That evening Meren left the barracks where Beltis was imprisoned, weary and yet relieved. He had most of the truth now, and the woman had confirmed his suspicion that neither she nor any of the others were in the service of the queen. He went to Kysen's room, where he found his son saying good-night to Remi.
Kysen lay on his bed, to which he'd been sent once Beltis had broken, with Remi sitting beside him. The child made roaring noises as he marched a wooden hippopotamus up Kysen's stomach and pulled the string that moved the creature's mouth open and closed. Meren saw Kysen wince as Remi shrieked, and scooped the child up in his arms along with the toy.
"Time for bed."
"Aaaaarrrrrrgh."
Remi poked Meren's nose with the hippo. Mutemwia appeared with a tray of wine and bread, set it down, and took Remi.
"Bid your father and the lord good-night," she said to Remi.
The child jumped from Mutemwia's arms, wobbled, then executed a precarious bow.
"Peaceful sleep to you."
Meren tried not to smile as Kysen accepted this courtly behavior with solemnity. He inclined his head at the boy.
"A fine bow, Remi."
The boy grinned, then roared again and toddled out of the room.
Meren dragged a stool to the bed and sat beside Kysen. He poured wine for himself, but Kysen refused, saying that the physician forbade him to drink anything but water for two more days. His bed, like Meren's, sat within a shelter made of a delicate gilt wood frame set upon a dais. He lay back on the cushions and stared at the filmy hangings that billowed out from the frame in the evening breeze coming through the doors, which lay open to the veranda and the garden beyond.
"Have you gotten the truth from her?" he asked Meren.
"Most of it, I think."
"Then tell me, how did poor, terrified Woser ever manage to kill Hormin?"
Meren sighed and sloshed his wine around in its bronze goblet. "Only Woser and that laborer were in the tomb when Hormin insisted upon testing the rock for another chamber. When they broke into that tomb, Woser wanted to seal it back up at once, but Hormin persuaded him that they could use magic to protect themselves while they looted it. They began on the body, tearing away the amulets and spells that protected the owner from harm."
"Woser lived in fear of spirits and demons," Kysen said. "He seemed to think they reserved their most horrible punishments for him alone."
"Yes, and even though they tried to destroy the dead man's ability to avenge himself, Woser remained terri fied of his wrath. Hormin, with his usual lack of pity and love of tormenting those weaker than himself, taunted Woser with his fears. He would tease him that the dead prince was going to leave the tomb and come after Woser. Beltis heard him do this more than once the day he took her to see his tomb and his secret hoard."
Kysen rolled his eyes. "A stupid thing to do since he needed Woser to help him hide the valuables when they removed them. They were going to put them in Woser's family tomb, weren't they?"
Meren nodded as he tore a piece of bread from a loaf and bit into it. Swallowing, he continued. "The day he died, Hormin and Beltis fought as she said. He made the mistake of giving her that broad collar and thinking she'd be satisfied with it. But she wasn't, and they quarreled. As was her custom, she fled to the tomb-makers' village. When he came for her, she threatened to leave him. To keep her, he allowed her to see the old tomb and its treasure. She stayed, of course. But Woser was growing more and more terrified. So terrified that he became ill.
"Anyway, to keep Beltis satisfied, Hormin decided to give her a few more of the dead prince's baubles. Then he told Woser to meet him secretly that night at the Place of Anubis and bring the unguent, which Beltis had admired, and some gold rings that were on the prince's fingers."
"We found no gold rings at the Place of Anubis."
"Because Woser couldn't bring himself to touch the body again. Each time he went to the tomb, he suffered torments, fearing that the dead man would cast him into the underworld at any moment. He was certain that the Devourer would eat his soul. So he took only the unguent. Beltis got the truth from him when she returned to the village after Hormin's death. When Woser arrived at the embalming shed, Hormin was furious that he hadn't brought the rings. With his usual lack of judg ment, he told Woser he was a coward and an ass."
"Hardly cause to stick a knife in a man."
