Guardian of the Horizon (16 page)

others, he was young and strongly built, with a thin, keen face and piercing dark eyes. Emerson and Ramses walked slowly toward him. The men had gathered round me, like nervous chicks around a mother hen. Emerson's orders, or, more likely, Zerwali's fate, had had a distinctly sobering effect. "So I was right," Newbold said, his eyes glittering with greed. "Even a lowly soldier wears a fortune in gold." "You don't know how lowly he is," I retorted. "Do be quiet." Ramses and Emerson were only a few feet away when the captain suddenly called out, "It is he. It is the Father of Curses. The Great Ones have returned!" All the camels knelt, with remarkable precision for a group ofcamels, and the riders raised their spears in salute. The captain dismounted and dropped to his knees before Emerson. I had not realized I was holding my breath until it left my lungs in an explosive sigh.

Emerson's Meroitic vocabulary was limited, but as Ramses pointed out to him, he wasn't required to do anything but look lordly. It had not been necessary for Ramses to translate the captain's announcement; his action had spoken louder than words, and most of the words had been familiar to Emerson. Emerson drew himself up and accepted the homage with a gracious wave of his hand, remarking in English, "Quite an impressive performance, eh? It was meant to honor us." "Zerwali didn't get that impression," Ramses said. "Poor devil." "Damn fool," Emerson corrected. He had little patience with stupidity or with insubordination. "He might have brought a rain of arrows down on us." "I think the leader is waiting for you to address him, Father." "You do the talking, my boy. Introduce yourself, ask his name, tell him how delighted we are to see him, and that sort of thing." Ramses couldn't help being somewhat flattered at the captain's reaction when he mentioned his name. The fellow had risen when Emerson indicated he might do so; he promptly knelt again. The "great lady of the house"--and her parasol--were acknowledged with equal respect, but when the captain--whose name was Har---saw Nefret, he bowed so low the feathers in his headdress dragged in the dust. "Since I am not allowed to speak," said Nefret in cutting tones, "ask him about the little boy." At first Har didn't seem to understand what Ramses meant. When Ramses elaborated--the child, the prince, who had been ill--he repeated, "The prince. Yes. He is well. Now will you come with us, you and your servants?" The men were obviously not keen on the idea. In daylight the true nature of their would-be escort was apparent, but the warlike aspect of the troop was hardly reassuring. However, there was really no alternative, as Ramses pointed out to one of the waverers. "Would you prefer to stay here? The camels are weary and so are your men, and the water is running low." It was a rhetorical question; they wouldn't have been allowed to stay behind, even if they had been foolish enough to choose that alternative. Masud went off, muttering, to join the burial party. Emerson allowed them time for prayer and a few glasses of tea before urging them to load up. "There is fresh water and fresh meat ahead, and shade where you may rest. They are preparing a feast for us!" Ramses couldn't remember hearing Har mention a feast, but it went over well. Even the camels appeared to sense that they were nearing water. They moved faster than they had for days. Emerson promptly urged his riding camel to the head of the procession, slightly in front of Har, and Ramses grinned to himself. No one had to teach his father new tricks. He walked alongside the camel on which Nefret and Daria were riding and tried to make conversation. "Not far now," he said encouragingly. Nefret only nodded, but Daria turned and looked down at him, her eyes wide. "Who are these people? They do not ride like tribesmen, but like soldiers the British have trained." "I can assure you the British had no hand in their training," Ramses said. "They live far away and have no contact with the outside world. You'll be all right, Daria, I promise." She withdrew rather quickly. Ramses saw that Newbold was close behind him. The hunter's gaze was fixed on the nearest soldier, one of the youngest of the troop, who sported a thin golden armlet. Ramses felt as if he could read Newbold's mind. There was the gold he sought, worn by a common soldier. He'll try something, Ramses thought. But what can he do? If he hadn't known the oasis was near, he would have taken thevision of palms and verdure for a mirage. The men saw it too; a low chorus of amazement and relief arose. "So the Father of Curses spoke truth," exclaimed Masud, his bloodshot eyes narrowing. "The Father of Curses does not lie," said Daoud. The place was larger in extent than Ramses remembered--acres of lush grass, with several small pools and trees of various species. They rode for a quarter of an hour into the green heart of the place before the escort halted in a clearing. In the shade of the date palms was a cluster of