ABACUS (18 page)

The second building was smaller than the first, and much cleaner. Nekhti pointed to a wide roll of bandage material, attached to the wall like a giant toilet roll.

“We've got to cut long strips,” he said, pulling on the free end of the roll. “Here, you hold while I cut.” Once he had cut one strip, he rolled it into a bandage. As they cut and rolled together, Nekhti explained the final stages of mummification.

“After the forty days in natron, the embalmers have to re-stuff the body and sew up all the openings. Then they rub it all over with oils and spices, paint on hot resin and it's ready for bandaging.”

When they swapped jobs, AP discovered that cutting a straight edge was harder than it looked.

“The wrapping is the most difficult part of embalming,” Nekhti continued. “After dipping the bandages in resin, the embalmers bind the body, wrapping each finger and toe separately. They include special charms in the bandaging, to help the journey to the afterlife.”

“What about the outer casing?” asked AP. “Aren't t
here several?”

Nekhti nodded. “The first is the smallest. Sometimes it's just made from strips of bandage dipped in plaster. The mask comes next, painted like the person's face.” He gestured with his hands to show how it fitted over the head and shoulders. “This is really important because it allows the person's ba—their spirit—to find its way back to the body at night, after visiting the world during the day.”

Egyptian beliefs were more complicated than AP had realized.

“The next mummy case is painted to look like the person dressed in their finest clothes. The outer box is also painted.”

“What about the sarcophagus?” asked AP, thinking of the heavy stone boxes he'd seen in museums.

“The outer case is the sarcophagus.”

“Oh, I thought the sarcophagus was made of stone.”

“Sometimes it is, but that's only for pharaohs and other important people.”

Chapter 29: Conjuring up Magic

The morning flew by and the boys were soon on their way to the temple. Nefret had packed them a lunch—some flat bread, olives and figs, with a flask of water for AP instead of beer. AP didn't think he'd have any appetite, but he munched away with his friend as they walked around the perimeter wall.

After reporting to the priest, AP and Nekhti spent the next two hours running errands around the temple. Then it was time for Nekhti's class. They agreed to meet outside the temple entrance at sunset, then the two boys went their separate ways.

AP squinted up at the afternoon sun. He had been waiting at the rendezvous for some time since the temple trumpet had sounded, and still there was no sign of Kate. He was about to check whether she'd left a note, when he saw her.

“Sorry,” she said, slipping behind a column. We had a late start.”

“How long have we got?”

“Plenty of time.” Kate sounded remarkably relaxed. “Tamit's meeting someone. She was being mysterious, so it could be a boy. Anyway, we're not getting together for an hour.”

AP expected her to tell him all about her “dream”, but she had other things on her mind.

“You should see where Tamit lives. It's more like a palace than a house—a great hall, stone columns, rooms everywhere, a huge garden, and a pool. The servants' building is like a mansion.” She barely paused for breath. “And the servants do absolutely everything! Tamit has a servant to help her bathe and get dressed, and another to put on her makeup. I've got this amazing room, with my own bathroom.”

“You won't want to go back home.”

“I could certainly get used to living in ancient Egypt. How about you?”

“I'm not living in quite such luxury. They're really nice people though and they've made me feel like one of the family.” Then, changing the subject, he asked about her “dream.”

“It worked like magic. Especially when I mentioned the white bread.”

“So you're not suspected of being a fraud?”

“No way. When I told Tamit about the dream, she said I should be resting. She's already spoken with the priests and they agree. They say I can attend the ceremonies if I want, though I don't have to perform any duties. So I can get up to speed without raising suspicions.”

After chatting about the priesthood, and Egyptian beliefs, he said he had an idea for her magical trick.

“What is it?”

“I'd rather wait until I've had a chance to build the thing and try it out.”

“How long will that take?”

“Half an hour. But I'll need your help getting all the stuff.”

“What do you need?”

“First, a piece of really thin white linen—you must be able to see light through it—about the size of a sheet of paper.”

“No problem.”

“I also need some black cloth, about this large.” He stretched out his arms. “If you can't get black, any dark material will do, as long as it keeps out the light.”

“Done.”

“Then I need some sort of container—about the size of a shoebox. Wood is best, but that's scarce. Pottery would work.” Then he had an idea. “I guess I could use a flowerpot, provided there's a hole in the bottom.”

“Is that it?”

“Just about. The other things I need are string, some gum for gluing, a needle, a small piece of papyrus—that thick paper scribes write on—and some of that black stuff you use on your eyes.”

