Tamit beamed. “I’ll start figuring it out tonight, Majesty.”
I looked through the sheets again. They weren’t just practical and revolutionary, they were beautiful. Tamit had a good eye for images. “What if there were signs that matched how we talk, Tamit?” I wondered. “Then Father could send me and his other officials messages instead of using messengers who might not repeat his words exactly.”
“That’s way beyond my capabilities, Majesty. But maybe someday by someone smarter than me.”
I wasn’t sure there was anyone smarter than her in Ptah’s Settlement. “How did you figure out how to use labels, Tamit? Have you traveled outside this settlement? Did you see something that gave you the idea?”
“Potmarks were an influence. But I’ve never been anywhere,” Tamit replied. “Like I said, I’ve bartered with men from all over the valley and the North. They tell me stories. I’ve only traveled in my mind. But I hope to someday see the rest of the world.”
“Ever tempted to go with some man to his homeland?”
Isu had implied as much. Despite her ragged and lowly appearance, there was something appealing about Tamit that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Maybe it was the way her eyes lit up when pressing a point, or her passion. I could see why lapwings would be drawn to her.
“A man who thought I was inviting him into my hut?” she asked coyly.
My face grew hot. She’d probably never me live down that particular misunderstanding.
“Plenty of offers,” Tamit said. “But I want to do more with my life than raise some man’s babies. Thank the gods my brother will never dare arrange my marriage. He’s afraid of me.”
“I can see why.”
“Is that a compliment, Majesty?”
“Take it however you want, Tamit. Anyway, meet me at the ivory workshop at dawn. We’re going to set one up solely to make labels you’ll design. We’ll need thousands. As soon as possible.”
“You can count on me, Majesty.”
***
Tamit was waiting for me inside the ivory workshop when I practically dragged Isu there with me the next morning.
“This is my brother, Nastasen, Majesty. And Thay, master craftsman and overseer of this workshop.”
Both bowed.
“Did you bring the labels, Tamit?”
She opened the pouch slung over her shoulder and removed the sheets.
“What are these?” Isu asked.
“Labels, to mark the source of goods delivered to Ptah’s Settlement,” I replied.
“Where did you get this ivory?” Thay snapped at Tamit.
“I took it,” she said calmly.
“And tools to inscribe these images? And paste to color them?”
“I took them too.”
“Thief!” Thay cried. “I demand you punish her, Isu!” He threw his arms wide. “Were you in on it with her, Nastasen? Of course you were. I want him punished too!”
“Nastasen had nothing to do with it,” Tamit said.
“I didn’t!”
“I ordered Tamit to make these labels, in secret,” I said. “Secrecy, Thay – not theft.”
Neither Thay nor Isu believed me. I didn’t care. They didn’t matter. “Isu, I want you to set up a workshop devoted solely to making these labels. Today. Move the best of these ivory craftsmen there as a start. Tamit will tell you which ones. I’ll add more later. These labels are more important right now than the objects they’re currently carving.” I addressed Nastasen. “You’ll oversee the new workshop. Tamit will design the labels your men will produce. I want thousands as quickly as possible.”
“We should use bone as well as ivory,” Tamit interjected. “Much easier to obtain in large quantities.”
“Do it. Nastasen, I want you to deliver the previous day’s work to Didia at the harbor first thing every morning.” I fixed him with my eyes. “Don’t fail me.”
Nastasen was utterly shocked by his unexpected promotion. “I won’t, Majesty,” he promised.
“I want the workshop fully operational by tomorrow morning, Isu and Thay and Nastasen. I’ll be by to check.”
“Of course, Majesty.”
“Now, I’m off to the harbor to explain how to use these labels to Didia and Hori and Hemu.” I reached for Tamit’s pouch.
She clutched it protectively against her chest. “I should explain to the overseers, Majesty. The labels were my idea.”
“They won’t listen to a girl,” I said practically.
“You mean, a common girl,” she spat, instantly irate.
I shrugged. “That’s just how it is.”
“That’s how it is? I solve your problem and as a reward you push me aside and make my brother who’s done nothing for you overseer of a workshop?” Tamit’s voice was rising in volume. “When I already oversee this one?”
“No you don’t,” Thay insisted.
“You’ll design the labels.”
“What a tremendous use of my talents,” Tamit said sarcastically.
I shrugged again.
“You’re making a huge mistake!” She was furious now.
“It’s my mistake to make. Be content.”
“Be content yourself! Majesty!” Tamit hurled the pouch at me as hard as she could.
I was so surprised I fumbled it. It dropped to the ground.
Tamit cursed and stormed out of the workshop.
Everyone was looking at me as if they couldn’t believe what they’d just witnessed.
“Get back here!” I shouted. Tamit had gone too far this time. She wasn’t going to get away with her insolence and disrespect anymore. She was going to apologize to me in front of these men. Then I was going to turn her over to Isu to deal with.
She ignored me and kept going.
“She’s like this whenever she doesn’t get her way, Majesty,” Nastasen said meekly. “Sorry.”