huts, constructed like the Nubian tukhuls of branches and mud brick. Ramses hurried to his father, who appeared to be having some difficulty understanding the officer's remarks. As soon as Har saw Ramses he made his camel kneel and dismounted, bowing and raising his hands. "These have been made ready for the Great Ones," he said, indicating the huts. "All that you need and wish will be brought to you." "I wonder if Selim and Daoud rank as Great Ones," said Ramses, watching the troop lead the rest of the caravan away. "And Daria." He addressed the officer in Meroitic. "Where are they taking our people?" "To a place where they can camp. It is not fitting that they should be close to the Great Ones. Now, will you go within? Rest well tonight, for tomorrow we will go on. Servants will come to you." "Tell him we want Selim and Daoud with us," Emerson ordered. "What about Newbold?" "Him too," said Emerson ungrammatically but forcibly. "I want to keep my eye on the bastard. There are enough huts to go round." "You aren't going to let him take Daria--" "No," said Emerson, in a voice like a large boulder slamming onto stone. He helped his wife dismount and led her to the largest of the huts. She gave it a quick inspection. "Excellent," she said happily. "One of them must have ridden on ahead to warn of our arrival. There are even basins of water for bathing!" Emerson proceeded to allocate houses, directing Newbold to one on the edge of the group. Nefret and Daria shared another, next to the elder Emersons, and Daoud and Selim a third. Half a dozen servants turned up while Ramses was selecting his abode. They wore kilts and a few strings of beads, and they were carrying a miscellaneous lot of luggage. Bent over from the waist in a token of deep respect, one of them murmured something which Ramses translated. "He says if we give them our clothes, they will wash them." "Splendid," said Emerson. "That should make you happy, Peabody. Come in and freshen up a bit, eh?" He lifted the curtain over the door invitingly. "Everything appears to be quite satisfactory," his wife conceded. Except for one little detail, Ramses thought, watching his parents vanish into comparative privacy. All the servants were men. He hadn't set eyes on a single woman. This was a military encampment, after all; no doubt the garrison was changed at regular intervals, and the men were expected to get along without distracting female companionship while on this duty. How could they leave Daria here, alone with Newbold and several dozen soldiers?

After a refreshing if limited bath, I assumed the least grubby of my garments and settled onto a stool with my journal. I had fallen rather behind with it and there was certainly a great deal to write about. We had been served a light repast--dates, so sweet and fresh they might have been an entirely different fruit than the hardened objects we had eaten along the way, fresh-baked unleavened bread, and wine. The servants assured us better and more ample food was being prepared. Emerson went to the door and raised the curtain. "Would you care to take a little stroll, Peabody, or do you want to rest for a while?" "As you can see, I am not in need of rest, my dear. But I suppose my journal can wait a bit longer." When we emerged we found Ramses deep in conversation with Selim. There was no need to ask about Daoud; reverberant snores issued from the hut he shared with Selim. The girls must be resting too, for the piece of matting over the door of their house was lowered. We decided not to disturb them, but Ramses and Selim were pleased to join us. We walked more or less at random, through a grove of date palms and past a stream of clear water that flowed into a large stone basin, enjoying the shade and the cool air. In the distance I heard the bleating of goats and the quacking of ducks. "It is as large as Siwa and Kharga," Selim exclaimed. "How is it that this place is unknown?" "Not so large," replied Emerson. "But sizable enough to support herds and raise crops. They have quite an effective irrigation system," he added, as we passed several small plots of vegetables. "It is unknown because the people who control it take pains to make sure it remains unknown." The trees had thinned out and fingers of sand intruded onto the green grass. "We had better go back," I said. "Nefret will wonder what has become of us." We followed another route on the way back, along a well-trodden path that led from the fields to what seemed to be the servants' village. It was a bustle of activity--meat turning on spits and pots boiling. Our unexpected appearance threw the cooks into complete disarray. One of them dropped a roasting fowl into the ashes, and the others exhibited such consternation that we went on without stopping. Nefret was pacing up and down in the little clearing when we reached it. "Where have you been?" she demanded. "That bastard Newbold has gone wandering off too. I wanted to follow him, but I was afraid to leave Daria alone." "I doubt he can get into mischief here," said Emerson, though he