“Kohl,” said Kate.

“Oh, one last thing, though this could be difficult. I need somewhere quiet where I can experiment. There's no way I can do anything where I'm staying.”

Kate said she would see what she could do. They arranged to meet at the same time the next day—she hoped she would have everything he needed by then. Just before he left, AP asked her if she was still wearing the abacus. “It's safe,” she said, patting her chest.

AP spent the rest of the afternoon exploring. After a long walk, he found himself in a fashionable neighborhood of luxury homes. The narrow streets where Nekhti lived were always crowded with people, but the broad avenue he was on was deserted. Remembering the lesson from Talking Cloud, AP turned around several times to make sure nobody was following him.

AP had not expected to see ruins in ancient Egypt. He was therefore surprised to come across the relics of an old temple, in the middle of an open space. Intrigued, he decided to take a closer look. All that remained were a few columns, part of the floor, and a colossal statue lying in several pieces. He was so intent on clambering over the largest piece that he didn't hear the approaching footsteps. One moment he was crouching on the statue's massive shoulders. Next instant he was slammed down hard against the stone. Before he could struggle to his feet, he felt a hand patting his kilt—searching. Then he fell to the ground, knocking his head hard against the temple floor. Everything went black.

AP lay there for several seconds trying to remember what happened. Feeling the lump on his forehead, he remembered. Somebody had just attacked him. It was Snakebite—it had to be him. That explained the uneasy feeling of being watched when they had first arrived. Snakebite must have seen him slip the abacus into his kilt, which is why he searched him. But wouldn't he have wanted to know where the abacus was when he didn't find it? Maybe he just panicked when he saw his victim knocked unconscious.

By suppertime, the lump on his head was much smaller. Nefret still insisted on treating it with herbs.

Wild duck was on the menu that night and Shedou was tearing handfuls of meat from the carcasses for everyone. “I've finally found the seeds I've been looking for,” he proudly announced. “There's not enough daylight to plant them tonight, but I'll put them in the ground first thing in the morning, before work. And you, young Aypee, will have the honor of giving them their first water from the Nile.” He made a sprinkling gesture with his greasy fingers.

* * *

To AP's surprise, Kate was on time for their rendezvous the following day. As soon as she saw the bruise on his forehead, she wanted all the details.

“So Snakebite's back on our track,” she said at the end of his story.

“Yes, which means you've got to be especially careful.”

“You can be sure of that! But it's you I'm worried about.”

“I'll be fine,” said AP. Then, changing the subject, “Did you get the things I needed?”

Kate patted the large bag on her shoulder. “I've also found the perfect place for your experiments. I'll show you.”

They left the temple and set off across the grounds, passing the artificial lake which reminded AP of a large swimming pool. “They call it the Sacred Lake,” Kate explained. “The priests bathe there each dawn to purify themselves for morning service.”

“You get there that early?”

“I decided to miss that particular ceremony,” she said, smiling. “Just while I'm resting for my new role.”

“Sounds like you're enjoying yourself.”

“I'm having a ball! Tamit's good fun, and I'm being treated like a princess.”

“Priestess,” he corrected.

“Her parents are having a big dinner party tonight. Their dressmaker created a gown especially for me. You should just see it!”

“Here we are,” said Kate a few minutes later. They had arrived at a small mud-brick building, well secluded from all the others. “The priests sometimes use it for silent meditation, though it's now reserved for my private use.”

Stepping inside, it took several moments for their eyes to adjust to the dim light. The great thickness of the walls made the room feel deliciously cool.

“Look, there's a table, and chair, even a bed.”

“It's perfect. But what happens if someone comes along and finds me here instead of you?”

“All taken care of,” she said proudly. “I had another one of my “dreams.” There was a wab, about your size, standing by my side. Hathor came along, holding a loaf of white bread. She broke it in two, and gave one half to me and the other to the little wab.”

“Not so much of the ‘little',” AP interrupted.

“Hathor smiled and then departed.”

“That's good. I bet Tamit loved it.”

“She said there must be a very special wab looking after my interests.”

“Okay, let's see what you've got.”

Ten minutes later, they stepped out into the sunshine and said their goodbyes. As Kate headed toward the temple, AP called out after her, “Same time and place tomorrow.”

