One day, after Herihor finished his morning meal, he advised me that his sources in the Delta reported less rebellious activity. Although I was still plagued by our decision to send Ti-Ameny’s head to the rebels, I had to agree with Herihor that it probably served its purpose.
Toward the end of the next ten-day Tepemkau returned, with a boatload of scribes and scholars in tow. After a night’s rest, he requested a meeting with me. Amka, Herihor and Nekau joined us.
“We have completed our study, Meryt, and we have determined various restrictions on your actions, but also some solutions. Amka and I discussed this in detail last night. If you have any questions about our interpretations of the texts, you need only ask. In the next room I have assembled the scribes and we can retrieve the precise text…”
“I feel most certain I will not need to do that. I trust both your knowledge and wisdom, Chief Priest,” I responded and I believe that Tepemkau was truly disappointed, for his preparation was thorough and I think he would have been pleased to demonstrate that to us.
“I’ll summarize, then.” And here he unrolled a papyrus and spread it out on the table, carefully placing gold weights at each corner to hold it down.
“While there are many texts from before Narmer’s time that hint at troubled relationships within the Royal families, there is nothing specific until we get to King Narmer himself, may he rest in eternal glory. Part of this was due to Anhotek, who not only kept meticulous records himself, but also trained the young King to do the same.
“King Narmer’s mother died during his birth and his father, King Scorpion, remarried a woman from the Delta named Mersyankh.”
“Yes, I remember her name from Amka’s teachings.”
“Surely you do. Scorpion hoped that by marrying the woman he would appease the tribes of Lower Kem. In any event, Mersyankh and Scorpion had a son, who Mersyankh tried to position to succeed Scorpion. It created a terrible rivalry between King Narmer and his father until Scorpion’s early death in battle. From then on King Narmer and Mersyankh were locked in an almost daily struggle.”
“From our reading,” Amka continued, “we know that Mersyankh formed alliances with her Delta kin, much as Nubiti appears to have done. Narmer was attacked by swordsmen trying to kill him at least once and at one point Mersyankh did something so terrible, King Narmer was within his rights to have her executed.”
“Well, did he?” I asked.
“No he didn’t,” the booming voice of Nekau chimed in. “And that’s where my people come in. King Narmer exiled Mersyankh to Abu Island, where she tried to continue her mischief by bribing one of our priests and sending messages back to the Delta. Until her dying day Mersyankh held out hope that her son would inherit the throne.”
“I was not aware of the connection to Abu Island and your people,” I said to Nekau. He simply bowed his head, but said nothing more.
“The long and short of the story is that we Upper Kemians are not the only ones who have created legends from our history,” Amka suggested. “The Lower Kemians see Mersyankh in an altogether different light, as a heroine, and they curse King Narmer, as you well know. The victors get to write the history, but the vanquished carry their legends like burrs in their robes.”
I nodded once again at Amka’s deep wisdom. “So, how does your reading limit my options?” I asked Tepemkau.
“It tells us that despite the fact that King Narmer would have been right to execute Mersyankh, the gods stayed his hand. Once Scorpion married Mersyankh, she was part of the Royal family. To kill her would have thrown ma’at to the wind. It might have brought down the wrath of the gods. Horus might have forsaken the throne.
“But, since King Narmer did not kill her we - that is Amka and Nekau and me - we believe you are constrained from executing Nubiti, although by her possible involvement in your poisoning she deserves nothing less. And her plotting with Khnum and Bakht would make her responsible for the death of thousands of our soldiers in the Ta-Sety war.”
“So what are my options?” I asked the group in frustration.
“Isolate her. Strip her of her duties as the Isis Mother, which would restrict her travel. Send her away. Nekau has assured me that the priests on Abu Island would gladly step forward once again.” Nekau nodded to Tepemkau.
I was already feeling fatigued from the meeting. “I will think on this for a day or two. Tepemkau, do your duties allow you to stay for a few days until I decide?”
“Your needs are my first concern, my Master.” Tepemkau said, as he bowed.
