Qa'a (The First Dynasty Book 3) Page 16

  After what seemed like an eternity greeting the people of Kem and emissaries from far-off lands, the wedding party turned back into the temple, made their way to the carry chairs and proceeded back to the palace. By now everyone involved was ravenously hungry and thirsty. Fine barley beer flowed freely and abundant food could be found wherever one turned. Guests came in and out to congratulate the newlyweds.

  After the mid-day meal, the King’s Guard cleared the palace, so that the King and Queen could rest before the evening’s events. I took the opportunity to take a short nap, so that I would feel refreshed for the busy evening. Just after Ra began his descent I awoke to make sure that my assistants had done all they were assigned.

  With Ra nearly set in the sky, the first and largest of the celebrations began in the palace. Candles cast a warm glow in every room, as guests eagerly entered. Governors from every nome were in attendance, as were delegations from our neighboring countries. The Akkadian delegation drew much attention, given their bearded faces and long hair, for in Egypt we keep our faces shaved and our hair short or shaved bald. Other ambassadors wore long gowns made of goat hair, far too warm for the Two Lands. I also noticed that they stared rudely at our women who wore gowns woven so thin one could see clearly see their breasts and dark nipples.

  Mid-way through the evening, I saw Nomti make his way through the crowd to come to the King and Queen’s platform, which was set a few cubits above the floor.

  “Welcome, Nomti,” the Queen said. “It’s been quite a while since we last met.” Nomti bowed.

  “Arise, loyal servant,” Qa’a said, his voice slowed by the effects of the beer and wine.

  “I have come to congratulate you, my dear King, and you, my Queen, and to wish you a lifetime of happiness together, and healthy children, too.” Nomti smiled broadly as he spoke.

  “Be careful, my Master, for soon my friend Nomti will be selling you goods that you cannot refuse,” Amisi said, laughing.

  “But, of course, my Queen, for the good King will want to furnish your quarters with the finest couches and tables in the Two Lands. He will also want you to be radiant in jewelry from the finest craftsmen in Kem.”

  “And of course that would be your craftsmen,” Qa’a added.

  “Without doubt!” Nomti said and all three laughed.

  Amisi turned her attention to several women who begged for her attention. Qa’a turned to Nomti. “Stay for a moment by my side, Nomti. I know you joke often about your crazy ideas, but this canal project of yours has not left my thoughts since you first mentioned it.”

  “Oh, my, I had almost forgotten about it,” Nomti responded. “I get these thoughts in my head and they make sense at the time, but then I think of other things that also make sense and the previous one leaves me. I…”

  “Stop your prattling, dear friend, for I suspect you do it more to humor me. You are an astute and successful businessman and not a fool. And I’m young but not foolish enough to not recognize that.” I noticed Nomti stand taller as soon as Qa’a referred to him as a friend. The two stayed as they were for several minutes, watching the crowd of well wishers.

  Khenemet motioned for Buikkhu to join him and while they talked Khenemet conspicuously turned his back to the King. I knew he was instructing Buikkhu to watch what was transpiring between the King and Nomti. I noticed Nomti glance in their direction and could see that Nomti was uncomfortable.

  “Nomti, I wish you to advise me on matters related to business,” the King continued.

  Nomti’s eyes grew wide. “But, my King, I… I am a businessman, not an advisor to Kings. I know nothing of politics or, or…”

  “I am not looking for another cursed official who wishes to do nothing but kiss my behind in order to curry favor. You know what I like about you, Nomti? You are not impressed by much except business deals. Not, I dare say, even by your King.”

  “Oh, no, Master, please do not say that. I am a god-fearing man from a strict family that worships Isis and Horus. And, you, my master, are his brother in the flesh!”

  “All right, Nomti. You are hard to figure sometimes. Either way, my point is that I need a loyal person who understands business from doing it successfully and who is not afraid to tell me what he thinks I must do to make Kem prosper, even if that advice runs counter to mine. Will you do that for me?”

  By now Khenemet was advancing toward the King, his eyes fixated on Nomti’s. At first Nomti stared back, transfixed by Khenemet’s malicious gaze. For the longest time Nomti hesitated. Then he turned back to Qa’a.

  “Yes, I will do that for you, my King. And I will do it for Kem.”

  SCROLL TWELVE

  Beautiful Soul

  Merkha

  Some say that a priest cannot possibly know what joys a child can bring, but those people know little of the truth. I look at the eyes of my King as he holds his precious new baby, Banafrit, and I would have to be blind and deaf to not recognize those joys. I, too, now experience her pleasures, since I am frequently in her company. Although I am not a medical priest, both Qa’a and Amisi often ask my opinion of how she grows. And Princess Banafrit is aptly named for she truly does have a beautiful soul. Her smile brings Ra’s light into a room and her big black eyes and shiny black hair bring smiles to anyone who gazes upon her.

