Gary Gygax - Dangerous Journeys 2 - Samarkand Solution (7 page)

Although the four were probably unaware of it, the magister knew that they had frequently combined to comer markets in commodities, fix prices, and eliminate competition. Those illegal manipulations weren't particularly germane to the murder, but might prove useful as the investigation progressed. "Your collective reputation and activities have come to Pharaoh's attention," Inhetep noted with a judicial tone. "Your complete cooperation here might prove beneficial in that regard. Next!"

"Shaik Yasik ibn Okhdar," rattled the hatchet-faced Yaxban with a black stare which met Jn~ hetep's own green eyes without flinching. "My people control caravan routes and also trade much."

"No doubt in goods which are not theirs," the wizard-priest said levelly. "What business called you to this place?"

"My own!" the nomad chief snarled back. Then, considering his position, he added, "I am chief of the Al-Heshaz, and master of the city of /Elana."

"Most commendable. We are honored by your presence here, lord." Inhetep was hiding surprise, for the miserable town the Yarban named was the only port at the eastern finger of the Mare Rubine, the Red Sea. Yasik ibn Okhdar's admission announced a shift in strength, for the Al-Nabatt had held it the last he had heard. "And you, sir?"

"Vert. I am an explorer and a cartographer of some note. As I travel much and know much of trade routes and roads, I was asked to furnish my knowledge to Governor Ram-f-amsu. I was promised payment. His death does not obviate the agreement!"

"If there is such a contract, it will be honored in due course." He looked from the /Eropan to the dusky man next in line, whose stained hands showed he worked with chemicals.

"I am Jobo Lasuti, imprimus of the Nubian Alchemists and also one trained in certain arts of thaumaturgy. You are well aware of that, ur-kheri-heb-tepi, I know."

Inhetep inclined his head slightly. "Imprimus Lasuti, I find honor in greeting you again. What was your reason for being here?"

The Nubian smiled. "You are well aware of our desire to expand our markets for the chemicals and other materia we produce, Magister. Isolated as our main bases are, this has been proven difficult in the past."

"Your route would be by sea to /Elana, of course."

"That was proposed," the Nubian alchemist said in his richly accented basso voice.

"Shamish authorities might have objection, but perhaps that is moot now under the circumstances," Inhetep murmured. He looked at the eleventh of the company, a nondescript /Egyptian whom he didn't recognize. "You?"

"Aufseru, Magister Inhetep. I am merely an aide to the governor," the man said with a deprecating wave of his hand. "In fact, I am no longer even that now, I suppose. Under the circumstances, tomorrow I shall have to seek new employment."

"Quite possibly. How long have you been on the staff of the governor?"

"But a few days. That's why I was included in this meeting—Prince Ram-f-amsu desired my indoctrination in his style of conducting business."

Magister Inhetep started to point at the trio who were the last of the fourteen, but turned back to Aufseru again, saying, "You have a northern accent. Rosetta, perhaps?"

"Quite the opposite direction, Magister. Tanis was my home."

"That shows how rustic a fellow I am," Inhetep replied with a smile. "I've never been able to separate east from west when it comes to articulation. Have you been here long?"

Before the man could respond to that query, the arrival of a half-dozen police from the Metropolitan Prefecture interrupted them. "You are Utchat-neb Inhetep?" The speaker was an ordinary-looking fellow of average height and build and middle years, who might pass through a room full of people without being remembered. The magister nodded affirmation, and the police official smiled. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I am the deputy prefect in charge of this matter—Chief Inspector Tuhorus. I trust that we will work together correctly."

Blandness and a smile couldn't disguise the detective's true feelings and the meaning of his words. Inhetep understood, for it was not unique in matters where jurisdictions overlapped. "Just so," he agreed without yielding anything in any way. "Let us confer soon—perhaps after you have finished your initial work taking the statements of those present?"

"Possibly," Tuhorus replied noncommittally. "If you will pardon me now, I believe I should get to that. It seems I wasted some time with Hem-neter-tepi Matiseth.. . ."

