"Your father? I do not know... No, I do not know. I cannot as yet see clearly. Tomorrow, when I have thought about it all, I must speak once more with that herd boy. There was something about his story -"
She broke off, frowning. Then, with a sigh, she rose to her feet, and helping herself with her stick, limped slowly back to her own quarters.
Renisenb went into her brother's room. He was sleeping and she crept out again softly. After a moment's hesitation she went to Kait's quarters. She stood in the doorway unnoticed, watching Kait sing one of the children to sleep. Kait's face was calm and placid again - she looked so much as usual that for a moment Renisenb felt that the tragic occurrences of the last twenty-four hours were a dream.
She turned slowly away and went to her own apartment. On a table, amongst her own cosmetic boxes and jars, was the little jewel case that had belonged to Nofret.
Renisenb picked it up and stood looking at it as it lay on the palm of her hand. Nofret had touched it, had held it - it was her possession.
And again a wave of pity swept over Renisenb, allied to that queer sense of understanding. Nofret had been unhappy. As she had held this little box in her hand perhaps she had deliberately forced that unhappiness into malice and hatred... and even now that hatred was unabated... was still seeking revenge... Oh, no, surely not - surely not!
Almost mechanically, Renisenb twisted the two buttons and slid back the lid. The camelian beads were there and the broken amulet and something else...
Her heart beating violently, Renisenb drew out a necklace of gold beads with gold lions in front...
Chapter 15
FIRST MONTH OF SUMMER, 30TH DAY
The finding of the necklace frightened Renisenb badly.
On the impulse of the minute she replaced it quickly in the jewel box, slid home the lid and tied the string round the buttons again. Her instinct was to conceal her discovery. She even glanced fearfully behind her to make sure that no one had watched what she had been doing.
She passed a sleepless night, twisting to and fro uneasily and settling and resettling her head on the curved wooden headrest of her bed.
By the morning she had decided that she must confide in someone. She could not bear the weight of that disturbing discovery alone. Twice in the night she had started up, wondering if, perhaps, she might perceive Nofret's figure standing menacingly by her side. But there was nothing to be seen.
Taking the lion necklace from the jewel box, Renisenb hid it in the folds of her linen dress. She had only just done so when zhaiyuedu.com came bustling in. Her eyes were bright and sharp with the pleasure of having fresh news to impart.
"Just imagine, Renisenb, isn't it terrible? That boy - the herd boy, you know - fast asleep this morning out by the cornbins and everyone shaking him and yelling in his ear - and now it seems that he'll never wake again. It's as though he'd drunk the poppy juice - and maybe he did - but if so, who gave it to him? Nobody here, that I'll be bound. And it's not likely he'd take it himself. Oh, we might have known how it would be yesterday." zhaiyuedu.com's hand went to one of the many amulets she wore. "Amun protect us against the evil spirits of the dead! The boy told what he saw. He told how he saw Her. And so She came back and gave him poppy juice to close his eyes for ever. Oh, She's very powerful, that Nofret! She'd been abroad, you know, out of Egypt. I dare swear She got to know all sorts of outlandish primitive magic. We're not safe in this house - none of us are safe. Your father should give several bulls to Amun - a whole herd if necessary - this isn't a time for economy. We've got to protect ourselves. We must appeal to your mother - that's what Imhotep is planning to do. The priest Mersu says so. A solemn Letter to the Dead. Hori is busy now drawing up the terms of it. Your father was for addressing it to Nofret - appealing to her. You know: 'Most excellent Nofret, what evil thing have I ever done to you-' etc. But as the Divine Father Mersu pointed out, it needs stronger measures than that. Now your mother, Ashayet, was a great lady. Her mother's brother was the Nomarch and her brother was Chief Butler to the Vizier at Thebes. If it's once brought to her knowledge, she'll see to it that a mere concubine isn't allowed to destroy her own children! Oh, yes, we'll get justice done. As I say, Hori is drawing up the plea to her now."
It had been Renisenb's intention to seek out Hori and tell him about her finding of the lion necklace. But if Hori were busy with the priests at the Temple of Isis it was hopeless to think of trying to get hold of him alone.
Should she go to her father? Dissatisfied, Renisenb shook her head. Her old childish belief in her father's omnipotence had quite passed away. She realized now how quickly in times of crisis he went to pieces - a fussy pomposity replacing any real strength. If Yahmose were not ill, she could have told him, though she doubted if he would have any very practical counsels to offer. He would probably insist on the matter being laid before Imhotep.
