“We found nothing. The underground room uses part of the area under that home but there was nothing to suggest that he was involved.”
“He must have known something though.” Said Shabaka, “We will question him as well in due time.”
As they exited the home Juma came rushing up to them. He was visibly distressed and said, “Prefect Neti you need to come and look, they think she is dead, but we have sent for a healer.”
Neti only glanced at Shabaka before she followed Juma as he jogged.
Even on entering the house Neti could smell the coppery tang of blood. The expressions on some of the mejays’ faces in no way prepared her for what awaited her.
From a distance it only appeared to be a heap of fabric. The smell of blood hung in the air.
From the doorway one of the men said, “We covered her with a cloth.”
Neti slowly approached the still form and hesitantly reached out her hand, She knew well enough that there would be a reason for the men to withdraw from the room.
She lifted the cloth and even in the dimly lit room she could see the marks and sores on the body. It was difficult to even recognize it as a girl for the swelling. Neti searched for a place she could put her hand and not hurt the girl but eventually gently placed it on the girl’s shoulder. The skin felt cold but there was still heat below it, possibly caused by the blanket. Even so the girl did not move or even react to her touch. Neti lowered the cloth back into place and said, “He’s gone now, we’re going to help you.”
Even that garnered no response from the girl.
Neti gently pressed against the shoulder and had no idea if she was hurting the girl, yet there was no give, that same as her entire body did not move, indicating that the girl still had to be alive.
“The healer is on their way, you need to lie down so that they can assess you.”
The girl still gave no response.
Neti heard the footfalls behind her, but kept her attention focused on the girl. There was the smallest of flinches, but nothing else, no movement.
The healer came to stand besides Neti and said, “Is it alive?”
Neti turned and glared at the man and said, “She is not some animal, no you know what leave. The last thing she needs is another man about they should rather have sent for a female attendant.
“There is a nurse outside.” The man said, visibly agitated.
“Then go out there and get her.” Neti seethed.
The man looked at Neti, his eyes narrowing, and said, “I will not be spoken with in such a manner.”
“And I’m not going to let you touch her.” Countered Neti.
The man looked at her and then turned from the room.
Some time later a woman entered the room and looked at Neti, before carefully approaching.
Neti stepped aside and allowed the woman to lift the cloth. Her breath caught for a moment before she whispered, “By Ra, who would do this to a child.” She looked up at Neti and said, ‘I can see why you sent him out, some things are best left to women.” She looked about the room, there was a great deal more suffering in this room than just one child.”
“Why say so,”
“There are layers of blood in places. The old having dried, and there is far too much for it to have come from only one person.” The woman then looked at the girl “We need o move her but I fear that in doing so the absolute terror will end up killing her.”
“What do you mean?” Asked Neti.
“She has suffered a great deal of trauma and we don’t know how long she has been here. This is the only place she knows now. If we move her the actual fear of leaving will kill her.”
“You mean she has to remain here?” Neti asked.
The woman looked her over she will also not lie down
“Why not?” Asked Neti.
“There are too many injuries, there is no manner in which she can lie that would not inflict pain.”
Neti could feel her anger rise, however said, What if we got some cushions for her and gave her some essence of flower, it may give us enough time to clean her and see to the worst of her wounds.”
“I will see what I can find in the house and have the healer give me some essence.” The woman said and then left.
Neti slowly moved around the room, but the more she saw the angrier she became. The woman returned with the essence and said, “We have to get her to drink it,”
“I don’t know if she will,” said Neti and approached the girl, “Perhaps if we allowed it to drip onto her tongue.”
“We can try,” said the woman.
Neti looked for somewhere where she could touch the girl, but again had to she pulled the girl’s lips aside and then gestured for the woman to administer the drops. Once done Neti said, “I’ll collect the cushions and lay out somewhere for her to lay.”
Neti exited the room and needed several moments to compose herself, only to be faced with Shabaka. Even before he could ask something she shook her head.
A shout from within the room beaconed Neti back.
When Neti entered she knew it was too late. Even as the woman looked at her she turned and again exited the room.
“Send for Hazam and tell them they are to bring two sheets.”
Shabaka looked at her for a moment, “Are you going to be alright?”
“Whoever did this just better hope I never get my hands on him.”
Neti waited for her bearers to arrive but refused them entry. Taking the sheets from them and attending to the girl along with the woman. Once the girl’s body was wrapped and ready, Neti allowed the bearers to enter and told them to return the body to her per-nefer.
The bearers had hardly left when Juma came to her again and said. “They found another.”
Neti simply looked at him in disbelief.