  At the moment I was sitting in the corner of the King’s private chambers as he held Banafrit. The Princess was trying to squirm out of his hands and toddle off on her own toward Irisi, who was visiting from the Temple of Isis. Amisi was napping in her quarters. Finally Qa’a put Banafrit on the quarried stone floor. She held on to one of the King’s knees to steady herself and then launched herself forward into Irisi’s waiting arms. She scooped the child up, laughing, and stood her on her knees. Banafrit reached out to touch Irisi’s earring.

  “Ouch!” Irisi said, pulling her head away from the child. “You will have to wait to get your own earrings, little one.”

  “She does love to be with you,” Qa’a noted.

  “And I with her. She is such a lovely child. Her ka is peaceful. She will be a credit to you both.”

  “She takes after her mother in that, for my ka is too restless, even for my own good.”

  “Yet that is what exemplifies ma’at, for your restless ka is balanced by Amisi’s gentle one.” Banafrit turned half around to face her father and she returned his hand wave. Then she went back to playing with Irisi’s gold necklace and bracelet.

  “But you are always gentle with Banafrit, so there is that side of you, too.” Now Irisi got up and handed Banafrit back to Qa’a.

  “Have you begun attending to who you will name as your Delta wife?”

  “No, not yet. Buikkhu reminds me that with the birth of Banafrit I must soon face that decision, but we have not really addressed the issue.” Qa’a stood to look over the wall of the portico at his agricultural estate to the north and Mother Nile before him. Gardeners, wearing only burlap kilts, moved slowly in the terraced Royal gardens below, pruning and weeding and talking among themselves.

  “You know, I am glad we chose Amisi’s name as we did. She reminds me of a flower.”

  “In what ways?” By now Banafrit was tired and nestled herself into Qa’a’s chest, her thumb in her mouth.

  “Well, of course there is her beauty, but I find that there is more to it than I initially saw. It’s like a flower that opens up and reveals more and more of itself. And, then one finds the ultimate delight, the sweet nectar.”

  “The King embarrasses me with his candor,” Irisi replied. They both laughed, startling Banafrit, who quickly snuggled herself even more tightly into Qa’a’s arms. In an instant she was fast asleep.

  “Ah, but I am not through yet, dear Priestess, for the nectar ultimately bears fruit.”

  “I can see how much you love your flower, Master, as well as this beautiful soul. Your brother, Horus and his mother, Isis, are well pleased. Of that I can assure you.”

  I was pleased that the King had begun to h
ave a relationship with Irisi, for he otherwise tolerated little counsel from women. To his credit he recognized Irisi’s many talents that raised her worth above other women, even his own mother’s. And so, whenever Irisi was in the palace visiting Queen Amisi, and his schedule permitted, he would grant an audience to Irisi. From my many contacts with her over the years, I believe that the King welcomed her calm, steady and accepting ba.

  Thus it was that I was not surprised when many monthly cycles later one of my acolyte priests announced to me that Irisi was outside my quarters in the palace to see me. I put my scrolls away and bade him to bring her in. My quarters were modest compared with the rest of the palace. They were loosely attached to the palace itself as an afterthought and, unlike the rest of the rooms that had since King Narmer’s times been renovated with quarried stone, mine were still the ancient mud brick styling, which I frankly preferred. I had but two chairs in the room, similar to Irisi’s own simple living space in the Temple of Isis.

  “Greetings, Chief Priestess! Can I get you water, tea or an herb drink?” Irisi was dressed in rough linen. Aside from a touch of makeup, she was unadorned.

  “Water would be nice. It is already hot outside.” I instructed my assistant to bring water and fruits.

  “So, how are the Queen and Princess today,” I asked as soon as we sat down.

  “I am not sure. I haven’t seen them yet.” I thought that strange, yet said nothing. “I have come to speak with you today.” I nodded, but remained silent.

  “Merkha, May I speak with you in strictest confidence?”

  “Well… of course.”

  “No, I do not mean that in the typical sense as between two priests faithful to the gods. I mean this in the deepest, most private sense.” I was taken aback, for aside from Khenemet and Buikkhu, none had ever asked of me such a thing. I hesitated. “If you are uncomfortable with my request I shall withdraw it and never mention it again.”

  “I am only considering my various allegiances, dear Irisi. Will this put me in conflict with my superiors?” Now it was Irisi who hesitated.

