HETAERA: Daughter of the Gods (29 page)

*** ***

Pharaoh’s apartments in Naukratis were indeed
luxurious. I was surprised by how little notice he took of the fine artwork and
gilded chests, for I would think a former soldier would appreciate such
treasures, having taken spoils of war from afar. He prowled into the room,
motioning for the vizier and priests to attend us. I knelt before him and
waited for the guards to meld discretely into the background, like shadows. Amasis
bade me rise and led me to a low cushioned bench carved in the likeness of a
lioness. I sat and then regretted it, for he remained standing over me like a
hungry jackal guarding his kill.

The man radiated power. I tried to quell the
fluttering in my stomach. We made some simple talk for a time. The weather,
perhaps, or the status of the Nile. In truth, I do not recall. Everything
seemed to pale around Amasis, as if he was, indeed, the focus of all Egypt. I
watched the tilt of his head as we spoke lightly. His look was appraising and
direct. It thrilled me. I felt my body go hot and cold by turns, and cursed
myself for being so weak.

At length, a servant presented him with a goblet. He
sniffed the cup and swallowed before indicating I should be served.

“It seems you have some enemies, as well as admirers.”
My heart skipped a beat.

“The same could be said of you, Great One.” I
grasped the cup with both my hands to keep them from shaking.

He paused. An awkward silence filled the room.

“You speak plainly,” he said, at last.

I swallowed hard. “My apologies, Oh Great Nesu. I
fear it is a fault I have always possessed.” I felt naked and foolish beneath
his gaze, though only my shoulder was bared.

Amasis moved towards the bench. “I do not find it
a fault.” His body filled the space next to me. He sat, but I could see he was
not at all relaxed. The fingers of his hands were curled into a loose fist on
the bench between us.

“You are beautiful.” He reached up to finger a
lock of my hair. I could feel the heat of his hand on my back. “Very
beautiful,” he repeated.

I shivered and tucked my skirts around my knees. “The
Son of the Sun has many beautiful things.” He frowned again and dropped the
lock of my hair. I sighed, inwardly. Curse his soldier’s face, he was so hard
to read! Well, if he wanted me to be honest, I would not disappoint him. “Yes,
I am.”

He nodded. I could smell the oils and unguents
rubbed into his skin. He smelled of sweet almond. “There are many things of
beauty in Egypt.” He paused. “Some of them are very deadly.” I wondered if his
eyes would be so compelling without the layers of fine cosmetic paint to
enhance them.

I did not know how to reply. My pulse raced. One
misspoken word could mean disaster. “I am a simple courtesan, Nesu. I do my
utmost to take care under the protection of the gods.”

He did not look convinced. “We shall see.”

The heat of his body dared the night air to chill
us. My throat grew tight. What would he do with me?

I took a sip of wine. “This is not Grecian, Potent
Sword of Ra,” I said, to fill the silence with safe and easy conversation.

“No.” Amasis set his cup aside, untouched. “It is
not.” He seemed uncomfortable. “And I do not care for flowering epithets. Speak
only plainly to me.”

So, he wished to dispense with formality.

“As you command, Nesu. Do you wish me to lie back
now?” I asked. Well, I could not be more plain than that! Perhaps the sooner
this night ended, the sooner I could go home.

“I have many lovely women to please me. And not
one of them do I trust. No, I have no need to lie with you, at present.” He
smoothed the pleats of his white
shenti
.

“Then how might I please you?” I asked.

He did not respond.

I could hear the sounds of the festival outside,
the joyous songs and laughter. I wondered if anyone guessed at how the
‘Treasure of Naukratis’ failed miserably to seduce the god-king. Oh, the shame!
I focused on the lovely apartment, the rich furnishings scattered about the
chamber, anything than to face his probing eyes.

“Do you play?” he asked, suddenly.

I jumped a little in my seat and realized I’d been
staring at a gilded gaming box. “I do.”

