Eye of the Moon (22 page)

   
22
   
KATEP

I
stood staring at my brother in complete disbelief, my eyes taking in every detail of his weatherworn face. How had he come to be so far south?

He looked me up and down, but seemed more annoyed than delighted. “Isikara, what are you doing dressed like this? Why are you here? And who's this boy?”

I was surprised at the sound of his voice. But
then, for a moment I'd forgotten we were still in disguise.

I glanced across at Anoukhet. The sun was shining through a gap in the canopy. It struck her crop of gleaming dark curls. Her hair was beginning to grow again. She was lounging against a post, taking in the scene between Katep and me—her eyes not missing a thing. With her legs stretched out in that indifferent, confident manner of hers and with her short curls and cloak, she
did
seem like a boy. A very handsome boy at that.

Suddenly I could see why Katep was playing the protective brother.

He squared his body to face Anoukhet. “Don't just stand there. What are you to my sister?”

Anoukhet smiled across at him. “She's my friend.”

“I can see that! But why have you taken up with her? What are your intentions?”

“Katep—,” I tried to interrupt, but he held up his hand to stop me.

“My intention is to remain true to her all my life,” Anoukhet replied with a half smile on her face. I could tell she was teasing him.

He glanced back at me.

I couldn't stop myself from laughing. “Katep . . . Anoukhet is a girl!”

“What?” He strode across and pulled her shoulders around toward the shaft of sunlight coming in through the canopy. It looked as if he might pull off her cloak.

“Stop! Trust me. She's a true friend. We've come through this together by being disguised as boys.”

“But a girl! What will the commander say about having a girl in the camp?” Then he looked across at me. “
Two
girls, in fact. This is a camp of hardened soldiers. They behave like soldiers. They swear and curse and don't always bathe. They're a rough bunch.”

Anoukhet smiled back at him. “I can swear and curse with the best of them.”

“It's impossible. You can't remain here! What about the other boy? The one being held separately because he was causing trouble. Is
he
a girl, too? Am I to tell my commander there are
three
girls in the camp?”

In the relief of discovering Katep, I'd forgotten about Tuthmosis. I shook my head. “He's not a girl. He's the crown prince Tuthmosis of Egypt.”

Katep shot a look at me. “
What?
You're traveling
with the crown prince Tuthmosis? It's rumored he was murdered. This is
truly
serious.”

“Have you heard what happened in Thebes?”

He turned abruptly and stood at the railings with his back to us. “There've been many rumors.”

I went across to him and touched his shoulder.

He spun around angrily. “Get back before anyone sees you! Is it true? Was Father poisoned? Was it Wosret's doing?”

“I'll tell you everything. But first, order your men to free Tuthmosis.”

“They're not
my
men to order. I'm just the leader of a phalanx under the orders of a commander.”

Anoukhet shrugged. “Speak to whomever you have to. But ask them to find my dagger and Kyky as well.”

“Kyky?”

“My monkey.”

Katep sighed. “Two women, a prince,
and
a monkey! What am I to say?”

He shouted to some soldiers below. Then he pointed for us to sit on some cushions on the floor.

“I thought you went to Sinai. Why are you here in Nubia?”

He shrugged. “The wind took me south. It's easier for a man with only one arm to sail rather than row. I kept going. When did you last see Father?”

“In Thebes. At Queen Tiy's embalming. He said he'd follow.”

“He might still come.”

“It's been too long.”

“But he might. . . .”

“No, Katep. . . .”

Then I told the story and we interrupted each other in our hurry to hear what each was saying. Now and again Anoukhet added her own words. Every time she spoke, Katep looked at her with complete attention. I could see she held some fascination for him. When Tuthmosis was brought in, Katep gave him a curt bow and changed his attitude to become businesslike again. He turned to me. “Tell me about this Naqada.”

I gave Anoukhet a sharp look. I wasn't brave enough to talk about Naqada.

“A scorpion,” was all she replied.

A soldier came with Kyky and brought a message as well. Katep stood up and began pacing. “It's impossible! You can't stay! The commander will never allow it.”

“Why not?”

“How can he allow Egyptians in his camp? Egypt is the enemy.”

“He allowed
you
!”

“That's different. I'm a mercenary. I fight alongside whoever will pay me.”

Tuthmosis nodded. “We will, too.”

“You're not just
any
Egyptian. Your father, Amenhotep, was his most vile enemy!”

“My father is dead. With the Nubians on my side, I can defeat the Egyptian army. When my throne is restored to me, the Nubians will be free of skirmish. They'll never have to fear another attack from Egypt. What is theirs will remain theirs. This I promise.”

Katep shrugged. “He'll need some persuading. And if he agrees, you'll have to work like any soldier. Every person in this camp has a job to do.” He gave Tuthmosis a sidelong glance. “And you'll have to obey commands.”

I could see he found it hard to believe this person dressed in tatters, who smelled of donkeys and camels, was a royal person.

“The men won't stand for slackers. Even one who's the son of a pharaoh. Perhaps less so, when
he's the son of a pharaoh! You'll need to earn their trust.”

