The Forgotten Papyrus (The Mummifier's Daughter Series Book 5) Read online

  The Forgotten Papyrus

  The Mummifier’s Daughter - Book 5

  Nathaniel Burns

  Copyright 2014 by Nathaniel Burns

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Publisher's Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author's imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Edited (USA) by Anna Drago

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Chapter One

  2. Chapter Two

  3. Chapter Three

  4. Chapter Four

  5. Chapter Five

  6. Chapter Six

  7. Chapter Seven

  8. Chapter Eight

  9. Chapter Nine

  10. Chapter Ten

  11. Chapter Eleven

  12. Chapter Twelve

  13. Chapter Thirteen

  14. Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  The almost full moon cast an eerie glow over the pale dunes while the evening breeze picked sand grains from the top, blowing them in circles before dispersing them again. The stars twinkled in the sky above, their shimmer resembling the blinking of thousands of eyes, silently watching the world below.

  The clatter of stoneware and the lighthearted chatter from a nearby bayat filled the quiet night sky. The shadows cast on the curtain walls followed the occupants’ movements as pieces of flatbread, accompanied by dates, camel milk and honeyed tea were passed around. The wooden pieces within the cargo too precious to use as fuel to cook something more elaborate. But the knowledge that within a day’s travel they would reach the river valley, where they would be able to trade for better fare, served to lighten their mood and made their simple meal all the more enjoyable.

  The camels carrying their merchandise knelt in the sand nearby. Their cargo, consisting of exotic animal hides, spices, hammered cooking skillets, carved wooden sculptures, along with small amounts of precious stones, was bundled together on one side. Their handlers, who each had received their handful of dates and cup of tea, were standing guard and watched over the goods.

  The breeze picked up again, this time blowing open the door flap of the bayat. The occupants barely giving it a moment’s thought, since their chatter drowned out the crunching of sand as dark figures moved around outside.

  Like the shadows they had come to represent, a group of men descended upon the bayat. Surprised gasps were quickly followed by pain-filled grunts, mere moments before another body fell to the ground, its lifeblood seeping from it.

  The men gathered outside the bayat; the metal blades of their kanjurs glistened in the moonlight, while the stains of fresh blood gave them a jagged appearance. The coppery scent of spilt blood was already hanging in the air and the hands clasping the hilts of the weapons were becoming sticky, as they prepared to descend on the occupants.

  Their entry was swift and sure. Each grabbed an occupant and skillfully drew their blades across their throats, before any of the occupants even had an opportunity to draw their weapon in defense. A woman’s screech filled the air but was quickly silenced as the blade slid through the delicate skin of her neck, leaving her to sink to her knees, gasping, coughing.

  In the scuffle a lamp was knocked over. Its contents spilled over the reed floor mat and let the flames spread quickly.

  “Get that!” One of the intruders commanded, pointing at the rapidly spreading flames. The man closest moved to throw sand over it, while the others continued their slaughter.

  Once the last of the original occupants had slipped to the ground, the leader, a tall dark-skinned man with several scars disfiguring his face and exposed torso, sheathed his sword, ordering, “Look around, make certain no one survives. I do not want to be identified.” He then gestured to two of the men who nodded and turned their backs.

  “You”, he said, gesturing to two others, “drag the bodies outside and search them for any gold and jewelry.” They nodded and tugged at the two bodies closest to them. “The rest of you search the goods; take anything of worth that can easily be bartered.” The men nodded, with several already turning to exit the bayat. The leader, along with two others, started to turn the sleeping mats around, searching the sand underneath. Every satchel and bedroll was checked, its content’s worth assessed before either being added to their loot or carelessly flung aside.

  “It’s not here!”, the leader shouted. He was frustrated.

  “But we followed them from the valley; no one left the caravan - it has to be here.” one of the others said, still searching.

  “Is this the same caravan?”, the man demanded.

  “Yes, this man and this woman were traveling with them.”, one man said pointing at the slain woman, “and the number of camels is also the same.”

  “Then where are the gold and the gems?” the man demanded, “It should have been here with them!”

  “They could have split it between the camel’s packs.”

  “Go, find out from the others!” the leader instructed, while the man nodded and turned from the bayat.

  The following morning, while the rising sun again celebrated Ra’s victory against Apep and his followers in the underworld, lifeless bodies with vacant eyes, stared lifelessly, almost accusingly up the sky. Their eyes no longer reflected the brilliance of their god’s victory, since the desert had long since drunken their lifeblood. Their motionless bodies told the tale of a battle lost during Ra’s absence from the sky.

