The pharaoh slowly stood, his chest shimmering with gold, and his bulbous blue and gold hat giving him the appearance of a giant. In one hand he held a whip. In the other, a shepherd’s crook.
“Come to me!” he said, his arms outstretched. “I was told you were dead, my child.”
Nefi ran towards him but the high priest stepped in front and grabbed her.
“Let her go!” Arthur shouted, though before he had taken a step he was held fast by two temple guards, as was the queen beside him. “The high priest arranged for Thami to be kidnapped by the Nubians. He told them where to find him and he told them that you would pay tribute for his return rather than risk war. All the high priest wants is war. War and to see you overthrown!”
“Silence, snake!” the high priest snarled. “Have I not warned you, Majesty, that your Nubian queen and her children cannot be trusted any more than her people in the desert? Can you not see what is happening? Nefru was kidnapped with her brother rather than killed as we first thought. Now when the Nubians realise that they have made a big mistake in doubting your power, your wrath, Majesty, they send the girl back with this story to try and save their worthless skins.”
The queen implored both men to let Nefru go, but the pharaoh seemed paralysed by doubt, and the high priest began to press his case.
“Did we not discover two Nubian spies, Majesty, serving in our own temple? And when we had tortured them, only yesterday, before we made them swim with Sobek, the great crocodile god, did they not reveal that the queen, also, is a spy? And now that we know these things, her daughter interrupts this ceremony, this blessing of your glorious war.”
“This makes no sense,” Arthur shouted. “Why would Nefi and Thami want to start a war?”
“They did not expect a war, snake, as you know. They expected the mighty pharaoh, their father, to pay tribute to their Nubian relations. The people of Egypt and our great pharaoh WILL NOT LET THAT HAPPEN!”
The crowd recognised their cue, and began roaring their rage for the Nubians and their approval for the high priest, who released Nefi and waved his arms wildly at them, exhorting them to louder and louder fury until the pharaoh turned to the crowd and silenced them with one raised hand.
Where on earth are Finn and the others? Arthur wondered, silently begging them to hurry up and make an appearance.
“We will hear what my daughter has to say,” said the pharaoh, turning to her and raising his other hand to pre-empt any protest from the high priest.
“This boy,” he said, indicating Arthur. “Who is he and why does he say these things?”
Nefi explained how the two brothers had saved her life that night in Thebes. She told the whole story as truly as she could. From time to time the high priest would make outraged spluttering noises, but he did not interrupt.
“The high priest wants war,” Nefi concluded. “He hates the Nubians, as you know, and he wants to see you weakened also. He tricked the Nubian spies into believing that you would pay tribute, knowing that you would not. He let it slip to them that Thamose and I would be in the desert a few days ago, and he made sure that it was temple guards loyal to him who accompanied us on the hunt. He used us as bait. He made it so easy for the Nubians to take Thamose, knowing that it would provoke war. He does not love you, Father; he hates you nearly as much as he hates all Nubians.”
The pharaoh was silent for a long while. “The high priest is the messenger of the gods,” he said slowly.
“No, Father, YOU are their messenger, just as YOU and not the high priest will one day become a god yourself.”
Everyone waited on tenterhooks to hear how the pharaoh would judge, so much so that few other than Arthur noticed the temple guard who walked over to whisper in the high priest’s ear. With a sinking feeling of dread, Arthur saw a wicked smile spread across the high priest’s face. He murmured a few words to the guard, who disappeared inside the temple.
“Great pharaoh,” said the high priest, in a measured tone, “perhaps you will allow me to demonstrate how the Nubian sickness has spread? I am told that less than an hour ago my men apprehended not one but three more Nubian spies. They were asking after the two spies who we got rid of yesterday. BRING THEM FORWARD!”
All heads turned to the temple gateway, through which three hooded figures were driven by the palace guards, one of them was limping heavily. Arthur’s heart skipped a beat. The crowd bellowed, loving the spectacle as the high priest began his showmanship once more.
“Behold the face of our enemy!” he cried, whipping off one of the hoods to reveal Finn’s bewildered face.
“Behold the face of the desert dog who thinks he may feed from the lion’s kill!” he thundered, removing a second hood to reveal Shaharqo’s Nubian features.
“Behold the face of those who would grind Thebes INTO THE DUST!” he finished, the crowd booing and jeering now as the final hood was removed to reveal Thami’s angry glare.
“Great pharaoh,” cried the high priest triumphantly, “your enemies send their spies to the city. They kidnap your children and set your queen against you. The time has come for you to show the world your might. Kill these spies! Kill the queen! And KILL… Thamose?” The high priest nearly choked on the name as he glanced in Thami’s direction and finally noticed who he was. There was a noise of wonder from the crowd. Never had they been so entertained. Thami raised his arm and pointed accusingly at the high priest, who was temporarily speechless.
