What Lies In The Shadow Of The Statue
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“We will need to take a closer look at that,” Lord South said. “But first we must see if any of the prisoners are able to talk.”
Lord Sethepna’i was already moving his people into action. He was a man of many talents and no small degree of ambition, but he had been trained as a soldier. His skills would be required here more than ever before.
They worked their way through the camp in search of survivors, with Lord South taking charge of the effort. There were a number of wounded, but not a great number for what they’d endured. One woman was missing a leg from the knee down, another a hand.
Another lay still on a pallet, covered by a blanket that looked like it might be made from animal hide. She was breathing, though not very steadily.
There was something about her. Lord South felt an odd tugging at his mind and paused for a moment to look into her face. Her lips moved slightly when she heard him speak, her eyes blinking open.
It seemed there was some power behind them after all; they held a light and warmth that he hadn’t noticed before. When they found themselves staring at each other, however, they quickly averted their gazes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I have done so much wrong…I don’t know how I’ll survive…”
“I think you will, my dear,” he said, smiling reassuringly at her. He knew that this would probably be his last conversation with her, for who could tell? The girl was certainly not going to give him her name or anything else useful in exchange.
But he liked her, perhaps because she was the most human of the prisoners, even if she did have some strange magical power. And he wasn’t sure that he trusted the others yet.
She turned away from him again. She was crying. He wondered what sort of life she’d had up until now, whether she had a family, a lover. A wife perhaps? Did she love him back? If she didn’t, how much better off was she than if she had? Perhaps none of this really mattered anyway; it was just a game. Or perhaps he was being cruel.
He couldn’t help but wonder where it all led. Was his destiny tied to hers, as she surely thought it was for herself? Would she end up a slave in her own village, and he one day rule a vast empire and avenge himself against every injustice done against his people? It was hard to tell with these games.
His eyes wandered over the crowd, looking for someone who appeared to be more than he was. The only prisoner he could see who fit the bill was a woman with long black hair, standing next to a pile of weapons, which were strewn everywhere.
The woman turned around and saw Lord Suth coming towards her. “Who are you?” she asked, raising her brows in surprise.
“My name is Lord Suth.”
“Why have you come for me?” she asked, sounding almost defiant.
Lord Suth smiled at her. “To question you, of course! How many men were at your party?”
“Five,” the woman replied coolly.
“Were there women with you too?” he pressed further.
“Yes,” the woman said, looking annoyed.
“Where are they now?” he asked.
She shrugged. “One has died, and the others will probably stay behind. They were not fighters, but slaves from our tribe.”
“You should take care of them well then.”
“Why?” she retorted.
“Because I may send men to collect them later.”
Her face went white, but she nodded curtly.
Lord Suth’s eyes swept over the crowd. Some of them had already been rounded up. Others, mostly those who had fallen unconscious when the soldiers arrived, had been left on their pallets for later examination. Lord Sethepna’i was standing close by, listening intently.
Lord Suth looked back at the woman. “Are you ready to answer questions?”
She shook her head, and her hair flew wildly in the wind. Lord Suth sighed in frustration. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me what happened here?” he asked.
“No,” the woman replied, her voice barely above a whisper. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Very well then.” He glanced out of the tent into the camp where his men had formed a neat line facing the tents, waiting to be questioned. “Perhaps you can find it within yourself to tell us where the rest of your tribe is?”
“If you want them,” the woman spat out bitterly, “then I suggest you try and get to them yourselves!”
Lord Suth stared at her angrily, before turning away to stare at the camp outside. His gaze fell upon Lord Anubis, who stood apart from the others, watching the proceedings without any expression on his face.
“How dare you!” he said, pointing at Lord Anubis with one finger. “This man saved our lives!”
The woman raised her chin haughtily and said, “Don’t bother trying to make excuses for him—if he wanted to kill us all, why did he not do it?” She laughed scornfully.
Lord Suth was furious now. “What have we ever done to you?!” he roared, striding forward and grabbing the woman by the throat. “You think we’re your enemies?! Are you so foolish, to believe that?” He tightened his grip until she was forced to gasp for breath.
