you.”
She shook his hand. “You honor our agreement, then?”
He nodded. “Although it will cost me a great deal of gold.” His gaze flicked to Kamin and back to Nima. “There are those hunting you who’ve offered a staggering price. But the judgment of the gods was clear, and I’ll not risk their wrath by breaking my oath.” Releasing her hand, Ptahnetamun stood up, throwing his arms wide, stepping into the center of the gathering. “Now we feast to celebrate a hard-fought game!”
Released from tense waiting, the crowd settled the wagers before streaming to where long rugs had been set up for the feast. Women began placing huge platters of food on the low tables.
“Come, be my guests at dinner,” Ptahnetamun invited. “I’ve ordered a goat slaughtered tonight for the occasion, although I will admit I expected to be celebrating my victory, not yours.”
Kamin and Nima sat next to him on an elevated platform of tasseled pillows and rugs and sampled the finest food the caravan had to offer. Seeming to bear no grudge, Ptahnetamun regaled them with stories of his wanderings in foreign lands, buying and selling all manner of goods and oddities, and conveying passengers.
“I’ve a suggestion for you,” he said at length. “Travel with me for the next few days.”
“We don’t journey to the north,” Kamin answered, dipping a crust of bread into the spiced yogurt.
“I know, you’ve been most insistent about going east, to reach your beloved Nile, but sometimes the best route is not actually the most direct.” Ptahnetamun leaned forward. “If you keep going east in a straight line from here, there’s no oasis to be found, nowhere to get food and water. I doubt your lady dancer can survive such a trek, no offense to her. If you travel with me, around noon of the third day, gods willing, we’ll cross a narrow track leading east. Used by herders or smugglers perhaps, not big enough for a caravan, but there are small wells and an oasis or two along the way. I’ll give you robes suited to desert travel and enough water to make it to the first resupply point.”
Kamin eyed his host, suspicion foremost in his thoughts. “I told you we’ve no gold or deben to pay, not even for two days of caravan passage.”
Ptahnetamun clapped him on the shoulder. “It would be a sin against the gods for me to leave you in the desert, walking to your death, since I’ve sworn a blood oath to Lady Nima. You look sturdy enough to load and unload camels, work your passage for two days. The lady and I can play—”
“No more senet for high stakes,” Kamin said, holding his hand up to stop the flow of words. “She’s won her game.”
“We could play hounds and jackals perhaps,” Nima said from the other side, grinning. “For low stakes.”
“I know how to deal with camels.” Kamin scooped up his mug of beer and drank.
Realizing Nima was looking askance at him, he set the jug on the table and nodded. “I’ve done many an odd task in my time. You’d be surprised.”
“It’s settled then.” The caravan master selected a large shank of meat, carving slices with gusto. “Report to my loadmaster in the morning, and he’ll assign you to a job.”
Nima leaned closer to Kamin, whispering in his ear, “Are you sure?”
Handing her another date, he said, “The man makes sense, as far as the supply of water. Horus might or might not continue to guide us. Besides, the Hyksos wouldn’t expect us to head north out of our way, so all in all it’s a sound strategy.” Which doesn’t mean I have to like it.
After several courses had been served, a three-man band with drums and flutes set up off to the side and a troupe of dancers came somersaulting into the large clear area in front of their makeshift dais.
Leaning over, Ptahnetamun pointed at the dancers with the wineskin before refilling Nima’s cup. “They travel with me and give shows whenever we camp near a town or city. They make a great deal of
She shook his hand. “You honor our agreement, then?”
He nodded. “Although it will cost me a great deal of gold.” His gaze flicked to Kamin and back to Nima. “There are those hunting you who’ve offered a staggering price. But the judgment of the gods was clear, and I’ll not risk their wrath by breaking my oath.” Releasing her hand, Ptahnetamun stood up, throwing his arms wide, stepping into the center of the gathering. “Now we feast to celebrate a hard-fought game!”
Released from tense waiting, the crowd settled the wagers before streaming to where long rugs had been set up for the feast. Women began placing huge platters of food on the low tables.
“Come, be my guests at dinner,” Ptahnetamun invited. “I’ve ordered a goat slaughtered tonight for the occasion, although I will admit I expected to be celebrating my victory, not yours.”
Kamin and Nima sat next to him on an elevated platform of tasseled pillows and rugs and sampled the finest food the caravan had to offer. Seeming to bear no grudge, Ptahnetamun regaled them with stories of his wanderings in foreign lands, buying and selling all manner of goods and oddities, and conveying passengers.
“I’ve a suggestion for you,” he said at length. “Travel with me for the next few days.”
“We don’t journey to the north,” Kamin answered, dipping a crust of bread into the spiced yogurt.
“I know, you’ve been most insistent about going east, to reach your beloved Nile, but sometimes the best route is not actually the most direct.” Ptahnetamun leaned forward. “If you keep going east in a straight line from here, there’s no oasis to be found, nowhere to get food and water. I doubt your lady dancer can survive such a trek, no offense to her. If you travel with me, around noon of the third day, gods willing, we’ll cross a narrow track leading east. Used by herders or smugglers perhaps, not big enough for a caravan, but there are small wells and an oasis or two along the way. I’ll give you robes suited to desert travel and enough water to make it to the first resupply point.”
Kamin eyed his host, suspicion foremost in his thoughts. “I told you we’ve no gold or deben to pay, not even for two days of caravan passage.”
Ptahnetamun clapped him on the shoulder. “It would be a sin against the gods for me to leave you in the desert, walking to your death, since I’ve sworn a blood oath to Lady Nima. You look sturdy enough to load and unload camels, work your passage for two days. The lady and I can play—”
“No more senet for high stakes,” Kamin said, holding his hand up to stop the flow of words. “She’s won her game.”
“We could play hounds and jackals perhaps,” Nima said from the other side, grinning. “For low stakes.”
“I know how to deal with camels.” Kamin scooped up his mug of beer and drank.
Realizing Nima was looking askance at him, he set the jug on the table and nodded. “I’ve done many an odd task in my time. You’d be surprised.”
“It’s settled then.” The caravan master selected a large shank of meat, carving slices with gusto. “Report to my loadmaster in the morning, and he’ll assign you to a job.”
Nima leaned closer to Kamin, whispering in his ear, “Are you sure?”
Handing her another date, he said, “The man makes sense, as far as the supply of water. Horus might or might not continue to guide us. Besides, the Hyksos wouldn’t expect us to head north out of our way, so all in all it’s a sound strategy.” Which doesn’t mean I have to like it.
After several courses had been served, a three-man band with drums and flutes set up off to the side and a troupe of dancers came somersaulting into the large clear area in front of their makeshift dais.
Leaning over, Ptahnetamun pointed at the dancers with the wineskin before refilling Nima’s cup. “They travel with me and give shows whenever we camp near a town or city. They make a great deal of
Similar Books
