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tracks, and was taking him away from her … it was so far impossible to say. She must wait. If the goddess had spoken to her once, she would surely do so again.
    She sat in the sunlight, throwing limestonepebbles from one hand to the other, her golden skin lightened by the white dust. It was peaceful here, with a gentle warm wind blowing and the view of the Nile valley stretching out below. It was where she always came if she was troubled. She wished she could stay longer, but she realised that the hour was getting late, and that Tia would be expecting help. She stood up and had just started to descend when a small figure appeared behind her, leaping down the path, scattering stones in front of her.
    Meryt stopped. ‘Nofret!’ she greeted her.
    Nofret stopped too, and gave a hostile glare. ‘Why do you keep appearing wherever I go?’ she hissed. ‘Are you following me?’
    Meryt-Re was taken aback. ‘Of course not,’ she protested. ‘I came up here anyway. I was just going back.’ She hunted for something else to say. ‘I hear you have a job in the royal embalmers’ workshops.’
    â€˜And what if I do?’ asked Nofret defiantly. She started walking down the path again, and tried to push past Meryt-Re.
    â€˜Don’t go,’ said Meryt. She reached out to touch the other girl’s arm, but Nofret shied away from her. The path was narrow, and she slipped sideways on to a boulder, crying out as she fell.
    Something dropped from her hand and Meryt picked it up. It was a small object, with rough linen wrappings that had begun to unravel. Meryt could see clearly what it was. She gasped as Nofret scrambled to her feet and snatched it back from her furiously.
    â€˜Nofret …’ exclaimed Meryt, horrified.
    She stared at the younger girl and Nofret stared back, fear filling her eyes as she saw Meryt’s reaction. The package contained an amulet, a charm for protection from the gods. It was an
udjat
eye, the symbol of the great god Horus who had fought and defeated his evil uncle Seth. Horus had lost an eye in the battle, but it had been restored by Thoth, the ibis-headed god of scribes. Ever since, the
udjat
eye had been a powerful symbol of sacrifice and healing.
    But this was no ordinary
udjat
amulet. It was made of pure gold, inlaid with precious lapis lazuli and glass. A priceless object … the sort used by embalmers to protect the body of a high official or even a king, inserted in among the swathes of linen that were wrapped around the body.
    Meryt went cold. She felt as though the light of the sun had left them; the shadow of Re’s disapproval chilled her heart. Embalmers’ amulets were sanctified, destined for the land of the dead.
    â€˜The gods …’ breathed Meryt. ‘You are risking the wrath of the gods.’
    Nofret’s eyes widened in terror. She stared at Meryt-Re, speechless. Then, before Meryt could stop her, she turned and ran headlong down the path.

Chapter Three
    Meryt-Re followed Nofret down the path, her mind reeling. Why would anyone risk such a thing? It didn’t make sense. She wondered if the loss of the amulet had been noted. It was just about possible that it had not, if it had already been placed among the linen wrappings around a body; but in any case, how could Nofret have accessed a wrapped body, and tampered with it unnoticed? The embalming of kings and officials was a meticulous process, with every stage recorded and every jewel accounted for by stern-faced scribes. But Nofret was only a servant girl …
    Then Meryt recalled that Nofret had been heading
away
from the village the night before, as the sun was setting. She must have been going back, once the workers had left. Surely this was not a plan of her own making? Nofret seemed a wary, fearful creature, and had definitely become more so in the last few weeks. Someone had put her up to it, and the obvious culprit was her owner,