“You have nothing to fear from us!” he continued furiously. “You’ve made an enemy of a great lord! And when we return to the city, we will hunt down the entire tribe and slaughter each and every one of them!” He let go of her and stepped back in disgust. The woman slumped to the floor with a thud. Lord Suth felt sick. He turned to Lord Anubis with a frown, but Lord Anubis simply bowed.
Lord Suth walked over to the nearest soldier and pointed at the man lying on the ground. “Bring me my whip!” he shouted, and his men quickly obeyed. When they returned with the whip, Lord Suth swung it at the man’s chest.
The man screamed in pain as blood oozed over his clothes. “Tell me where they are!” Lord Suth bellowed, swinging the whip again, this time on another man. “Or the next one won’t just be your body; it will be your soul!” He struck a third person across the legs.
“And if you still fail me—” he said with a snarl, before lifting up his whip and bringing it down hard on the man’s back. “Then we’ll tear off your limbs too!” he screamed, his voice rising to a crescendo as he whipped and punched and kicked the men lying helplessly on the ground.
As Lord Suth left the tent, Lord Anubis remained behind. He watched silently as the prisoners began to stir. Soon some of them sat up and looked at him, fear and confusion etched deeply on their faces. One of them called out to Lord Anubis. “You came!”
“Indeed,” Lord Anubis said gently.
“Thank you,” another man said with relief, and Lord Anubis nodded.
He heard the sounds of Lord Suth leaving, but stayed where he was.
“Who are you?” asked the first man.
Lord Anubis thought for a moment before answering. “My name is Lord Anubis, and I am here to help.”
Another man spoke up. “Help with what?”
“There’s nothing for you to fear here anymore,” Lord Anubis replied softly. “We are friends, and we have come to take you back home.” He could feel the tension draining from the people as they listened to him.
“I need to ask you all a question, and it’s important that you answer me truthfully,” he continued quietly. “Is there anyone here who isn’t an Ahmose man? Someone from your own village?”
One man looked around nervously. “Yes, one of them is a priest,” he said quietly.
“Good,” Lord Anubis smiled. “I know how much your priests hate our kind, so I’m glad that you were able to keep your mouth shut about him.”
Lord Anubis knew that the soldiers would soon start asking questions. They needed to leave before then. There was only one way out, and that was through the front entrance. He turned to one of the people lying on the ground. “Will you guide us there?”
The man rose shakily to his feet and followed Lord Anubis out of the tent. Lord Anubis paused for a moment, before motioning for the other two men to follow him. He led them over to where a group of people huddled together and whispered nervously among themselves.
“Where’s the boy?” Lord Anubis asked gruffly. “He needs to be brought along with us. We cannot leave him here.”
A young man looked up. “In the tent…” he stuttered, his eyes darting to Lord Anubis. “They have tied him up and locked him inside…” He swallowed audibly.
Lord Anubis nodded. “Then lead us there!” He walked over to a small hut and knocked on the door with the flat part of his palm. A few moments later it opened and Lord Anubis saw the boy sitting on the floor.
His hands were tied behind his back, his arms stretched out behind him, and his feet had been bound with ropes as well. The boy looked terrified when he saw Lord Anubis standing outside the door.
“Are you alright?” Lord Anubis asked, trying not to let his emotions show in his voice. The boy nodded slowly, tears filling his eyes as he looked up at Lord Anubis with pleading in his face. Lord Anubis knelt down beside him and took his hand in his own.
He gave it a gentle squeeze before pulling away and looking at the people crowded around him. “Let’s go!” he shouted, turning towards the tent.
Lord Anubis led the way as fast as he could without causing trouble. As they passed the tents Lord Anubis noticed the soldiers beginning to gather, staring suspiciously at them, their eyes moving between the men in front of them and the boy following behind them like a silent shadow.
Some of them called out to Lord Anubis, demanding to know what he was doing there, while others simply jeered and laughed, their voices filled with hatred and derision. When Lord Anubis reached the main entrance he stopped abruptly.
“What are you waiting for?” he demanded angrily. “Go!” He pushed past the soldiers and pulled the door open. A gust of wind rushed through the entrance, carrying with it the stench of death and decay. Lord Anubis closed the door behind him and faced his men.
