The Right Hand of Amon (39 page)

"I danced around the truth for a time," Bak said, "but finally told him how I felt: I'm content as I am and I have no desire to live a life of wealth and privilege. So he gave me this instead." He ran his fingers over the cool, smooth beads of the necklace. "He took them off and, with his own hands, fastened them on me."

"I thank the lord Amon!" Imsiba grinned. "When I saw you laughing together, I feared the worst." -

Bak's smile was as broad as that of his friend. He was relieved the decision was over and done with, the temptation to climb to great heights a thing of the past. "He hid his feelings, but I suspect he was relieved. He talked too freely today, more than a king should, telling me the deepest secrets within his heart. I imagine he'll be glad to see the last of me."

"The prince, Kenamon says, is doing well. How much longer, do you think, before we can go home to Buhen?" "Soon," Bak said. "The sooner the better."

LAUREN HANEY worked for some years as a technical editor in California's aerospace and construction industries. She now writes full-time. The Lieutenant Bak stories combine her enjoyment of the mystery genre with her passion for ancient Egypt. She presently. lives in San Francisco and travels to Egypt at every opportunity.