The Hippopotamus Marsh Read Free Page A

returned with a basin of warm water and linen cloths.
    An hour later, freshly clad, he walked into the sunlit fragrance of his garden. His eyes were kohled. On his brow he wore a plain silver circlet and around his neck went ankhs and silver wadjet-eyes. Rings glittered against the almost black skin of his hands. Beside his pool, under the shade of the trees, mats had been spread and the royal visitor and his two companions sat cross-legged, listening to his wife Aahotep’s soft, measured tones. Kamose sat a little apart, also formally painted, his hands folded on the clean white pleats of his kilt.
    At Seqenenra’s approach all rose and bowed. A servant moved to offer him a bowl of fruit but he shook his head, accepting the wine Uni held out. He motioned, sinking to the grass, and all went down with him. “Greetings,” he said amiably. “We are honoured to give hospitality to the servants of the One. To whom am I speaking?”
    “I am Khian, Herald of the King,” one of the men replied. He was slender and fair-skinned, his eyes thickly kohled against the southern sun. His kilt was gossamer-fine, his leather belt studded with carnelian, and the two gold chains lying on his chest sparkled with his breath. “These are my guards. I thank you for your greeting, Prince. It is my pleasure to bring the good wishes of the Lord of the Two Lands to your whole household and particularly to the Lady Tetisheri, your mother, to whom he fervently conveys life, health and prosperity.”
    Seqenenra nodded. “We are grateful. Are you on your way to Kush, Khian?”
    The herald took a delicate sip of his wine. “No, Prince,” he explained. “I came especially to extend to you the salutations of the One and to bring you a letter.” Seqenenra’s glance met Kamose’s and passed on to his wife. Aahotep was studiously watching the antics of the sparrows among the newly opened leaves of the trees.
    A small, awkward silence fell. The herald drank again. Kamose brushed an invisible speck of dust from the date in his hand and bit into it cautiously. Seqenenra was about to make an innocuous comment that good manners demanded, when a shadow fell across him and he turned to see Si-Amun and Aahmes-nefertari standing hand in hand at his back. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The pair bent smiling, kissed Aahotep, greeted Khian gracefully, and settled onto a mat beside Kamose.
    A general conversation began, full of the prospects for this year’s sowing, the new life stirring in the precious vines and the number of calves born in the Delta. Khian was an enthusiastic husbandman who took a personal interest inthe running of his own small estate outside Het-Uart and the slight hiatus that had followed the mention of a letter was forgotten. The sun westered slowly, filling the garden with an orange light, and the fish in Seqenenra’s pool rose to the surface as the mosquitoes began to gather in clouds. Uni distributed fly whisks and the talk was punctuated with their gentle swishing.
    Tani came at last, running over the lawn with the dogs panting and grinning behind her. One of them, Behek, loped to Seqenenra and laid his sleek head in his master’s lap. Seqenenra stroked it gently. “I am sorry to be so late,” Tani remarked as she reached for some fruit and settled next to her mother. “But the dogs needed a good run. I took them out to the edge of the desert and then through the town to the river so that they could cool off. What a beautiful day it has been!”
    Seqenenra motioned to Tani’s bodyguard and the man whistled and shook the leashes he held. Reluctantly the dogs obeyed, Behek licking Seqenenra’s hand before trotting away. Aahotep rose. “It is time to refresh yourself before the meal,” she said to Khian “Uni will show you to the guest rooms and then escort you to the reception hall. Your men can go with our servants. Tani, come with me. You need a good wash.” She smiled around at them all and Seqenenra marvelled at her