On the second day, after speaking individually to Amka, Herihor, Nekau and Tepemkau, I made a decision and called my advisors together for a meeting. I included the Council of Ministers so that they could witness the resolve of the King. They had gathered in our largest meeting room and when I entered and stepped onto my platform, they all bowed low as I sat.
It was important for Tepemkau to set the stage and he did so methodically by retracing the steps he took in his research. Just as he approached the end of his talk, I noticed one of Amka’s assistants enter the room, take him aside and whisper in his ear. For the first time in my life, I saw Amka react in shock. He blanched. He began to shake and his assistant took him by the arm and together they left the room. Five minutes later, I caught a glimpse of the assistant waving to attract Herihor’s attention. Herihor, too, hurriedly left the room.
Now it was my turn to speak to the group. As I stood to address them, Herihor strode back into the room. “Excuse me, my King.” He turned to the group. “Ministers, advisors, the meeting must be postponed to a later time. Something has come up which will require the King’s urgent attention.” The men looked at each other quizzically and then turned to the corridors outside to pick up a clue as to what had prompted this. They buzzed amongst themselves.
Herihor came to the platform, bowed, and then took a step up. “Quickly, follow me,” and I could tell from his voice that this was an extraordinary moment. I left with Herihor placing himself between me and the assembly, so as to avoid them taking me aside to plead for their usual favors.
Herihor escorted me to my private chambers, which I thought unusual. There waited Amka and Tepemkau. Just after I entered, Nekau walked in.
“She is neither in the palace nor the temple. She left no word,” he said to the others.
“What is going on here?” I asked, turning from one man to the other.
“Sit down, Meryt, for this is terrible news we must impart,” Amka said, his eye twitching. My heart stopped for a moment as I sat. “We have received a ransom note.”
“A ransom note?” I asked. My mind raced thinking of who could be so important as to warrant a ransom. The very instant before Amka responded, my heart sank, for it suddenly hit me who it might be.
“No!” I screamed. “It cannot be him, it cannot be!” Herihor rushed to my side and despite the lapse in decorum, he held me tight.
“Why does Horus test me so?” I pleaded, tears streaming down my face. “Tell me, why?” But even the mightiest Horus priests in the Two Lands could not give me an answer.
“Zenty is alive, Meryt. We must be thankful to Horus for that. They have kidnapped him, but he is alive,” Nekau offered.
“How can you be certain?” I cried, and all I could think of was Ti-Ameny’s head impaled on a spear in Dep. Now the image of my son’s head so displayed came into my vision and I screamed and cried into Herihor’s chest.
It is said by the priests that nothing happens without a reason. As mortals we try to discern what those reasons might be, but in our pitifully limited states, we often cannot. And so it was in that moment. Amka and Nekau later said my statements were foolish, but thanks be to Horus that Herihor at least understood me. For I truly believe that my poisoning served me well that day. It weakened my heart so that I could no longer bear the pain of Zenty’s abduction and I simply fell into a deep, but troubled sleep.
I dreamed then of Zenty being held in a dark and damp cavern by demons and
serpents that slithered around him, flicking their hideous red and black tongues and threatening to strike. I could feel his fear. I screamed warnings to him, but I was powerless to do anything but watch him struggle to free himself. I tossed in anguish.
Then Horus swooped down and lifted me upon his back and I rode atop his wings. Together we flew until night became day and then Horus pulled back his wings and down we glided, the wind whipping our faces. I could make out the narrow ribbon of green that wound its way through the red and brown sands of our Two Lands and my heart filled with joy at the sight of Mother Nile. We followed her through towns now well stocked with grains, with verdant farms, with livestock grazing along her banks and my people peacefully working, trading, making love. New temples honoring our many gods shone like tiny stars. My heart felt light.
Suddenly Mother Nile branched out to form the Five Rivers of the Delta and the blackness of its rich soil stood in stark contrast to the barren deserts of Upper Kem. Rekhi toiled in the fields, temples stood on the banks of the rivers and granaries bulged with abundant foods. But then the black mud began to swirl and to suck in the people. In their confusion they did not understand what was happening to them. The granaries began tumbling into the muck and the temples crumbled into the thick mess.