“The priest, Father. The priest is the sickness in your kingdom. Who commands the men who accompanied Nefru and me on our hunt? The priest! Who in this kingdom hates the Nubians more than any other? The priest! Who found your Nubian spies and interrogated them, Father?”
“The priest,” said the pharaoh, slowly.
“And who urged you to lead the army into battle, Father, knowing that you have never fought in battle before?”
“The priest!” repeated the pharaoh as the crowd began to boo and jeer once more.
“Great pharaoh,” the high priest beseeched, “this is madness…” But Shaharqo cut him off.
“My name is Shaharqo, Prince of Nubia. I helped to kidnap your son because my general was informed by our spies that they had overheard the high priest discussing your military strengths. He said that you would not be able to muster an army large enough to take them on. He said that the Nubians would be able to exact tribute from you if they knew. These were lies, but he said them to lure my father’s armies into provoking a war. Your son and I are here to make peace between our two peoples.”
“I have heard enough!” The pharaoh held up his hand once more, and everyone fell silent. “High Priest, this does not look good for you. We will let the crocodile god decide. Guards, bring the priest to the lake of Sobek! Thamose, you and your companions will walk with me.”
The pharaoh turned and led the way into the temple, with Thami, Nefi, Arthur, Finn and Shaharqo in a line behind him. The temple guards brought the high priest, who was shouting at them with increasing desperation as he realised that not even they would remain loyal to him after such a public exposure.
They proceeded through the temple courtyard, and through inner chambers covered in intricately painted scenes of men and gods, until they reached an enclosed pool of crystal-clear water.
I wonder where the water is piped from… thought Arthur, and then all thoughts left his mind. Deep down in the clear water, something was moving. It took a few moments for Arthur to realise that it was the swishing tail of a huge crocodile.
The high priest was beginning to jabber now. Gone were the pleas of innocence as he fell on the pharaoh’s mercy.
“Put the bridge in place,” the pharaoh commanded, ignoring the priest. Two guards brought forward a long, thin beam, no thicker than the width of a man’s foot, one end of which they placed on either side of the pool so that it spanned the middle of the water less than a metre above the surface.
“Pray to Sobek for mercy!” the pharaoh growled. The guards dragged the high priest to one end of the beam.
“Great pharaoh, after all we have been through…” But the pharaoh brought his whip down across the priest’s shoulders, causing him to howl in pain and take his first, shuddering step onto the beam.
The crocodile began to slant up through the water. The pharaoh brought his whip down again, causing the priest to lurch forwards. The crocodile’s head emerged from the water and its transparent eyelid slid open. The priest began to take quick, tiny steps forward, realising that his only hope was to reach the other side.
The reptile dived down lazily and the priest almost collapsed with relief. Too soon. With a sudden surge, the crocodile powered up and thrust the upper part of its body out of the water, huge jaws gaping. Arthur looked away. The priest screamed. The crocodile’s jaws snapped closed and there was a loud splash. When Arthur looked back, the priest and the crocodile had disappeared and the churning water had a distinctly reddish hue.
* * *
“There’s a sandstorm coming,” said Shaharqo, looking up at a starless night sky. “What a day it has been!” All five friends were sitting on the balcony of Thami’s room. Following the death of the high priest, events had unfolded rapidly. The pharaoh had announced to the people gathered at the temple that he would send peace envoys to the Nubians. Nefi, Thami and the queen were publicly embraced, which was almost unheard of by all accounts. Shaharqo was told to report to his father, the King of Nubia, that Egypt would be an ally in future. Best of all, the pharaoh had announced that it was time for Thami to begin formal training with the charioteers in the army, leaving Finn and Arthur sure that their work in Egypt was done.
“And we could not have done any of it without our merchant friends,” said Thami, putting his arms around Finn and Arthur’s shoulders just as the first swirls of dust began to sweep in from the desert.
“We had better go inside,” said Nefi. Finn and Arthur looked at one another and smiled. They both knew the adventure was over.
“We’ll catch you up,” said Arthur, pulling Finn to his feet. They walked over to the edge of the balcony and stared one last time at the temple statues, illuminated by torchlight. The air grew thicker and thicker as the dust particles were replaced by sand that stung their faces. Soon the temple, the palace and even the balcony beneath them were obscured. They felt as if their feet had left the ground and they were spinning through the sandstorm, faster and faster until at last even the sand was no longer there.