converse with the god. Surely one of them would listen and speak to his superior, the high priest. The high priest could certainly approach Pharaoh.
A course of action, that was what she needed. She needed proof of her accusations. If only she knew where these criminals hid some of their stolen riches. She should have listened to the two men more closely instead of cowering in fear. She remembered that some of Count Seth’s vessels were to travel downriver, picking up concealed shipments. What had been their parting words? Ah! The one called Merab had asked for another meeting. Tomorrow night they would meet behind this same building. Anqet would be in her perch above them and listen.
Aghast at her own daring, she slinked down the staircase. As her foot touched ground, Seth’s menacing words came to mind: “Do you know what happens to people who come upon the secrets of the great?”
She would be sure that she was well away from Thebes before the magnificent lord of the Falcon nome discovered that she knew his secrets.
5
Clad only in a loincloth, his body sweating in the afternoon sunlight, Seth gripped his dagger, crouched low, and circled Lord Dega so that the younger man’s face was to the sun. Seth was breathing hard, but Dega was breathing harder With deliberate cunning he let his eyes focus on the left side of Dega’s abdomen while he lunged and struck at his equerry’s throat. Dega leapt backward, but not quickly enough. Seth continued his assault and brought Dega to the ground under him. He grasped the warrior’s slippery dagger arm and brought his own weapon to rest on the exposed throat.
Dega went still, and the two men stared at each other, lungs gulping in the heated air. Drops of sweat beaded on Dega’s upper lip. An animal gleam came into Seth’s eyes, and he shifted his weight so that Dega’s body was pinned beneath him. He drew the blade lightly across Dega’s skin, and a thin red line appeared.
Seth crooned to his captive. “Among my mother’s people, when a chief dies, his closest liege men are put to death. Their throats are slit. They are disemboweled and stuffed with straw. They are set on their horses with their weapons inside the chief’s tomb,” Seth said.
Dega met his commander’s burning gaze without flinching.
“I can’t help it if your singer is a virgin.”
Seth’s lips drew back over his teeth in a snarl. He hurled the dagger across the practice yard and released Dega. The warrior got to his feet, gathered their weapons,and followed Seth across the yard and into one of the palace barracks. They headed for the bathing rooms, but Seth was stopped by a group of three men. One, a young man with the bearing of a pharaoh and eyes with the welcome of a scimitar, stepped in Seth’s way, his hand playing with the hilt of a dagger in his belt.
“You can’t send me to Sile,” the officer said.
Seth raised his brows. “Oh? I thought I could. I am your commander.” The count appeared to think about the matter. “Yes. Yes, I’m almost certain that I can send you there, Prince Bakenkhonsu.” Seth smiled happily at the young man.
Bakenkhonsu turned as red as watermelon fruit. His hand closed over the dagger at his side. Before he could draw, Seth stepped close to him, planted a short punch in his stomach, and sent the dagger flying into Lord Dega’s waiting hand. The other two officers closed in to support Bakenkhonsu by the arms while he gasped and grunted in pain.
Seth lifted his opponent’s chin with one hand and spoke to him in a voice as hard as the stone of a sarcophagus.
“You mistreat the warriors under your command. You have allowed your chariot driver, who should be as your second self, to be injured because you thought it was more important to kill a worthless bandit than to protect him. You will go to the fortress of Sile and learn what it means to value your fellow warriors as comrades. You’ll learn to work with them and to be worthy of their loyalty
A course of action, that was what she needed. She needed proof of her accusations. If only she knew where these criminals hid some of their stolen riches. She should have listened to the two men more closely instead of cowering in fear. She remembered that some of Count Seth’s vessels were to travel downriver, picking up concealed shipments. What had been their parting words? Ah! The one called Merab had asked for another meeting. Tomorrow night they would meet behind this same building. Anqet would be in her perch above them and listen.
Aghast at her own daring, she slinked down the staircase. As her foot touched ground, Seth’s menacing words came to mind: “Do you know what happens to people who come upon the secrets of the great?”
She would be sure that she was well away from Thebes before the magnificent lord of the Falcon nome discovered that she knew his secrets.
5
Clad only in a loincloth, his body sweating in the afternoon sunlight, Seth gripped his dagger, crouched low, and circled Lord Dega so that the younger man’s face was to the sun. Seth was breathing hard, but Dega was breathing harder With deliberate cunning he let his eyes focus on the left side of Dega’s abdomen while he lunged and struck at his equerry’s throat. Dega leapt backward, but not quickly enough. Seth continued his assault and brought Dega to the ground under him. He grasped the warrior’s slippery dagger arm and brought his own weapon to rest on the exposed throat.
Dega went still, and the two men stared at each other, lungs gulping in the heated air. Drops of sweat beaded on Dega’s upper lip. An animal gleam came into Seth’s eyes, and he shifted his weight so that Dega’s body was pinned beneath him. He drew the blade lightly across Dega’s skin, and a thin red line appeared.
Seth crooned to his captive. “Among my mother’s people, when a chief dies, his closest liege men are put to death. Their throats are slit. They are disemboweled and stuffed with straw. They are set on their horses with their weapons inside the chief’s tomb,” Seth said.
Dega met his commander’s burning gaze without flinching.
“I can’t help it if your singer is a virgin.”
Seth’s lips drew back over his teeth in a snarl. He hurled the dagger across the practice yard and released Dega. The warrior got to his feet, gathered their weapons,and followed Seth across the yard and into one of the palace barracks. They headed for the bathing rooms, but Seth was stopped by a group of three men. One, a young man with the bearing of a pharaoh and eyes with the welcome of a scimitar, stepped in Seth’s way, his hand playing with the hilt of a dagger in his belt.
“You can’t send me to Sile,” the officer said.
Seth raised his brows. “Oh? I thought I could. I am your commander.” The count appeared to think about the matter. “Yes. Yes, I’m almost certain that I can send you there, Prince Bakenkhonsu.” Seth smiled happily at the young man.
Bakenkhonsu turned as red as watermelon fruit. His hand closed over the dagger at his side. Before he could draw, Seth stepped close to him, planted a short punch in his stomach, and sent the dagger flying into Lord Dega’s waiting hand. The other two officers closed in to support Bakenkhonsu by the arms while he gasped and grunted in pain.
Seth lifted his opponent’s chin with one hand and spoke to him in a voice as hard as the stone of a sarcophagus.
“You mistreat the warriors under your command. You have allowed your chariot driver, who should be as your second self, to be injured because you thought it was more important to kill a worthless bandit than to protect him. You will go to the fortress of Sile and learn what it means to value your fellow warriors as comrades. You’ll learn to work with them and to be worthy of their loyalty
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