“Nebtawi, take him quickly to the shore of Wadj-Wer just over the hill,” he said pointing behind the captain.
“I am a soldier!” Zenty protested. “I will stay and fight.”
“Exactly. You are a soldier under my command and not yet King. You will obey my orders!
“Sneak along the walls, Nebtawi. The darkness will give you cover. Our garrison from Ahnpet awaits us in their boats. Put Zenty on a boat and tell Sebhi to send him off, well protected. Tell Sebhi to have the rest of his men come to our aid on the double, but to come in through the marshes from the east, behind those enemy troops. Understood?” Nebtawi nodded. “Go! Now!” Herihor urged and Nebtawi turned immediately and, pushing Zenty before him, made for the wall.
Herihor now ran back down the hill where Nekau came to his side. “Itafe, the King’s Guard defends the western flank. We must find out who it is we battle to the east. Have your men retreat to the high position along the eastern wall. We already have troops on the wall. Quickly now.”
Itafe shouted commands and as his troops vacated the battlefield, Herihor could make out the outlines of rebels scurrying here and there, picking up weapons and shouting to one another. Herihor’s initial thought was one of disgust, yet another example of undisciplined rebels looting the bodies of those who sacrificed their lives. But the men soon re-assembled themselves in units. Messengers ran back and forth from the units into the far darkness. Then the enemy units spread out and began to move forward. Suddenly, as if Ra had lit the sky, it all made sense to Herihor.
“It is Panahasi we face!” he whispered to Itafe and Nekau.
“With respect, Herihor, that’s impossible. He would never…” Itafe objected.
“I know him. He’s about to use the battering ram maneuver,” Herihor said as he observed the enemy’s movements. “Quick, Itafe, grab your finest unit and charge his center! You must be fast and strike without mercy. Our only hope is for you to punch through that line and once you do, circle southwest and come up behind the battering ram unit.”
“But… I don’t see a battering ram unit.”
“Don’t question me! Panahasi trained me well in its use. He’ll call them to charge in minutes and by then it will be too late. Charge! Now!”
Under direct command, Itafe called out for his personal battle unit to rally to his side. As the enemy slowly advanced, he quickly explained to them what they must do. Without waiting for their reaction, he charged down the hill directly at Panahasi’s center unit. Itafe’s men had to run over fallen soldiers and amidst great cries they engaged the enemy soldiers before they had completed preparations for their own charge. By now Herihor could see how well Panahasi had trained those deserters for battle against their own brethren. His anger against such a traitorous act grew.
Herihor sent a messenger to check on Akori’s position and then took command of half of the remaining soldiers and rallied them to his side.
“Men, if ever there was a time of danger for the Two Lands, it is now. King Narmer’s Battle of Unification was fought on these very hills where we now stand. If we emerge victorious then all future generations will whisper your names.
“Below us the traitorous General Panahasi faces us with other deserters from the army.” Immediately the men looked confused and whispered to each other. “He’s pledged to break the bonds of Unification and let loose a plague of chaos and mut spirits roaming the land against our children and grandchildren.
“We go now to fight this menace. I pledge personally that Panahasi will not see Ra’s gold disk this morning. Are you with me?” A great cry went up from the men and they shook their swords and beat their spears into the ground in assent.
“Keep your eyes on alert, men. The first to see movement of troops in that direction will get a year’s provisions for his family.” In a few moments two soldiers called out.
“We charge directly at that movement,” Herihor called out. “Itafe’s troops will soon come to aid us from the east, as will the garrison from Ahnpet. Once we punch through their lines, we’ll split up. Half will go east and circle around Panahasi’s remaining traitors and half of you will go west and come up behind the Ta-Tjehenus. Show no mercy, men, for we battle for the survival of Kem!” With that Herihor took off down the hill.
The battle was fierce, for although Panahasi’s troops were small in number, he had personally trained them. Having seen the bloody battle in Ta-Sety with my own eyes, I could not even imagine how difficult it was fighting in darkness.