He surprised me with a smile, and by pulling a
stand over. My heart hammered in my chest. Amasis carefully set the
senet
board and allowed me to select the color of my choice. I tossed the sticks and
moved my first piece around the board.

The game had begun.

He played well, avoiding the trap positions
through a series of lucky rolls. I scarcely noticed when he called for more
wine and food. I must admit, he was a good match for my skill, for his stint in
the military made him a strategist. A fighter to the heart of him, I thought.

We were at evens by the time our final pieces
reached the end of the board. I eyed the tidy pile of my lapis lazuli pieces,
stacked beside the board. He had a haphazard mound of black onyx obelisks on
his end.

“Your move.” A brief smile touched his lips and he
handed me the sticks.

I held my breath and tossed.

In an instant, I could see my throw was good. I
moved my hand from my wine towards the board. I glanced at him. His eyes were
still fixed on the game board and his lips compressed. Decorum bade me to lose
the game. I
should
lose.

My fingers lingered over my game piece, the one
that must make a foolish mistake and cost me victory. Amasis shifted in his
seat, leaning slightly away from the board. I could not read his expression,
but the spark in his eyes seemed to dwindle and die. I drew my hand away from
the board, masking my indecision with a small sip of wine.

“A difficult choice,” he remarked. “One hardly
knows what path to choose.” He tipped his chin and looked down his nose at me.

“True.” I wet my lips. “Sometimes the best choice
is no choice at all-- to remain safe. For therein lies no risk.”

He slapped his hands on his knees, startling me. “That
is never the best decision! A player must act and reap the benefit or
consequences of his choice. You must act.
Now
!”

I dislike being goaded, especially when I thought
only to save his masculine pride.

“As you command, Great Nesu.” I grabbed my final
pieces and moved them off the board, winning the game. “I cannot make myself
other than what I am. Here is my position. And now, I believe, I have won.”

Amasis’ eyes narrowed. His hand closed over mine
and he twisted my arm. “You are a canny player. Who are you? Who has sent you? Was
this some ploy to curry my favor?” The board and pieces clattered to the
spotless marble floor.

“I am Rhodopis.” I was surprised by how calm my
voice sounded, for my pulse beat a steady tattoo. “No one sent me. I attended
the feast by way of Praxitlytes the Greek who sought only to impress you.”

Amasis stared at me.

Then, he released his painful grip and threw his
head back, and barked a laugh so loud, he brought the guards. He wiped his forehead,
smearing the kohl across his cheeks.

“As you say. You have done well twice this
evening, Rhodopis of Naukratis.” He leaned towards me. “Tell me, are you this
honest with all your patrons?”

“Not all of them require such honesty, Great
Nesu.” I took the edge of my fine linen shawl and dabbed at his scented skin
until the kohl was removed from his skin.

He caught my hand in his, and my breath jumped in
my chest. The way he looked at me, I thought for certain he would kiss me.

“I require only the truth from you, Rhodopis. Will
you swear to hold no artifice where I am concerned?” He squeezed my fingers.

Gently, yes, but enough that I realized how he
held the whole of my being in his grip. He could order me to do whatever he
wished, even imprison me for the slightest err. I would have to tread
carefully.

“Honesty can be brutal.” I swallowed hard.

“Egypt is brutal. But if you are strong and loyal,
then you need have no fear.” He released my hand, and reclined on his elbow,
appearing unconcerned.

“I am loyal to you and to Egypt, Nesu. Only time will
tell if I am strong.”

Amasis leaned back and smiled. He unclasped a wide
electrum band from his wrist and slipped it over my hand, up my wrist, and
secured it around my upper arm. The precious metal was warm from his skin. “I
have no mind for games this evening, it seems. Take this. The city will expect
you to have some token of mine.”

So, the soldier understood the social mores of my
station. And, to my mind, he was a fine player of games. “Thank you. You are
very astute, Nesu.”

“Not half as much as I might wish, Rhodopis. Good
night.”

I allowed Praxitlytes to apologize for his
dangerous game playing.

