The Book of the Dead

by Paul Davis

  ‘We’ve just been chatting to some of the sailors,’ said Aristeon, ‘They told us that we should be nearing Heliopolis before sunset, and we should be able to see the pyramids. They’re going to set up some tables and couches so we can have dinner up here tonight. Imagine... sunset, pyramids, the River Nile flowing gently by, what could be more romantic?’ he winked. ‘We’ll have to make sure you two get the best view.’

  Kaires clenched his teeth. ‘I’m sure the view will be spectacular for all of us. In any event, I expect you and Haemon will beat us to the best place.’

  Aristeon raised an eyebrow and Haemon’s grin slipped a little. Kaires decided to press his advantage. He stood.

  ‘Come on Iola, I think these two want to be alone. I would never want to stand in the way of true love.’

  He helped her up, giggling, and they left, Aristeon looking at Haemon with what might well have been an enquiring eye.

  -0-

  Kaires was down in his cabin, washing before dinner, when he heard a shout go up from the crew on deck, followed by a general murmuring punctuated by the occasional excited outburst. He hurriedly finished his ablutions and put on a fresh kilt before rushing out of the door and straight into Strabo, who had come out of his cabin at the same time.

  ‘What now?’ asked Strabo, clearly exasperated. ‘Surely not another murder. Unless Chaeremon has finally cracked and has gone berserk. I saw him eyeing up the knives at breakfast very strangely. I'd been telling him about the library in my home town of Amaseia, which I think compares very favourably to the one in Alexandria, when he had some sort of spasm. I'm not at all sure about the man's sanity. Might be best to get some rope in case we have to tie him down.’

  Chaeremon himself appeared in the corridor and gave Strabo a steely glare. ‘Shall we go up? I suspect the hullabaloo indicates the first sight of the pyramids, which I have been expecting to become visible at any moment, even from here, although we are still a considerable distance away. Perhaps, Strabo, you will finally gain some idea of their magnificence.’

  Kaires intervened. ‘We certainly won't see them from down here. After you, gentlemen.’ He stepped back to allow them to pass, and they made their way up to the top deck, where everyone else seemed already to have assembled towards the bow. Iola was standing with her mother, and as Kaires approached, she pointed excitedly to the south west.

  ‘Look!’

  Kaires followed the direction of her finger, and at first could see nothing. Beyond the river the green strip of cultivation gave way to the desert, and in the far distance, the bare outline of some distant mountains, shimmering in the heat of the late afternoon. At least...

  ‘There they are!’ Iola gave a little jump in her excitement. ‘In front of you! Can't you see them?’

  And Kaires realised that they weren't mountains, but the great pyramids themselves, rising majestically from the sands, massive and powerful, beyond his imagining. Even at this distance they commanded the horizon, supremely self confident, reducing everything else around them to insignificance. Put all the great buildings of Alexandria in one place, pile them on top of one another, and they still wouldn't amount to a fraction of what his astonished eyes were showing him. Even Strabo was wrong-footed.

  ‘Are you sure they aren't mountains in the desert? I've seen some very similar in shape -’

  ‘I can understand you mistaking them for such,’ said Chaeremon, sounding insufferably smug, and obviously struggling not to say “I told you so.” ‘I assure you that they are indeed the pyramids, built by man over two thousand years ago. As we get closer you will clearly see so for yourself, assuming your eyesight is up to it. It is as if they are saying to us: “you haven't seen everything, after all, have you?” Indeed no one anywhere has ever seen their like. Deservedly one of the wonders of the world. It's a humbling thought, don't you think? Perhaps they are reminding us not to be so sure of ourselves, but to keep an open and enquiring mind at all times.’ Finally he was unable to resist adding: ‘As indeed I told you.’

  Kaires watched Strabo's countenance darkening throughout this speech and decided to escape while he could, joining Iola and Myrine at the bow.

