He was about to make a run for the gates, when—
“Nehshi, you found him!” a childlike voice rang out.
Karim turned to see the bald-headed girl he’d seen earlier beaming at the befuddled priest.
“You know this man, Nefermaat?” Nehshi asked.
“I have been waiting for him,” the girl replied. “He’s come from a faraway kingdom to peruse our collection of papyri. Isn’t that right?” She turned to Karim, eyebrows raised meaningfully.
Karim had no idea why the girl had stepped up to claim him, but he decided it was best to play along.
“Yes, of course,” he answered, adopting a formal tone. “My apologies, sena. I did not see you when I arrived, so I offered this young man a gift in exchange for his assistance.”
The young priest blinked, clearly bewildered by Karim’s abrupt change in manner.
“But, you… you said—” Nehshi stammered, still uncertain.
“You may keep it, of course,” Karim added, closing the priest’s hand over the golden buckle and patting it.
“Master Montuhotep is aware of his visit,” the girl said. “I’m sure he’d want his guest treated well, don’t you think?”
“But the purification ritual—”
“His kingdom does not observe our practices,” Neff broke in. “So the master has allowed him to bypass the cleansing.”
Nehshi glanced back and forth between Karim and the girl for before relaxing his shoulders and slipping the bauble into the pocket of his tunic.
“Apologies for my ignorance,” he said, dipping his head in astiff bow. “I hope you enjoy your visit to the House of Amun.”
Karim touched a knuckle to his nose. “I’m sure I will.”
Once the young priest had hurried away, the girl tilted her bald head at Karim and said, “Come with me.”
Karim followed her down the left-hand passage, feeling as bewildered as Nehshi had looked. Had this enterprising girl gotten a glimpse of the contents of his pack and seen it as an opportunity to get her hands on some valuables? He acknowledged a group of scribes as they passed, chattering among themselves, then tried to address the girl once they were out of earshot.
“Hey, kid. What’s the deal, hey? If it’s jewelry you want, I’ve got rings, bracelets—”
“Why do you want to see the temple records?” she broke in, her voice low. She kept walking, her gaze forward.
Karim hesitated.
“Tell me the truth or I’ll scream,” the girl added. “They’ll find out you’re not supposed to be here, and you’ll get thrown out.”
I’d be lucky to be thrown out and not killed, Karim thought, but decided not to say so. Still, he was impressed—the girl only looked slightly older than his little sisters, but she was clearly quite the shrewd customer.
“I need to find out about someone. An ancient Khetaran king named Setnakht. His name is on an ancient artifact I found in the Red Lands, but a priest I met told me there was no record of a pharaoh by that name. He said that my only chance of learning anything about him was in the papyri stored at this temple, in the House of Life. So I came to see what I could find. That’s it, all right? I don’t mean anyone any harm. And I’m happy to offer you a gift in exchange for your assistance.”
“I don’t want any gifts.”
Karim was at a loss. He stopped walking. “If you didn’t want jewelry, then why did you help me? What do you want?”
The girl stopped and quickly scanned the corridor to ensure they were alone. Then she turned and faced him. Her expression was defiant, but he could see the fear in it too.
“The first day I got here, someone helped me too,” she said. “Besides, I know who you are. And I want your help.”
“What?” He studied her face, but he was certain he’d never seen her before. The girl’s eyes were strange, too old for her young face.How could she know who I am?
He found himself unable to tear his gaze from her stare. Her eyes were deep dark wells that had no bottom, and they pulled at him like the invisible force that led him to secret places. He felt dizzy and strange.