"But Hormin went further," Meren said as he stared into his wine. "He knew that Woser feared the protective spells and curses on the dead prince's amulets and the coffin and the tomb walls."
Meren set down his goblet, pulled a folded piece of papyrus from his belt, and handed it to Kysen. "To pro tect himself and distract the wrath of the gods and the dead man, he left that in the coffin. It's a letter to the prince. In it he names Woser as its desecrator."
Kysen opened the letter and read. When he finished, he dropped it and whistled. "By all the gods, what an infernal bastard Hormin was."
"Aye. There's nothing more dangerous than a fright ened and cornered animal. I don't understand why Hormin didn't realize what a risk he took. That night at the Place of Anubis, the fool told Woser about the letter-there in the place of the dead. Poor Woser went mad with fear and finally killed his tormentor."
Kysen shook his head in disbelief. "And all along, Beltis has been trying to preserve the secret of the prince's tomb. That's why she killed Bakwerner when he blundered into Hormin's house that day saying he knew things."
"She slipped out of the house while Bakwerner was fighting with the family and my men were distracted. She followed him to the office of records and tithes and killed him. Probably all Bakwerner really saw was the brothers watching Hormin depart for the Place of Anubis. His real aim must have been to get rid of the talented Djaper."
Kysen glanced at Meren's goblet. "And it would be easy for her to poison Djaper's wine for the same rea son, and then saunter over to the tomb-makers' village."
"Where she seduced Woser into returning to the prince's tomb," Meren said. "Do you know how she finally persuaded him? She promised him that they would burn the letter Hormin left and replace it with another blaming Hormin and calling down the wrath of the gods on the scribe's soul, which was already on its journey to the netherworld."
Kysen sank down in his pillows and groaned. "Fools. All of them, they were fools."
"I suppose they thought they could deceive the gods."
"Is that possible?" Kysen asked.
"I don't know, Ky, but I doubt it." Meren rose and glanced out at the garden. There was little time left before nightfall. "I must see the king this evening. He requested specifically to be informed about this murder. He's feeling trapped and restrained again. And there is this matter of the qeres unguent. He'll have to know about it, even if it proved a coincidence."
Meren paused, thinking. "Ky, there is evil news from the court concerning the queen. There is danger to the king. I can't explain it, but I've this foreboding, this vague fear that has no real foundation that I can perceive. Tomorrow we must speak of it."
Kysen nodded as he closed his eyes. "I thought you looked worried. I thank the gods I wasn't born royal."
"I do too." Meren smiled at his son. "Sleep well, Ky."
Hours later, Meren was admitted into the king's bedchamber through a concealed entrance guarded by tall Nubians. Tutankhamun was alone except for one body servant helping him undress, who lifted a heavy wig from the king's head. Tutankhamun sighed and ruffled the curls that refused to be suppressed by weighty headdresses and crowns. Meren went to his knees before the boy.
Tutankhamun frowned at him. "Where have you been? I sent for you this afternoon."
"Thy majesty is right to chastise me, but I have been pursuing thy enemies."
"Oh, leave off the ceremony. You're not hiding from me behind it."
"Yes, majesty." Meren straightened and sat on his heels. "I was pursuing the murderer of the Place of Anubis."
Tutankhamun cast a gold belt at his servant and whirled on Meren. "You caught him! Tell me everything."
While the king undressed, Meren told the story of Hormin, Woser, and Beltis. When he finished, the king sighed.
"I wish I could have been there for the fight."
"Gods preserve me from such an occurrence. Thy majesty mustn't expose his sacred life for such pettiness."
"My majesty is sick of ambassadors and banquets and especially of harems and wives."
The king vanished into his bathing chamber, and Meren heard the sloshing of water. Meren glanced about the room for the second time. He always inspected a room as he entered it. One never knew what dangers lay in even the most protected rooms in the kingdom. Bright tiles shone at him from the walls, white and deep Nile blue. Transparent hangings fluttered from the bed canopy. He glimpsed a vigilant royal guard at each corner. They stood in the shadows, spears at the ready, patient, silent.