Qa'a (The First Dynasty Book 3) Read online

  “Yes, I would agree, for men have told me that very thing to be true.” Still, while I understood the problem we both faced, I knew not what to do about it. “What do you propose we do?”

  “We? I have already done what I can and will continue to do it. I wanted you to know what it is we face to keep the King and Queen happy and ma’at strong in the Two Lands. I know this is what is always in your heart, fellow priest, and that is the very basis of my trust.”

  “And why does that trust not extend to Khenemet?”

  “Why? I believe we both know the answer to that, Merkha. He is a schemer whose only vision is of power and of a strong Horus priesthood. He dislikes the cult of Isis and… he dislikes women…”

  “I have never known that to be true.”

  “You are not a woman and have not seen how he looks at us, how he addresses us, how he disrespects us. He forgets that Horus was saved by Isis, his own mother, who searched throughout the lands to put his body back together. And Buikkhu is even worse, for as an underling he feels he must prove to Khenemet that he is every bit as vile, even more so. Mark my words, Merkha, be careful of those two. They are your superiors, but be wary.”

  Despite the heat I felt gooseflesh along my spine. “I hear what you say, Irisi. I am honored that you entrusted this information to me. I will tell no one of our conversation and I will do what I can to remedy Qa’a’s behavior. But the King and I do not speak as easily of things so intimate. Still, I will find ways.”

  “Thank you, Merkha.”

  I noticed her squeezing her fingers together anxiously. “Is there anything else?”

  “There is and it is this. I came to you, Merkha, for I witness Khenemet’s influence on the King’s ba, for he is young and impressionable. Like you, I have people in the palace who give me information.” She turned around and then lowered her voice.

  “The whispers of Khenemet’s involvement in Semerkhet’s death blow like a foul wind in the corridors. I look to you, to our alliance, to influence Qa’a in ways that will strengthen ma’at. To me that means kindness, not only power. Fairness, not domination. Light, not darkness.”

  For days afterward, my heart recalled Irisi’s words and could find no fault in them, no gaps, no untruths when I tested them against my own experiences. Little did I know then just how true that was. In but a few days the sad truth revealed itself to me in a way that could only have been laid out for me by Horus himself.

  I had spent the better part of the day working with Qa’a, here and there as his time would allow it, conferring on his scrolls, seeking clarifications on what he meant, then going off and writing enough of them so that I could hand off the final writing to my scribes. When the work day was done, I went back to the temple for prayers and the evening meal and to teach and talk with some of the newer acolytes about the scrolls of King Narmer and Anhotek, as I did from time to time in order to pass on their legacy. But after my talk I was restless, for I had not written in my own scrolls for many days. This was unusual for me, so after Ra had completed his journey I decided to walk back to the palace.

  The night air was already cool and I hurried down the many narrow alleyways, passing people standing in small groups and talking with their neighbors, older children still outside playing, and peddlers wearily dragging home their wares, hopefully with a few debens of gold in their pockets. I stopped to converse with a few people, for what good is a priest advisor if he does not keep a finger on the pulse of the people for his King?

  It was late when I reached the palace. When I sat down on my straw mat to write I realized that I had left my quills and ink in Qa’a’s outer room, the one adjoining his bedroom. The guards, of course, let me quietly pass into the King’s quarters and my desire was not to rouse the King or Queen, for the burdens of nursing a child extend to a severe lack of sleep. I left my staff and sandals at the entrance and tip-toed quietly to retrieve my tools.

  I knew at once that Qa’a and Amisi were in the midst of passionate lovemaking, for their breath and moans of pleasure extended beyond the bounds of their bedroom and their bed thumped from his thrusts. I smiled, for to have a King in his full bull prime is a healthy sign for the Two Lands. As I searched in the dark for my tools, I heard the King groan and as a man I knew that he was quickly approaching the heights of pleasure.

  “What in Horus’… what are you doing with your hand?” I heard him ask.

  “I… what do you mean?” Amisi whispered through her own passionate breath.

  “Your hand, you rub yourself down there with your own hand!” Qa’a said loudly. I heard him leave his marital bed.

  “Yes, it is what I was instructed to do to… to give myself pleasure as you receive yours.”

  “Who… it was Irisi, was it not? She told you to do this!”

  “Yes, yes, so that you would be aroused still further, my love, not to upset you.”

  “Am I not man enough for you?” Qa’a bellowed like a wounded bull. “Am I not able to satisfy my woman, is that what you are telling me? Answer me, you… you whore!”

  The shocked cry of anguish that arose from Amisi’s throat at that instant was enough to tear my heart from my body. She began sobbing uncontrollably. Qa’a stormed out of the bedroom and into their antechamber. I heard alabaster bowls shatter as he overturned a table. Then came the crash of a beer mug against the wall.