Katep sized Tuthmosis up. I saw him take in the scarred leg. Involuntarily he touched his own false limb. I saw Tuthmosis's eyes drawn to the wooden arm. He didn't comment, but Katep picked up the glance and a dark flash of annoyance crossed his face.

Katep would need to be won over. I didn't want them to dislike each other. “Tuthmosis would be of use to the Kushite army. He hunted with his father. They hunted lion.”

“But he's never been a soldier,” Katep challenged.

Tuthmosis shook his head. “No, I haven't, and you don't have to speak for me, Kara. It was my father who hunted lion, not me. I was just a charioteer.”

“A charioteer?” I could tell Katep was impressed. “I'd give anything to have our army equipped with chariots.”

Tuthmosis nodded. “Chariots give you the advantage of attack—right into the heart of battle.”

Suddenly Katep was on the defense again. “Yes, but the Egyptians keep their charioteers as the elite of their army. Only the elite have special bows, while
the rest of their foot soldiers carry ordinary bows. With us,
all
our men carry special bows. We are better bowmen.”

I exchanged glances with Katep. He was testing Tuthmosis. I knew him so well.
Stop!
my eyes signaled.

His eyebrow curved up.
So?
he questioned back at me.

The thread that bound us like a spider's web was still intact.

Tuthmosis eyed him. “I'm a good marksman. Steady with a bow. But I've never killed a man.”

I turned away quickly. I was afraid to hold Katep's glance because of the secret that lay among the three of us. Naqada.
I'd
killed a man!

Katep narrowed his eyes at Tuthmosis. “Are you a coward, then?”

“There's never been a need for me to kill a man. Have you?” Tuthmosis responded.

Katep shrugged. “I told you . . . I'm a mercenary. I work for the underdog. I kill where I have to.”

These two were on warring sides. Fighting some strange hand-to-hand duel. “Stop. All this is of no importance. What are you doing here as leader of a Kushite phalanx, Katep?”

“It was because of my bow skills. The commander was swimming in the Great River one day. I was passing in my boat when a crocodile appeared from nowhere and lunged at him. It had him in its jaws when I shot it, using my false arm.”

It was the first time he'd referred to his false arm piece. As if to break the tension, he nodded across at Anoukhet. “Isikara has no bow skills. What are yours?”

She tossed her head and laughed. “My skills? Ha! If I had my dagger, I'd show you. I'm as accurate with a bow as I am with a dagger. I'll manage as well as any man.”

Her reply made Katep defensive. “It's not as easy as you think. We use the composite bow. It's strengthened with horn. You need power in your shoulders to bend it back.”

Anoukhet needed no further challenge. “I'm strong enough!” She sprang forward and grabbed a bow from the wall where the fighting implements hung. She chose an arrow, fitted it to the string, then strode to the canopy opening. She pulled the gut back until the bow ends curved sharply and the feathers touched her breast as she took aim and released. It
shot out over the heads of the soldiers and came to rest squarely in the wood of one of the upright posts of the enclosure.

In one stride Katep reached her. “Give me that!”

They stood with barely the space of a hand between their faces. He looked directly into her eyes. Then he gripped her wrist with his good hand and held it so hard that I could see her skin whiten around the edge of his fingers. “That's
my
bow. Don't
ever
touch it again.”

I waited for Anoukhet to toss her head and spit out one of her taunts. But instead she looked down. And when Katep released her wrist, she turned and placed the bow carefully back on its hook.

I suspected Katep realized his victory. “I'll speak to my commander. It's up to him whether you stay or not.” He looked directly at Anoukhet. “But you can't behave as you please.” Then he turned to me and spoke as if I were his little sister stuck up in the fork of the mimosa tree. “And you can't suddenly become scared, Kara. In battle there's blood and people dying. It's dangerous and terrifying.”

I threw my shoulders back and held my head high as I met his eye. “I'm prepared to fight. I'm not
scared of blood!” As soon as the words flew from my mouth, I knew they weren't true. I
was
scared of blood. And I'd seen Naqada's blood on my hands. The horrible blackness of it in the moonlight. And I'd been terrified.

I thought of the moment when I'd crept up on him. Perhaps that's what being in the army was like. You had to forget everything. You had to kill like an animal hunting. It was kill . . . or be killed. A lynx wouldn't have worried about blood.

I'd done it for Anoukhet. Now I could do it for Tuthmosis. And for the revenge of my father. For the honor of his name.

Katep shook his head as if he'd read my thoughts. “The commander won't put women into battle. You need bow skills but only for your own protection. You won't go into battle. Your work will be in the kitchen, preparing meals and baking bread. Men can't fight on empty stomachs.”

“What?” I looked back at him in disbelief. Then I tossed my head. “That might be so—but their stomachs won't be filled by
me
! I'm not going into the kitchen just because I'm a woman!”

“Soldiers take orders.”

“You might be a phalanx leader but you're also my brother! And brothers are not always obeyed.”

Katep narrowed his eyes. “Father was right.”

“About what?”

“Right about you! You're stubborn and impossible!”

“So will you ask your commander if I can train alongside the men?”

“Yes . . . but . . .”

I lunged at him, trying to wrap my arms around him to give him a hug.

He pulled away roughly, his face reddening as he glanced at Anoukhet, who was smiling. “Stop behaving like my sister.”