House of Scorpion by Mark Gajewski

Author:Mark Gajewski [Gajewski, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

***

Father and Tamit and I sat at the edge of the plateau on the west side of the valley overlooking Ptah’s Settlement. He’d requested that the three of us meet alone. I’d selected this spot for its magnificent view. An hour ago we’d ridden donkeys to the foot of the plateau, then up a narrow winding trail to the top. Behind us was stark desert, sand without a trace of vegetation, the sky hazy with windblown dust. Below us was Ptah’s Settlement, sprawling for more than a mile along the inundation-swollen river. Boats bobbed and swayed at every quay. Several more boats were approaching from the direction of the sea. One was mine, its sail billowing, overtaking and passing the others. The harbor and warehouses were beehives of activity, the men working there ant-like at this distance, an endless line of porters and donkeys moving between the two districts. We could see a long way north and south. The waving reeds and papyrus in the delta were indistinct bright green patches in the midst of a vast silver lake. The river that sliced through the valley was wide, flowing relentlessly north, dark with silt carried from the lands south of the cataract.

Father was going to leave for Tjeni in the morning. He’d spent every day the past week touring the settlement, seeing firsthand the controls Tamit had put in place, questioning her and overseers and common porters and boatmen. He’d been impressed by her and the work she’d done. I was counting on that to keep him from exploding when I told him Tamit was my wife. So far I hadn’t found the courage. I told myself I wanted Father to get to know Tamit very well before I told him. Fact was, I feared what, if he got angry, he might force me to do.

I pointed. “That dark smudge on the east bank is all that’s left of Maadi, Father. It’s been largely deserted ever since Raherka took the bulk of his people north to found Sakan. A stubborn few still hang on, but they’ll give up before long. Interestingly, the delta seems to be creeping a bit farther north each year, inching away from Ptah’s Settlement.”

“Tell me, Iry, why is there so much empty space within the settlement’s walls? It’s really obvious from up here.”

“I’ve left room for more warehouses and granaries, Father. Thanks to Sakan and the death of Maadi, more goods are passing through Ptah’s Settlement each and every month. As I said the day of your arrival, one more inundation and the fourth wall will be complete and then everything important in the settlement will be completely safe from raiders.”

“What’s that reed structure south of the warehouses near the granaries?”

“A shrine to Ptah, the local god, patron of craftsmen,” Tamit said.

“Hence Ptah’s Settlement,” I added. “The smaller shrine next to it honors Horus.”

“You’ve done well, Iry,” Father said with satisfaction. “Ptah’s Settlement entirely controls the river. It anchors my Northern strategy. Quite unexpectedly. It was bold of you to seize control here.

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