  ‘They truly are magnificent, aren't they?’ he said, slipping in next to Iola. He leant forward to rest on the balustrade, and his arm brushed against hers, sending a shiver of pleasure up his spine. Since this afternoon he had needed to touch her again, to feel close. He desperately wanted to hold her hand, kiss her, but Myrine was beside them and he was uncertain what her reaction would be. He really must talk to her; but he had hardly discussed things with Iola herself yet. He was now clearer than ever in his own mind that he wanted Iola for his wife, and after this afternoon felt that she must feel the same. But they hadn’t had time to talk about it. And Myrine? What would she think? She knew very little about his family – would she care about his Egyptian ancestry, his mixed parentage? Come to that, what did he himself know of Iola’s? An aunt in Alexandria and two uncles in the Delta. Not that he really cared; he would marry her if her entire family were road sweepers and drain dredgers, and feel privileged to do so.

  ‘It's true, everything I've heard,’ said Iola, clasping her hands excitedly together. ‘We're still a day's journey from them but there they are, right in front of us. It's almost as if I could reach out and touch them. Can they really have been built by man? It must have taken so long; countless years. Who could start on such a project and be confident of its completion in his lifetime? It's beyond imagining.’

  ‘Yet, as Chaeremon says, there they are. Tomorrow we'll be standing at their feet. Who knows what secrets they have to hide, let alone Caesarion's gold.’

  ‘Is that where it is?’ asked Myrine. ‘You managed to puzzle it all out?’

  ‘Not me, it was more Chaeremon. He recognised where it was and made sense of it. I suppose it's no big secret now. Gallus has sent word for a cohort to be sent from Alexandria, and it should meet us there in a couple of days. Gallus is almost going spare with excitement.’

  ‘I think you've started something between Aristeon and Haemon,’ said Iola. ‘Look at them!’

  Further along the deck the two scholars stood side by side, gazing out towards the pyramids. Haemon had his hand on Aristeon's shoulder, the picture of companionship. A few feet away from them stood Dexios, face set, alone. Gallus, Strabo and Chaeremon remained towards the stern, bickering happily together. The sun was sinking lower in the west, and the crew were starting to bring up tables for the evening meal. Kaires looked at Iola, and had an overwhelming feeling of happiness. Dinner on deck while sailing up the river, with the pyramids gently lit by the setting sun, and Iola by his side. He had never before felt the need to share his life, but the thought of enjoying all this and more with another person, taking delight in their delight, being amazed together, was wonderful beyond belief. He turned to Iola and Myrine.

  ‘Where shall we sit?’ he asked. ‘We need to beat Aristeon and Haemon to the best view.’

  Myrine looked at Iola and Kaires standing side by side. ‘Over here, then,’ she said, smiling at them both. ‘I think we have things to talk about.’

  -0-

  The Gloria Aegyptae sailed on until the failing light forced Captain Nehesi to moor for the night against the river bank, far from any habitation. The sailors jumped on land and began hammering in mooring posts and throwing ropes. Predictably, Gallus complained.

  ‘I'm sure we could carry on a bit further. There’s still a plenty of light.’ He pointed to a felucca in mid river, carrying bundles of straw, still making its way upstream. ‘See? Lots of boats seem happy to continue. Why can they keep on sailing and we can’t? It’s absurd to stop so early. We’ve probably got another good hour yet.’

  ‘That one's a light boat, easy to manoeuvre,’ said Nehesi. ‘It can stop quickly if they see anything ahead. We can't - by the time we saw something it would be too late. The Isis - I mean Gloria Aegyptae - is too great a barge to take such risks. We'll be off again well be
fore dawn, and at the pyramids by midday. Don’t worry, they won’t move.’

  Kaires sat towards the bow, gazing up at the appearing stars. Could there really be over six hundred of them, as Mantios had said? Was Mantios’s soul now up there amongst them, looking down? And Thestor? Would they be at rest now that their killer was dead?

  To his disappointment Iola and Myrine had gone to bed straight after dinner, saying they were tired. Kaires suspected they wanted to have a good gossip, in private. He couldn't imagine that Iola was genuinely sleepy. He himself was buzzing with energy, hardly able to sit still, unable to concentrate on anything. He didn't feel that he would ever want to go to sleep again.