frowned a little. "We only saw the domestic quarters," I explained with a smile. "I fear dinner may be late; we disturbed the cooks." However, it was not long before a procession arrived bearing food and drink, low tables, and mats on which to sit. Looking quiterefreshed after his nap, Daoud tucked into the food with good appetite, and Daria was persuaded to venture out of the hut. I suggested we ask the captain to join us, but was voted down. "One musn't be polite to inferiors," said Emerson with a grin. "Leave it to him to sue for an audience." "Newbold hasn't come back," said Ramses. "Where do you suppose he's gone?" "I don't give a curse where he's gone," said Emerson. "I have his weapons, and if he thinks he can corrupt Har's lot, he will get a rude surprise." Some of us--I must include myself--ate more than we ought to have done; the roast fowl and fresh bread were so tasty after our sparse diet. The sun had sunk below the tops of the trees before we finished, and the servants began clearing away the remains of the food. Emerson leaned back with a sigh of repletion and began filling his pipe. "Perhaps I ought to locate our men," he said lazily. "Make certain they are comfortable, and have a little chat with Masud on the subject of afrits." "It can wait," I said, stifling a yawn. "We won't be able to go on for a few more days. I won't mind resting awhile. This is such a pleasant place." Nefret opened her mouth and snapped it shut again. I knew what she had intended to say. She wanted to go on as quickly as possible. The captain's reassurance about the sick child had not entirely convinced her. Ramses glanced at her and then said, "Far be it from me to spoil your plans, Mother, but I'm not sure we will be allowed to linger. Har means to press on tomorrow." "But the camels," I exclaimed. "They will need to be watered and fed." "Our camels, yes," said Ramses. "Theirs are rested and ready. Do you suppose Har will allow any of our men to go on to the Holy Mountain? He's here to prevent that very thing." Emerson let out an exclamation. "By Gad, you may be right. It's high time we had a talk with Har. Here, you--" He caught one ofthe unfortunate servants by the arm. I feared for a moment that the fellow was going to faint, but he rallied long enough to listen to Emerson's order. Emerson had enough Meroitic to say, "Fetch Har to me." He was particularly familiar with the imperative form of verbs. When Har appeared he was not alone. Two of his men were with him; struggling in their grip, teeth bared, was Newbold. "We found him hiding behind one of the houses, listening to you speak," said Har, without so much as a preliminary bow. "If he is a friend, why was he not with you?" "He is no friend," Nefret exclaimed indignantly. Har glanced obliquely at her and averted his eyes. It occurred to me then that he had never looked directly at her. The women of the Holy Mountain were not required to seclude themselves, or go about veiled--except for certain priestesses, the handmaidens of the goddess Isis, who were swaddled from head to foot when they appeared in public. Har's attitude toward Nefret must be a token of respect. "Hold on a minute, Nefret," said Ramses. He proceeded to translate what Har had said. He didn't have to translate Nefret's response. Emerson gave her a stern look. "Contain yourself, Nefret. Ramses, tell them to release him. He is no friend, but he is our responsibility. If there is such a concept in Meroitic," he added. "Newbold, what the devil were you doing?" Newbold shook himself free. He had not bothered to freshen up, and he looked like a wild man with his unkempt beard and long dirty hair. "Sparing you my unwelcome company," he said with a sneer. "I wanted to see what this place is like, since you intend to leave us here at the mercy of these savages." Daria, who was, as usual, close to Nefret, murmured something to her, and Nefret burst out again. "Professor, you can't mean to--" "You can trust me, I believe," said Emerson, "to do what is right without advice from you. Let me remind you--all of you--that we have a certain dignity to maintain. Squabbling and disagreement do not help." Nefret's eyes fell. "I'm sorry, sir." "Hmph," said Emerson. "Newbold, sit down over there andkeep your mouth closed. Ramses, ask Har to share his thoughts with us." It was as Ramses had surmised. We were to move on at once, under military escort, for the king's heart ached to see us. "We" being our four selves only. "That won't do," said Emerson, who had lit his pipe--a procedure that made the imperturbable captain stare in wonder. "I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense to leave our fellows here; they will be comfortable, and we will be amply escorted. We intended to leave Newbold behind anyhow. But Selim and Daoud must come with us. And, of course, Daria." "See here," Newbold exclaimed. "You can't--" "I fail to see how you can prevent me," said Emerson with excessive politeness. "Good Gad, man, there are no women here. At least I haven't seen any. Do you claim