Chapter Seventeen: A Hazardous Crossing
Kiya stared at the ferryman in dismay. “We cannot leave him behind! Why won’t you take him?”
“He’s obviously ill. He’s probably infectious.”
“No, he’s not ill, he has had an accident,” said Laylos. She parted the cloak so the ferryman could see the bandages.
He uttered an exclamation of awe and asked, “Was it a crocodile?”
“Yes,” lied Laylos.
“Poor man, he was lucky to survive. They become very bold at this time of year.” He pointed to what looked like a log of wood floating nearby. “They wait to go inland with the floodwaters and pick up any creature unfortunate enough to be stranded.” Kiya saw that the rough bark of the log was a scaly back and she shivered. Crocodiles were an ever-present threat when using a shaduf, but she had rarely seen one so large and at such close quarters.
When it came to getting the donkey on board, Huy pulled while Kiya and Laylos pushed. Once on the fragile craft, the animal stood trembling and wide-eyed.
“There, there,” said Kiya and stroked him. He gradually relaxed under her touch and bent his head down so she could tickle him behind the ears. He felt warm and rough and had a nice donkey smell. Kiya put her arms around him and rested her cheek on his neck, drawing from him as much comfort as she was giving. By the time they reached the other side they had become friends.
“Come on, Enno,” said Kiya, leading the donkey off the ferry.
“Who is Enno?” asked Laylos.
“He is the donkey,” said Kiya. “Such a faithful creature should have a name.”
“A great mistake,” said Huy. “You should never name an animal. What if we run out of food and have to eat him? “
Kiya looked at him in dismay. “No! We could never eat Enno! I would rather starve!”
“Just joking,” said Huy with a vulpine smile. “Come on, we must get going.”
They said goodbye to the ferryman and set off along the riverside road. After a while Kiya looked back the way they had come. Behind them, the empty road baked under the sun. Swarms of flies hovered close to the water’s edge. A sense of anticipation hung in the air as the world waited for Akhet. Kiya made a silent prayer to Hapi, the god of the Nile, not to flood until they were safely back in Thebes.
They had gone but a short way before Laylos demanded to have a break. “Can we stop for a rest?” she gasped. “You promised us refreshment when we had crossed the river. We must be safe enough, now we have left Gesem.”
“Very well,” said Huy and stopped the donkey under the shade of an overhanging palm tree.
Laylos burrowed among the packages. “You can remove your cloak from Dennu, Kiya,” she said. “I must persuade him to drink something.”
As Kiya untied the knot at Dennu’s neck, he opened his eyes. “Thank you for saving me,” he croaked. She smiled at him and roughly pulled her cloak away, embarrassed by the intensity of his gaze.
Laylos brought over a goblet of beer and urged him to drink. Kiya watched his hands tremble as he helped Laylos guide the thirst-quenching liquid to his mouth.
“Come and drink, Kiya,” called Huy, holding out a goblet. “It doesn’t take two women to fuss over that boy.”
When they were all refreshed, Laylos handed around dates and honey cakes. Kiya accepted hers gratefully, it was long past her normal lunch time and she was hungry.
“We must eat while we walk,” said Huy. “We have to reach higher ground before the river floods.”
Kiya led the way, while Huy and Laylos walked on either side of the donkey, supporting the semi-conscious Dennu. Soon, the two old friends were deep in conversation and Kiya strained her ears to listen.
“You never came to see us when Bai was alive,” said Laylos. “Why not? You were his best friend.”
“I’m sure he understood,” said Huy. “Part of our agreement was for me to stay away.”
“Agreement? What agreement?”
“Did Bai never tell you? No, I suppose not. The poor man is dead now, so it cannot matter. He won you in a game of Senet.”
“Won me? You mean I was a prize in a dice game?”
“Yes.”
“How dare you! I have never heard of anything so outrageous!” Kiya was amused by her aunt’s indignation. No wonder her late husband had never dared tell her the details of his wooing.
“It was your fault, Laylos,” said Huy. “You were having cruel sport with us. We both loved you and you kept us guessing for months. It could have become years for all you cared and our friendship was suffering.”
“What an insult – gambling for a poor unfortunate woman!” exclaimed Laylos.
“The agreement was that whoever lost would back off and never go near you again,” said Huy. ”I hung around for a while, to see if you might grow tired of Bai, but the marriage seemed a happy one and so I left for Helwan.”
“And found yourself a wife! You got over losing me remarkably quickly.”
“And why not? Bai won you fair and square.”
“The cheek of it,” snorted Laylos. After a pause, she continued. “Tell me, was your wife prettier than me?”
Huy hesitated then said, “She was thinner.”
“Thinner, eh!” Laylos was offended. “Some skin and bone creature. I’m surprised at you, Huy!”
Huy sighed. “She was beautiful and even-tempered. She did not blow hot and cold and never let a man know where he stood.”
“So, what happened to this beautiful, even-tempered wife? Run off with someone better, did she?”
“She died in childbirth,” he said in a tight voice.
Laylos was immediately contrite. “Oh, I’m sorry, Huy. Oh dear, I sometimes let my tongue run away with me.”
“No matter,” he said. “Losing Uart was only one of the reasons I left Helwan. Things had become very bad at the palace.”
“In what way?”
“A year ago the King had a seizure of the brain, which rendered him half-dead. He lies unmoving on his bed but his ka is reluctant to leave his body.” Kiya listened to this news with dismay. Such a king would be unable to protect Egypt from the wrath of the gods. Who would intercede with Hapi and ensure that the Nile flooded each year? Who would keep the people safe from famine and pestilence?
“This is the first I’ve heard of such disaster,” said Laylos.
“And you must tell nobody else. If the people knew, there would be unrest.”
“But who rules Egypt?”
“His first wife, Tiye. She is an intelligent and powerful queen. Unfortunately her only son, Ikhnaton, is a strange creature who is obsessively in love with a foreigner named Nefertiti. The atmosphere between the two women is poisonous, for both want to influence the youth.”
“Ah, men are weak, foolish creatures.”
“Unfortunately, when it comes to women, you are right,” said Huy.
“Stop the donkey, Kiya,” called out Laylos, abruptly ending the conversation. “I think Dennu is stirring.”
Kiya halted and turned. Dennu was sitting more upright on Enno, he smiled when he saw Kiya looking at him, and allowed Laylos to feel his wrist.
“His pulse is stronger. Thank Horus for that. How are you feeling, Dennu?”
“Bad. My head hurts. Have we not gone far enough?”
“No,” said Huy. “We must get off the lower road. Keep watch for a path that might lead to higher ground, Kiya.”
They walked on in silence, anxious to find a way up from the floor of the valley. Kiya saw it first - a narrow track winding up between fields of vines. The grapes had been harvested, leaving only withered branches, which, in the height of the season would have hidden the pathway completely.