Herihor’s initial charge was rebuffed and for nearly an hour the two sides battled to no advantage. But Herihor’s charge did accomplish one immediate goal and that was to keep the battering ram tactic from succeeding. Without the full effect of Panahasi’s main units battering the center, his entire strategy began to crumple.
As the faint outlines of Ra’s light began to appear in the east, the Ahnpet unit appeared quietly out of the marshes like spirits from beyond. They mobilized at the fringes of the marsh and then charged Panahasi’s eastern flank. It did not take long for Panahasi’s warriors to be crushed in the pincers of the Ahnpet soldiers and Itafe’s troops. With that flank destroyed, our soldiers pushed toward the center.
Ra’s first rays now peeked out over the marshes. Herihor, although exhausted, caught a glimpse of a reed platform erected next to the drainage ditches that ran around Dep. And there, standing on it surrounded by his captains, was Panahasi. Herihor’s blood boiled at the sight.
The battle to the east and south had shifted to our advantage, but the King’s Guard fought mightily against the Ta-Tjehenus on the western flank. Even from this far away, Herihor could plainly hear the piercing war cries of the Ta-Tjehenus as they periodically charged our positions. Herihor was conflicted on what to do.
To his right he saw the huge bulk of Nekau, surrounded by three of Panahasi’s troops. Herihor could see the fear in the enemies’ eyes. He ran toward Nekau and cut down his closest opponent. Nekau quickly finished the other two.
“Take the army and move behind the Ta-Tjehenu position,” he shouted. “I’m going for Panahasi.” Nekau did not budge. “Now!” Herihor shouted.
“I will not leave your side, no matter how loudly you shout,” he said simply. “Command someone else to lead the soldiers.” Herihor was not used to being disobeyed, but he instantly knew better than to pursue a lost argument. He quickly scanned the battlefield and saw Itafe not more than a hundred cubits away.
“Come then,” he called out to Nekau. In the light of Ra’s early morning rays, Nekau’s body glistened in sweat and blood. Particles of his opponents’ flesh stuck to his arm and bare chest. He presented an altogether fearsome sight.
In seconds they reached Itafe, whose sword hung loosely in his bloodied hand. “Brother, if you can summon the strength to rally your troops one more time we can end this battle. Can you do so?” Herihor asked of his army leader.
“The men will do as you command, Herihor.”
“Good,” Herihor answered, giving him a half-smile. “Take our remaining soldiers and make a wide path along the drainage ditches,” he said, pointing below him and to his right with his sword. “Cross at the most convenient point and circle around the Ta-Tjehenus and strike them from behind. Be quick and this battle will be over and by Horus’ name I swear I’ll see to it that this is the last time Kemians sacrifice their lives upon these cursed fields.”
As soon as Itafe and his men left, Herihor and Nekau took off for Panahasi’s position. To his credit, Panahasi did not vacate it to save his own life, but stayed to direct his remaining troops. As they ran down the hill, Herihor watched messengers running back and forth toward the western flank. Before they were even half way to the platform, one of Panahasi’s captains pointed toward them and even from this distance Herihor could see a smile cross Panahasi’s face.
Herihor slowed his charge so as to regain his wind and he saw Panahasi turn and wave behind him. Herihor quickly realized that in his fatigue he had miscalculat
ed Panahasi, for from behind Panahasi came a battalion of reserve troops. They rushed out from either side of the platform and formed a wide pincer around Herihor and Nekau.
“Ah, the petulant student has come to teach the teacher, eh Herihor?” Panahasi shouted. “Except the teacher still has a few lessons left to teach his ambitious upstart. Your whore King will no longer have you to poke her!” He then looked from Herihor to Nekau.
“Kill the black mut, whoever he be, but capture Herihor for I’ve yet another lesson, a painful one for him to learn before he dies.”
Slowly the enemy advanced, swords out, testing Herihor’s and Nekau’s reaction. Both of them remained calm, their backs to one another. Their forearms, with their small shields across their chests, stood at the ready. Step by step the enemy cautiously advanced. Herihor saw the faces of men he knew and had trained with in the file and a profound disgust arose in him that it had come to this, the turning of brother against brother.
