a new language."
I don't remember what I learned that day, or how Paser began to teach us the language of Shasu. Instead of paying attention, I stared at the girl on the reed mat to my left. She was no more than eight or nine, but she was sitting at the front of the class where Asha should have been. When the time came for our afternoon meal, she ran away with another girl her age, and it occurred to me that I no longer had anyone to eat with.
"Who's in for dice?" Baki announced, between mouthfuls.
"I'll play," I said.
Baki looked behind him to a group of boys, and their faces were all set against me. "I . . . don't think we allow girls to play."
"You allow girls every other day," I said.
"But . . . but not today."
The other boys nodded, and shame brightened my cheeks. I stepped into the courtyard to find a seat by myself, then recognized Asha on the stone bench where we always ate.
"Asha! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.
He leaned his yew bow against the bench. "Soldiers get mealtimes, too," he said. He searched my face. "What's the matter?"
I shrugged. "The boys won't allow me to play dice with them."
"Which boys?" he demanded.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter." His voice grew menacing. "Which ones?"
"Baki," I said, and when Asha rose threateningly from the bench, I pulled him back. "It's not just him, it's everyone, Asha. Iset was right. They were friendly to me because of you and Ramesses, and now that you're both gone, I'm just a leftover princess from a dynasty of heretics." I raised my chin and refused to be upset. "So what is it like to be a charioteer?"
Asha sat back and studied my face, but I didn't need his sympathy. "Wonderful," he admitted, and opened his sack. "No cuneiform, no hieroglyphics, no translating Muwatallis's endless threats." He looked to the sky and his smile was genuine. "I've always known I was meant to be in Pharaoh's army. I was never really good at all that." He indicated the edduba with his thumb.
"But your father wants you to be Master of the Charioteers. You have to be educated!"
"And thankfully that's over." He took out a honey cake and gave half to me. "So did you see the number of merchants that have arrived? The palace is filled with them. We couldn't take the horses to the lake because it's crowded with foreign vessels."
"Then let's go to the quay and see what's happening!"
Asha glanced around him, but the other students were rolling knucklebones and playing Senet. "Nefer, we don't have time for that."
"Why not? Paser is always late, and the soldiers don't return until the trumpets call them back. That's long after Paser begins. When will we ever see so many ships? And think of the animals they might be bringing. Horses," I said temptingly. "Maybe from Hatti."
I had said the right words. He stood with me, and when we reached the lake, we saw a dozen ships lying at anchor. Above us on the dock, pennants of every color snapped in the breeze, their rich cloth catching the light like brightly painted jewels. Heavy chests were being unloaded, and just as I had guessed, horses had arrived, gifts from the kingdom of Hatti.
"You were right!" Asha exclaimed. "How did you know?"
"Because every kingdom will send gifts. What else do the Hittites have that we'd want?"
The air filled with the shouts of merchants and the stamps of sea-weary horses skittering down the gang-planks. We picked our way toward them through the bales and bustle. Asha reached out to stroke an ink-black mare, but the man in charge chided him angrily in Hittite.
"You are speaking with Pharaoh's closest friend," I said sharply. "He has come to inspect the gifts."
"You speak Hittite?" the merchant demanded.
I nodded. "Yes," I replied in his language. "And this is Asha, future Master of Pharaoh's Charioteers."
The Hittite merchant narrowed his eyes, trying to determine if he believed me. Finally, he gave a judicious nod. "Good. You may instruct him to lead these horses to Pharaoh's stables."
I
I don't remember what I learned that day, or how Paser began to teach us the language of Shasu. Instead of paying attention, I stared at the girl on the reed mat to my left. She was no more than eight or nine, but she was sitting at the front of the class where Asha should have been. When the time came for our afternoon meal, she ran away with another girl her age, and it occurred to me that I no longer had anyone to eat with.
"Who's in for dice?" Baki announced, between mouthfuls.
"I'll play," I said.
Baki looked behind him to a group of boys, and their faces were all set against me. "I . . . don't think we allow girls to play."
"You allow girls every other day," I said.
"But . . . but not today."
The other boys nodded, and shame brightened my cheeks. I stepped into the courtyard to find a seat by myself, then recognized Asha on the stone bench where we always ate.
"Asha! What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.
He leaned his yew bow against the bench. "Soldiers get mealtimes, too," he said. He searched my face. "What's the matter?"
I shrugged. "The boys won't allow me to play dice with them."
"Which boys?" he demanded.
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter." His voice grew menacing. "Which ones?"
"Baki," I said, and when Asha rose threateningly from the bench, I pulled him back. "It's not just him, it's everyone, Asha. Iset was right. They were friendly to me because of you and Ramesses, and now that you're both gone, I'm just a leftover princess from a dynasty of heretics." I raised my chin and refused to be upset. "So what is it like to be a charioteer?"
Asha sat back and studied my face, but I didn't need his sympathy. "Wonderful," he admitted, and opened his sack. "No cuneiform, no hieroglyphics, no translating Muwatallis's endless threats." He looked to the sky and his smile was genuine. "I've always known I was meant to be in Pharaoh's army. I was never really good at all that." He indicated the edduba with his thumb.
"But your father wants you to be Master of the Charioteers. You have to be educated!"
"And thankfully that's over." He took out a honey cake and gave half to me. "So did you see the number of merchants that have arrived? The palace is filled with them. We couldn't take the horses to the lake because it's crowded with foreign vessels."
"Then let's go to the quay and see what's happening!"
Asha glanced around him, but the other students were rolling knucklebones and playing Senet. "Nefer, we don't have time for that."
"Why not? Paser is always late, and the soldiers don't return until the trumpets call them back. That's long after Paser begins. When will we ever see so many ships? And think of the animals they might be bringing. Horses," I said temptingly. "Maybe from Hatti."
I had said the right words. He stood with me, and when we reached the lake, we saw a dozen ships lying at anchor. Above us on the dock, pennants of every color snapped in the breeze, their rich cloth catching the light like brightly painted jewels. Heavy chests were being unloaded, and just as I had guessed, horses had arrived, gifts from the kingdom of Hatti.
"You were right!" Asha exclaimed. "How did you know?"
"Because every kingdom will send gifts. What else do the Hittites have that we'd want?"
The air filled with the shouts of merchants and the stamps of sea-weary horses skittering down the gang-planks. We picked our way toward them through the bales and bustle. Asha reached out to stroke an ink-black mare, but the man in charge chided him angrily in Hittite.
"You are speaking with Pharaoh's closest friend," I said sharply. "He has come to inspect the gifts."
"You speak Hittite?" the merchant demanded.
I nodded. "Yes," I replied in his language. "And this is Asha, future Master of Pharaoh's Charioteers."
The Hittite merchant narrowed his eyes, trying to determine if he believed me. Finally, he gave a judicious nod. "Good. You may instruct him to lead these horses to Pharaoh's stables."
I
Similar Books
Fatal
Harold Schechter
B00Z637D2Y (R)
Marissa Clarke
Pleasure Principle
Brenda Stokes Lee
Slip Point
Karalynn Lee
Pigalle Palace
Niyah Moore
Clementine Rose and the Special Promise 11
Jacqueline Harvey
The Lost Child
Caryl Phillips
Atlantis and the Silver City
Peter Daughtrey
Rainbow Six (1997)
Tom - Jack Ryan 09 Clancy