The dark muck became a poisonous slurry and everyone who touched it contorted in pain. Buildings disappeared in the blink of an eye. The black ooze slid swiftly toward Dep and when it met Wadj-Wer it swirled around and around, sucking in everything in its path. Then, in a massive wave, it turned on itself and ran backward along Mother Nile’s path wreaking utter destruction.
I awoke with Nekau and Amka around me shouting instructions. My abdomen seared in pain and I found myself vomiting onto my robe. Nekau gave me a potion to settle my stomach, as my handmaidens cleaned me and brought me a change of clothes. Herihor stood nearby, waiting his turn to hold me.
“I had a vision,” I said when the wave of nausea passed, yet still holding my hands to my mid-section. “That poisonous brew in the Delta now boils over and threatens to destroy us all. I have been too distracted to resolve it completely… until now. For the future of Kem we must destroy both the pot and the cooks who stoke its fire.” I looked around and each man shook his head somberly in agreement.
“We will act and with such force as they will remember for generations,” I added.
“What do you suggest we do about Zenty?” Tepemkau asked.
“We will develop a plan. My heart pains me to think of Zenty in their filthy hands, but Horus will protect him. Things in the Delta are tenuous, but Horus also showed me a bright future for Kem. But it is time to act.”
Over the next few days, the palace was abuzz with meetings. Amka called in his informers and squeezed them for information, as did all of his advisors and fellow priests. Herihor’s men managed to extract from the messenger who delivered to us the news about Zenty’s kidnapping information as to who had relayed the message to him. Bit, by bit, they traced back the elaborate chain of messengers until the last one was found dead before they even arrived. But by then, the chain of command was already clear.
“Khnum is truly desperate,” Herihor advised me, “for he makes no attempt to hide his maneuvers this time. I fear a major move on their parts.”
“And Nubiti?” I asked of the group. “Has there been any word of her?”
“Nothing,” Amka answered. “She is being hidden well. She is probably with Khnum. We have not pursued this further so as not to force their hands with Zenty. At the very least she has isolated herself, although I would rather she be under our watchful eyes on Abu Island.”
“Any word from Zenty?” I asked. I had slept fitfully every night since his kidnapping, waking shortly after going to bed, my heart full of anxiety.
“Nothing specific, other than a message sent through a Horus priest in Dep to us. They wish to negotiate.”
“Negotiate? Are they mad?” I asked, incredulously. Amka looked from Herihor to Nekau. “The King of Kem negotiates with no mortal!”
“Wait. It is not such a crazy idea,” Amka answered. He breathed in sen-sen breaths to calm himself and center his ka. “Herihor, Nekau and I have discussed this and we have a proposal to offer.”
“Go ahead,” I said, leaning forward in my chair.
“Let us negotiate.”
“But…”
“Allow me to finish, Meryt. Negotiations are like having the best-placed spy in your opponent’s camp. We will negotiate. We will take our time. We will extract information regarding their numbers, their leaders, their locations, their plans.”
“To what end?” I asked. “What if they kill Zenty? I would not be able to continue living!”
“While Amka and Tepemkau handle the negotiations, Nekau and I will train a special group of our very best soldiers,” Herihor said. “An elite core trained just for this occasion, to rescue Zenty. With the information Amka gets from the negotiators, we’ll surprise his captors and bring him home alive.”
Thus began one of the most trying periods of my life. The first thing we demanded before even beginning negotiations was proof that Zenty was alive. After keeping us waiting for an entire ten-day, proof arrived at the palace in the form of Zenty’s gold ring and a brief note in his writing, along with a warning that unless we showed them corresponding good faith, the finger that wore that ring would soon follow. That night I dispatched a convoy with abundant gifts of gold and silver and choice jewels.
Knowing full well that Khnum used this time to build his forces and to mortar his alliances with the Ta-Tjehenu, Herihor immediately chose a complement of soldiers to train. Some were handpicked from my King’s Guard, but others were soldiers loyal to Herihor who had distinguished themselves in hand-to-hand combat in battles against the Ta-Sety and Ta-Tjehenu.