“Take this boy as far from here as possible, as quickly as you can,” he ordered sharply. “And don’t ever bring him back to here again! Do you understand?” The men nodded in silence. “Now move!”
Lord Anubis stood still, holding onto the boy’s hand tightly as his mind raced through what he should do next. If I return to Ahmose now… I will be executed. But what choice have I got? The people in there are already dead; I must do something to stop it from happening to the rest of the city!
“This way,” a voice said, startling Lord Anubis. He turned and saw the old priest, standing alone at the base of a small hill. He held out a hand and Lord Anubis took it, helping the old man climb the small incline.
At the top he sat down and leaned against a large boulder, looking out over the camp below. “I am not sure what your plan is,” he began cautiously, his eyes fixed on the horizon beyond it.
Lord Anubis sat beside him. “You were right about what was going to happen to them, weren’t you? What they planned for those people?”
The old man nodded weakly. “Yes,” he mumbled. “It is not my place to interfere,” he continued, looking down at his feet.
“But you tried to protect them, didn’t you? That’s why they killed you?” Lord Anubis frowned and put his arm around the old man’s shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me what was going to happen to them?”
The priest sighed. “Because it wasn’t my place,” he repeated. “I told you what to do because it was important that someone did it – and you were the best person for the job.”
Lord Anubis pulled the priest closer and hugged him close. “You’re right; I’m sorry!”
“Don’t be, please,” the old man said, patting his shoulder gently. “I am old and tired, so it is just as well I met my end before it was too late.” He smiled warmly and patted Lord Anubis’ hand. “Now… how are we supposed to save them?”
Lord Anubis sighed. He looked at the sun. It had been hours since he last looked at the time; he had spent that time trying to make plans. He could not return to Ahmose until nightfall. By then the army would have marched through the gates and he knew he would be unable to reach the palace before the gates were shut for good.
“We’ll have to sneak into the temple and kill the priests who control the magic,” he finally answered. “If we take them both out…”
“That will work,” the priest whispered. “There won’t be any more magic, no one will die in agony!”
Lord Anubis nodded slowly. “And we will need a distraction,” he continued, glancing up at the temple walls, which stretched above them on all sides. “We will have to cause a fire in the marketplace or something similar.”
The old man laughed softly and shook his head. “No,” he replied. “Something much better than that!” His eyes lit up. “The soldiers will see us coming. They’ll try to defend themselves. That will give you the chance to escape. You go inside the palace and hide away where only you know where to find it. When it is dark, you come back to free the other slaves! Do you understand?”
Lord Anubis frowned, his eyes wide. “How do you expect me to get in?” he asked sharply. “It will never work.”
The priest shook his head, smiling broadly. “Don’t worry about that; I have a plan.”
***
An hour later, Lord Anubis stood on top of the Temple Mount, peering down at the burning buildings that lay in front of him. There was nothing else he could do to stop them but to watch them burn.
As he watched, he noticed two figures walking through the crowd that was beginning to gather around the burning pyre. He squinted and then gasped. It was him, and his friend! They were walking side by side and talking animatedly with each other.
He felt his heart lurch in his chest. He wanted to jump down and drag them both away, to shout to them to leave this place at once, but there was nothing he could do. He clenched his fists as his mouth fell open in shock, unable to say anything aloud.
The moment they disappeared round the corner, he started to run, dashing across the grass towards the palace gates. Once he reached the steps leading up, he stopped, panting heavily, leaning against the cold stone wall of the entrance. A hand gripped his arm and yanked him upright.
“What’s wrong?” Thothmes demanded, his face tight with concern. “Are you injured?” He stared at Lord Anubis for a long moment and then suddenly laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Lord Anubis glared at him suspiciously.
“Nothing,” the prince replied cheerfully. “It’s just… well, your face looks like you’ve seen a ghost!” He slapped Lord Anubis on the shoulder with mock delight. “Come, let’s see if we can help you!”
Lord Anubis took a deep breath and smiled shakily at Thothmes. “Let us hope that we don’t need to,” he murmured. “We’d both be dead if we tried.” He followed after his prince.
