The Book of the Dead Read online

  ‘Well well well,’ said Thestor, ‘now we are all thieves as well as murderers?’

  No,’ replied Kaires. ‘Just one of you.’

  -0-

  There was a considerable mixture of expressions as the scholars made their way down to breakfast. Chaeremon and Thestor looked extremely put out, and made their displeasure clear. Dexios was clearly annoyed, but kept silent. Prokles appeared resigned, while Haemon and Aristeon looked merely amused. Strabo remained detached, but interested. Mantios, at Kaires’s request, stayed with him on the upper deck. Already angry with Kaires from the discussion of the night before, he showed no signs of lightening his mood.

  ‘I won't be questioned like some criminal. I have no idea what is going on,’ complained Mantios. Everyone else had now gone down to breakfast, leaving Kaires and the astronomer alone on deck.

  ‘No more have I,’ replied Kaires, ‘but I mean to find out. I know I’m ruffling feathers, but I can’t avoid it. I mean nothing personal, Mantios. First the death of Zeno, now this burglary.’

  Mantios softened slightly. ‘What was taken?’ he asked, a little too quickly. Did he truly not know? Kaires thought that his curiosity was genuine, but what did he really know of Mantios?

  ‘Just some jewellery. Nothing else.’

  Mantios looked satisfied, perhaps even reassured. Had he been expecting something else?

  ‘Is that all? He said. ‘So the Prefect got burgled. Hardly a world shattering event, even for someone of his importance. He seems to be making a ridiculous amount of fuss. It’s absurd to suspect one of us of something so trivial, and to insult us by searching our rooms. We are moored by the dock of a city where the laws are famously lax. The thief could be anywhere by now. I doubt you'll find the Prefect's trinkets.’

  ‘What did you do last night after dinner?’

  ‘Good gods, this is preposterous. If you must know I chatted for a while with Aristeon, and then went to bed. I was very tired after a long day. I slept like a log and came up for a bit of air before breakfast, only to find you scrabbling around in the corner. So I'm afraid I can't be of any help to you, and I'm hungry. Have we finished?’

  Kaires could see there was nothing more to be gained from Mantios in this mood. ‘For now. I'll need to talk to you again later. There's still a lot I need to know about that afternoon in the library.’

  ‘I don't see how a petty theft could possibly have anything to do with it. Common burglars don’t go round killing off harmless scholars. Now if you don't mind...’

  Mantios stood and crossed the deck to the stairs down. Kaires didn't really feel hungry. He realised he hadn't yet seen Iola this morning and decided to seek her out. Hopefully to have a word with Myrine too. Following Mantios down he saw Gallus leaving his apartment in the company of Strabo, on the way to breakfast. The prefect stopped and spoke to him.

  ‘The crew have made a thorough search. No sign of anything, as you thought, Kaires,’ said Gallus. ‘Not that I trust them to see further than the end of their noses. Still, there’s nothing more to be done. It’s up to you.’

  ‘I’m doing my best, sir,’ said Kaires.

  ‘You’re taking your time. I thought this would all be over by now. Do get a move on.’

  Strabo appeared amused. ‘Give the man a chance, Aelius. Everything comes to those who wait.’

  ‘I haven’t got time to wait. All right, Kaires, don’t let us keep you.’ So saying he moved over to the dining tables. Strabo went with him.

  Kaires found out from one of the stewards where Myrine’s cabin was, and gently knocked at the door.

  Myrine sat framed by the window behind her. A gentle breeze caused by the opening of the door stirred the gauze curtain behind her head. In the soft light she looked indescribably beautiful. Iola sat in a chair by her bed, refolding some clothes. Kaires looked at them both fondly.

  ‘He was a very lucky man, Zeno, with such a wife and daughter,’ he said.

  ‘Have you come to pay us compliments, Dr. Kaires? Won't you take a seat?’ Myrine smiled welcomingly.

  ‘I hope you've settled in. Is the room to your liking?’

  ‘It's a lot better than my old one,’ said Iola. ‘It's got a window, for a start.’

  Her mother turned to her. ‘Iola, would you fetch me some water? I'm starting to feel a little thirsty. And perhaps some for Dr. Kaires as well.’

