âDivine One, is there anything else?' Amerotke paused. âThese tomb robbers, you regard them as blood enemies â¦'
Amerotke caught it, just a glance between Hatusu and Senenmut, worried and anxious.
âDivine One?' he repeated.
Hatusu freed her hand.
âFind the Khetra,' she hissed, âand I will personally watch him burn.'
Â
Amerotke arrived back at his own house. As soon as entered the main gate he knew something dreadful had happened. Asural was waiting for him in the garden, while other guards, holding cresset torches, grouped on the steps before the porticoed entrance. From somewhere inside the house came the low, heart-rending wail of a woman. Asural didn't speak but, shaking his head and gesturing for Amerotke to follow, led him around the house and down the steps into the small cavern which served as a wine cellar. The architect had used this natural cavern to create small four chambers. Djed had been placed in the nearest. Asural opened the door and, going inside with his torch, indicated Djed's corpse. One glance was enough. The prisoner had been manacled at both wrist and ankle and a chain had been run through these and fixed to a ring on the wall. Somehow Djed had created some slack in the master chain, wrapped this round his throat and, by pulling against it, strangled himself to death. He now slouched, still held by the chains, his face contorted in the agony of his death throes.
âWhere are the guards?' Amerotke asked. âI asked you to put two guards with him.'
âWe were hardly given a chance,' Asural confessed. âThe prisoner was quiet enough when we manacled him. He claimed to be hungry and thirsty, he wanted to relieve himself. I withdrew the guards preparing for the night watch. The door was left open, but it happened so fast.'
Amerotke, crouching down, moved the dead man's head.
Djed hadn't choked; the slackness of his neck showed it was broken, a powerful witness to the intense fury the prisoner must have felt. He tapped the man gently on the face and tried to close the staring eyes, then moved the corpse away and got to his feet.
âWhen I was bringing him here,' Asural confessed, âhe said he was already in the Valley of Shadows, that his life was over. He was more worried about his wife and child, what would happen to them. He kept blaming his own stupidity â¦'
Amerotke stared at the dead prisoner. He realised the truth of Pharaoh's words. To capture a Sebaus meant nothing, it would lead him nowhere. He had to catch the Khetra to put an end to all this terror.
Â
âAnd so, my lord judge, I have sat and listened patiently to all that has been said, but â¦' Valu sniffed and moved on his specially quilted cushion. The Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh was in a most mischievous mood; now he paused for effect, one finely manicured hand slightly raised so all could admire the beautifully painted nails as well as the dazzling rings on his fingers. Valu was staring at the sheets of papyrus on the small polished table before him, head slightly down, as if he'd lost his place. Amerotke knew better. Valu was like a cobra studying its prey before striking fast. He'd sat moon-faced and pursed-lipped as Chief Scribe Menna, looking rather ridiculous in his heavy square-cut wig, had presented Heby's defence. The Chief Scribe, Amerotke reflected, was a man of very little judgement and even less wit, ponderous and heavy. He had sat between Heby and the Lady Lupherna like some rather bewildered mastiff before Amerotke had invited him to act as advocate. The man was now sweat-soaked, the black kohl round his eyes run like ribbons down his cheeks, whilst his heavy wig kept slipping much to the amusement of onlookers. Matters were not helped by Menna's rather
strident voice; even Prenhoe, sitting with the scribes, had lowered his head, shoulders shaking.
Nevertheless Menna, with his harsh voice and theatrical gestures, had presented a very clever, arguable defence. He described how the sack had been found, how it reeked of snake scale, how it had been tied to the terrace roof post, hidden behind the drapes of General Suten's bed. He had presented the facts forcefully, quoting from General Suten's memoirs, telling the court how the old soldier had probably decided to confront his own terrors. After this, Lord Impuki and Paser had been called and gave evidence in sharp, pithy sentences. They described how General Suten had visited them at the Temple of Isis, how he had taken the powders to ease his fears as well as the cramps in his stomach.
âHad he discussed his nightmares?' Menna asked.