After three weeks of returning Praxitlytes’
missives, he sent round such a trove of gifts, including an orchard of potted
persimmon trees, various jewels, a gorgeous cosmetic palette, polished bronze
mirror, and a new brood mare for my stable, that I was forced to relent. Mara
shook her head but refrained from commenting.

Praxitlytes’ ploy had worked. Both he and I were
commanded to attend the temple blessing. This time, the goddess Neit, a
particularly favored shrine of the Pharaoh. There always seemed to be one feast
or festival or another in Egypt. Indeed they are a most reverent and joyful people.

I let Praxitlytes escort me to the ritual, for I
hoped to set up an exclusive brothel of trained
hetaerae
in
Naukratis. Now that my own schedule was overtaxed, the additional girls would
serve the lower echelons; a portion of the gifts they received would be donated
to the governor to support improvements and repair of the docks and byways
along the Nile.

All in the name of the people, of course.

On the way to the temple blessing, I tried to
convince myself I had no qualms about meeting Amasis again. I was sure that
after our initial encounter his interest in me would dwindle. After all, I’d
done nothing more than play a ridiculous game of
senet
. What man would
find that memorable? So, I was quite at ease when we arrived.

At least that is what I pretended.

I had dressed in an elaborate styled gown of
costly net of polished blue lapis beads, extravagant and sensual, as I was
completely nude beneath it. I felt decadent, scandalously so, but as the
Egyptians were not overly concerned with nudity, neither would I be. I’d
painted my eyes with kohl and rouged my lips and nipples, careful not to apply
too much. The effect was stunning. The blue beads set off my light eyes and the
cobalt patterns of my tattooed hands.

The noise of the feast was riotous. A bevy of
Grecian girls danced to complex music. I singled out one or two who might make
a suitable addition to my brothel. Perhaps the one with eyes like a doe, and
that slim one there….Even I was impressed by their tireless dedication. Ever
present rumors claimed the previous Master of Ceremony had disappeared, for
he’d not been heard nor seen since the first festival. Someone made certain
Pharaoh would not withstand another insult by hiring these devoted performers.

Wine flowed from amphorae in abundance. I secured
foster of the girls, but after hours of fending off more persistent admirers
and accepting a few assignations, my head began to ache. As I moved through the
inner sanctum where only the wealthy and powerful were allowed to pray, I
overheard more conversation that the mighty Kourosh of Persia had
overtaken Drangiana, Arachosia, Margiana and Bactria
just within the past month. So many within one campaign. Gods help us if he
turned his evil eyes toward Egypt.

I moved through the crowds, unsettled by the smoke
and noise. Plastering a false smile on my lips, I left Praxitlytes waxing
poetic about the need for road repairs to increase trade routes, and I slipped
away to the garden courtyard to clear my head.

How I love a garden at night! The breeze was
scented with jasmine and smelled faintly of the smoke from the torches in the
hall. It had been a successful evening and I was pleased by the results, but
now I desired only solitude. The moon shone, round and full, overhead in the
indigo black of the sky. Tension melted out of my body like the cone of
perfumed wax that cooled my skin. I rubbed my hands over my arms to smooth the
chill bumps away.

“Are you cold, Lovely Rhodopis?” asked a deep
voice behind me. The scent of sweet almond oil enveloped me.

Amasis stepped out of the shadows.

My heart began to beat faster, and I told myself
it was only because none may approach the Pharaoh without consent, and not
because the sight of him speared me.

“Nesu.” I dropped to a prostrate position. I had
not meant to encroach upon his solitude. His private guards hovered like shades
of the Underworld, just beyond his shoulder.

“Rise,” Amasis said flatly. He stepped past me to
the balcony and stared at the evening sky, the city of Naukratis only just
visible below. Flickers of torchlight in each building spread like thousands of
stars. “The moon is very full tonight.”

“Are you enjoying the feast?” I stood and brushed
the sand from my skirt.

His lips pursed a little. “As much as you,” he
said wryly.

“I-I think the dancers very fine,” I said. What an
inane comment! Could I think of nothing better to say to him? He would think me
a babbling fool.

