Still, Ti-Ameny waited, sitting upright in her chair, her muscles tense. “There is more, isn’t there?” The muscles below Ti-Ameny’s left eye twitched.
“Yes, but this comes from my heart, not from the mouth of others.”
“Speak your mind, Ti.”
“You… you know that you and Zenty are my primary responsibilities. But I also get around the palace and I am an Isis priestess, too. I hear much of what goes on in the Royal Court, but I also hear from the common people, rekhi, artisans, traders. There are many questions in the minds of people, Mery, questions about your desire to demonstrate your male qualities. The people wonder who you are, what you are. They fear what your true desires are for kingship. And now, with the rumors of your appointment of Herihor, the way that breaks with our traditions, their worries are at a fever pitch.”
“And you, Ti, do you worry, too?
Ti-Ameny looked down at her hands and then looked up directly at me. “Yes… yes, I do,” she finally said, her voice choked with emotion. “I care not a flea’s flick about Herihor, but I do worry about your ba. Women’s’ bas are different from men’s, Mery. A little of a man’s ba in us is good, but too much can be destructive. I look… we look at Shepsit and both of us see that, although neither of us has spoken openly about it. But, you are precious to me. I have known you your entire life. I have seen you grow from a carefree, pleasing child to a responsible, happy young wife and mother. I know every aspect of your body, even your monthly cycle. I helped deliver Zenty. But, I… I have also seen your ascension change you, Mery and that is what I fear. Your womanly ba has hardened.”
So, Ti-Ameny had said it. She had expressed my deepest fears, the very ones that kept me awake at night, praying to Isis for guidance. That very night I could not sleep. In my heart I thought of all the problems that beset my lovely Kem, for which I was held accountable. I was supposed to be Zenty’s Horus intermediary, but by now I was convinced that Horus’ spirit did not flow in my blood. Famine gripped the Two Lands, my own sister had become my enemy and I had made a military decision that shocked me as much as my advisors. Worst of all, my own people questioned my authority. It did not help at all that my monthly bleeding was due and I felt myself bloated and ready to explode.
I got up from my bed and walked onto the balcony that overlooked Mother Nile. She flowed silently below me. I could see three of my King’s Guards patrolling the royal compound, swords at the ready. At that moment I was overcome by despair. I leaned over the cool mud brick balcony wall.
“Herneith, my dearest mother, Djer my dear father, Wadjet my loving husband, why do you not look after me? Why do you not rally the gods in my behalf, for surely your hearts are light and you now sit by Horus’ throne. I beg you, send mighty Horus to deliver his people from harm. Implore Mother Nile to release her waters, for we have surely suffered enough.”
Perhaps it was the time I spent praying to my closest relatives, but I felt their comforting presence more strongly than I had ever before. Their kas surrounded me, infusing mine with feelings of family and love. And so it was that I was able for the first time since becoming Regent to let down my guard.
I sank to my knees on the portico, weeping, my chest heaving with the burdens that I had too long carried without relief. It was then that the words of my loved ones came to me as echoes in my heart. There was my sweet Wadjet, telling me that he feared not that I was incapable of politics, but that I might become too effective at it and with that be changed forever. How true were his words. For months I had been troubled looking in the mirror and had, in fact, avoided it whenever I could, for the woman who stared back at me was a stranger to my heart.
I thought of Herneith on her deathbed, of her advice to remain open to loving, that love and kindness always endure. And so as my crying subsided, I thought of the love in my heart. I felt the love of those in my family who had journeyed to the Afterworld and I thought of Zenty, my precious, precious Zenty. And again Herneith’s words resounded, always leave room in your heart for love. Then, from her all-seeing throne in the Afterlife, she whispered a name to me. Herihor.
SCROLL ELEVEN
Nubiti
I hate Nekhen. I don’t mean dislike, for that would be too soft a word for the disgust I feel for this filthy place forsaken by the gods. Of course those self-righteous pigs that call themselves Horus priests and who consider themselves gods in mortal flesh, they surely have not forsaken this place. They swarm around Nekhen like flies, their necks stuck high in the air, as if just because it was Narmer’s birthplace by fortune, it is therefore the portal through which the gods visit the Two Lands. I spit on such arrogance!
