Cast of Characters
At the Fortress of Buhen
Lieutenant Bak — Officer in charge of the Medjay police
Sergeant Imsiba — Bak's second-in-command, a Medjay
Commandant Thuty — Officer in charge of the garrison of Buhen; has nominal command over the other garrison commanders; along the Belly of Stones
Troop Captain Nebwa — Thuty's second-in-command
Seneb — An Egyptian trader just back from Kush, far to the south
Meru — An old fisherman with a vast knowledge of the river
Nofery — Proprietress of a house of pleasure, Bak's local informant
Kenamon — Physician-priest from the capital city of Waset
Pashenuro and Kasaya — The two Medjays who accompany Bak to Iken
At the Fortress of Men
Commander Woser — Officer in charge of the garrison of Iken
Aset — Woser's beautiful daughter
Lieutenant Puemre — An unpopular infantry officer
Ramose — A deaf-mute child; Puemre's servant
Troop Captain Huy — Woser's second-in-command
Lieutenant Nebseny — Archery officer, a man who loves Aset
Lieutenant Senu — Garrison watch officer
Lieutenant Inyotef — River pilot; a man Bak knows from the past
Sennufer — Proprietor of a house of pleasure
Antef — A besotted potter who dreamed he saw a murder
Senmut — An armorer, a man who mourns Puemre
Mutnefer — Senmut's daughter; Puemre's housekeeper and more
Minnakht — Puemre's sergeant
Amon-Psaro — A powerful Kushite king
Amon-Karka — Amon-Psaro's ill son
Plus various and sundry soldiers, scribes, and townspeople
Those who walk the corridors of power in Kemet
Maatkare Hatshepsut — Queen of Kemet
Menkheperri Tuthmose — The queen's nephew; ostensibly shares the throne with his aunt
Nihisy — Chancellor
The Gods and Goddesses
Amon — The primary god during much of Egyptian history, especially the early 18th Dy nasty, the time of this story; takes the form of a human being
Horns of Buhen — A local version of the falcon god Horns
Maat — Goddess of truth and order; represented by a feather
Hapi — The river god
Hathor — A goddess with many attributes, such as motherhood, happiness, dancing and mu sic, war; often depicted as a cow
Osiris — A very ancient fertility god; king of the netherworld; shown as a man wrapped in a shroud
Re — The sun god
Khepre — The rising sun