  They had sat, the three of them, near the bow, sharing their supper and talking amiably. So little had needed to be said; Iola and Myrine had grasped the situation far earlier than he had himself, and they had just been waiting for it to dawn on him as well. Chatting away so happily, he had already felt that they were a family. There was an immediate feeling of understanding among them. Silences, although they were few and far between, were comfortable. He was sure Hotepet would adore Iola, and vice versa. And his father would surely admire Myrine. In fact he allowed himself to wonder... No, perhaps that was going too far. But he would make sure that she didn’t get too close to Gallus, just in case.

  He watched Aristeon and Haemon, still on a couch by one of the tables, even though it had been cleared ages ago. They had a cup of wine each and were deep in conversation. Kaires couldn't hear what they were saying but occasionally a burst of laughter would reach his ears. He saw the way they looked at each other, and felt happy for them, too. In fact tonight he felt happy for everyone. The world was a different place.

  Strabo and Chaeremon joined Gallus and the captain. They seemed on good terms again. It was as if the brooding presence of the pyramids exercised some beneficent spell over the whole barge. There was a subdued sense of excitement about what the next day might bring. Kaires felt it running just under the surface, as if it might break out at any moment.

  Had so much really happened in so short a time? It seemed only yesterday that the Prefect had called him to the palace in the middle of the night, away from his cosy and secure existence. But since then, four people had died, they were on the trail of a vast treasure, and he had fallen in love...

  Tomorrow would be a busy day. Realising that even if sleep eluded him, he should at least try to rest, Kaires got up and went downstairs. He passed the women’s cabin and paused just outside, feeling guilty but unable to stop himself from straining his ears. He caught the low murmur of voices and occasional burst of laughter and smiled to himself.

  He passed on and in to his own cabin, threw off his kilt and lay down on his bed. Against all expectations, he was soon fast asleep.

  -0-

  Before dawn, just as the sky just began to lighten and mark the horizon with the palest of glows, the Gloria Aegyptae slipped her moorings and continued her journey south. Below decks most of the passengers remained fast asleep. Even Gallus, full of anticipation though he was, snored happily on the huge bed in the Queen’s suite, dreaming that a benign Augustus was personally congratulating him as they both sat and laughed together on a mountain of gold. The soldier on duty outside the entrance leant with his ear against the wall, listening to the gentle rumbling, which only just penetrated the thick wood. His head nodded forward and then jerked up again as he struggled to keep himself awake.

  Kaires had slept soundly throughout the night, but had woken at the movement of the barge as it started on its way. He opened his eyes, allowing them to adjust to the faint light, listening to the gentle creaks and sighs of the barge as it moved through the water. A feeling of calm and contentment washed over him as he lay, gently rocked from side to side. He felt as if he was being lulled in some giant cradle. He lay still for a while, hoping that he would drift off again, but his mind was restless, too full of thoughts for sleep to come again.

  He gave up, pulled himself out of bed and quickly washed in the water still in the basin from the previous night. He dressed in a fresh loincloth and kilt, then went up to the top deck.

  Dawn was still a little way off but the sky was lightening rapidly in the east, enough to sail by. He leant on the rails and looked down at the waters rushing by below. The Gloria Aegyptae, despite its size, was capable of a good rate of knots once it got up to speed. They had moved out into the central stream and were now well under way.

  Further up river Kaires could see the felucca that had passed them the previous evening. It must have stopped soon after them and was now just setting off again itself, two men putting up the sail.

  He continued to watch the banks of the Nile slip by, through mainly agricultural land relieved by the occasional small dwelling. Once they passed a rather grand house on raised ground, with white walls stretching down to the river. It had its own landing stage, and a pool, inlet from the river, was filled with lotus flowers, closed up at this time of the morning but promising a wealth of colour and scent when the sun rose high. Kaires wondered what it would be like to spend a life here, far from the never ending chaos of the city, a life of peace, walks by the river, bathing in the pool, devoting his time to study. He let the daydream linger for a moment before dismissing it. Of course it wouldn’t really be like that. Even here there would be the land to manage, inundations to sit out, seeds to plant, harvests to bring in, servants to organise, a life every bit as busy and full as in Alexandria. The social pool might be smaller, but it could be just as busy, with parties and dinners an important way of interacting with the neighbours and keeping at bay any feeling of isolation. Kaires could see the attraction. Not as a single man, perhaps, but as one with a wife and children – that would be different. Hotepet would come as well. Would she be happier here than in the city?