Yet I find myself forced to visit here regularly, for our very finest Temple of Isis is located in Nekhen, on the opposite end of the village as the original Temple of Horus. Since my first visit to Nekhen, when I was given a tour of the Temple of Horus there, I was astounded by how its legendary importance far exceeded its size, for it was small, especially in comparison with the Horus temple in Inabu-hedj.
Being in Nekhen does have its advantages, though, for it affords me the opportunity to be in the heart of the Land of the Lotus and its power structure. It has allowed me to meet with some of those who are disenchanted with the state of affairs in Kem and even more so, with its usurper Regent King.
Ah, if Mery only knew. Discontent is the foul fragrance that draws civil servants to the dung heap of corruption. The south, even more than the swampy Delta, was hurt terribly by the drought. Aside from the villages that border Mother Nile, the South is an unending vista of burning sand and barren rock and even more sand. I knew from the start that this visit would be a gift, for although it had been planned for nearly six of Ra’s silver disk cycles, only recently did I learn that Meryt-Neith would also be here on an urgent mission.
It had been a long day of meeting with my sisters, planning for the annual Festival of Isis and hearing of their appeals for more food and for expansion of our buildings to accommodate girls cast aside by their families during times of famine and waiting to be acolytes. Yet I managed to get through the day knowing that in the evening hours, when most of the King’s spies would be asleep, I would meet again with my group of informers to receive the latest news of our southern alliances and of, of course, revealing gossip about Mery and her court.
The Ta-Setys were still lurking about in the far southern border, having feasted their eyes on the gold that lay in our desert mines. Despite their losses, they were eager to attack again, but wanted greater assurances that they would not be repelled. Such negotiations I left in the hands of Khnum’s proxies, for I did not want my hand tainted by such affairs.
It was in unraveling the inner workings of Mery’s court that I was most interested anyway, for if our plans were to continue forward I might be inheriting that court soon, within the next few years at the latest. To that extent, one of my sister priestesses and my closest informer, Nyla, whom I had personally trained, arrived at midnight.
“Well, sister, it’s taken you long enough.” I said when she appeared at the back entrance of the temple, her hood covering her head.
“Excuse me, mother. I had to wait until the other sisters were asleep,” she said, taking off her hood and kissing me on both cheeks. I smelled enticing rose water fragrance on her neck.
“Well, what have you for me?”
“Much… much. Our Regent has been in Nekhen for several days and already there is much talk.” She hesitated and I realized that I had not offered her any refreshment. I pointed her to the food stores and she poured us each a glass of cheap Nekhen wine, no doubt the foulest in all the lands.
“Meryt-Neith is quite agitated,” Nyla began. “We are not sure of all the reasons she has come to Nekhen, but we do know that she wishes to confer with Tepemkau and his most senior priests, ones who are also seers. She wanted to make a show of solidarity with the nobles and businessmen in Upper Kem and to talk to those who suffered at the hands of the Ta-Sety.”
“How long will she be in Nekhen?”
“I’m not sure, but likely a silver disk cycle, maybe longer. They have laid in large amounts of stores for her contingent.” This was cause for concern to me, because I didn’t want to be away from Mery’s court in Inabu-hedj for too long a period while she herself was in the south. When Mery traveled, members of her court were more willing to meet with me. Besides, our network of spies and allies was still weak in the south and my information limited.
“What else?”
“Now the interesting part. Meryt-Neith has taken Herihor into her confidence.” My heart immediately skipped a beat and I was glad for the dark, for I was certain I flushed.
“Confidence?” I asked, trying to sound unemotional.
“One of our spies is a soldier in the King’s Guard. He reports that she walks with him in the desert. They are seen discussing matters, sometimes animatedly.”
“Discussing what?”
