought of her trapped like this made him sick.
How could Naunet have done this? Zet had believed she was his friend. He’d trusted her.
“Tie her up,” the Princess told Kissa. “Hurry.”
Naunet kicked and bit, but Zet managed to tie a strip around her face. He felt horrible.
Once they’d tied Naunet’s hands and feet, they lay her on the sleeping palette. Zet opened the door. The coast was clear.