  ‘You mean you want me out of the way. Very well, I'll give you a few minutes but I'll expect a report from both of you when I come back.’ With a look over her shoulder, she left the room.

  ‘However did I raise such a child? She has no respect at all.’ But Myrine smiled as she said it.

  Kaires had made himself comfortable. ‘Actually I did want a little chat. I don't really know enough about Zeno and would like to hear about him from you. After all, you knew him best. How did you meet?’

  Myrine looked away for a moment and Kaires feared he had upset her. ‘Of course if it's still too soon...’

  ‘No, it's all right. It would do me good to talk about him. Our marriage was arranged by my father. I was brought up on a farm in the Delta, on the Sebennitic branch of the Nile. My father was a cousin of Zeno's mother. He was a good man, reasonably well off, but relatively uneducated. He admired scholarship and learning, and although Zeno wasn't rich, he thought it would be a good match. Any son of ours would have a good education, and could help to run the farm. So we were introduced. I liked him immediately. He was very handsome in his way.’

  ‘But you didn't have a son.’

  ‘Oh yes, we did. Eukles. He was a year older than Iola. As good a son as any father could wish for, and any mother.’

  ‘I didn't know. Where is he now?’

  ‘He is no longer with us. Zeno sent him away to learn about the farm. He had studied for a while at the Library, but he didn't get on very well with the academic life. So he went down into the Delta, to the farm. He wasn't used to the local water, or maybe it was malaria. Anyway, he caught a fever, and never recovered.’

  ‘I'm sorry. I had no idea.’

  ‘It was the will of the gods.’ Myrine's face hardened as she said it. Kaires thought she didn't believe it for a moment.

  ‘That must have hit you both very hard.’

  ‘It did. But I had Iola to support me - she is wise beyond her years. Zeno had other people to turn to.’

  ‘You mean -?’

  ‘Our relations cooled rather after Eukles's death. I think Zeno found someone else to comfort him for a while.’

  ‘Assia Alexia?’

  ‘You know about her already. I don't know. I may have been misjudging him. But the worst thing was I didn't really mind if it was true. That sounds terrible. I still loved him, but everything changed. I looked at him with different eyes. Now he has gone, I can forgive him anything.’

  The door opened quietly and Iola walked in. She saw the tears forming in her mother's eyes, and for once didn't say anything. She put a jug of water on the table and poured a beaker for them all. She handed one to her mother, and one to Kaires, which he took gratefully. He realised he should eat something.

  ‘I think I should go and talk to some of the others. Won’t you come up to breakfast?’

  Iola stopped him. ‘You're too late if you want to talk to anyone now. They're all getting ready to go ashore. I'm going to go myself in a minute. Perhaps you could join me and talk to the others when they get back?’

  ‘Myrine?’ Kaires asked.

  ‘I’ll come up with you for something to eat, but then I think I'll stay here and rest. I didn't sleep too well last night and I'm still tired after chasing my wayward daughter halfway across the country. But do go into the city with Iola. At least then she'll have some chance of staying out of trouble.’

  ‘Very well. We’ll see what Canopus has to show us. But first of all, I’m starving. If we’re all ready, let’s go and get some breakfast.’

  -0-

  The passengers were still at breakfast as Myrine joined
them for the first time. Everyone except the Prefect and Strabo already knew her, at least by sight, but no one had recognised Iola, so she caused something of a sensation when she took her place beside her mother. Kaires took it upon himself to introduce them properly and explain. Gallus was surprisingly welcoming; Kaires noticed that he kept his eye on Myrine throughout the meal. She had sat down next to Prokles and was engaging him in polite conversation; Gallus watched them with a certain glint in his eye and Kaires wondered if he now ought to be looking out for her as well as Iola. In an overwhelmingly male assembly, the women certainly made a welcome addition, and even Mantios was affably polite.

  As the meal came to an end Gallus stood and threw down his napkin. ‘Are you coming, Strabo,’ he said, ‘or are you going to sit here stuffing your face all day? There’s a whole city out there for you to discover. If you’re lucky you might find someone who can talk to you about population figures.’