Furious, I picked up the pouch and stalked from the workshop. The nerve of that girl! Tamit had no right to question my decisions, not when we were alone and certainly not in front of others. Why had she suddenly become so frustrated and angry anyway? She’d given me a useful idea. In return I’d put her in charge of designing labels. What woman anywhere in the valley had such a position? I could’ve assigned that task to any ivory carver. I deserved Tamit’s gratitude, not her ire. Well, I was done with her. I was going to avoid her from now on. Nastasen would pump out labels every day and deliver them to Didia. No need for me to visit the workshop to check on him and encounter Tamit. Then I recalled I’d assigned her more tasks, additional controls to develop. I was going to have to figure them out on my own now. After how she’d just acted, Tamit was obviously as done with me as I was with her.
I went directly to the harbor and called Didia and Hori and Hemu together. I spent the rest of the morning explaining Tamit’s system to them, giving them the contents of her pouch, telling them to expect a variety of labels in large quantities for them to begin using in a few days.
After that I headed towards the warehouse district to check on the progress of the walls Meru was erecting.
The following morning I encountered Paser in the harbor area. He was Didia’s deputy. Didia was occupied with a captain aboard a vessel from somewhere outside the valley. That was just as well – my discussion with Tamit about her treatment by Hemu had sparked concerns and I wanted to speak with someone who knew how elites obtained their share of goods but wasn’t himself directly involved.
“Walk with me, Paser.”
We strolled a quarter mile to the market that occupied a patch of high ground at the junction of harbor and river. Or what would have been the junction if the inundation-swollen river wasn’t partway up the trunks of the dom palms that lined the riverbank. The valley currently had the aspect of a lake, the water red with silt, moving fast, carrying swirling detritus north. The market was nicely shaded by a grove of palms, presently swaying in the slight breeze, their fronds clacking. Dozens of women had spread various wares out on
reed mats – bread, fruit, vegetables, linen kilts, jars of beer. Craftsmen were represented as well. Oarsmen were going from mat to mat, bartering the grain that represented their pay with the locals and putting their acquisitions into their pouches. Some women were singing to an appreciative crowd, a few dancing. One man was cutting hair; there was a line. A couple of women were even washing kilts; several dozen were drying in the sun.
I seated myself at the edge of the market. I caught a flash of golden hair not far away. Tamit. Her hair was braided today, dangling over the front of her left shoulder. Her mat was covered with ivory carvings. She appeared to be doing a brisk business. At least, there were quite a few oarsmen clustered around her, most by their dress from outside the valley. She was chatting amiably with everyone, smiling. Her claim to know many languages had been no idle boast.
“Walk me through what happens to a single jar of goods that arrives at the harbor,” I said, turning my attention to Paser. “Exactly what happens. I have a good idea. I want to make sure.”
“Yes, Majesty.” Paser was suddenly nervous.
“I won’t tell anyone who told me,” I assured him.
He nodded. “When a boat arrives from a delta estate Didia and its captain meet on deck. They discuss the goods the boat is transporting. They make a decision about the worth of each type of goods.”
“How much made by craftsmen here to send back to the delta estate in return for what the captain is bringing?”
“Yes, Majesty. Let’s use a simple example. A container of barley. Didia assigns a portion of the grain to be set aside to feed the workers of Ptah’s Settlement. He sets aside a portion, as you ordered the day of your arrival, to fill our communal granaries against drought.” Sweat began beading on Paser’s brow. “He sets aside a portion for the elites. All told, the portions add up to about half the contents of the container. What’s left is what the captain has to barter with for what’s in our warehouses – tools and that sort of thing.”
“Barley’s a straightforward example of a commodity sent here to benefit Ptah’s Settlement,” I said. “What about luxuries destined for elites in the South? Carved ivory from Farkha, for example?”
Paser looked around to see if we were being observed. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He lowered his voice. “Hemu stores ivory in a special elite warehouse. When it’s time to send the ivory on to Tjeni he keeps half for the elites here and refills the rest of the jar with carved ivory from this settlement. Which everyone knows is inferior.”
“What about wine?”
“No one keeps track of how much wine’s delivered from the North, Majesty. Most is carried directly to the elites’ houses and bypasses the warehouse district entirely. Porters don’t question what elites tell them to do.”
So. Father wasn’t receiving his rightful share of Northern wine or other luxuries. “I see. One last question, Paser. Have Didia and Hemu and Hori begun taking an even greater portion of goods to support me and my new house?”
“Yes, Majesty.”
Tamit had been correct. No wonder the elites of Ptah’s Settlement had so many servants and lived such fine lives. Their lifestyle didn’t bother me. It was in line with the rest of the valley’s elites. What disturbed me was their excessive greed. Local elites were taking for themselves goods that by rights now belonged to Father so he could keep his elites loyal to him. It was clear I was going to have to take over distribution of luxuries so that this settlement’s elites received their due and nothing more.
“Thank you, Paser. You may return to your duties. Again, no one will find out from me that we talked.”
“Thank you, Majesty.” Paser rose and hurried off.