  Some distance away the sands shifted, revealing a sole survivor, who had managed to bury himself and remain hidden from the attackers during the scuffle. He cautiously approached the ransacked remains of the camp. His dusty kanjura clung to his body; fear had served to keep him in his position until he had no longer been able to tolerate the heat. Some of the goods lay around; spices were scattered on the sand, several of the hammered skillets bent after someone had stepped on them. He carefully collected what he could salvage before heading north, towards Syène.

  1

  Chapter One

  Neti and Shabaka led their small group back towards Thebes, grateful to return to familiar surroundings. Fieldworkers were repairing the terrace walls that would trap water within the fields once the river bursts its banks again, bringing with it the rich soil in which they would plant the following season’s crops.

  But as they passed them, the men seemed more careless about their work than befitted its importance, more often bickering amongst themselves than actually progressing with the work. Builder’s assistants were gathering up the remaining golden strands of straw, loading it onto drays. The river’s level had dropped enough to allowed access to the lower clay reserves, which the straw was added to in order to add strength to the mud bricks. It was the busiest time of the year for brick producers as their access to the clay banks was limited. They remained silent in their work; there was no song and it made the atmosphere around the workers appear strained. None of the laborers looked up from their work when Neti and the others passed them.

  They approached the familiar red walls of the city when the heat was
already radiating off them as the midday sun glared down from the sky, further heating up the surrounding walls and hard packed ground, although it was not as warm as they were used to. Those they passed on the road hardly turned to look at them or offer any sign of acknowledgement and even the guards only nodded in greeting as they entered the city gates. The streets were unusually quiet. The few usually feisty children present argued with one another, often shoving others in an attempt to secure the inflated goat’s bladder that served as a ball for them. Several of the stick battles also saw malicious strikes issued with claims of victory.

  Neti and Shabaka exchanged concerned glances when none of the mothers made any attempt to reprimand their children, seeming indifferent of what was going on around them.

  Moses, who also noticed the lack of concern dared to speak, “You don’t think Ramesses…?” He started, but did not complete the sentence as they entered one of the main roads leading towards the more affluent parts of the city and ultimately the palace. It was also devoid of life.

  “He could have called council”, Shabaka warily replied, turning to look at Moses. “Why don’t you take her to Yani, she should be home”, he said nudging towards the young girl walking next to Neti, while keeping a distance from the others and cautiously looking around her. “I’m certain Yani will be pleased to see you.” Shabaka added for good measure, closely watching the man’s response. “Take Khabo with you, I am certain he will also enjoy a good meal.”

  Moses looked at the Nubian and nodded as Shabaka continued, “You can meet us at the palace.”

  Moses gestured to the girl who was to follow him, although the girl immediately stepped closer to Neti, unwilling to leave her side.

  “You will be safe”, Moses softly said, while the girl looked at Neti with a distrustful expression in her eye.

  “You can go”, Neti gently said, “He will take you to my home and Yani will give you something to eat.” Neti calmly continued, while her own stomach reminded her that it had been some time since she had consumed anything other than dates and water.

  “I can already taste her flatbread”, Khabo said moving to join Moses, “You think there would be some beer to go with it?” he asked Moses.

  Moses nodded and looked at the little girl, who never let Neti disappear from her view whenever she was awake.

  The girl’s skittishness had worn Neti’s nerves and she had often been tempted to reprimand her, although the sight of her apprehension around the men often had Neti bite her tongue. There was no way of knowing what she had been exposed to before Neti had purchased her, especially since the girl hardly ever spoke, only answering questions directly addressed to her by Neti.

  The girl looked from Moses to Neti and then warily left Neti’s side to follow Moses. Moses turned from her not bothering to check if she followed him on the street that would take them to Neti’s home.

  “She has to learn to trust”, Shabaka said, watching them leave.

  Neti turned to look at him and answered, “And you think she will learn that, if you separate her from me so quickly.”

  Shabaka turned to look at her, well aware of her irritability the last few days, but calmly said, “It will be easier for her this way. You would not want to exposer her to the court if Ramesses has called council.”

  Neti looked at him, furrowing her brow.

  “I know what it is like to be dragged to court as a child, made to stand there while people looked on, when all I really wanted to do was run around and play with the other children. She is tired and hungry and is better off with a meal in her stomach and a place to rest.“, Shabaka concluded, adding, “as would we be.” before he continued walking towards the palace.

  The streets remained deserted even as they got closer to the palace, where they had expected them to fill with people.

  “Is there another festival?” Shabaka asked as the path they were on widened towards the pylons marking the entrance to the palace. The entrance was guarded by two young men in palace guard dress, who both seemed too young to even be properly trained.

