Soldier of Sidon

Muslak cleared his throat. "I do not object, Noble Qanju. But I most respectfully ask that any orders given my crew be relayed through me."

"Of course." Qanju nodded, smiling. "I'm no seaman, Captain. I'll consult you on every matter concerned with your vessel, and replace you only if I must. Is that all?"

Muslak nodded.

"Anyone else?"

No one spoke. At last I rose. "Noble Qanju, I have come to Kemet to follow the footsteps I left here years before. I know now that I came to this city, and met Muslak here."

Qanju motioned for me to continue.

"If I find those steps, I will follow them," I finished.

"Ah! But what if you do not, Lucius?"

"I will remain with my friend Muslak until I do, if he will allow it."

Muslak said, "I will."

"Will you inform us, if you intend to leave? Bid us goodbye?"

I nodded. "Yes. Certainly."

"That is well. You know where you are, Lucius-that is your name, by the way-and why you are here, because you read your scroll while you waited to speak with the satrap. You will have forgotten tomorrow, unless you read your scroll again."

Myt-ser'eu looked surprised, but I agreed.

"This girl, and your friend, have reminded you of these and other important matters from time to time, serving as the memory you lack. I join their company, and join it gladly. Yes, my dear?"

It was Myt-ser'eu. "I don't think that name you used is in Latro's scroll, Most Noble Qanju."

Smiling, Qanju nodded. "I learned it by occult arts, my dear. Do you believe that?"

Myt-ser'eu bobbed her head, looking frightened. "If you say it, Most Noble Qanju."

"I do not. I merely wished to learn whether you would believe it. The satrap had been given a name for your patron. He confided that name to me. Hearing it, it was no great riddle to unravel the accent of a Crimson Man. It's all quite simple, my dear, as most tricks are."

There was a moment of silence before Neht-nefret asked, "Then you aren't really a seer?"

"Oh, but I am, my dear." Qanju's dark eyes twinkled. "My tribe is the Magi, and we are quite famous for it. Unlike the pretenders to our art, however, we do not lie about it. Do you wish your fortune told?"

Slowly Neht-nefret nodded.

"Then I will do it," Qanju said, "but not now. We will have many idle hours on the captain's ship. There should be ample opportunity."

He cleared his throat. "Now that we are better acquainted, I will say the things I called you here to hear, so that I may get on with my work and you with your lives. First, that I will be in charge of our expedition. There will be no man on our ship who is not answerable to me, and no woman.

"Second, that I'll delegate my authority in certain matters. Captain Muslak will be in charge of our vessel and its crew. And of you, Neht-nefret. Lucius will be in charge of our soldiers, both those of Parsa and those of Kemet. Also of Myt-ser'eu, of course."

I said, "I forget, Noble Qanju, as you said. It seems to me that I'm not a suitable person to put in charge of armed men."

Qanju nodded, still smiling. "Should the charge of this expedition devolve upon you, as it may, you may remove yourself from command, Lucius. Until it does, it shall be as I say."

Azibaal said, "I think you've chosen wisely, Most Noble Qanju."

Qanju smiled and thanked him. "The third thing I wished to tell you is that Thotmaktef here, whom you have already met, is the scribe our satrap mentioned. He will be in charge of Sahuset-the most difficult post of all. I ask all of you, Myt-ser'eu and Neht-nefret particularly, to assist him in every way. Will you do that?"

Everyone nodded.

"That is well. I need not explain, I hope, that the Great King wishes only friendship and peace between the People of Parsa and the People of Riverland. Not everyone is as well-intentioned as he, however."

"I am," Muslak said.

Qanju nodded. "As am I. If we seven quarrel with one another, how can we not quarrel with the Nubians? If we war among ourselves, we are sure to fail."

Neht-nefret looked from me to Muslak. When neither of us spoke she said, "There'll be three soldiers from Parsa and five from my country. If they fight…"

"We will be ruined." Qanju's gentle gaze fell upon me. "It will be your task, Lucius, to make sure they do not. You are not of Parsa, nor of Kemet. Thus you will be resented equally by both. Your task will not be easy, but not beyond your ability. Captain, have you questions regarding the supplies you will buy?"

Muslak shrugged. "Ship's stores, and a few things to make us comfortable where there aren't any i

"A few, but we will go beyond Nubia."

"I know," Muslak said. "Into Nysa, wherever that is."

"As far as the river runs," Qanju whispered.

We were dismissed, all but Thotmaktef. Qanju's voice halted us before we reached the door. "Be wary of Sahuset. He may mean you no harm, but you will be polite to him without friendship, if you are wise."

Now a woman who serves this Sahuset has come for us, and Myt-ser'eu and I will go with her when the moon is down.

First I will write that when Thotmaktef came to us in the courtyard there was a baboon at his side. It was very large, and looked as grave as any man. I do not think the others saw this baboon, but I did. Thotmaktef himself did not see it, or so it seemed to me. I looked away, and after that I no longer saw it.

6

MY WIFE, MY home, my parents-everything I once knew came rushing back-my service to the Great King and the death of my friends. I know this because Muslak and Myt-ser'eu have told me. Now they say that I must write, as I do. This is what I remember now.

We were at this i

I wrote. Afterward we went to a room here, barred the door, and made love. It was long and slow and very good, for Myt-ser'eu knows much of love. When it was done, I slept.

I woke. Myt-ser'eu slept beside me, and the silent woman sat upon a stool on the other side. I supposed that Myt-ser'eu had admitted her while I slept. She says she did not.

The silent woman woke Myt-ser'eu and beckoned to us. We followed her; her name is Sabra. She led us very far, through dark streets, to the house of Sahuset. It is a small house in a large garden. I held Sabra's hand and Myt-ser'eu mine; even so, it was hard to keep to the path. There was an animal that watched us, or something that appeared to be an animal. It did not snarl or roar, but I saw its green eyes gleaming like emeralds in the shadows.

Sahuset's door stood wide. Someone I could not see lit a lamp as we entered, and Sahuset entered from another room. That was when he dismissed the silent woman, calling her Sabra. I expected her to leave the room; she did not, but went to a corner and stood motionless there, regarding Sahuset and us with an unseeing stare.

"You ca

I said that if he could help me see again the days now long past, I would be most grateful.

"I seek your gratitude. I seek the good will of this woman and of all who will be with us in the south, too. But yours I desire most of all. You have been cursed by a god. That is an ill thing, for you. Yet numinous."