Thothmes led him to the stables where two of their friends had taken up residence for the night. They sat together on a bench, sipping from small clay cups that had been left beside the door. As soon as he saw them, both young men jumped up quickly, dropping the cups as they hastened to greet Lord Anubis.
The young lord nodded at them, trying to smile, but his mind was elsewhere, trying desperately to think of what he should do next.
“You’re late!” one of them complained.
“Sorry,” Lord Anubis murmured, trying to appear apologetic.
“Didn’t you hear? It’s almost dawn.”
Lord Anubis shook his head slowly, staring blankly at the ground. “No, I didn’t,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I lost track of time.”
“That’s not true,” his second friend exclaimed, frowning. “Where have you been? What happened to you?”
“I… I couldn’t sleep,” Lord Anubis muttered, looking down at the floor. “So I came out here to look at the stars.”
There was silence for a while as Thothmes turned to the younger man and spoke to him very carefully, nodding his head slightly whenever he heard him speak. Then he turned back to his friend. “Why don’t you stay the night too?” he suggested. “Then we can talk in the morning and come up with a plan for getting rid of the evil spirit. How does that sound?”
His friend looked down thoughtfully. “Yes, I suppose it’s best.”
“Good,” Thothmes nodded. “Now let’s drink some more wine and forget about all this nonsense for now.”
They returned to the others and drank until the first rays of the sun broke over the eastern horizon. Then they went into the stables together where they found Lord Anubis sitting alone, staring straight ahead at the fire that still burned brightly in front of him. They sat down beside him.
“Well?” Thothmes prompted him gently. “What do you think of my idea?”
Lord Anubis sighed. “I wish I could give you a better answer, but honestly, I don’t know,” he replied. “It is such a crazy thing to do that even though the priest did promise to help us, I’m afraid that something might go wrong.
I just don’t want to lose you or any of our friends. And besides…” His voice trailed off, and his eyes closed as he shivered violently, then opened them again and glanced up at Thothmes questioningly.
The prince grinned and clasped his hands in front of himself. “Of course,” he chuckled. “How could I forget?”
Lord Anubis smiled hesitantly. “Well, you see,” he began slowly, “I met him before.” His eyes flickered toward the fire as he spoke. “But only briefly. We were traveling by boat on the Nile when a storm overtook us. He and a few other priests rowed us ashore and stayed with us until help arrived.
My mother was ill and he treated her and helped to heal her.” He paused for a moment, then continued quietly: “She died shortly after that, but she would have been saved if the evil spirit had not attacked me as well.” He looked down at his clasped hands and then up again.
“I can’t believe that he could still be alive, but… well, you are right; there is no doubt that it was the same man who appeared to me tonight.”
Thothmes stared at him in surprise. “You mean,” he gasped, “that you’ve actually met him? On the river?”
“Yes,” Lord Anubis nodded miserably. “That was years ago, but it felt like yesterday. I knew that it was the same person because it felt so real.” He shook his head hopelessly. “I just don’t know if this is going to work.”
“Of course it will,” Thothmes insisted cheerfully, smiling at him encouragingly. “If anyone can deal with this situation, it’s your father. Now tell me exactly what happened, and I’ll pass on the news to our people.”
Lord Anubis took a deep breath, then told him the whole story, leaving nothing out except for the part about his mother’s death. When he finished speaking, he slumped forward onto his knees.
“What do you intend to do?” Thothmes asked quietly. “I mean, we can’t just wait here forever. The army has probably already moved from their camp to attack us by now. Do you think we should go back to join the others or keep watch over the horses until nightfall?”
“What if the soldiers are still here?” Lord Anubis murmured thoughtfully. “We’d never make it across the desert without them knowing.”
“Then you must go,” Thothmes decided immediately. “And I want you to take me with you. If we go together, then we might stand a chance, but if you stay here, someone else may die.” He smiled reassuringly as his friend looked up at him in dismay. “I know how hard this is for you, Lord Anubis, but the alternative is worse,” he continued firmly. “Do you understand?”
The young nobleman hesitated, then shook his head slowly. “I don’t think we have a choice,” he whispered. “I am sorry.”
Thothmes nodded sadly, then got up and walked away. As he made his way toward the stables, he called out: “Wait!”