“Little is known, Chief Priestess. We have eyes on them, but not always ears. However, it appears from Herihor’s use of sticks and clay soldiers that he describes or instructs her in… in battle strategies.”
“Battle strategies? You say battle strategies?” Nyla nodded. “For the life of me that woman desires a penis hanging between her legs. She truly is an abomination. Do the soldiers not see that?”
“Some do, but most are blinded by their loyalty to Herihor.”
“Battle discussions, walks…” I mumbled as I paced back and forth. “Is there anything else, Nyla?”
“Yes, mistress, one more item. One of Meryt-Neith’s handmaidens overheard a conversation between her and Ti-Ameny, a long conversation. She was outside the royal tent, sewing a tear in one of Meryt-Neith’s gowns. The handmaiden was so embarrassed by hearing them talking, she wanted to flee, but was more afraid of being found out, so she stayed and caught nearly the entire thing.” Nyla looked at me, her eyes wide.
“Well, what did she find out, or are you holding out for a better price for the information?”
“Oh, no, mistress. You know I’d never do…”
“Nyla, I’m joking, but get to the point.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Here it is then. The Regent was asking Ti-Ameny for her advice regarding Herihor.”
“Advice? What kind of advice?”
“Of the romantic sort.”
“What? That can’t be. He’s… Herihor’s nothing but a common soldier, albeit a General. He is dirt beneath her feet.” I was seething at this point and I immediately tried to get my emotions back under control, but my head throbbed with this latest news.
“And did this informer give details?”
“Oh, yes, mistress. The Regent asked Ti-Ameny what she thought and Ti-Ameny was speechless for a long while. She advised Meryt-Neith not to consider such a foolish notion and to get it out of her head. She suggested the Regent send Herihor off to the Delta to deal with the insurgency there, so that she would not be tempted. That was her advice, mistress.”
“Thanks to Ra that someone put some sense in her head.”
“But… but mistress, I thought you… I mean we… I thought we were against the Regent.”
I quickly recovered. “Yes, yes, of course we are, of course. All we want is to bring back the Land of the Papyrus to its former glory. It’s just that this is such a surprise, so unpleasant a business.” I walked to her and hugged her to me. She hugged me back and her small breasts felt good against mine.
“Dear Nyla, I’m so sorry that you have to witness this… this seedy side of royal business. But until that usurper is unseated, I’m afraid that you’ll have to be exposed to this filth.”
“I understand, mother, and I do so willingly for you and for Isis and for Kem.” She placed her head on my shoulder. Her warmth and the smell of her body had an unsettling effect on me. I kissed her gently on her neck and she slowly looked up at me, her eyes half open, her full lips just a finger’s width from mine.
Over the next ten-day I heard many reports, from Nyla and others, describing Meryt-Neith’s meetings with Herihor, who was in Nekhen and the surrounding nomes to fortify Upper Kem’s southern defenses and to command his officers to make their training more rigorous. Although none of the reports said anything improper was going on between the two, we encouraged Meryt-Neith’s handmaiden to spend more time sewing clothes outside the tent. In one case she overheard another conversation between Ti-Ameny and Meryt-Neith, in which Ti-Ameny admonished Mery for sharing her fears with Herihor, since Meryt-Neith was the chosen of Horus and Herihor’s commander.
I had to leave Nekhen and return to Inabu-hedj to be present at another initiation ceremony for new acolytes. I didn’t relish leaving the Royal Court in Nekhen and so planned to perform my duties and then sail back upstream to Nekhen on some pretense. But on the day after my return, mother arrived unannounced to visit me in my quarters at the temple.
“Mother, how pleasant to see you so soon after my return,” I said as sarcastically as I could. With my now strong connections with Khnum and Bakht, and the vast network they controlled, I’d come to the realization that mother was increasingly a burden to our planning. Admittedly she had a knack for the fine details of relationships but lacked the ability to see the larger picture. Her constant nagging had become quite irritating.
“I had to come quickly, for you have become more slippery than a river frog. You stay for a day or two and never seem to have time for your mother.”