Suddenly Herihor shouted out: “Now!” and both he and Nekau spun around, swords held high and cut down the first two men they faced, then parried with sword strikes and cut down two more. It all happened so fast the enemy was taken off guard and retreated a few steps in fear.
“Well done!” Panahasi yelled. “Damned well done! A valuable lesson for my loyal soldiers, but still… Now you men understand why you cannot engage these warriors one at a time. Charge them!”
With loud war cries the enemy charged Herihor and Nekau. The fighting intensified as each enemy soldier sought to close in on their position. In this fighting both Herihor and Nekau excelled, deflecting daggers and swords with their shields and parrying with sword thrusts.
Not a minute into the engagement, Herihor broke his sword over the scalp of an enemy soldier. As he reached for his dagger, an enemy sword sliced his forearm below the elbow so that his arm hung limp at his side. Blood spurted from the wound. Herihor quickly retrieved his dagger with his left hand, but he knew that the fight was soon to be over.
Then, from behind the enemy came a series of shouts and commands and now the traitorous soldiers turned to fend off a plague that had descended upon them. There, emerging from the marshes and drainage ditch were the King’s Guard unit that Herihor had sent away with Zenty. As his eyesight faded before him and he sank to the ground, Herihor saw another vision. It was Horus who had arrived to save them, Horus in his half-human form, flying into battle with his talons extended and his face was that of Zenty.
SCROLL SEVENTEEN
Nubiti
I read it again, and compared it to my key, to be sure I had deciphered the code correctly. The news wasn’t all bad for a change. Menetnashte was safe and thoughtfully asked how I was bearing the strain. Khnum was increasingly morose and drinking heavily, but still functioning. And Bakht, well what could I say about Bakht? He never seemed to worry about anything but his devotion to Apep and therefore preserving the priesthood forever. In his opinion the sect was doing well and had actually grown in response to our humiliating loss upon the fields of Dep a year ago. He made no inquiry about how I fared.
It’s been a difficult year for me, secluded as I am on Abu Island, which was long ago forsaken by the gods. The island is nothing but a big, tall rock squatting in the middle of Mother Nile. Abu is an apt name, for it looks like a huge elephant, or more accurately a mother elephant and her offspring, for there are many large boulders scattered around the island, protruding from the waters of the cataract.
The people on this flea of an island who are not priests live by farming the rich soil in tiny plots. The women and girls, barely dressed in filthy, torn clothes, hoist buckets of water up the steep rocky slopes and pour it into small irrigation ditches that crisscross their fields. All day long they do this tiring work. Mostly, though, the families sustain themselves by fishing. Each morning the men and boys climb into their little reed boats and shove off from shore. Those who cannot afford a boat cast their nets from shore. I admit that I enjoy watching them from time to time. Once I saw a man snare a catfish longer than he was tall. It took three of his friends to help him haul it in and it must have fed many families for weeks.
It is the housing that I find so abysmal and backward, for the people here still build in the old fashioned way of mud daub construction. They haul buckets of mud up from the shore. Then they take bundles of reeds and stack them upright on the ground and weave reeds through the bundles so that they are all interconnected. Then they simply take handfuls of mud and daub it on the reed latticework, starting from the ground and working their way up. They leave it for three days for Ra to dry it and then they move in. Of course such primitive methods means they can only build walls as high as a man is tall and they refuse to consider using mud brick construction.
Like the priests here, all the people who live on Abu are as black as the Delta mud. All, that is, except for me. I’m certain that Mery and her ilk would say that I should be thankful to them that I am still alive, but following the defeat in Dep I did not truly care either way whether I lived or died. It was Bakht who convinced me of the need to preserve our hopes and dreams. Together we concocted a lie that Mery believed… or wanted to believe.
At the end of the battle, with Panahasi dead at Nekau’s hand, it was obvious that we had lost. Bakht put me in one of his secret caves, tore my clothes, rubbed me with mud and fastened the door. He told one of his spies to feign drunkenness and to casually inform a Horus priest that I was alive and imprisoned by Khnum’s forces. When Herihor’s forces later rescued me, I showed great humility and appropriate gratitude. Before Mery’s court I pleaded a convincing argument, much to Amka’s frustration, for that old jackal didn’t believe a word of my story. Still, I knew from the outset that Mery would not have me executed, for she foolishly still harbored feelings of sisterly love that she should have long ago abandoned.
