Chapter 22 A Landowner
A Landowner
Zahra sat at a table covered in scrolls, fiddling with her seashell necklace as she read.
She checked her list of discrepancies at the border.
She had worked with Nubia to locate most of the foreigners still in Aur.
All those that entered had to be sponsored by a member of the royal court or by close servants of the King, such as priests, landowners, or army officials.
Most of the foreigners that came in were merchants or nomads looking to trade, but there were a handful of entries from the weeks leading up to the day of the Pa-sekhemty Feast that had never left.
One notable entry was that of a caravan that had entered Aur three weeks before the Feast. There was a discrepancy between the number of people who arrived and the number who left a week later.
The same could be said of a smaller caravan two weeks earlier.
The discrepancy in numbers totaled seven, the same number of the assassins, but neither of the records indicated who sponsored their visit.
All that was recorded was a small, illegible signature.
None of the border medjay recalled who allowed the caravans in, and Zahra had no way of deciphering who the signature belonged to.
Zahra blew her curls out of her face and leaned back in her chair. She attempted to rub the tiredness from her eyes, but the feeling remained no matter how much she rubbed or blinked.
The last time Zahra had visited Katerina in the Duat a few days ago, the cracks in her psyche were past her wrists. Katerina had confirmed the fatigue was from the apollos spreading on her psyche, and that she would feel its effects more with each death.
Zahra pushed past the tiredness and stood, collecting the scrolls to add to the pile of ones they did not need.
When that was done, she went back to the shelf of scrolls that had been brought from border offices and other buildings for housing records.
The table was in a corner of the downstairs, away from the scribes working.
A scribe had grabbed a few scrolls, bowing his head to Zahra as a greeting.
Zahra bowed her head in return, casting her gaze downward as she wrung her hands in front of her.
Namir had convinced her to wear clothes to match those of the scribes.
They were not much different from her own, but the fabric was finer and had sleeves, and she wore a colorful belt.
She had still not gotten used to the change in how people interacted with her.
She was one of them, and they treated her as such rather than as a servant.
Zahra stopped by the table, plucking a couple of scrolls from the pile. The obelisk tolled two Re. She still had a while more to work, and yet she felt it was not long enough.
“Good Re, Zahra.”
Zahra jumped from the voice. She let out a small laugh and bowed once she saw Nubia standing nearby. “I apologize, Vizier. You surprised me.”
Nubia’s mouth pressed in a thin line. “I wish to ask you a question.”
“Of course.” Zahra picked up another scroll. “What is your question?”
Nubia leaned against the wall, watching Zahra work. “Are you the King’s bride?”
Zahra stiffened. The scroll slipped from her hand, rolling onto the floor. “His bride?”
“Yes.” Nubia knelt down, picked up the scroll, and dusted it off. “This morning, my brother sent a servant to fetch clothes and a necklace from Iunu. He has never spoken of you before, but today you arrived on his horse, wearing his gifts.”
Zahra opened her mouth to respond, but Nubia returned the scroll to the table and continued.
“We have never met, but you knew what meal I enjoy when the servants asked, and you have a clear understanding of what we are doing here, an understanding only the King and I have discussed. So he has either told you what is happening and what progress he has made, or…”
Nubia’s eyes flitted to Zahra’s. “You already know because you have lived this day before.”
Zahra was frozen for a few moments, unsure of what to say. She put the scrolls down. “I am not his bride.”
Nubia studied Zahra’s face. “But you know about the spell.”
Zahra nodded. “Yes.”
Nubia narrowed her eyes, considering Zahra. She stepped forward, lowering her voice. “If you are not his bride, then who are you?”
Zahra took a breath. “I am a servant of Nebthet.”
“A sibyl.” Nubia leaned back in surprise. “I have read about you. I thought your kind were all gone.”
Zahra shook her head. “I am here to help the King. The assassins are a threat to him and this kingdom. They must be found.”
“Who is his bride, then?” Nubia questioned. “He told me this morning he was looking for her. Is she truly lost? Or is he aware of who she is, but he is seeking out the assassins instead?”
“He is searching for her while I work here,” Zahra said. “In this day, the assassins are trapped. Once we find them and who they work for, we can find his bride and end the spell.”