He glanced at me. “I have seen better.”

My cheeks burned as I remembered the way his eyes
had lingered on me at the festival.

He did not speak for a long moment.

“A thousand pardons for my intrusion, O Great
Nesu. I-I should return to my escort.” I bowed and awaited his approval to
leave the courtyard, but he caught me by the wrist and I was forced to look up
to meet his gaze.

“Do not leave.” His eyes were dark and shadowed. His
thumb stroke lightly on the inside of my wrist.

“As you command,” I replied. In truth, I didn’t
want to stay on that cursed balcony, with his gaze devouring me. I shifted my
weight and glanced at his hand still lingering around my wrist.

He removed it at once. “I do not wish to be alone,
at present.”

Well, I supposed his personal guards did not count
for good company. We stood in estranged silence for some time while I tried not
to fidget. At last he spoke again.

“I was not being courteous at the festival. I have
heard of you, Rhodopis. Of your…influence in Naukratis.”

My heart froze. I’d been found out.

“I am well known here, yes.” I forced myself to
sound unaffected by his words. I turned away so the moonlight might not betray
my emotions.

“You give support. To the people. That is well,
for it is the people who will bring Egypt her glory,” he said.

I blushed at his praise. “As you say, Nesu.”

“You are reputed to be clever.” He paused. “I wish
to gain Greek support so Egypt may hold against the Persians. What do you say
to this?”

“I am but a woman, Nesu. What do I know of such
things?”

He gave me a dark look which I well deserved. “I
wish to hear your opinion, as a subject of Egypt. For as long as you remain here
in Naukratis, you are under my,” a strategic pause, “protection.”

I wet my lips with a nervous tongue. “The Greek
armies are known for their strength. You would do well to ally yourself with
them.”

He gave a half nod. “Such I have reasoned out for
myself. I have asked for an alliance.”

“And?” I asked.

“And they ask what I offer in return.” He turned
to look at me, resting his hand on the persimmon tree. “What should I offer
them?”

Lightning raced along my skin. I swear I could
feel the heat of him, though his hand no longer touched my flesh. “Something of
value in trade for their aid. The Greeks are covetous of that which is
beautiful. There is much of beauty in Egypt.”

A more obvious answer could not be had! My mind
was a jumble.

He sounded both defensive and interested, an odd
combination. “I have questioned my viziers and yet none can come up with an
agreeable offering. You are a Greek. What do you suggest?”

I did not think now was an appropriate time to
point out I was not a Greek, but a Thracian. His fingers were stiff, though he
curled them in a carefully controlled position on the tree trunk.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Surely you
have some treasure with which to mollify them? Something of value to ransom
their aid. Copper? Turquoise from the mines? Emmer wheat and barley?”

“We cannot. If Persia attacks, and I remain
certain they will, I need to provide for the Egyptian people first. You see the
value in this, I’m sure. I will not alienate my people for the sake of
mercenaries, as did my predecessor Apries. Already the people clamor that
foreigners overtake their cities along the mouth of the Nile. Not every place
is as accommodating as Naukratis to those not Egyptian born.”

I found it ironic that he consulted with me, a foreigner,
on the subject.

“A gesture, then. Something of importance to
Greece, but less concern to Egypt.” Surely if all his viziers could not come up
with a plausible offer, I could not either. I tried only to buy myself an end
to this conversation.

“Such as?” Amasis would not let it be. Really, he
was a most tenacious man. I suppose he must be, to have lasted so long despite
the disdain and waning support of half the nobility.

“I cannot guess, Great Nesu. The Greeks are always
fighting with one another; I cannot imagine what would bring them into battle
in a foreign land, unless….”

I heard a drunken Praxitlytes laughing just
inside. Something clicked in my head. The Greeks were ever in dispute, over
lands, over women, over territory. What did it all come to? Hegemony. Power. Dominance.

How many times had I heard Praxitlytes complain of
the Egyptians taxing their imported goods, and for what purpose? Because he
resented the Egyptian control of what he considered his affair.
Trade
.

