Sita thought of Maet’s little body cooling in her bed. She didn’t deserve any of this.
Still, she couldn’t stop the horrible, selfish thoughts from spilling out of her. All the things she wished to say, but never did.
Would you cry this way for me, Father?she wondered as he gasped and shook with despair.I’m not innocent and pure—not anymore, but I am yours! Your flesh! Your blood! Maybe I wouldn’t be so broken, if only you’d loved me!
With a shudder, the king collapsed, tumbling forward off the bench and onto the soft, loamy ground below.
Sita stared at him, feeling once more that her anger had materialized into a weapon and struck down its target. She took a step back.
“Father?” she whispered.
Only the nightjars replied.Kroo, kroo!
Sita turned on her heel and ran into the palace, screaming for help.
20
Karim
“Stay.”
The dog cocked his head and studied Karim’s outstretched hand.
“I have to go away for a while,” Karim said slowly, as if enunciating each word might help Behkai understand their meaning. “And I can’t bring you with me, so I want you tostaywith theboat.” He pointed to the skiff anchored to the riverbank behind them.
Behkai blinked. Having enjoyed a nice long rest, the black dog seemed to have recovered from his encounter with the creature the night before. Karim hated leaving him alone while he went to the temple, but he had no other choice.
“You know how to handle yourself, hey?” Karim went on. “Don’t let anyone steal the skiff, and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Behkai whined. The dog stared at him, his expression sending a message so clear that even Karim, who was still new to canine companionship, could understand.
“Yes, I will bring food,” Karim said with a sigh.
Behkai licked his chops and didn’t budge when Karim adjusted the white tunic Raetawy had given him and made his way toward the temple gates. After dragging the skiff onto the riverbank earlier that day, he’d stripped down to his loincloth and dipped his hands into the river, splashing the cool water over his bruised and battered body before slipping into the gifted white tunic. Thinking he might need them later, he’d scrubbed the blood and grime from his dark robes too, and hung them on thecrook of the skiff to dry in the sun.
“Well,” he muttered nervously as he looked up at the towering structure before him, “if not now, then when?”
Of all the wonders Karim had seen on his journey upriver, the Temple of Amun was the most alluring. A line of ram-headed lion statues led up to two massive pylons, each flanked by flagpoles sporting long flapping banners in red and green. Every fingerbreadth of the temple’s high walls was carved and painted with symbols, colorful geometric patterns, and larger-than-life figures of men and gods. Crowds of people swarmed around its entrance—soldiers, peasants, vendors leading donkeys laden with merchandise, and serious bald-headed men dressed in white. Karim noticed some larger boats anchored nearby where groups of workers in loincloths labored, lifting boxes of goods from their holds and carrying them toward the temple gates.
It must be a supply delivery day, Karim deduced. It wasn’t going to be easy to gain access to the temple records, but it would be a lot easier on a day when strangers were streaming in and out of the temple on a regular basis. If he could slip inside unnoticed, he’d only need to figure out where they kept the records. Bribe someone to help him, perhaps. One of the priceless objects from his pack might loosen some lips.
Unless of course, I offer it to the wrong person and get caught.
Karim gulped, the thought of losing a hand—or his head—stopping him in his tracks.
What am I doing?
Sure, he’d started this journey because he’d promised the old priest to find answers about Setnakht and his relationship to the Oracle of the Lamb, but things had changed. The monster was dead. He’d left it impaled on that tree. It wouldn’t be following him any longer, nor hurting anyone else. Didn’t that make an end of it? Whatever else the oracle predicted, it had nothing to dowith him. Why dig into this nightmare any further? What good would it do?
I could take my treasures to the Thonis market, as I’d planned, trade them for the best weapons in the land, and sail back to the Anen, he thought.Hager and Babu wouldn’t stand a chance against a Khetaran bow and khopesh. They wouldn’t see it coming. I’d cut them down, take back my family—
Karim shook his head. No. Just because he’d killed Setnakht, didn’t mean the events of the oracle would never come to pass. The old priest had warned him that the impending disaster wouldn’t only affect the Khetarans. If Pasenhor was right, then Karim’s family still wasn’t safe from it. A few Khetaran weapons wouldn’t be enough to protect them.
Despite his best efforts, his mind was inexorably drawn back that distant valley. To a tomb that was now the final resting place of a boy who’d deserved better.He’dopened that door.Hewas the one who set all this in motion—or so it seemed. It was his responsibility to make sure no one else was hurt by his actions. Whether he liked it or not, he needed to honor his vow and try to find an answer.
Djet’s voice came once more into his ear.
If anyone can find it, you can.