  “Let me explain, Merkha. What I am asking is that you and I, and only the two of us, enter into an alliance of sorts. A most secret alliance, for I am discovering things about… about certain happenings within the palace that I believe it would be best for someone I trust to know about and to discuss with me so that we arrive at the best solutions for… for the people involved.”

  “I am perplexed, Irisi, for I am a lowly priest and scribe. Would it not be better for you to create such an alliance with Khenemet or Buikkhu?”

  “I said a person I trust!” she snapped at me, and I could see her frustration. She took a breath to calm herself. “Look, I wish to confide in you and, I hope, eventually you will do the same with me. If you feel that the information I give you is important for your Horus superiors to know, then by all means tell them, but you must promise never to reveal how you came upon this information. I also pray that you would tell me before going to them.” Again I thought through what Irisi’s request might mean.

  “In that case, feel free to discuss anything you wish with me, Irisi. I promise to keep it in the strictest of confidences.”

  Irisi leaned back and allowed the hint of a smile to cross her lips. She sipped her water before beginning. “As you well know, I have known Amisi since she was a child. Now I minister to her needs and intercede in her behalf with Isis, mother of Horus.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “You, on the other hand, have known and tutored the King since he was a toddler. None, other than his mother, know him better than you.”

  “True, and I realize that you well serve Queen Mother Tameri, too.”

  “Yes, we are very close.” Irisi clasped her fingers together and looked toward Mother Nile before continuing. “In that sense, between the two of us, we know the Royal family intimately.” I nodded.

  “Over the course of the past many months I have cultivated a very close relationship with Amisi. She confides in me things that are only spoken in whispers between women or, I should say, between women and their Isis priestesses.”

  “You are speaking of sexual matters?”

  “Yes, in some ways. But sex is only a reflection of the love that flourishes between a couple. Like a Horus medicine priest, the symptoms he detects are merely a reflection of the deeper malady, the ones that emanate from a faulty ka.” Again, I nodded in agreement.

  “And so, it has come to my attention that Amisi, although she has born him a child, does not enjoy sexual relations with the King.” I was stunned at Irisi’s words. I slowly sat back, holding fast to my walking staff. I looked away from Irisi for a moment.

  “Has… has she.. you know… spoken to the King about this?” I stammered.

  Irisi gave me that good natured smile for which she was well known. “Merkha, I know the Horus priests discuss sexual relations with men and my understanding from Amisi is that you did so with Qa’a when he was younger. The difference is that we also teach women about the feelings and intimacy of sex and, beyond that, love. Women are responsible for the well-being of the family and that requires much from them.

  “But, to answer your question, Amisi has tried many times to discuss this matter with Qa’a, but she has been frustrated in her efforts. She feels he does not respect her opinions or feelings.”

  “What exactly are the matters you speak about?”

  “Basically, Amisi reports that Qa’a does not attend to her needs as a woman as… as far as sexual matters go.”

  “But I thought that his bull form was strong. He gives every indication of that.”

  “In fact, it is. Amisi reports that he wishes to have sex with her nearly every day. But that is not what I speak of.” I looked at Irisi quizzically.

  “It is that he simply seems only concerned that he reaches his height of pleasure without regard for her right to such pleasures.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “He mounts her, thrusts and is done as soon as he shoots his seed. Or she will suck him and just when she becomes excited by doing so, he shoots his seed and is done and falls asleep. He has even said how much he enjoys sex with her, as if all that is important is his satisfaction.”

  “Hmm, this is indeed a problem. I am curious; have you suggested things… you know…techniques, to Amisi?”

  “If you mean that she should pleasure herself, of course!” My face revealed my surprise. “Oh, dear Isis, do not look the fool, Merkha. Women and men have been doing this for as long as the gods created man and woman from Nun. Some men think all that is needed for sex is a stiff shaft and a few thrusts. For a woman it is much more complicated and we must often take things into our own hands, so to speak, to experience the heights of pleasure that the gods have also given us to enjoy.”

  “I… understand, yes… of course,” I managed to say.

  “In any event, I recently discussed with her ways that I feel will spark increased passion in their sex life. We teach women how to show men what pleases them and to pleasure themselves while the man is thrusting inside. That usually inflames a man’s passion, would you not agree?”

  I admit that I was not handling the situation well. I had experienced my share of women in my youth, but it had been many years since I had last indulged in their intoxicating pleasures. I found it difficult to maintain my usual disciplined self as I recollected those very women who had taught me how they liked to be pleased. I snapped my thoughts away from these visions as quickly as I could.