âOh yes,' Impuki replied. âIt is well known that one way to curb unknown fears is to confront them. Any soldier bloodied in battle will confirm that.'
Impuki and Paser now sat in the place reserved for witnesses. Amerotke glanced quickly at them. He vowed to have words with them later when this matter was over. But now it was Valu's turn. He still knelt on his cushion, hand slightly raised, then he moved quickly, pushing back the sleeves of his robe, bracelets jangling, rings flashing. He was smiling secretly, a clear sign that a trap was going to be sprung. At the back of the court Shufoy was jumping up and down like a frog, pointing at someone, but the crowds thronging there made it impossible to distinguish anyone in particular.
âMy lord prosecutor,' Amerotke sighed, âwe wait with bated breath.'
âMy lord.' Valu's face was stricken with sorrow, but his eyes were positively dancing. âWhat a story,' he began. âWhat a heart-wrenching tale!' The smile faded. âWhat a basket of lies!'
âNever!' Heby would have jumped to his feet, but Menna, face all concerned, seized him by the arm.
âLook.' Valu half turned towards Heby, gesturing with his fingers. âWe have these snakes crawling all about, in the sack, out of the sack. But where did they come from? Did General Suten go out and collect them himself? A man with a mortal fear of snakes? Did he drive his chariot out across the desert and whistle for them to come?' Valu waited for the laughter to subside. âOr did he go down to a market stall? Two dozen snakes, please, why not throw in a few scorpions as well!' Valu's mimicry of a market trader's nasal twang provoked further laughter.
âI appreciate your jokes.'
âNo, my lord judge, not jokes but very honest questions. When did General Suten collect these snakes? Where did he keep them?'
The silence of the court was oppressive. Valu was no longer smiling, but tapping one immaculate nail on the table before him. Amerotke gazed to his left. Two snow-white doves were resting close together on the windowsill. Were they the souls of two dead lovers? The birds fluttered up in alarm as Valu clapped his hands before cupping his ear.
âI can hear no reply. The court receives no answer, so I shall speak the truth.' Valu bawled over his shoulder. âBring forward the witness Hefau.'
Amerotke glanced up in surprise. Hefau was the name given to the Great Snake or Worm of the Am-Duat, the Underworld. The man who scampered forward to take the oath on the witness cushion did not look so dreadful, with his scrawny hair and gaunt face burnt black by the sun. He wore a striped sand-dweller's robe and clutched a satchel together with a club, its end carved in the shape of the swollen throat of the Uraeus of Egypt.
âWho are you, Hefau?' Amerotke asked, once the witness had taken the oath.
âThe scourge of snakes. I kill or collect them. I peel their scaly skin and sell it to merchants.'
âAnd you are here because ⦠?'
âOf him!' Hefau pointed down to Heby. âI met him in a wine booth near the statue of Osiris, on the corner of the Street of Caskets in the Necropolis. He asked me to collect at least two dozen horned vipers, puffed and swollen. I asked him why.'
Hefau paused as Heby sprang to his feet, yelling his denials. Only when the court ushers grasped his arms did the valet sink back on to the cushions.
âContinue,' Amerotke ordered.
âHe didn't give me his name but he offered a good price. He told me to bring the snakes to a palm grove just past the seventh mooring place on the Nile.'
âVery near General Suten's mansion,' Valu interjected.
âWhen was this?' Amerotke snapped. He was now angry with himself, as well as the dreadful events which had distracted him from this case. Valu, of course, had seen the weakness. Where had General Suten obtained those snakes? âWell?' He glared at Hefau.
âThe night before General Suten died. I have witnesses,' Hefau gabbled on. âMy brother â¦'
âYou never asked Heby why he wanted the snakes?'
âI didn't know his name then and, of course, I do not ask questions. I went out into the Red Lands, trapped the snakes and met him as agreed. Only later, when Lord Valu's heralds were proclaiming General Suten's death in the market squares of Thebes, did I suspect what had happened. I read the proclamations posted near the fountains andâ'
âHe came to me,' Valu purred.