  Strabo, unaware he was being teased, looked enthusiastic. ‘You know, Aelius, you really should think about my idea of organising a census. How else are you meant to know how many people you’re supposed to be governing? It would provide all sorts of useful information, not just for now but for the future. Your name would go down in history.’ He went over to join Gallus at the head of the gangplank.

  ‘He means in his history, I imagine,’ said Chaeremon, to Strabo’s departing back. ‘Really, as if anyone will ever read a word he writes.’ He got up and followed them down.

  The group started to break up and drift ashore to sample the delights of Canopus. As Myrine rose from her chair, she slipped on a piece of fruit and knocked over a jug of water. Servants ran to mop up the spreading pool of water and clear the deck of the debris from the meal.

  ‘How clumsy of me! Lucky it was only water, not wine,’ she said.

  ‘Never mind, mother,’ said Iola, ‘that’s one thing Egypt has no shortage of.’

  There was a busy market beyond the quayside. Myrine joined Thestor standing by a window, looking at the sights.

  ‘The market appears interesting,’ said Thestor. ‘Might be worth a look before heading to the Temples. Are you going on land?’

  ‘I was feeling a bit tired, but breakfast has quite restored me. It does look exciting. Who knows what they’re selling there? Perhaps after all I’ll join you for a stroll around the stalls. There’s Prokles, by the man selling figs.’

  ‘Yes. Look! He’s fallen over his stick. No, he’s up again. Close call. And is that Chaeremon? He seems to be arguing with Strabo.’

  A group of crew members went down the gangplank onto the quay, heading for the market.

  ‘Do you think Chaeremon and Strabo get on? They were very frosty with each other at breakfast.’

  Thestor laughed. ‘Some disagreement about the distance between here and the pyramids. Apparently they use different measuring systems, and can’t agree which is best. Let’s go and catch them up.’

  Dexios joined them at the rail. ‘Aristeon and Haemon seem to be becoming fast friends,’ he said to his brother. ‘Although I think Aristeon is rather faster, if you know what I mean. I wonder if Haemon realises... They’ve gone off to the Temples together. Do you think –‘ he caught Myrine’s enquiring look and stopped. ‘I mean –‘

  ‘It’s all right, Dexios,’ she said. ‘I’m not completely naive. Good luck to them. Are you coming?’

  Taking their leave of the other three, they made their way down the gangplank and disappeared off into the market.

  Iola, Mantios, and Kaires finished the last of their breakfast. Mantios, no longer hungry, seemed in much better form.

  ‘Everyone’s gone on shore except us,’ he said. ‘I think I’ll go and take a nap. See you at lunch, I expect.’

  He struggled off his couch and disappeared down below. Iola and Kaires watched him go, then headed onto the quayside themselves.

  -0-

  Although it was still early the sun shone with such intensity that the sweat soon began to bead on Kaires's forehead. Away from the river, there was no breeze to offer any respite from the heat. Iola, walking alongside, seemed unaffected, her attention entirely taken by the novelty of a strange city. Near the docks they had crossed through the fruit and vegetable section of the market, where they had seen some crew members of the Gloria Aegyptae with baskets, stocking up for the kitchen. Onions, leeks, lettuce, cucumber, all looking fresh and crisp, were piled high on the stalls. Kaires bought a handful of dates and gave some to Iola.

  He had meant to go straight to the Temple of Osiris but as they made their way up the slope of the main thoroughfare of the city, Iola was enticed by the persuasive merchants into many of the shops. It wasn't long before Kaires was carrying several small packages - henna, and some of the scented ointments that Canopus produced. They stopped for a weak beer at one of the small taverns near the Temple, and Kaires, unsuccessfully, tried to stop Iola from adding a little pottery figure of Osiris of Canopus to her collection. A crude jar with a poorly executed human head, it was truly hideous, but Iola was rather taken with it.

  ‘I could give it to mother,’ she said. ‘She'd love it. Look, you can see the headdress. I should get something from every place we stop, to remind me later of this trip. Shall I get one for you?’