  “The next festival is that of Amun, but that is not until the river has risen.” Neti replied, turning to look at him. Then she hesitantly asked, “You don’t think…?”, but like Moses she did not complete the question. They approached the gate and the atmosphere felt heavy, very different from the way it used to be and it caused a heavy sensation to settle over Neti’s heart, which felt like her chest was tightening.

  As prefects, they were just as responsible as the palace guards to ensure the safety of the pharaoh and his family. And even though the attempt on Ramesses’ life had been unsuccessful, it did not mean that another attempt could not have been made in their absence, which had her fear the worst.

  The guards moved to block their way, crossing their spears to stop them. Neti and Shabaka stopped and allowed the men to look at them. One of the young guards recognized Shabaka even though he was in desert drab, while Neti lowered the hood that covered her wig and lifted the excess fabric that covered the sash tied around her waist. The young guards nodded in acknowledgement and stepped back, allowing them to enter.

  They continued towards the assembly hall, where they knew they would receive news either way. But even before they entered the hall, they could hear the exasperated shouts from Ramesses in his response to whomever he was with. His agitation seemed to grow with every step they took. The familiar guards at the doorway nodded in greeting, and without a word or hesitation they opened the doors to allow them entry, just as one of the town’s elders demanded; “We have a right to know what is going on.”

  “And I told you that the cause has been established and eliminated”, Ramesses angrily replied. “The people of Thebes have nothing to fear!”

  “If that is so, then where are your prefects? No one has seen them in days”, another elder demanded. He was a new member to the council of elders.

  Ramesses was about to respond when Shabaka said, “They are right here”, causing everyone in the hall to turn their attention towards them, taking in the two dusty figures who stood in the doorway. Ramesses’ shoulders visibly lifted as he sighed when he recognized them.

  “Forgive me, my Lord”, Shabaka said bending his knee. Neti mimicked his gesture as he continued to speak, “I saw no need for them to further inquire the matter, as we are present, even if only just returned.”

  “Rise my prefects”, Ramesses said and his voice had regained a sense of calm. Neti and Shabaka did as instructed and watched as the pharaoh turned to address the elders, firmly commanding, “Out! All of you! I have matters to discuss with my prefects.”

  His words had everyone rise from their seat cushions. After they had gathered up their belongings, they started to disperse from the hall, mumbling amongst themselves as they walked towards the door. The newest elder stopped right in front of them and looked them over, but did not say anything about state of their attire, before nodding his head at them in acknowledgement and walking away.

  Neti and Shabaka stayed in the doorway until all those who had been dismissed had left and the doors closed behind them, before approaching Ramesses. They wanted to kneel again, but he stopped them. “Once is quite enough from you”, even before they could even bow.

  Ramesses turned to Neti and said, “I see that you have been successful.”

  Neti lowered her gaze as she replied, “Yes, my Lord.”

  “As I expected. Where are Moses and Khabo? Don’t tell me you traded them for Shabaka?” The latter he said lightheartedly, with humor in his voice, although Neti’s head quickly snapped up in response.

  “We have sent them and the girl to Yani, my Lord.” Shabaka calmly replied. “They are tired and hungry.”

  “What girl?” Ramesses quickly asked, looking at Neti again. “Have you bought another prostitute?”

  “Another prostitute?”, Shabaka asked, confused, as he turned his attention to Neti, who kept her gaze fixed on Ramesses as she answered.

  “Forgive me
, my Lord, I bartered for her while searching for Shabaka. It seemed appropriate at that time.”

  “And is she the same as the others?” Ramesses asked.

  “No, my lord, she is but a child, which I will repay you for.”

  “Repay me for?” Ramesses asked, “You have averted a possible war and you think I want repayment for a slave child? You could have bought fifty of them and I would not have minded. You have brought back Shabaka. That service alone is worth more than a girl child and all the goods I provided for the journey.” Ramesses dismissed the matter. “You may do with her as you wish.”

  Neti tilted her head, “Thank you, my Lord.”

  “Besides, from what I have seen you might soon need her?”, Ramesses commented with a smile, although Neti tilted her head in confusion.

  “What happened in the city?”, Shabaka asked, “Has there been a plague?”

  “A Plague, if only!” Ramesses scoffed, “I wish it were that simple, because then the people would understand, they would have something they could see and fight.”

  “The heart scarab?” Neti asked, “The curse?”

  “Yes”, Ramesses replied, nodding.

  “My apologies, my Lord, I misplaced the crate, we looked for it, but could not find…” Ramesses stopped Shabaka with a brief gesture.

  “What you were carrying was one of my father’s warrior shabati’s.”

  “My, Lord, how do you know?”, Shabaka wanted to now.

  “We cleared out Apisit Repisit after Neti and Moses left, where we captured Ma-Nefer. The man though he was smart, talking in riddles and all, like his mind is twisted - or was.”