Amerotke held up the flail and rod for silence. He lowered them as Menna raised his hand to speak.
âMy lord,' the Chief Scribe was clearly agitated, torn between fear and anger, âdoes this man accuse me and the lady Lupherna as well?'
âNo,' Hefau shouted. He pointed down to Heby, kneeling with his head in his hands. âHe made it very clear to me he didn't want anyone else to know.'
âMy lord Valu.' Amerotke turned to the prosecutor. âIs your witness being paid?'
âMy lord.' Valu spread his hands. âHe will receive his expenses and, if his story is proved true, the reward for anyone who assists in the capture of an assassin.'
Valu sat back on his heels. The only sound in the court was Heby's moaning. Menna was shaking his head, and Amerotke noticed how he and Lady Lupherna had moved away from the accused. He stared down at Hefau. The snake man seemed calm and poised, and his story had made sense.
âHeby!' Amerotke pointed down at the prisoner. âHeby, lift your head. Are you going to say that you bought those snakes on behalf of General Suten? I must warn you, if you say yes, Lord Valu will ask you why you never mentioned this before.'
âMy lord,' Menna raised both hands in supplication, âwe must have more time to answer such questions.'
âTrue,' Amerotke declared. âThis is my verdict. Heby, you will return to house arrest, under pain of death if you leave. Lord Valu, your witness,' he smiled, âas well as any other witnesses, will be kept comfortably but securely at the barracks of the Medjay.'
Amerotke stood up, wincing at the cramp in the back of his legs. He bowed towards Lord Valu and swept from the court. Once inside his private chamber, he took off his robe, the pectoral, the rings and bracelets, and placed them gently on the table. The door opened, and from the gust of perfume he knew it was Valu.
âVery clever, my lord.' Amerotke turned. âAre you sure your witness is not lying?'
âHe didn't mislead me.' Valu, uninvited, sat down on a stool. âHe's a former soldier himself; he served in the
auxiliaries. He's skilled with the slingshot. He uses leather sacks. Ah,' Valu lifted a finger, âand before you ask, I also showed him the piece of cord and how it was tied. He could replicate the knot.'
âOh, I'm sure you did.' Amerotke rubbed his face. âYou want Heby impaled on a stake, don't you? You want to prove to the Divine One that her old general was murdered and you've unmasked the assassin responsible.'
Valu got to his feet and Amerotke regretted his sharp remarks.
âI'm sorry, my lord,' Amerotke stretched out his hand, which Valu clasped, âbut I thought the case had been solved, yet the question you asked was never answered.' He smiled thinly. âWhere did General Suten collect those snakes?'
âThere's something else, isn't there?'
âWhat do you mean?' Amerotke asked. Valu drew closer. His perfume reminded Amerotke of wild flowers, and the judge recalled stories of how the Eyes and Ears of Pharaoh often liked to dress in a woman's wig and the gorgeous robes of a courtesan.
âI've heard about the attacks,' Valu whispered. âThe business at the Temple of Isis.' He stumbled over the word to avoid lisping it. âOh yes, if you watch me, Lord Amerotke, I certainly watch you. You know there's something wrong about General Suten's death. Something you've missed. I think Heby is an assassin. He was the dead general's valet. He took that sack up on to the roof terrace before the evening meal and tied it to the post, hidden behind the bed drapes. Once dinner was over and the terrace cleared, General Suten took his drugged wine and fell asleep. Heby crept up, pulled the sack over and emptied the contents out across his sleeping master. I watched him come into court this morning. Menna is a waddling fool, Lady Lupherna very much the noblewoman and Heby lusts after her. I can tell that.'
Amerotke turned away and stared at a small statuette of Ma'at.
âBut why didn't he tell us that to begin with?' he asked. âWhy not say General Suten had told him to buy the snakes and tie them secretly to that rail? It would be difficult to disprove such a story. He must have known that Hefau would recognise him. It would have been so easy,' Amerotke continued, âto give such a story.'