“I’m very busy, mother. Aside from my priestess duties, I also have a husband and a household.”
“Husband, ha!” she spit out. “He sees even less of you than I do.”
“True enough, but he hardly notices. He’s too busy stuffing his face with honeyed barley cakes and thick beer. He’s a hippopotamus, or haven’t you noticed?”
“He’s unhappy.”
“Well, that makes it unanimous. I make both my mother and husband unhappy. So, other than your failure of a daughter, how are you doing mother?’
Mother sighed loudly and went to the table to pour a cup of water. She sat in one of the simple wood and cane chairs that were placed about my room. “Please, Nubiti, let’s not argue. You’re not a failure. You’re smart and quick and ambitious. It’s just that… well, I thought we were a team.”
I suddenly felt very weary. I knew that I would have to spend the time boosting my mother’s ill feelings, but the thought of it tired me.
“Of course we’re a team,” I said, knowing full well that mother often had valuable advice to offer, as well as juicy bits of gossip that no one else was able to obtain. She had carefully cultivated a network of informers from the first day Djer moved her into the Royal Palace. “It’s just that I’m a tied up with my priestess duties and events move so quickly. There are times when I say to myself that I must tell you of this or that development, yet by time I’m back in Inabu-hedj, those developments have already changed.
Mother drank from her cup and said nothing for a while. “And so how is our strategy unfolding?” she finally asked.
“I had no idea when we first formulated it that it’d be so involved and take me on such a winding journey.”
“Yet from all outward appearances you seem to be in control and, I dare say, even enjoying it.” This latter comment gave me pause for thought, for I often felt beleaguered by the intricate details of our plot, by the need to keep a certain matter secret from one informer, and another tidbit secret from a different informer, by the need to miss sleep in order to hold meetings with critical elements of our cabal.
“Yes, yes I think you’re right, mother. I feel burdened by the obligations we’ve taken on, but also energized by our vision.” I also poured some water for myself and added some to mother’s cup.
“But, to answer your question, the plans appear to progress, but more slowly than I’d like. Have you heard anything about Mery’s activities while in Nekhen?”
Mother gave me a wry smile and put down her cup. “How did I kno
w that your first request to me for information would be that? I assume you are referring to the fact that she is copulating with your virile soldier.”
“He’s not my virile soldier!” I yelled at my mother. “I was just asking for information about…”
“We agreed not to put on airs with each other,” mother interjected. She had long ago stopped screaming at me and instead had resorted to using a firm voice without emotion, which infuriated me even more.
“You’re right,” I said, closing my eyes and breathing in to balance my ba. “You’ve confirmed that they’re lovers?”
“No,” mother replied. “I know nothing of their romantic exploits, other than the fact that Herihor’s her confidante. However, that’s not unusual. Wadjet’s best friend was General Panahasi. Mery obviously is not a warrior and may want Herihor near her for assurance, to gain confidence in his command of the army.” I felt my anger rise even at this information, although I had known it for days. I decided to change the subject.
“I’ve arranged a meeting with Khnum again, this time in Turakh, to…”
“Why Turakh?” mother asked.
“There’s a little temple there that commands a view of Mother Nile. It sits almost halfway between Inabu-hedj and the Delta.”
“Yes, I know the temple. Djer insisted our entourage stop there when we made our way to Inabu-hedj the first time. But it’s still in Upper Kem and too near Inabu-hedj. Amka’s spies are all over that area. It’s on an important trading route up and down Mother Nile and also to Lebanon. Do be careful, dear. Don’t allow hatred or desire to affect your judgment.”
“I’ll be careful, but if you are referring to Herihor, this has nothing to do with him,” I said. “Khnum suggested the meeting. It’s the only time we can meet and he has valuable information for me… for us. Besides, I have to be in the Delta anyway, since we’re building several temples there.”
Mother’s face lit into a broad smile. “Smart, very smart, my dear. There is nothing like building contracts to create ties that bind,” and at that we both laughed.
The Dagger of Isis (The First Dynasty Book 2) Page 20