Herihor used an ancient, abandoned village in Upper Kem to train his troops, for he felt certain that we would eventually find Zenty held in a deep cellar in the midst of an innocent-looking farming village. Every day and night he conducted drills for his men to handle different situations they might encounter.
As we negotiated, selected members of our Council of Advisors also used their own informers to exact information concerning Zenty’s whereabouts. When three ten-days passed without definitive word from Zenty’s captors, Herihor felt certain Zenty was not being held by a large contingent of troops, for their very presence in one location would have been leaked by now. Yet he had no idea about the conditions of Zenty’s imprisonment. What anxiety I had now began to appear as panic. I spent nights anxiously wandering the corridors of the palace, often with Herihor by my side.
“I do not understand why this is happening,” I confided in Herihor one night as we stood on the portico. I had a shawl over my shoulders to protect me from the cool evening breezes.
“You are King, my dearest. All manner of things, good and bad, come to the King.”
“I did not ask to be King,” I replied bitterly.
“None of us are chosen for leadership. Most often it’s thrust upon us. We have certain talents and the rest is a matter of whatever play the gods wish us to perform.” I looked at Herihor’s battle-scarred face, chest and arms. Daily he made decisions of life and death. I felt foolish questioning his observations.
“It is… I often wonder what it would be like to have lived the life of Aunt Herneith,” I ventured, looking up. The lights of the gods shone brightly in the sky. Ra’s silver crescent shimmered in Mother Nile’s reflection.
“All I ever wanted was to be a loving, supportive wife and mother. I would have settled happily for a life of presiding over festivals. I would have willingly traveled to lands close and distant as an emissary for the King.” Herihor came up behind me and enveloped me in his arms. How I loved to be held by them!
“Instead I am besieged by flatterers seeking favors, by governors fighting for morsels of the treasury, by priests who argue with each other over the arcane interpretations of our laws. We send men
to their deaths. Half of the women in some of our towns still die in childbirth.” I turned around to face my beloved.
“Herihor, it is sometimes too much for a mortal to bear!”
For a long time Herihor just held me close to him, my face pressed against his muscled chest. He smelled strongly of a salve that Amka had dispensed for a sprained shoulder.
“You know, Mery, the gods truly do not place upon our shoulders burdens we can’t bear. Horus has brought Wadjet to his side in the Afterlife for reasons we can’t comprehend. I believe Horus and Wadjet together have chosen you to rule for Zenty. But it takes many mortals to represent one god’s power here in the Two Lands. All I can say is that I will always be at your side, as will Amka, Tepemkau, Nekau… people you can trust… truly trust.”
Herihor’s words opened my heart and fanned the embers of our dying lovemaking. We made love slowly that night, perfumed lamps softly lighting my bedroom. We even talked and laughed at times during our coupling. At one point Herihor withdrew from me, turned me over and gently massaged my back with scented flax oil, as I drifted off to a deep sleep. But it was not long before he raised my rear end and entered me from behind. It felt good to have Herihor’s manhood in me once again and after he shot his seed we slept the deep sleep of lovers, the pains in my chest temporarily relieved.
When I awoke the next morning, I started the morning meal with Herihor, but he soon had to leave to attend to army business. I sat alone on the portico, just staring at Mother Nile as I often did and my heart felt touched by sadness. This surprised me for I had just had such a wonderful connection with Herihor. I thought of Zenty’s plight and although my heart ached, I knew it was not his predicament that just now affected my heart.
I thought of Herihor’s words to me last night and his assurances that I could always trust him, Amka, Nekau and Tepemkau. Yet I already knew that. I thought of the many times in my life that I had relied on Amka’s wisdom, Tepemkau’s spirit, Nekau’s strength and, above all, Herihor’s loving support. Yet there was something missing, something that had deeply affected my ka.
The Dagger of Isis (The First Dynasty Book 2) Page 31