Before Mery I admitted my guilt in conspiring to create dissension in Lower Kem, for we only wanted to be equal to Upper Kem in stature and influence, I explained. I strongly denied having anything to do with her poisoning and Zenty’s kidnapping. In fact, I maintained that it was when I protested such heinous acts that the plotters imprisoned me. As a result of my imprisonment, I had no idea where Khnum or Bakht or any of the other conspirators hid. I told Mery that I personally believed they were dead.
As far my son, Amka did a thorough job of questioning me on that matter, for of course he saw Menetnashte as a threat. Bakht and I decided that I should tell the truth. After all, he was taken from me by Bakht and raised by his Apep priests. I didn’t even know where he was and had only seen him a few times in his entire life, I told Amka. I cried convincingly as I told this part of my defense and when I was done I noted Mery trying to hide the tears that ran down her cheeks.
In the end she exiled me within the Two Lands, but so far from the Delta it might as well be in Babylon. I’m free to wander about this pitiful island, for there is no easy way to escape. Even if I were to escape, those black charlatans would find me before I ventured far. And make no mistake, they are charlatans. They claim to be faithful to Horus, but I’ve heard them at night drumming and dancing to whatever ancient mut gods they still worship.
In two days short of a ten-day, as I prepared my possessions for my exile, to my utter surprise I was summoned to Mery’s meeting room. When I entered the empty room, Amka motioned me to a seat at the side, where my mother sat stiffly in the chair next to mine. I noted that as a sign of disrespect he had us arrive earlier than any of the other guests. Soon Tepemkau, Herihor, Nekau and various ministers and governors filled the room and sat around a large table.
When everyone was seated, Mery entered and all bowed low to her. I tried to avoid bowing, but I could see that all eyes sneaked glances my way and I had no choice but to do so. Mother, who had become too frail to get up, cringed as I made a show of bowing as low to the ground as possible.
Amka tapped the ground with his staff and called the group to order. Mery immediately took contro
l of the meeting.
“Gentlemen,” she said, intentionally excluding me and Shepsit, which I thought a fitting touch. “We have sustained days and days of debate on the matters before us. I have made a decision.” Amka handed her a papyrus scroll.
“Beginning tomorrow, at Herihor’s urging, I am sending Zenty to lead an army of fifteen thousand men to the Delta.” The room immediately came abuzz with chatter.
“But, Meryt-Neith, is this a wise move?” Ahmate, the Minister of Agriculture, called out. “After their humiliation at Dep,” he continued, looking uneasily at me and Shepsit, “do we really need to rub their faces in the mud?”
Amka stood. “Allow the King to finish her proclamation.”
Mery nodded to Amka and at that moment Ra’s rays peeked through the slats in the roof and shined directly on her face and I saw the toll that governing had taken on this woman so ill-suited to the duties of leadership. Her face had begun to show wrinkles and she sat stooped over and looked frail. Her hair had thinned and she had to squint to read the proclamation. I dared not smile, but inwardly I recognized how her poisoning contributed to her ill health and deteriorating looks. I thought with satisfaction how that must have affected Herihor’s desires.
“I hear your objection, Ahmate, dutiful servant of Kem, but we must end this resistance once and for all. The Delta was defeated. Any humiliation is of their own making. Our Two Lands must eventually learn to live as one people. So, Zenty is instructed to sweep up all pockets of resistance and crush them, and I do mean crush and I do mean all.” At this Mery looked directly at me.
“He is also commanded to chase all Ta-Tjehenus from our border and establish well-stocked garrisons there, as well as deep in the western desert to protect us from future attacks. And finally, he is instructed to eliminate the Apep sect, for to all other sects in our lands it is considered an abomination.”
The Dagger of Isis (The First Dynasty Book 2) Page 33