Lord Anubis turned quickly to face him. “Yes?” he asked warily.
“Let’s go,” Thothmes suggested. “Now.”
Lord Anubis smiled. “As you wish,” he said softly, standing up.
Together, they headed back to where the others had gathered around the fire. They found them waiting for them with worried looks on their faces. When Thothmes explained what had occurred during the night, the men began to look even more alarmed than they had previously done. Then Thothmes told them what he intended to do next.
When they had all agreed to accompany him to the village, Lord Anubis stood up and offered a prayer for those who had yet to return home. It was only then that the prince told him exactly what they planned to do.
Lord Anubis’ face darkened, and Thothmes could almost see the waves of grief and guilt washing over him. At last he straightened up and spoke again, his words filled with determination.
“I know that this is not going to be easy,” he admitted. “Even if we manage to get into the village without being detected, there will be hundreds of soldiers there.”
“But the villagers have already left,” Lord Anubis reminded him.
“Yes,” Thothmes agreed, “but we can’t count on them to warn everyone else.”
Lord Anubis nodded slowly, then looked at him earnestly. “There is something I need to ask you,” he said quietly. “Will you promise me that you will do everything in your power to help us? And that you won’t try to leave until we’ve succeeded?”
At the mention of the word “success,” Thothmes started to protest, but Lord Anubis interrupted him firmly.
“Please, Lord Anubis,” he implored. “I would rather have you with me than leave you behind to die.”
His friend hesitated for a moment, then nodded sadly. “I swear upon my honor that I will do whatever you say,” he promised. “And if it means that I must remain here and die, I shall accept it.”
They spent the rest of the day planning their strategy, and at long last, it was dark outside, and they were ready to set out. They took their horses first, tying them to a low tree before they made their way back to the entrance.
There they paused to catch their breath, looking cautiously around before stepping inside. Their eyes darted from side to side as they scanned every shadowed nook and cranny. They moved silently past the guards, making their way through the silent, deserted streets.
Lord Anubis was surprised to find himself actually enjoying the challenge. In his mind, he had always been so frightened, but now, as he followed close behind Thothmes, he felt a sense of exhilaration. It seemed strange, but the thought was strangely comforting.
After what seemed an eternity, they reached the outskirts of the town. Lord Anubis looked carefully at the houses, trying to spot any signs of activity among the shadows; but there was nothing to be seen.
They mounted their horses and continued, heading deeper into the village. At last, after what seemed like an age, they came to a house that was surrounded by several other similar dwellings. They dismounted and tied the horses to the nearest bush before making their way toward it.
Once there, they stopped and waited patiently as Lord Anubis crept towards the door. After a moment he opened it quietly, peering into the darkness within before stepping inside cautiously. When he had made sure that no one was there, he closed the door again and turned to face his companions.
“All right,” he whispered. “Here we are.”
He pointed at the door to the next house. “That’s our next destination,” he explained. “We should probably keep moving.”
They made their way back down the road, keeping to the shadows as they moved along its length. A short while later they saw another house in the distance. As they approached, they noticed a light burning inside, so they knew that someone must be still awake.
“This is as far as we’re going,” Lord Anubis declared when they reached it. “The rest of the houses will be too risky. We’ll have to try to get as near as we can before dawn.” He indicated the next dwelling, which was just two doors away from where they stood. “This is where we make a start,” he concluded, pointing to the wall that ran between the two buildings.
Thothmes nodded and they walked on, keeping close together so that they might be able to communicate if they encountered anything unexpected. They moved slowly, taking their time and avoiding making noise as much as possible.
They kept watching as they went, alert for any movement or sign of life within the houses. After what seemed like hours, Thothmes glanced back as he heard some kind of commotion from ahead.
A group of men stood by the side of the road, talking excitedly. They were dressed in armor, and each carried a spear in his hand. As they drew closer, they recognized one man, and stopped to stare at him in amazement. It was Lord Anubis!
He froze where he stood as the strangers stared at him with wide-open eyes. The leader of the group stepped forward and held up his hand to silence his comrades before he spoke.
“Who are you?” he demanded sternly. “And what do you think you’re doing? If it wasn’t for your god Ammon, I’d tear you to pieces.”