  I quickly ran from the adjoining room and as I slipped my feet into my sandals, my trembling hands dropped my jar of ink and it splattered its contents all over the stone floor. At that moment Qa’a appeared at his doorway and stared at me, his face distorted into a stony anger I had never before seen. In the darkened room, lit only by a single candle, we faced each other, wordless, Ra’s silver light casting deep shadows on Qa’a’s face. I took my writing rag and bent down to wipe up the spill, all the while still looking at Qa’a.

  “Leave it. The guards will call someone in to clean it.” All I could do was nod, my hands and legs trembled so. He walked a few steps toward me. “We need to talk,” he whispered. “Soon.” In spite of my nervousness, I thought that Qa’a’s invitation was at the very least a recognition that he understood that marriage requires effort on the part of both husband and wife.

  “Of course, Master, whenever you wish. Women… mmm, relationships of all kinds are difficult to manage. I will help you with Amisi.” I felt his urgency to make things right with his beloved was a hopeful sign. That gave me a sense of relief being able to help Qa’a with the very issue for which Irisi had sought my help.

  “Amisi? No, Merkha, I can handle her. It is that charlatan Irisi that I want to deal with, and the sooner, the better,” he murmured through clenched teeth.

  Qa’a’s words hit me like a desert sandstorm. My ears rang, I struggled to catch my breath, and I felt momentarily disoriented. Was Qa’a truly so blind as to not see his ba was flawed in this matter? Did my sworn priestly duty to my King mean that I would have to set aside my own beliefs? I felt the conflict in my heart, one that required me to partition a piece of it for my alliance with Irisi. At that moment, looking at Qa’a’s heaving chest, I could only pray that our alliance would not become an unholy one.

  SCROLL THIRTEEN

  Redemption

  Merkha

  “It is just not wise… at this moment anyway. That is all I am saying.” I sat across from Irisi in her quarters at the Temple of Isis. The room was lit only by Ra’s silver disk, as I felt candles would draw attention to our meeting. Irisi assured me that her quarters were safe from prying eyes, but I had long ago heeded Anhotek’s wise written admonition that the walls of a palace, or temple, are thin, indeed. I could see from the way she held her body that Irisi struggled with my counsel.

  “I have heeded your advice for the past year, Merkha. I have stayed away from the palace and have not even attended many palace functions. But with the Queen again carrying a child, how can I stay away? It flies in the face of my sworn duty to Isis.”

  “At least Qa’a h
as not forbade Amisi to see you. He…”

  “He cannot do so!” Irisi protested. “It is against our laws for a man to forbid a woman to visit her sisters.”

  “He is the King, Irisi. It would be foolish to challenge his right to do whatever he chooses, even if he is wrong. He is the legitimate brother of Horus and we have no right to expect that he will behave like us. But there are still ways to handle this. Have Amisi come here as she requires. Or come to the palace when the King is traveling away from Inabu-hedj. Could you not do that?”

  “I suppose I could… and I will. But it is not in the natural order of things. The fabric of ma’at is stretched thin now. It sends chills down my spine. Do you not feel it?”

  I could hardly disagree with Irisi, for since that terrible night in the King’s bedchamber the tension in the palace was palpable. The Queen had become withdrawn and spent her days with Banafrit, even to the exclusion of her handmaidens. Qa’a was often in a foul mood. Although I had tried many times to counsel him in the ways of women so as to repair his relationship with Amisi, he turned a deaf ear to my ministrations. He was as stubborn as his father, but unlike Semerkhet, Qa’a directed his stubbornness in the wrong direction. He did not try to change external conditions for what he believed would be to the benefit of the Two Lands. Instead, Qa’a sought tighter control within his own court.

  “In any event, Amisi has missed two of her monthly flows. In another month Buikkhu will test her urine on the emmer wheat, so we shall know whether we have an heir to the throne or not. I advise sending a message to Amisi advising her to be patient until that outcome is known.”

  “You can deliver the message yourself.”

  “I think not, dear Priestess. I dare not risk exposing myself, for who knows what will come out of the mouth of a spouse in the heat of argument? No, we must keep our alliance secret if we are to fulfill our sworn mission to the greater good.” I stood. “Blessings to you sister.”

  “And to you, Merkha.”

  In another month the palace learned that Buikkhu’s test of the Queen’s urine determined she was to have a boy. In the short run the discovery buoyed Qa’a’s spirits. For fear of the Evil Eye, none spoke openly about the future heir, but the entire Royal court felt lighter, knowing that with succession in place, ma’at would be strong for the foreseeable future.

