Lynda Robinson - Murder at the Feast of Rejoicing

"What are you going to do?" Kysen asked.

Turning to gaze downriver in the direction of Memphis, Meren breathed in deeply and exhaled. "I'm going to set a trap, Ky, a trap for my own brother. Come with me. We'll stop by my chambers and then go to the garden."

It wasn't long before they were ensconced on couches in the shade of a stand of palms. Two slaves waved tall fans over them while a servant appeared with a tray full of fruit dishes. This was set on a low table between Meren and Kysen. Meren picked up a copper bowl that had been set beside his couch and put it on the tray. As he did so, Ra came toward them accompanied by Reia.

"You sent for this lowly prisoner, O master of all?" Ra said with a sneer.

Meren waved Reia aside. "Curb your tongue. I sent for you in order to beg your forgiveness."

"You never begged for anything in your life," Ra snapped.

"I was wrong to begin that fight, Ra. I ask your forgiveness."

"Are you ill?" Ra asked. "Or is this some kind of trick?"

"No. I've just discovered that Sennefer killed Anhai."

"Ha! I knew he did it." Ra planted his fists on his hips and gloated. "For once the mighty Eyes of Pharaoh has made a fool of himself."

"I knew you'd be happy."

Ra laughed, went to the table, and poured himself a cup of wine. "I feel like celebrating."

Meren grinned at him. "I am truly sorry, brother." He picked up the bronze dish. It was filled with shiny black berries the size of grapes. "Here. Have some fresh berries."

Ra was gulping down his wine. He tilted the cup and finished the last of the brew, wiped his lips on the back of his hand, and glanced at the berries.

"I have no appetite."

"You will if you taste these."

"They're good? Give them here."

Ra snatched the dish from Meren's hand, grabbed a handful, and stuffed them in his mouth. Meren and Kysen jumped up at the same time.

"No!" Meren cried. He pounded him on the back as Kysen slapped the dish from Ra's hand. Ra gasped and spewed out berries and curses. Meren thrust a water flagon to his lips. "Did you swallow any of them? Good. Rinse your mouth and spit."

Ra complied and then turned on Meren. "What in the name of Amun are you doing?" He looked at the scattered berries and swore. "Those are poison. You tried to poison me!"

"You know what they are, then," Meren said.

"From the way you're acting, they must be poison. That's twice you've tried to kill me."

Meren rolled his eyes. "Do you know what kind of berries they are?"

"Poison berries."

"Ra, you're going to drive me mad," Meren said through clenched teeth.

"They're the same kind we found in Sheftu's house," Kysen said as he picked up berries and put them back in the bronze dish.

Understanding dawned on Ra's face. "You've been spying on me, Meren."

"I found the same poison used on Sennefer there."

Meren said. "And I wanted to know if you knew what it was."

"I do now."

"I thought that if you ate them, I would prove your innocence."

"By killing me?"

"I didn't let you eat them. Unfortunately, you seem to have managed to cast suspicion on yourself anyway."

"What! You nearly poison me and still accuse me of murder?"

"You said the berries were poison."

"Because of your reaction, O clever one."

"I'm trying to be fair. I'm trying to prove you innocent."

Ra threw out his arms. "Don't. Don't try to help me. The next time you do, I might end up dead."

"I have to do something, brother, because all you do is dig a deeper hole for yourself. You didn't tell me about Tabes and Aset, and you especially didn't tell me about Sheftu, her grandmother, or their preparations and potions."

"Everyone knows about Green Palm and its tavern, and anyone who has an ailment goes to Sheftu's grandmother."

Meren sat down on the couch and said quietly, "You could have stolen back here from Green Palm with poison from Sheftu's house and put it in Sennefer's wine jar"

"I was so drunk my friends had to bring me home!" Kysen set the bronze dish on the table. "You could have been feigning illness." Ra walked over to Meren and looked down at him.

"And I suppose that vomit you saw was a pretense."

"I've witnessed stranger things," Meren said wearily.

"You've spent too much time at court," Ra replied. "It has corrupted your reason."

Lifting his gaze to Ra, Meren said, "Perhaps my reason has only been sharpened. I learned long ago how to dissemble and conceal my true ka behind a guise as blank as a death mask. We share the same blood, Ra. If I'm capable of such deceit, I would expect my brother to be as good at it as I am."

"Then you have a problem," Ra said. He bent over Meren and whispered in his ear. "By that kind of reasoning you could ask yourself another question. Are you capable of murder?"

Meren felt an inner jolt as Akhenaten's death flashed through his thoughts.

Ra gave him a taunting smile, stood erect, and walked away. "The answer to that question should tell you if I'm guilty. Don't you agree?"

Standing in the haunted temple in the midst of shrouded coffins and canopic chests, Kysen listened once again to Nento's complaints. He'd arrived several hours after sunset but wished he hadn't been forced to leave Meren, who was still reeling from the day's discoveries. But someone had to attend to the sacred guardianship; Nento hadn't proved to be much good at it. He could barely make the required sacrifices and recite a proper spell.

"And then last night I was certain I heard footsteps," the man was saying. "Your aide said I was imagining it, but I insisted he send the men out to search the rocks and the valley slopes. I'm sure the demons who inhabit this place are angry at us for invading their refuge."

"But the guards didn't find anyone."

Nento bobbed his ostrich-egg head. "If it was a demon, they wouldn't." He tugged on his oiled mustache. "I tell you, we should light fires to frighten evil spirits away."

"We've discussed this dozens of times. Campfires would be seen. Everyone has amulets for protection, and you're qualified to do the appropriate rituals of warding."

Waddling closer, Nento crowded Kysen with his melon-shaped bulk. "Torches, then. Small ones, like when pharaoh-may he have life, health, and prosperity-came to us."

"No, Nento. That was a matter of extremity. We're not going to do it again. If you don't like it inside the temple, join the men."

"Listen! You can't tell me that's just the breeze."

The evil west wind whipped through the valley. Kysen listened over Nento's labored breathing to the hollow wail of a trumpet signaling the approach of some unseen, ghostly army. Nento darted glances around the temple. The back wall was cracked, allowing the wind to whip around the interior and toss the draperies over Akhenaten's coffin. Nento's head jerked in that direction, and he gasped as the coffin appeared to disturb the cloth that covered it. His agitation was beginning to make Kysen uneasy.

"I'm going outside," he said.

Nento was on his heels. "I'm coming with you."

The wind blew grit in their faces as they emerged from the temple. Kysen paused as a particularly fierce gust brought with it a long, hollow groan that soared through the valley. Everyone knew that lost souls roamed the deserts-those whose descendants had ceased to provide nourishment in their eternal houses. They fed on hapless ones foolish enough to venture near their abandoned tombs. What if there were such eternal houses buried beneath the temple?

Excellent, Kysen thought. You're going to end up like Nento if you don't take care. Have patience. The new tombs will be ready soon, so you won't have to endure the temple or Nento much longer.

He surveyed the valley in the silver glow cast by the moon, then went over to a spray of boulders at the base of the north slope of the valley. Nento trotted after him. Iry was sitting between two of the largest rocks scanning the top of the incline.