AP would have preferred a smaller flowerpot, though this one would do. The first job was to make the pinhole. Tearing off a piece of papyrus the size of a Post-it note, he painted both sides with black kohl. When he held it up to the tiny window, he was pleased to see it did not let through any light.

After pricking a hole in the center with the needle, he glued the papyrus over the hole in the bottom of the flowerpot. While waiting for this to dry, he held the linen up to the window to make sure it was thin enough to let through the light. Draping the material over the top of the flowerpot, he tied it in place with string. Then, pulling it tight like a drum to form the screen, he trimmed off the surplus material with a knife.

“Now for the scary part,” he said to himself, “will it work?”

He couldn't risk being seen outdoors, so he stood on the chair and aimed the bottom end of the flowerpot through the window. Then, looking like an old-time photographer, he draped the black cloth over the flowerpot and over his head, making sure it didn't cover the screen. Holding the device at arm's length, he moved it from side to side, focusing his eyes on the screen. The faint image that appeared on the screen was not the bright picture he had expected. Maybe the pinhole was too small. He enlarged the hole and tried again.

At first, he saw only a blue haze. Then AP tilted the flowerpot down. “Yes!” he shouted, as a perfect upside-down image of the temple jumped onto the screen. He spent several minutes scanning the terrain, identifying the miniature images that paraded across the screen. Satisfied with the results, he stepped down from the chair and set the camera on the table. He decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town. If he kept to well-populated areas and stayed alert, there'd be no chance of Snakebite attacking him again.

AP met Nekhti at sunset and they had a leisurely stroll home.

Nefret met them at the door in a terrible state. “Something awful has happened,” she said, wringing her hands. “Come and see for yourselves.” She led the way to the garden. “Your father will be so upset.”

Nekhti and AP stared down in disbelief. In the patch of soil where Shedou had so carefully planted his seeds that morning there was now a gaping hole and mounds of soil.

“Who would do this?” she asked, completely bewildered. “And why?”

AP asked if she and her daughters had been at home all day.

“No. We visited the temple just before noon, as we do every day.”

“Has anything been touched inside the house?” he continued, sounding like a police officer.

“Not as far as I know, though I haven't checked the roof yet. I thought I'd wait until you boys came home.”

“What a mess!” said Nekhti, moments later.

Somebody had turned both beds upside down, scattering linen everywhere. They'd pulled everything else apart too, leaving no doubt they were searching for something. AP knew exactly what the intruder was after, but said nothing.

“Whoever it was,” said a gloomy Shedou at supper that night, “they were after my seeds.”

Nefret suggested the seeds were probably still there, in the mounds of soil, but he couldn't be consoled

“I wouldn't be surprised if it was Merab,” he said, naming someone he knew from the tavern. “He's been searching for some of those seeds for ages.”

* * *

While AP ate boiled fish and cabbage, Kate had the choice of beef, antelope, wild goose and quail, with a wide assortment of vegetables. Dessert was a selection of fresh fruits and a tempting array of pastries. Serving girls darted between the small tables throughout the meal, making sure everyone had all they wanted. And while musicians played and sang, a troop of acrobats performed remarkable tricks.

Like all the women at the party, Kate wore a cup-sized cone on her head, held in place with a string. Made of perfumed beeswax, it melted and ran through her wig during the evening, scenting the air all around. Kate enjoyed the most amazing night of her life.

* * *

AP lay awake long after Nekhti had fallen asleep. He had gone over the events of the last few days so many times, but he still came up with the same answers. Snakebite must have followed him to Nekhti's house on the first day and been spying on him ever since. He could easily have hidden in the garden and watched him and Nekhti climb up to the roof to sleep. Discovering how many people lived there would have been easy, and when he saw Nefret leaving with her two daughters, he had seized his opportunity to search the house. He probably noticed the freshly dug soil from the roof, so when he didn't find the abacus upstairs, he must have thought it was buried in the garden.

What would Snakebite do next? Would he realize Kate had the abacus?

AP was up at first light and while everyone else slept, he set to work in the garden. First, he sifted through the soil until he found the seeds—fortunately, they were large and easy to spot. Then he replanted them in rows, the way Shedou had done, and gave them a good watering. Everyone was still asleep when he crept into the bathroom to wash.

Although AP made no mention of the seeds at breakfast, the family soon realized who had replanted them. Shedou was overjoyed.

“I can't thank you enough,” he told AP, yet again. “My garden and those seeds are so important to me.”

AP felt embarrassed by all the attention, especially as he was the reason for the damage in the first place.