dwell forever among strangers?"
..Sir ... "
Djehuty sat back in his chair and smiled, cheered by the possibility, unlikely as it was, of so long a regal lineage. "Fortunately, my distinguished heritage has given me a strength of character few men can claim and the fortitude to do what I must, no matter how distasteful. Take that man Ipy, for example ..."
"That's why I've come to you now, sir," Bak said, leaping through the door the governor had unwittingly opened. Djehuty's eyes narrowed. "Oh?"
"If I'm to find the man who's slain five people, you must help me." Remembering Antef's admission that he had pushed Djehuty too hard, thereby sentencing his troops to unending duty at the quarries, he spoke with the honeyed tongue of a nobleman who has spent all his days in the royal house. "I realize you've a multitude of tasks, all far more weighty than you're willing to acknowledge, but if you could spare me some time and the benefit of your experience and knowledge, your insight, you might set me on a path I've up to now failed to find."
Djehuty stared at the man standing before him. Bak feared he had gone too far.
"When first I saw you at the back of the hall, Lieutenant, I looked also for a man in shackles, thinking an officer so fast to find a pattern in these crimes would be equally quick to lay hands on the slayer." Adopting a fatherly manner, Djehuty chuckled. "Now, with no prisoner in tow, your initial confidence seems to be wanting."
Biting back a sharp reply, nearly choking on it, Bak did his best to sound like a dutiful officer, not a humble servant. "I freely admit I know scarcely more now than I did at this time yesterday, when the servant Nefer came with word of mistress Hatnofer's death. Sir."
Djehuty's mouth tightened at Bak's near lapse in courtesy. "I told you all I knew when first we spoke. I've nothing more to add." He stood up, gripped his baton, and stepped down off the dais, forcing Bak backward. "Now, as you yourself have pointed out, I'm a busy man. My daughter Khawet must already have servants waiting to bathe me." He strode across the pillared hall with the same air of purpose he might have used to approach a formal dedication.
Bak kept up with him step for step. "Will you tell me, sir, anything you've done that could've set off this string of deaths? An incident that may not have seemed significant to you but was important to someone else? Possibly resulting in a threat?"
Djehuty's step faltered, but only for an instant. "I've done nothing wrong. Nothing."
"Men have hinted that you've a secret, one all who know you are either afraid or ashamed to repeat."
"All lesser men wish to tear down the stronger, Lieutenant, hinting at weaknesses that burden them alone. Surely a man as experienced as you can sort the grain from the chaff."
Bak stopped, demanded, "Do you want to die, sir?" Djehuty, his face flaming, pivoted and raised his baton, ready to strike. Realization came to him, the knowledge that Bak was another man's man, and he whipped the baton down, making it whistle through the air. "You want to know what secret I harbor in my heart, Lieutenant?" His lips twisted in a sneer. "I don't like you. Nor do I like the insinuations you're making. If I hadn't sent a message to the vizier, telling him of your arrival, I'd send you back to Buhen before nightfall."
Bak's eyes met Djehuty's. The governor tried to hold the stare, but could not. He looked away, seeking escape, and strode rapidly to the door.
No, Bak thought, you're not worried about the message you sent to the capital. You're afraid to die. And you know of no one but me who has the slightest chance of laying hands on the slayer before he comes for you. The slightest chance? Perhaps no chance at all unless 1 can soon break down this wall of silence.
Bak followed Djehuty out the door, but turned left at the first short passage. At the end, he came upon a large room, its ceiling supported by two tall brightly painted lotus-shaped columns,
..Sir ... "
Djehuty sat back in his chair and smiled, cheered by the possibility, unlikely as it was, of so long a regal lineage. "Fortunately, my distinguished heritage has given me a strength of character few men can claim and the fortitude to do what I must, no matter how distasteful. Take that man Ipy, for example ..."
"That's why I've come to you now, sir," Bak said, leaping through the door the governor had unwittingly opened. Djehuty's eyes narrowed. "Oh?"
"If I'm to find the man who's slain five people, you must help me." Remembering Antef's admission that he had pushed Djehuty too hard, thereby sentencing his troops to unending duty at the quarries, he spoke with the honeyed tongue of a nobleman who has spent all his days in the royal house. "I realize you've a multitude of tasks, all far more weighty than you're willing to acknowledge, but if you could spare me some time and the benefit of your experience and knowledge, your insight, you might set me on a path I've up to now failed to find."
Djehuty stared at the man standing before him. Bak feared he had gone too far.
"When first I saw you at the back of the hall, Lieutenant, I looked also for a man in shackles, thinking an officer so fast to find a pattern in these crimes would be equally quick to lay hands on the slayer." Adopting a fatherly manner, Djehuty chuckled. "Now, with no prisoner in tow, your initial confidence seems to be wanting."
Biting back a sharp reply, nearly choking on it, Bak did his best to sound like a dutiful officer, not a humble servant. "I freely admit I know scarcely more now than I did at this time yesterday, when the servant Nefer came with word of mistress Hatnofer's death. Sir."
Djehuty's mouth tightened at Bak's near lapse in courtesy. "I told you all I knew when first we spoke. I've nothing more to add." He stood up, gripped his baton, and stepped down off the dais, forcing Bak backward. "Now, as you yourself have pointed out, I'm a busy man. My daughter Khawet must already have servants waiting to bathe me." He strode across the pillared hall with the same air of purpose he might have used to approach a formal dedication.
Bak kept up with him step for step. "Will you tell me, sir, anything you've done that could've set off this string of deaths? An incident that may not have seemed significant to you but was important to someone else? Possibly resulting in a threat?"
Djehuty's step faltered, but only for an instant. "I've done nothing wrong. Nothing."
"Men have hinted that you've a secret, one all who know you are either afraid or ashamed to repeat."
"All lesser men wish to tear down the stronger, Lieutenant, hinting at weaknesses that burden them alone. Surely a man as experienced as you can sort the grain from the chaff."
Bak stopped, demanded, "Do you want to die, sir?" Djehuty, his face flaming, pivoted and raised his baton, ready to strike. Realization came to him, the knowledge that Bak was another man's man, and he whipped the baton down, making it whistle through the air. "You want to know what secret I harbor in my heart, Lieutenant?" His lips twisted in a sneer. "I don't like you. Nor do I like the insinuations you're making. If I hadn't sent a message to the vizier, telling him of your arrival, I'd send you back to Buhen before nightfall."
Bak's eyes met Djehuty's. The governor tried to hold the stare, but could not. He looked away, seeking escape, and strode rapidly to the door.
No, Bak thought, you're not worried about the message you sent to the capital. You're afraid to die. And you know of no one but me who has the slightest chance of laying hands on the slayer before he comes for you. The slightest chance? Perhaps no chance at all unless 1 can soon break down this wall of silence.
Bak followed Djehuty out the door, but turned left at the first short passage. At the end, he came upon a large room, its ceiling supported by two tall brightly painted lotus-shaped columns,
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