"Wasted? On the contrary, Inspector, I believe that the high priest is very much the key to this whole affair. As to questioning these gentlemen, I suggest that you might begin with the eleven I have had statements from already. There are a number of rooms available. As soon as I have had a chance to get a little information from these last three," the magister said firmly, "I shall send them to wherever you might desire."

"Is that an official demand from the Pharaoh's Utchatu?"

Inhetep shook his head. "Let us say, rather, that it is a request from a fellow detective."

"In that case, Magister, you may have five minutes," Inspector Tuhorus said. Then he ushered the others from the room, leaving the tail priest-wizard alone with the three Easterners.

"You are accorded little respect," rasped the mustachioed member of the trio after the inspector's exit. "In my land, an agent of the king is as the king himself."

"Just what kingdom is that?" queried Inhetep.

"Parthia," the man responded flatly. "The easternmost upholder of your allies of Grecian culture."

Magister Inhetep was unimpressed. "Phil-hellenism, alliances, and international political concerns are not my affair, sir. What are three Parthians doing here? A meeting with the governor of On is hardly business of the state."

"But there you are mistaken," countered the Parthian in his rasping voice. "Prince Ram-f-amsu was far-ranging in his plans for trade, you see. My nation receives much overland commerce, and I was asked to consider /Egyptian concessions."

"Do you mean that the governor was proposing monopolies?"

"Yes, that is exactly so."

Without looking up, Inhetep made a note in his little book. "My time is nearly gone, sir, so I'll end this now. Please give me your name and the names of your two companions."

"Sacaxes. These are my lieutenants, Tengri Ataman, and Vardin."

"Thank you, General Sacaxes," the priest-wizard murmured as he arose. The expressions on the Parthians' faces were sufficient to confirm Inhetep's suspicion regarding their leader, for the military title had been a pure guess based only on what Inhetep had observed of the trio.

THE CHIEF INSPECTOR VS. INHETEP

Just after midnight, Chief Inspector Tuhorus located the magister where he was waiting with Subaltern Bekin-Tettu. The two were conversing when the policeman entered. "I trust I am not interrupting," Tuhorus said.

"No, Inspector, both of us are here awaiting you."

"I won't need you tonight, Subaltern," the police official told Bekin-Tettu rather pointedly. "Go outside and find any one of the deputy inspectors assisting me. Tell him who you are and then what you know. Then return to your own quarters. Tomorrow morning, I'll personally hear your statement."

The soldier excused himself and left. Inhetep watched the official closely as Bekin-Tettu exited. "You seem unusually curt, Tunorus. What troubles you?"

"Troubles? The royal prince who governed

this sepat is slain in his own palace in my city, and you are surprised about my attitude?" The inspector scowled at Inhetep. "But I will ask the questions now, Magister—or should I say Ut-chat-neb ... or True Prince?"

"You have seen the appointment entry, then?"

"As I said, questions are to be from me—-unless the Pharaoh's agency is in charge of this business." Tuhorus' tone was as hard as his face.

Inhetep moved closer to the municipal prefect agent. "If you manage to solve this quickly and apprehend those responsible for Ram-f-amsu's murder, Chief Inspector Tuhorus, I cannot envision the government sending in its own men. However, if I see the slightest need, I will personally assume oversight of this case and send for a team of Utchatu," he said levelly, as he looked down with his green eyes at the policeman's craggy face. "Your attitude is becoming irritating, Tuhorus. Even the foreigners here have noticed it."

"I don't like you much, Inhetep. We
common
law enforcement personnel all resent interference from the Utchatu as well. Secret police and spies aren't popular in On—even those we are forced to use ourselves. What your reason for being here is—the politics of the kingdom and its governors—are no concern of the prefecture, I'm sure, but—"

"Hold on a moment, my dear Inspector," interjected the magister. "I am here quite by chance. Allow me to explain." Inhetep then took a few minutes to recount the salient features of his happening to be in the palace when Ram-f-amsu was killed, omitting only the name of the assassin, Yakeem, from his explanation. "Naturally, I have a duty to investigate the murder, but as far as the Utchatu are concerned, this can be a matter for On's Metropolitan Prefecture if it is done efficiently and correctly."