Nearly all trade cycled through our city; those
who did not were forced into the lesser tributaries or to haul cargo over the
treacherous desert wastelands. What if Amasis were to allow the Greeks
governing control in Naukratis? The amount of goods taxed would be the same,
and the coffers of Egypt would still swell. The issue at hand was who appeared
to be in control of the ports in Naukratis.

“Great Nesu,” I said. “Naukratis is nearly a
Grecian city-state, save for the officials you have placed here. Have you not
seen how many of us come to Egypt and settle here? What does it matter who is
collecting the taxes as long as they are paid to your treasuries?”

“You wish me to give Naukratis over to the
Greeks?” His entire body went very still. “This seems to countermand the very
perception of the people.”

I drew in a fortifying breath and forced my voice
to remain steady. “I merely suggest you offer the Greeks a gift they half-own
already. If a farmer toils the fields for his own sustenance, does that make
his crops invulnerable to taxes? Is the ground any less yours to do with as you
will?”

He stared at me for a long moment. Then, his
fingers peeled away from the bark of the tree. “Rhodopis,” he murmured, taking
my hand up again. “The rumors are correct. You are quite… uncommon.”

I wondered what it was that he had heard, but
before I could ask, the blessing festivities spilled over into our quiet
interlude.

“Have you seen the lovely Treasure?” called
Praxitlytes from inside the colonnade. “Rhodopis? Where are you my sweetling?”

Amasis looked at me. His eyes were unreadable.

“I beg you to excuse me, oh Great One.” I said,
bowing low, slipping from his grasp once again. Decorum bade me to wait until
he dismissed me.

Gone was the reserved grace from before, the
assured possessive touch of his hands on my wrist. He flicked his hand toward
the door. “I will think on what you have said.”

I took it as an assent to leave and fled as
quickly as I could. The guards turned away when I passed.

*** ***

Days crawled by with no further word from Amasis
or his court. As I was not called to attend Pharaoh or his court, I spent the
following hours fretting over nothing. Mara suggested we sail down to Karnak
and Giza to see the pyramids, but I opted to remain in Naukratis and accepted
an assignation with a trader named Srensen instead. I still did not understand
why Amasis had not tried to conquer my body. It was almost insulting, if one
did not consider the sums this Srensen offered for my time. Srensen and many
others, but not Amasis.

So, I focused on the business of increasing my
business.

“There is no reason to accept this offer,” Mara
accused.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Srensen trades all over
Egypt. His word alone will more than pay for our trip to Giza later this
season.” I put my arms around her and kissed her until the frown left her face.
I tried to tell myself that I wasn’t staying simply to make myself available
for a court summons.

Srensen was a thin man, with beady black eyes. Still,
he had a ready laugh. Our conversation was light and easy over the evening
meal—a marked difference than my fretful attempts to communicate with Amasis.

“I have heard you trade all over Egypt, Srensen. Tell
me, in what do you trade,” I asked, pouring over my platter of fruits.

“Poison,” he said, with a wide smile.

I put down the piece of melon I’d selected.

Srensen grinned. “
Rat
poison. I hear Egypt
is full of them.” He slapped his knee.

What he found so amusing I could not say, but his
smile was infectious. He was a pleasant patron, not overly generous or
intelligent, but still, it was an evening well spent. He sent me on my way when
our business concluded with a small cache of poison certain to rid my pantry of
pests, which I did not think would damage my
hetaera
status.

“Be sure your servants use care when handling this,
for it will kill a man as easily as a rat,” he cautioned. I took the tiny red
faience vial with some trepidation.

“Snake venom,” he said proudly. “Sprinkle the
powder and your troubles are over.” He laughed again.

The cities must be full of rats from the amount he
claimed to be importing into Egypt. Perhaps he was just inflating his own
importance, a common enough habit among men without talent or skill in other
areas. I returned home, tired and ready for the welcoming embrace of my
courtyard pool.