And that, Renisenb felt with increasing urgency, was at all costs to be avoided. The first thing Imhotep would do would be to blazon the whole thing abroad, and Renisenb had a strong instinct for keeping it secret - though for what exact reason she would have been hard put to it to say.
No, it was Hori's advice she wanted. Hori would, as always, know the right thing to do. He would take the necklace from her and at the same time take her worry and perplexity away. He would look at her with those kind grave eyes and instantly she would feel that now all was well...
For a moment Renisenb was tempted to confide in Kait - but Kait was unsatisfactory; she never listened properly. Perhaps if one got her away from the children - no, it wouldn't do. Kait was nice but stupid.
Renisenb thought: "There is Kameni... and there is my grandmother."
Kameni...? There was something pleasurable in the thought of telling Kameni. She could see his face quite clearly in her thoughts - its expression changing from a merry challenge to interest - to apprehension on her behalf... Or would it not be on her behalf?
Why this insidious lurking suspicion that Nofret and Kameni had been closer friends than had appeared on the surface? Because Kameni had helped Nofret in her campaign of detaching Imhotep from his family? He had protested that he could not help himself - but was that true? It was an easy thing to say. Everything Kameni said sounded easy and natural and right. His laugh was so gay that you wanted to laugh too. The swing of his body was so graceful as he walked - the turn of his head on those smooth bronze shoulders - his eyes that looked at you - that looked at you - Renisenb's thought broke off confusedly. Kameni's eyes were not like Hori's eyes, safe and kind. They demanded; they challenged.
Renisenb's thoughts had brought blood into her cheeks and a sparkle into her eye. But she decided that she would not tell Kameni about the finding of Nofret's necklace. No, she would go to Esa. Esa had impressed her yesterday. Old as she was, the old woman had a grasp of things and a shrewd practical sense that was unshared by anyone else in the family.
Renisenb thought: "She is old. But she will know."
II
At the first mention of the necklace, Esa glanced quickly round, placed a finger to her lips, and held out her hand. Renisenb fumbled in her dress, drew out the necklace and laid it in Esa's hand. Esa held it for a moment close to her dim eyes, then stowed it away in her dress. She said in a low, authoritative voice:
"No more now. Talking in this house is talking to a hundred ears. I have lain awake most of the night thinking, and there is much that must be done."
"My father and Hori have gone to the Temple of Isis to confer with the priest Mersu on the drawing up of a petition to my mother for her intervention."
"I know. Well, let your father concern himself with the spirits of the dead. My thoughts deal with the things of this world. When Hori returns, bring him here to me. There are things that must be said and discussed - and Hori I can trust."
"Hori will know what to do," said Renisenb happily.
Esa looked at her curiously.
"You go often up to see him at the Tomb, do you not? What do you talk about, you and Hori?"
Renisenb shook her head vaguely.
"Oh, the River - and Egypt - and the way the light changes and the colors of the sand below and the rocks... But very often we do not talk at all. I just sit there and it is peaceful, with no scolding voices and no crying children and no bustle of coming and going. I can think my own thoughts and Hori does not interrupt them. And then, sometimes, I look up and find him watching me and we both smile... I can be happy up there."
Esa said slowly:
"You are lucky, Renisenb. You have found the happiness that is inside everybody's own heart. To most women happiness means coming and going, busied over small affairs. It is care for one's children and laughter and conversation and quarrels with other women and alternate love and anger with a man. It is made up of small things strung together like beads on a string."
"Has your life been like that, Grandmother?"
"Most of it. But now that I am old and sit much alone and my sight is dim and I walk with difficulty - then I realize that there is a life within as well as a life without. But I am too old now to learn the true way of it - and so I scold my little maid and enjoy good food hot from the kitchen and savor all the many different kinds of bread that we bake and enjoy ripe grapes and the juice from pomegranates. These things remain when others go. The children that I have loved most are now dead. Your father, Re help him, was always a fool. I loved him when he was a toddling little boy but now he irritates me with his airs of importance. Of my grandchildren I love you, Renisenb - and talking of grandchildren, where is Ipy? I have not seen him today or yesterday."
"He is very busy superintending the storing of the grain. My father left him in charge."
Esa grinned.
"That will please our young gander. He will be strutting about full of his own importance. When he comes in to eat tell him to come to me."
"Yes, Esa."
"For the rest, Renisenb, silence..."
III
"You wanted to see me, Grandmother?"
Ipy stood smiling and arrogant, his head held a little on one side, a flower held between his white teeth. He looked very pleased with himself and with life generally.
"If you can spare a moment of your valuable time," said Esa, screwing her eyes up to see better and looking him up and down.
The acerbity of her tone made no impression on Ipy.
