for everyone surrounding me? Something the size of Heby’s home would suit me well but would not be practical. How soon will my days be filled with the familiar instead of the new, against which I must brace myself? Tetiankh’s touch was withdrawn, and Huy began to doze.
He was almost asleep when he heard the door open and whispers beyond. Drowsily annoyed, he turned over, away from the irritation and the last of the light on his bedside table, but a polite hand descended on his shoulder.
“Master, your pardon, but Captain Perti has sent one of his guards to tell you that he is remaining by the garden door in order to watch a young girl who is demanding to see you and will not go away. He wants to know what your wishes are regarding her.”
“My wishes?” Huy sat up. “He is to send her away at once, and if she won’t go, he is to have her forcibly escorted back to wherever she came from. This is a ridiculous hour to be disturbing the household.”
Tetiankh bowed himself away and Huy lay down again and closed his eyes, but within a few moments he had returned.
“Master, I’m sorry, but Captain Perti asks that you come to him. Two of his men have restrained the girl, but not before her goose inflicted several sharp bites on them. The bird has been tied to a tree and the girl is threatening to scream if you won’t see her. If she does, she will attract the attention of the palace soldiers, not to mention waking up half the residents.”
“A goose?” Huy swung his legs over the edge of his couch. “Give me a kilt, Tetiankh, and then tell Perti’s man that I am coming at once.” The body servant nodded, handed Huy the limp kilt he had removed a short time before, and went out. It must be the girl I saw under the sycamore tree in Yey’s garden, the one who stared at me so rudely , Huy thought as he tied the garment on and followed Tetiankh. Yey has just died and she’s been unable to reach the Queen. But no—that’s silly. Such a message would be carried by Yey’s chief steward. Tiye. That’s her name . He had crossed his dim reception hall and was coming up to the open garden door. Beyond it the light from a lamp Tetiankh was holding showed him two burly men glowering as they managed to control the struggling form between them. The goose was a bundle of grey against the darkness, and honking loudly. Perti swung to Huy, his face set in what Huy rightly took to be anger.
“This being my first watch in your employ, I have probably erred in not dealing with the situation myself,” he said shortly. “I’m sorry, Master. But I don’t yet know how you would want such circumstances handled. The girl looks familiar to me, and judging by the quality of her sheath linen and sandals, she’s from some noble’s house.”
“Don’t call me ‘the girl,’ you ignorant peasant!” the girl shouted. “Of course I look familiar to you, or I would if you ever did anything but polish your weapons and idle about on this doorstep! My father is the noble Yuya! I am Tiye!” Perti did not even glance at her.
“Someone go and silence that bird,” Huy ordered. “And as for you, Tiye, you are rude and thoughtless. This man is Perti, the captain of my soldiers. He is neither ignorant nor an idler. Surely you’ve heard the words from the Wisdom of Amenemopet, ‘Say nothing that gives injury. Do not you yourself cause pain,’ even if you don’t know how to read them. You’re lucky his men did not drag you back to your father at once. Please apologize to him for your insult.”
“Apologize to a servant? I will not! And you’re wrong, Great Seer. I can read the Wisdom of Amenemopet for myself, and quote from it too!” At Huy’s gesture the men began to drag her away. “Oh, all right! All right! Please don’t let that guard hurt Nib-Nib! I apologize for my rudeness, Captain Perti.”
“That’s better. Release her and let her untie that infernal creature!”
At once he was obeyed. Tiye ran to the goose. It
He was almost asleep when he heard the door open and whispers beyond. Drowsily annoyed, he turned over, away from the irritation and the last of the light on his bedside table, but a polite hand descended on his shoulder.
“Master, your pardon, but Captain Perti has sent one of his guards to tell you that he is remaining by the garden door in order to watch a young girl who is demanding to see you and will not go away. He wants to know what your wishes are regarding her.”
“My wishes?” Huy sat up. “He is to send her away at once, and if she won’t go, he is to have her forcibly escorted back to wherever she came from. This is a ridiculous hour to be disturbing the household.”
Tetiankh bowed himself away and Huy lay down again and closed his eyes, but within a few moments he had returned.
“Master, I’m sorry, but Captain Perti asks that you come to him. Two of his men have restrained the girl, but not before her goose inflicted several sharp bites on them. The bird has been tied to a tree and the girl is threatening to scream if you won’t see her. If she does, she will attract the attention of the palace soldiers, not to mention waking up half the residents.”
“A goose?” Huy swung his legs over the edge of his couch. “Give me a kilt, Tetiankh, and then tell Perti’s man that I am coming at once.” The body servant nodded, handed Huy the limp kilt he had removed a short time before, and went out. It must be the girl I saw under the sycamore tree in Yey’s garden, the one who stared at me so rudely , Huy thought as he tied the garment on and followed Tetiankh. Yey has just died and she’s been unable to reach the Queen. But no—that’s silly. Such a message would be carried by Yey’s chief steward. Tiye. That’s her name . He had crossed his dim reception hall and was coming up to the open garden door. Beyond it the light from a lamp Tetiankh was holding showed him two burly men glowering as they managed to control the struggling form between them. The goose was a bundle of grey against the darkness, and honking loudly. Perti swung to Huy, his face set in what Huy rightly took to be anger.
“This being my first watch in your employ, I have probably erred in not dealing with the situation myself,” he said shortly. “I’m sorry, Master. But I don’t yet know how you would want such circumstances handled. The girl looks familiar to me, and judging by the quality of her sheath linen and sandals, she’s from some noble’s house.”
“Don’t call me ‘the girl,’ you ignorant peasant!” the girl shouted. “Of course I look familiar to you, or I would if you ever did anything but polish your weapons and idle about on this doorstep! My father is the noble Yuya! I am Tiye!” Perti did not even glance at her.
“Someone go and silence that bird,” Huy ordered. “And as for you, Tiye, you are rude and thoughtless. This man is Perti, the captain of my soldiers. He is neither ignorant nor an idler. Surely you’ve heard the words from the Wisdom of Amenemopet, ‘Say nothing that gives injury. Do not you yourself cause pain,’ even if you don’t know how to read them. You’re lucky his men did not drag you back to your father at once. Please apologize to him for your insult.”
“Apologize to a servant? I will not! And you’re wrong, Great Seer. I can read the Wisdom of Amenemopet for myself, and quote from it too!” At Huy’s gesture the men began to drag her away. “Oh, all right! All right! Please don’t let that guard hurt Nib-Nib! I apologize for my rudeness, Captain Perti.”
“That’s better. Release her and let her untie that infernal creature!”
At once he was obeyed. Tiye ran to the goose. It
Similar Books