“I see.” Nubia dropped her arms and turned away. “Then, I should let you return to your work.”
Zahra bit her cheek and stepped forward. “Vizier.”
Nubia paused and glanced back.
Zahra swallowed. “Will you tell the Pharaoh Queen about me?”
Nubia considered Zahra. “No.” She turned toward Zahra and stepped toward her.
“But if I could offer you some advice. I would not entertain the King’s wishes to find the assassins.
If what he has told me is true, it has been a long time this day has gone on.
The longer this day repeats, the more danger he is in.
We can always search for the assassins another day, but we cannot protect him if we do not have time to prepare.
He should find his bride and end the spell before it is too late. ”
Zahra nodded. “Thank you, Vizier. I will consider that.”
Nubia nodded to Zahra before turning and walking out of sight.
Zahra let out a breath, leaning against the table.
“Why is his whole family so frightening?” she muttered to herself, picking up scrolls to take back to her table.
As she was walking back, she paused by one of the rows of shelves.
She placed the scrolls on the floor, making her way to the middle row and getting on her knees.
On the bottom shelf, hidden among the older papyri, was a new, clean scroll.
Zahra plucked it from its hiding place and opened it. It was a record about a current landowner. Why was it here?
The most recent note about the landowner was scribbled on the bottom, a note from a few years ago about the birth of his daughter. Zahra’s eyes narrowed on the signature at the end, and she jumped to her feet, tripping over her dress as she ran out of the row of shelves.
Zahra followed the medjay on her horse, doing her best to navigate around the people and animals occupying the road into Yamu. She had been training with Ramses for some time, but she still had much to learn. The medjay slowed down for her, and Zahra caught up to him.
After several minutes, Zahra finally caught sight of Namir and his group of soldiers accompanying him. He was signing something to Ramses when he saw her. “Zahra?”
“Namir!” She slid off her horse, stumbling as she ran to him. She pulled some papyri from her bag. “I found him! I found the one who brought the assassins into Aur.”
Namir took the papyri, his brow furrowing as he read the documents. “These are the records about those caravans we found.”
“Yes. We couldn’t figure out whose signature that was, but I found that it matched the signature on this record of the landowner Geb.
” She pointed at the papyrus, and Namir brought it to the front of the pile.
“One of the other scribes said that he knew the servant, and that Geb was known for sponsoring visits from merchants. And he is here! In Yamu!”
“This is excellent.” He handed the papyri back to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “You are incredible, Zahra.”
Zahra hid a blush. “I—I already sent someone to alert your uncle. He will meet you there.”
“Then I must get going.” He pulled away, calling to one of his medjay to bring him his horse.
Zahra stepped forward as Namir got on Victory, motioning for his soldiers to follow him. She put her hand on Namir’s leg, and he met her gaze, shocked out of his focus. “Be careful, Namir. Use your best judgment.”
Namir’s eyes softened, and he offered his hand to her. “Come with me.”
Zahra’s eyes sparkled. “You want me there?”
“Of course.” He smiled. “I value your input.”
She grinned and took Namir’s hand. He helped her onto the horse, and she sat behind him, wrapping her arms around his stomach. Once Ramses and the other medjay had mounted their horses, they rode off.
By the time they arrived, Geb’s house was surrounded by medjay.
Waaiz stepped out of the house as Namir helped Zahra off the horse.
He scrutinized her as she pulled her wind-tousled hair over her debt tag.
He stepped up to Namir, ignoring her entirely as a medjay took Namir’s horse.
“Welcome, my King. We have Geb detained inside.”
“Excellent. Let us go inside.”
Waaiz eyed Zahra and Namir’s joined hands before he turned around and led them to the house.
Namir lowered his voice and leaned toward her as they entered the house. “Stay close to the walls, if you can. I don’t know what Geb might do.”
Zahra’s stomach knotted as she followed him up the stairs.
“I assure you, I have done nothing wrong,” a voice cried. “I demand you summon the King here at once!”
Namir released Zahra’s hand as he stepped into the room. “There is no need for that, Geb.”
Waaiz stopped beside an older man with a gray beard who was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. His wife and children stood in the corner, held there by some medjay.
Zahra lingered by the wall as Namir walked up to the man. Waaiz eyed her cautiously, switching his focus to Namir as he approached.