I stood as well. After a moment’s hesitation I made my way through the market to the mat where Tamit was bartering ivory. Although there was very little left men were still hovering, openly flirting. More confirmation of Isu’s claim. I waited for a lull and stepped in front of her.
“How may I help you?” she asked pleasantly, then looked up. The instant she saw it was me her smile died. “What do you want?” Her tone was harsh.
I hunkered down. “Are things going well at the new workshop?”
“Yes.” Her voice was clipped.
“You’ve worked out new designs?”
“Yes.”
“The craftsmen are making labels?”
“Yes.” She was still angry with me from yesterday. I clearly wasn’t going to get more than a yes or no out of her.
“I came to tell you I confirmed your claim that elites are skimming off goods to support my new house.”
“You didn’t believe me?” Her eyes blazed.
“I was misled by a woman once so she could get what she wanted. I won’t be again.”
“I don’t lie, Majesty,” Tamit said coldly. “I was right. You are a monster. Heartless.”
I should have called her on it. But not when she’d likely cause a scene in response in front of so many people. As she’d caused in the workshop yesterday and at the warehouse before that. “No, just careful. Another thing – I’ve been told the ivory from Thay’s workshop is inferior to Farkha’s.”
“Yes. Everybody knows.”
“Identify the five most promising apprentices in Thay’s workshop. I’m going to send them to Farkha to learn from masters. I’m determined to make our carvings as good as theirs.”
“Tell Thay yourself. He’s an overseer, remember? I just design labels.”
There was no talking to Tamit while she was in this mood. I wasn’t going to waste any more time on her. Now or in the future. I stood. I walked away without a backwards glance.
***
Three days later, in the afternoon, on my way to the boatyard, I passed through the harbor. Not a single container piled near the quays waiting to be carried to the warehouses by Hori’s porters was labeled. Just like every other time I’d passed through the harbor since directing Nastasen to produce labels and deliver them to Didia. I’d fumed every time. I’d expected Didia and Hori and Hemu to immediately implement Tamit’s system. But how could they without labels? Clearly, Tamit and her brother hadn’t understood the urgency of the task I’d given them. Or, more likely, Tamit was taking her time doing what I’d ordered out of spite. Didia should have had hundreds if not thousands of labels to use by now. Well, if Tamit and Nastasen wouldn’t or couldn’t do the job I’d put someone else in charge. I couldn’t afford to be patient.
I headed to the label workshop, growing angrier with every step. What was it about these people in Ptah’s Settlement? When faced with opportunity their first instinct was to say it couldn’t be done or to make a promise and not deliver. Didia and Hemu and Hori had been less than enthusiastic about using labels. Work on the wall was going slower than I expected. Raia had shown no interest in building a boat. Thank the gods for Niay volunteering. He, at least, had displayed unbridled energy and enthusiasm for his task. I had no doubt he’d deliver me an entire fleet. I reflected on the day I’d set up the label workshop. I’d made Nastasen its overseer without even talking to him, simply because he was Tamit’s brother. I’d assumed that because Tamit had shown initiative he would too. I’d been wrong. Tamit had practically forced me to adopt her labeling system – apparently, she hadn’t been able to force her brother to deliver what I needed. Or maybe she’d delayed production on purpose to anger me. Well, I wasn’t going to tolerate inactivity or sabotage.
I burst into the workshop. A dozen men were bent over sheets of ivory and bone, inscribing labels. A boy was breaking sheets apart and placing individual labels in containers. Nastasen and Tamit were in a corner, inspecting whole sheets. Everyone looked up.
I strode directly to Tamit and Nastasen. “I thought you understood the urgency of the task I gave you!” I railed at the two of them. “I expected that labels would be in use at the harbor days ago! Is making labels too much for you? Do I need to find someone else to do it? Because I promise you, if things don’t change immediately I wi
ll!”
Nastasen went pale, taken aback by the intensity of my attack. He started to tremble.
Tamit put her hands on her hips, defiant. “I personally delivered hundreds of labels to Didia this week,” she snapped, her dark eyes ablaze. “I worked on them from before dawn until the middle of the night ever since you told me to start. Majesty. So have these craftsmen.” She was angry now too. Her voice rose. “Didia’s not going to use them. He laughed in my face the other day when I asked him why. He said because it was my idea. He said he doesn’t have enough men to waste time on such a ridiculous task. His words. He also said he wasn’t going to take orders from a king’s son who has no business being here. Didia resents having to answer to someone after running the harbor the way he pleases for two decades.”
I clenched my fists. My face was burning. Every craftsman was staring at me. If Tamit was telling the truth I’d accused her and Nastasen unjustly. I’d jumped to a faulty conclusion. If she was telling the truth. She had an incentive to lie to me to escape punishment, to place the blame for her failure elsewhere.
“If you want this problem fixed, Majesty, get out of my way and let me!” Tamit demanded.
She’d sensed my discomfort and uncertainty. She was trying to turn it to her advantage. She was trying to manipulate me the way Matia had.
“What can you do that I can’t?” I probed.
“Seems to me you haven’t done anything.”
House of Scorpion Page 24