  ‘I don't think so, Iola. Hotepet would have it out of the house before I had anything else unpacked. Come on, I want to get to the Temple. We're not meant to be stopping in Canopus for long. I don't want to hold up the barge.’

  Iola demurred. ‘Why don't you go and look at the Temple, and I'll do a bit more shopping. There's lots of stuff here they don't have in Alexandria. Look at those sandals, aren't they gorgeous? I'll meet you at the entrance to the Temple in an hour.’

  Knowing the futility of arguing when a woman was in the mood for shopping, Kaires left her to it, on condition she confined herself to the main street and kept within sight of the Temple. He could see Aristeon further down the street, and as they spoke Dexios and Myrine came out of a nearby shop. As he left he saw Iola go over to them. There were plenty of people to look out for her.

  The Temple of Osiris stood at the centre of the city. It had once been very wealthy, taking tolls from all the traders who used the port and passed their wares along the branch of the Nile, but a long time ago Alexandria had overtaken Canopus as the main harbour, and its importance had dwindled so that it was now more of a holiday destination for the wealthy of Alexandria, attractive in its way and with a slightly risqué reputation that ensured it would always be popular with the sons of the rich. The Temple, though, had retained a sense of grandeur and was still an imposing sight, despite the building of a newer, grander Temple to Serapis. Kaires entered through the main pylon into a courtyard with a portico along each side. This was as far as most people were permitted to go, but in common with many Egyptians, Kaires had trained as a wab priest and was able to access the next court.

  He had thought he was alone but as he crossed the courtyard he caught a glimpse of tunic behind one of the broad columns of the portico. Going closer, he recognised Haemon, who was facing away from him, talking to someone else hidden by the pillar.

  ‘It's all right for you, you weren't so involved. What if he were to find out about me?’

  ‘That's not likely, is it?’ Kaires recognised the voice of Chaeremon. ‘We all have a lot to lose. Just -’

  A priest emerged from the second court, and greeted Kaires as he passed. Haemon turned and a look of shock flashed across his face as he saw Kaires just beyond the pillar. He recovered quickly, however, and stepped forward with a smile.

  ‘How good to see you, Kaires. Are you enjoying the delights of Canopus? What brings you here?’ He indicated Chaeremon, who appeared from the other side of the pillar. ‘We were just getting out of the sun. Chaeremon has just lost ten denarii to a street gambler. We're sure there was something fishy about it, but we couldn't see the trick. Saw us coming, I suppose.’ He laughed.

  ‘I was just coming to have a wo
rd with the priest-healer.’ Kaires tried to look impassive, but his mind was racing. Haemon had tried to cover what he had been talking about, but it didn't add up. ‘You have to be careful with these street tricksters. You will never win.’

  ‘True. Chaeremon is old enough to know better.’

  ‘I think we had better be getting back to the barge,’ scowled Chaeremon, who was in no mood for humour. He brushed past Kaires and made for the exit.

  Haemon paused, as if he had been about to say something else to Kaires, but had then thought better of it. He raised his hand instead, then followed Chaeremon.

  He was probably wondering how much Kaires had overheard. Kaires wondered about it himself. What had he missed?

  He didn't have time to consider it just now. He wanted to see if the priest he knew was still here. He would try just to concentrate on his profession for the next hour or so, and take comfort in discussing healing herbs and remedies with a like minded soul. He needed to clear his mind of everything else for a while. He told himself there would be time afterwards to get down to some serious thinking.

  -0-

  Despite the fact that their meetings had been few and far between, Kaires felt immediately comfortable in the presence of Hesy-Re. Much older than Kaires, the healer-priest of Canopus could have been his grandfather, but to Kaires he was a brother. He had been the first to introduce Kaires to the healing power of plants, steering him away from the more unpleasant of the conventional Egyptian remedies and avoiding too much reliance on magical ritual. Kaires had been overjoyed to find him in his usual place at the Temple, in amongst a seemingly chaotic jumble of dried plants, grinding pots and bubbling infusions. Hesy-Re had welcomed him warmly.

  ‘Mind the spiny burnet.’ He brushed a bundle of a particularly vicious looking plant off a chair. ‘You wouldn't want to sit on it. What brings you here? How is Hotepet?