  The sun was now just appearing over the horizon, and he could hear the sounds of the barge coming to life down below. He watched it rise, silhouetting and then illuminating a large city far off to the east. In the distance he could just make out a great Temple, and before it a huge obelisk, the largest he had ever seen, dwarfing the ones of Tuthmosis that Cleopatra had brought to Alexandria. It must be the Temple of Atum-Re, and the city Iunu, which the Greeks called Heliopolis.

  ‘A penny for your thoughts?’ said a voice behind him. He looked round to see Haemon coming along the deck towards him.

  ‘They’re not really worth the money,’ replied Kaires, greeting him with a smile. ‘I was just wondering if that’s Heliopolis over there. I suppose it must be. It’s bigger than I thought. Must be quite a great city.’

  They both admired the view for a moment, before Haemon spoke again. ‘You know, Kaires, I owe you an apology. I haven’t behaved very well towards you.’

  ‘It’s been hard for all of us. You really don’t have to worry.’

  ‘Nevertheless, I’m not proud of how I’ve behaved. Now it’s all over I should like to have you as a friend, if it’s not too late.’

  ‘Of course it isn’t. You don’t need to ask. Actually, I can’t really help liking you, Haemon. None of us has really been shown in the best light over the past few days. I hope all of that can now change.’

  ‘Thank you. It’s just – I feel I may need a friend, before too long. Someone to talk to. This thing with Aristeon...’

  ‘Ah,’ said Kaires. ‘‘Well there, I should just go with the flow. Don’t rush into anything, but don’t hold back, either. Do whatever feels right to you.’

  ‘I don’t really know what to do. I can’t help worrying about what other people may think.’

  ‘A long time ago one of my teachers said something to me that I’ve never forgotten. He said: ‘Kaires, never worry about what other people may think, because most of the time, they’re not thinking about you at all.’ Live your own life, Haemon, not other people’s version of it.’

  They looked towards the city for a while in silence. Iola appeared at the head of the steps, but didn’t join them.
Instead she went across and stood alone on the opposite side of the deck, leaning on the railing. Haemon looked over at her, and then at Kaires.

  ‘If only my choice were as simple as yours. Much as I am enjoying this, I think your company would be even more appreciated somewhere else. Perhaps we can talk again another time,’ said Haemon with a smile. ‘Thanks again, Kaires.’

  Kaires put a hand on Haemon’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, then turned and crossed the deck to join Iola, looking out to the west as the rising sun covered the pyramids in gold.

  -0-

  The morning seemed to drag on interminably for Gallus. All the while the pyramids were before him, but seemed to get no closer. He was sure they were mocking him with their promises of lost gold, like chasing after the end of a rainbow. He tried to pass the time by poring over the map, checking with Kaires and Chaeremon again and again the exact location of the tomb where they could expect to find Caesarion's wealth, losing patience, disappearing off to worry Captain Nehesi, then returning and poring over the map again, but never sitting down for more than a moment. Kaires warned him he would drive himself insane, by which he really meant that he feared Gallus would drive everyone else insane first.

  Nevertheless towards midday, just as Captain Nehesi had promised, they finally approached the mooring beneath the Temple of the Sphinx, from which a causeway led up to the plateau on which stood the greatest wonder of the world, the Great Pyramid, with its smaller but hardly less impressive companions. Kaires was awestruck; the crushing weight of the pyramids seemed to press down on him across the centuries, proclaiming an unassailable strength and power. They soared high above him, the biggest monuments he had ever seen in his life, or ever would see. There could be no competing with these structures, which laughed in the face of all of man's other efforts. He simply couldn't believe his eyes. Covered with white, smooth limestone, they shone in the morning sun as if they were lit from within.