you could keep Daria safe from these savages, as you have been pleased to call them? Even if she wanted to stay?" "May I speak, sir?" Nefret inquired with equally excessive sweetness. "Daria has already told me--" "Let her speak for herself," said Emerson. "Well, Daria?" "Please don't leave me here." Her expressive dark eyes moved from Emerson to Ramses, and, after a long moment, to me. "Please." "Certainly not," I said. "That settles that," said Emerson. "Ramses, you may inform Har of our decision. Don't ask him," he added. "Tell him." "Using the imperative form of the verb?" Ramses inquired. "As often as possible," said Emerson, returning his smile. The people of the Holy Mountain are a courteous lot. Har had listened to the discussion in silence, with no sign of impatience and without attempting to break into it--which would have been a waste of time, since he had not the least idea what we were talking about. He listened with equally attentive silence to Ramses's speech, and then nodded. "It shall be as the Father of Curses says. With his permission, we leave tomorrow at dawn." "That was easier than I expected," I remarked, after Ramses had translated. "We had better get some rest if we are to leave so early." "Not just yet," said Emerson. "Ramses, tell him I must talk with our men first. I want his word, the word of an officer and--er--a devout follower of the gods--that no harm will come to them while we are away." "I am fair game, I suppose," Newbold said with an ugly twist of his lips. "Him too," said Emerson regretfully. He got the oath he had demanded. I recognized the word "Aminreh" and knew the officer had sworn by the chief god of the Holy Mountain, the most binding of promises. By the time we had everything settled, darkness was complete and the moon had risen--a waning moon, which gave little light. Selim, indignantly refusing the assistance of the servants, started a nice little bonfire and began stewing tea--a commodity which was not included in the cuisine of the oasis. Emerson returned from his visit to our men, escorted by soldiers carrying torches. He had refused Ramses's offer to come with him, remarking that he was beginning to pick up some of the language and that he knew the words for "protect," "safe," and "swear," along with the essential pronouns. "I made him swear again," he announced, looking quite pleased with himself. "And say he would protect them and that they would be safe." Emerson does have a way of making himself understood, even in a language he speaks poorly. "How did the men take it?" Ramses asked. "Masud wasn't well pleased," Emerson admitted. He accepted a cup of tea from Selim and sipped it appreciatively. "I had to point out the obvious: that even though he and his men had rifles, it wouldn't do them a particle of good to overpower the garrison, even supposing they could. They don't know the way back. The others were less resistant. They had just gorged themselves on the first meat they have had for days, and some of them were washing their clothes. I assured them they would be paid for the days they spend here, and that seemed to satisfy them." "You seem pretty cheerful yourself," I said. (Self-satisfied wouldhave been closer to the mark.) "Emerson, are you sure we are doing the right thing?" "What do you mean?" Emerson asked in surprise. I lowered my voice and glanced over my shoulder, at the hut to which Daria had retired, pleading weariness. "Taking her with us." I was the recipient of three outraged stares--no, only two. Ramses's fixed gaze was less condemnatory than speculative. "You don't mean it, Aunt Amelia," Nefret cried. Emerson shouted her down. "For God's sake, Peabody, we cannot leave a defenseless young woman at the mercy of--" I shouted him down. "Don't bellow!" Emerson subsided, simmering, and Ramses anticipated Nefret's protest. "Mother meant nothing of the kind. We must take her with us, there is no question of doing otherwise. She was simply expressing doubts--doubts I share--as to Daria's real motives." A peremptory gesture from me reminded Nefret that Newbold was nearby. Her voice was not loud, but it was acid-sharp. "You've always been against her. I never thought I would find you so puritanical." Ramses made no attempt to defend himself against that unjust charge. "May I remind you," he said patiently, "of what she said the night she came to my room. She said she had her own reasons for staying with Newbold. She rejected my offer of help." "She has changed her mind," Nefret said. "Women are prone to that weakness, you know. Perhaps it was your charm that influenced her to change it." "That will be quite enough, Nefret," I said. "I cannot think of any way in which she could constitute a danger to us, but I am in full agreement with Ramses that we must be on our guard. Trust no one, not even the innocent. That was what Abdullah--what Abdullah always said." "I don't recall his ever saying that," remarked Emerson. "He said it to me." I spoke the literal truth. I never prevaricate unless it is absolutely necessary.