“This one is not so bad.”
“I am almost too afraid to ask.”
“She still fights and screams blue murder when someone comes close to her.”
Neti nodded, “Have the healers remove her to a hall, if she can still fight and scream she would be the most recent.”
Shabaka came to stand next to her and asked, “Do you want to go home?”
“Going home is not going to make the horrors go away, it will not hold responsible those who do such a thing.
“Then you better brace yourself, for you will never guess who is responsible.”
Epilogue
Neti and Shabaka entered the overcrowded holding cells were with shouting and declaring their innocence. Shabaka spoke with the guard and requested for a prisoner to be taken to the whipping yard, before turning from him and exiting the area. There would be time enough to question the others, however Ramesses had insisted that this person be dealt with first.
Outside, in the whipping yard, a small strange grouping of people stood gathered. Many of them looked around hesitantly, The last such invitation made by the pharaoh had a very different outcome.
To one side a lone figured stood with their head and body hooded. Neti went to stand besides her as Shabaka joined Ramesses and the captain of the mejay.
Between two guards a figure was brought out, he did not fight neither did he challenge the guards. He walked with an arrogance and surety that caused most of the onlookers to look at each other in surprise.
The man was fastened to the whipping post, which was the first time he struggled. As he opened his mouth a cloth gag was pushed inside it and fastened. Once done the guards stepped back.
Ramesses stepped forward and walked around the man. Leaving the people present at an absolute loss as to the reason for their summons.
“For one that so easily lifts his opinion and judges others, it must be difficult to be silenced in such a manner.” Ramesses then came to stand in front of the man and gestured to Neti to approach.
Neti guided the lone figure forward and watched as the man’s eyes narrowed. They came to stand before the man and Neti gently spoke to her companion, “Remember what I told you.”
The figure nodded, its shoulders visibly expanding before the hood was removed.
Instantly the man's eyes enlarged as Ramesses turned to the girl and asked, “Do you recognize him?”
The girl only nodded.
“And he is the one who hurt you?” asked Neti.
Again the girl nodded.
“Thank you.” Neti said and allowed the girl to once again cover her bruised face. She then drew the girl back and waited for Ramesses to speak, and waited. Those familiar enough with Ramesses easily recognized the level or rage threatened to expose itself.
It must be strange to not have a voice to not be heard, especially for one as vocal as you, “Ramesses eventually started. “For many floods already you have judged others and condemned actions. You have tried laid claim to power that was not yours to even attempt to take. You claimed an allegiance that would seem to absolve you of such atrocities. And as many before you, you have questioned the effectiveness of my prefects and my reason for trusting them when I cannot trust those tasked with advising me. But even you could not outsmart them.”
The man muffled something into his gag but Ramesses ignored him.
“I have known you for several floods already, and was appalled when the charges were placed before me. But your reaction confirmed that which I thought you incapable of and as such you will be punished.”
Ramesses then turned to the group of people gathered and said, “People of Thebes; fathers and mothers who have suffered a great loss. You see before you the man who has taken so much from you.”
The onlookers immediately looked past Ramesses, a murmur starting amongst them.
“Before you stands the man who murdered your daughters, for nothing more than his pleasure.”
Several of the fathers made to approached, but Ramesses stopped them by holding his hands out before him.
“Since I have never before needed to pass such a punishment, for in all my years I have never come across such a man, I have decided to place his punishment in the hands of the parents from who he had taken as much. He should also look upon the anger and pain his actions caused, as I know of no punishment in this life or the next, that could be considered sufficient for his actions.”
Ramesses’ words had the parents stop and look at him, for a moment surprised.
“I shall give you two days to decide upon your punishment, which will be executed in public for all of Thebes to see. It will be a warning to others that such actions will not be tolerated.” Ramesses looked at the parents and said, “Go now and discuss it, my guards will make whatever arrangements you need.”
The parents left the yard, many periodically looking over their shoulder until they could no longer see the man.
Neti gestured for the girl to leave with one of the guards before joining Ramesses. Ramesses then stepped forward and said, “I suggest you start praying to those gods of yours Inhapi. For none of the Gods I am aligned with would ever allow that which you have done. And you deserve whatever punishment they decide.”
They then turned from the man, with Ramesses signaling to the guards to remove Inhapi. Adding, “Feel free to punch him if he tries anything, even if you only think it is something.”
The guards nodded.
“Why allow the parents to punish him?” Asked Shabaka.
“As a parent I know the wrath I would feel. It may not make it any easier but it will provide some closure.”
END
The Trader´s Pact Page 16