  On one morning, I witnessed Qa’a walking along the banks of Mother Nile, little Banafrit’s tiny hand in his. Her pointed out all manner of things to her, plants, tiny frogs, even the tiny fish that swam in the shallows. He laughed as she tried to catch one and finally squatted down, splashing the water hard in frustration.

  Qa’a then kneeled in the water next to her and lay down, his head on a rock that protruded from the mud. Banafrit climbed atop him, leaned over and scooped up two handful of mud. Then she turned and smeared the mud on Qa’a’s smooth chest, her giggles reaching all the way to the portico where I stood. She drew shapes in the mud, as Qa’a watched patiently, trying not to laugh too hard and spoil her designs. They played that way for a long time, Qa’a rinsing his chest off every so often so she could start anew. I closed my eyes and prayed fervently that Ra would stop his movement across the sky to preserve that moment for eternity.

  It was in another month, as the busy harvest season of Shomu was absorbing the attention of all Kemians, that I was called into Qa’a’s meeting chambers. The day was bright and there was even the added delight of a few clouds lingering lazily in the sky above the palace.

  “Here, have some of these grapes,” Qa’a offered, holding up a bowl of the sweet red fruit before me. Their juices burst with flavor in my mouth. “I have something I wish to discuss with you.”

  “Of course. As you wish.” I spread out my papyrus and my pens and ink.

  “No, no, you will not need those at the moment, teacher. I just want us to discuss something, to gauge your reaction.” Qa’a seemed excited and he popped grapes into his mouth as he spoke.

  “With Akhet approaching, and our people not able to do anything while Mother Nile brings us her gifts, I am getting the usual requests from the temples, administrative offices and agricultural estates for labor help. Of course this comes out of our Treasury every year.” I wondered where Qa’a was going with this lecture on a topic that I already knew far better than did he.

  “And so I began thinking about all these little projects, meaningless ones, really. I mean I do recognize their importance to maintain a trade route or to increase an agricultural parcel. But I have noticed that we do not now have a grand project, one that can excite the people, and show other nations that Kem is the mightiest of all of them.”

  “You mean like Narmer’s building our very Inabu-hedj.”

  “Yes, exactly! Like Inabu-hedj or… or even Meryt-Neith’s grand tomb. Something that will cause people to bow in wonder.”

  “But also something useful, right? Something that will benefit Kem for all eternity.”

  “Yes, yes, that is it!” Qa’a was on the edge of his seat. I knew then exactly why he asked for my presence.

  “You are thinking about that canal again, are you not?” He screwed up his brow before collapsing back in his chair.

  “Is it that obvious, dear teacher?”

  “Whether it is obvious or not is beside the point. What is important is that your brother Horus has not allowed this idea to leave your heart for almost two years now.”

  Qa’a paused, sitting quietly and drumming his fingers on the arms of his chair. “So what do you suggest I do.”

  “Master, I think this will eat at you until you explore the idea fully and either move forward with it or abandon it as folly.”

  “Yes, yes, I agree. It has truly been gnawing at me. What do you suggest I do for the next steps?”

  “As with most great projects, our history teaches us that our great leaders started by asking those around them for their best advice. He must develop a full sense of the possibilities, as well as the obstacles and dangers involved in the project.”

  “Dangers? Such as?”

  “That is precisely what your exploration will uncover. Will this project create enemies amongst other nations because it benefits only us? Which people in the Two Lands stand to lose or gain from the project? How will the rekhi feel about being conscripted to do the work?”

  “The rekhi? Who cares what they think? They exist at the King’s pleasure. But the other questions you raise are good ones. I will start speaking with Khenemet and Buikkhu, although from their initial reaction they did not seem to like either the idea or the man who proposed it.”

  “Nomti?”

  “Yes, Nomti. Are there others with whom you recommend I speak?”

  “Well, of course there are the Royal architects and engineers. But I also suggest Sabef, for he is wise beyond words. He may see things in this grand vision that we do not consider.”

  “Good, this is all good. We are off to a fine start. I will call them in for counsel. I ask you to keep all records of this project, for after we are gone those who follow us will want to know how this grand canal came about… or did not happen. Of this I am certain.”

  By the end of the ten-day, I was present as Sabef listened to Qa’a’s idea. The old man, was so stooped over, he leaned on his staff and stared at the floor the whole time Qa’a explained the project.

  “Well, elder, what is your opinion?”

  Sabef’s eyes were closed and he nodded his head as if weighing Qa’a’s words. “In my youth I would have risen to applaud your vision, my King. You will excuse me if I can no longer rise. But my accolade comes with cautionary notes.”

  “And they are?”

  “First, I have traveled the ancient desert from Abdu to the Red Sea many times. As you well know, the distance is vast, and crosses the most inhospitable territory the gods could have created. Sand, rocks, dunes, mountains, all treacherous. Terrible, terrible.