The policeman looked narrowly at Inhetep. "Will you put that in writing?"

Setne returned the scrutiny. Despite appearance and manner, the magister found himself rather liking Chief Inspector Tuhorus. In truth, his task was formidable, reward for success likely to be nil. One was expected to do one's duty after all.. . . Inclining his head slightly to the policeman, Inhetep replied easily, with friendliness in his tone, "Have one of your scribes do so, and I'll sign it. But it
is
most unusual. Tell me, Tuhorus, just what is it that makes all this necessary?"

"The dead governor, Ram-f-amsu."

"Hmmm . . ." Magister Inhetep murmured, thinking rapidly. "May I propose that we meet elsewhere—perhaps this afternoon—and speak about this further? I think we must compare our notes and discuss conclusions."

"Supper," the inspector said. "It will be well into the morning before I've finished up the preliminary work here, and I will have to have some sleep. Where are you staying?"

"Let's say the Reedfields, then. There is a reasonable table there, I believe," Inhetep responded. Tuhorus assented, and without any further discussion the two men parted. The priest-wizard walked away swiftly to find lodging at the proposed inn, a place not far distant from the On Palace. Inspector Tuhorus, of course, returned to the witnesses to continue his questioning.

At the Reedfields, Inhetep found a pleasant room, sent someone off to fetch his belongings from the Golden Nylle in Innu, and went to bed. Five hours later, he arose feeling completely refreshed. After bathing and eating a little something, the magister went out to do a bit of shopping. He had three hours before his evening appointment with the policeman. Inhetep spent the remaining time organizing his purchases and going over Ms notes.

The rooms he had taken faced the street. Inhetep had chosen them for just that reason. He watched Inspector Tuhorus arrive in a closed carriage. He saw that Tuhorus was accompanied by another man. When Inhetep went downstairs to meet the chief inspector, Tuhorus was alone. "Did you manage to get some rest?" the magister inquired politely.

"Enough. This is your treat, Utchat-neb—-this place is too expensive for anyone living on wages paid by the prefecture."

"I suggested the meeting," Inhetep agreed. "A table for two?"

"Unless you're expecting someone."

They were seated by a perfectly correct steward, and almost instantly a man appeared to see to their needs. Tuhorus asked their waiter for wine, and Inhetep ordered his usual: a tall glass of mint tea, heavily sweetened. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the wizard-priest asked, "Have you any theory as to Ram-f-amsu's murder?"

"Perhaps, but I will hear your own first."

Inhetep refused to be annoyed by the man's rudeness. "How can I have any significant idea as to the governor's death? You know that there was no magick involved, and I hadn't time to do more than find out the names of the witnesses of the incident. For all I know at this point, the death was due to an act of the gods."

Inspector Tuhorus stared at him. "Take it from me, Inhetep, that mightn't be far from the final conclusion we report to the prefect. Sixteen witnesses to that death, all of whom provide perfect alibis for the rest—you being an agent of Pharaoh ices the cake, Magister! Between you and Hem-neter-tepi Matiseth, there are no loose ends."

The priest-wizard shook his head. "That won't wash, Inspector Tuhorus. The High Priest Matiseth Chemres testified there was no aural reading present to indicate any entital presence, nor any sort of magickal residue from that sort of heka."

"All right, then it was persons or powers unknown."

"I think not."

"Think as you like, Inhetep. What proof can be found? Do you have anything to provide to me for a different sort of report?"

"Did you get a
complete
account from Matiseth?" Inhetep asked sharply. "He and I went over the scene of the murder for some time, and Chemres had at least one interesting impression to report." The magister didn't pause for an answer, pressing ahead to stimulate the police official into taking a more positive and aggressive view. "It is a difficult case, sir, that's undeniable. We are dealing with some genius—who else could perform such a crime in front of a throng of prominent witnesses and have you baffled? There must be clues, though. The high priest of Set detected a nullity.
That
must be pursued."