Egyptian - 01 - River God by Wilbur Smith

Author:Wilbur Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9781499860801
Published: 2018-06-04T23:00:00+00:00

AT MIDNIGHT the chancellor and the chief inspector of the royal taxes came to the king’s chamber where I was changing the dressing on his injured arm. They presented their final tally of the amount of the treasure and Pharaoh read it with awe. Once again, his emotions warred with each other, outrage vying with euphoria at this staggering windfall.

‘The rogue was richer than his own king. There is no punishment harsh enough for such evil. He has cheated and robbed me and my tax-collectors.’

‘As well as murdering and plundering Lord Harrab and tens of thousands of your subjects,’ I reminded him, as I secured the bandage on his arm. It was perhaps impudent of me. However, he was by now so deep in my debt that I could risk it.

‘That too,’ he agreed readily enough, my sarcasm wasted upon him. ‘His guilt is deep as the sea and high as the heaven. I will have to devise a suitable punishment. The strangler’s rope is too kind for Lord Intef.’

‘Majesty, as your physician, I must insist that you rest now. It has been a day that has taxed even your great strength and endurance.’

‘Where is Intef? I cannot rest until I am assured that he is well taken care of.’

‘He is under guard in his own quarters, Majesty. A senior captain and a detachment of the Blues have that duty.’ I hesitated delicately. ‘Rasfer is also under guard.’

‘Rasfer, that ugly drooling animal of his? The one who tried to kill you in the temple of Osiris? Did he survive the crack that Lord Tanus gave him?’

‘He is well if not happy, Pharaoh,’ I assured him. ‘Did Your Majesty know that Rasfer is the one who, so long ago, used the gelding-knife upon me?’ I saw the beam of pity in the king’s eye, as I blurted it out.

‘I will deal with him as I deal with his master,’ Pharaoh promised. ‘He will suffer the same punishment as Lord Intef. Will that satisfy you, Taita?’

‘Your Majesty is just and omniscient.’ I backed out of his presence and went to find my mistress.

She was waiting for me and, although it was after midnight and I was exhausted, she would not let me sleep. She was far too overwrought, and she insisted that for the rest of the night I sit beside her bed and listen to her chatter about Tanus and other topics of lesser importance.

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