“I’m sorry,” Lord Anubis began, shaking his head in confusion. “I don’t understand… ?”
“Come back!” ordered the leader sharply. “If you go any further, I promise you that you’ll regret it.” He glared at Lord Anubis with contemptuous eyes. “I suggest you turn around and get out of here immediately. I warn you—if you try to pass through my territory, I’ll see to it that you suffer for it.”
Lord Anubis stared blankly at the men for a few seconds before realizing that they were trying to stop him from getting any nearer. “Oh! Of course,” he exclaimed. “It’s all right; we won’t go anywhere near your homes.”
He smiled broadly, but his smile soon disappeared as he realized that the stranger was only trying to frighten him away. “Now please forgive me,” Lord Anubis said, raising both hands high above his head. “We’ll be on our way now—and we won’t trouble you again.”
“Yes, yes,” growled the man impatiently. “That’s what you say,” he added coldly as Lord Anubis turned to walk away.
His face contorted with rage, the warrior shouted at Lord Anubis, his voice shrill with anger. “Don’t worry about it,” he barked angrily, brandishing his spear. “You’ve got nothing to fear from us. Now go!”
“But…” stammered Lord Anubis, staring back at the men.
“Go!” thundered the warrior fiercely, gesturing with his weapon for them to leave the area. “Get out of here right this minute!”
“We really mean it,” added another voice from among the others. “Just go. Now!”
Lord Anubis hesitated, then nodded in agreement with his companions and started walking away quickly. He looked back once more, unable to believe that such a thing had happened, before he started running down the road.
Behind him, the leader called out angrily: “You hear me? Get out of here! If you come back again, you’re going to have to deal with me. Understand?”
Thothmes shook his head sadly as he watched Lord Anubis hurry away. What had possessed those men to behave so violently toward a mere human being? The last thing they needed was an altercation with a stranger. They were lucky that they hadn’t been injured.
After a few moments, Lord Anubis stopped and turned around suddenly, staring back in disbelief. “No,” he whispered in horror. “What have I done?”
They hurried back to the other houses, keeping out of sight as they went. As soon as they reached it, Lord Anubis sat down, burying his face in his hands. His companions looked at one another with concern. They had no idea what might have brought about such a change in him.
“What is it, my lord?” asked the spokesman anxiously. “Are you well?”
“Please, don’t call me ‘my lord,’ ” snapped Lord Anubis angrily. “This has got to stop—it’s just too dangerous. No one should have to live in constant fear, like this!”
“My Lord!” cried one of his friends, who were closest to him. “I beg you not to go on! This is madness!”
“How dare you speak to me like that?” raged Lord Anubis, pushing himself up with his legs as he stared at the man before him. “Don’t think for a moment that I’m afraid of you. I’m going to go to Pharaoh and make sure that everyone knows what you tried to do to me. You’d better start looking over your shoulder very carefully because I’ll be watching you, from now on.”
Lord Anubis stood up slowly, glaring at the men until they fell silent. Then he marched out of the house, ignoring the frightened looks that the other residents gave him.
His two companions followed him as far as the main road and waited for him to catch his breath.
“Well,” he sighed heavily after a short while, wiping his forehead with his sleeve, “I suppose that’s where we ought to go. It can’t get much worse than this, I guess.” He looked down at the ground in front of him, then glanced across his friends at the other buildings. “Do you mind if I take a short rest first?”
“Not at all, My Lord,” answered one of the men. “We’ve got plenty of time to spare.”
They walked along the edge of the street for a short distance, then sat down beside each other. One of them began talking to the other.
“What would happen if we did decide to return to our old ways? Do you think it could ever be safe enough for us to leave?”
“I don’t know,” replied the second man. “It’s certainly not easy to answer that question.”
“But we haven’t got any choice. We’re going nowhere until something changes. How long is it since we left Egypt anyway?”
“A good many years, my friend. I suppose we’d have to say more than thirty summers.”
Lord Anubis shook his head sadly. “And still we have no peace,” he murmured quietly.
One of his companions looked up sharply. “Did you hear that?”
Both men turned toward the sound of footsteps behind them and saw a group of soldiers marching past, their feet moving swiftly as they passed.
The End