Ramses, Volume II by Christian Jacq

Author:Christian Jacq [JACQ, CHRISTIAN]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: FIC014000
ISBN: 9780446930222
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: 1999-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

A spotless palace was one of Romay’s obsessions. As Ramses’ new chief steward, he was responsible for the king’s personal comfort. The sweepers, floor scrubbers, and other cleaning personnel were busy as bees under the direction of a finicky scribe who hoped to bolster his position by pleasing Romay. He checked every job and was quick to threaten salary cuts for substandard performance.

Night was falling when the scribe left the sparkling-clean palace. Tired and thirsty, he made haste toward a tavern where they served his favorite beer. As he passed through a narrow street packed with laden donkeys, he was grabbed by the collar of his tunic and dragged backward into a darkened shop. The door slammed shut behind him. Frightened out of his wits, the palace official did not even cry out.

Two enormous hands gripped his neck.

“You’re going to talk, scum!”

“Let go! You’re choking me.”

Serramanna loosened his grip.

“You follow the boss man’s orders, eh?”

“Boss man?”

“Romay, the chief steward?”

“You can’t fault my work.”

“Romay hates Ramses, doesn’t he?”

“I don’t know. No, no, I don’t think so. And I’m the king’s faithful servant!”

“Romay is a scorpion fancier, I hear.”

“Scorpions? He’s scared to death of them.”

“You’re lying.”

“No, it’s the truth, I swear!”

“You’ve seen him handle scorpions.”

“Never!”

The Sard began to have doubts. Usually, this method yielded excellent results. The man did appear to be telling the truth.

“Are you looking for someone who handles scorpions?” the scribe ventured.

“You know of someone?”

“A friend of the king’s called Setau . . . he lives for his snakes and scorpions. They say he even speaks their language and they obey him.”

“Where can I find this Setau?”

“He has a laboratory in the desert outside Memphis. His wife is a Nubian sorceress, as strange as he is.”

Serramanna released his captive, who rubbed his neck and breathed deeply.

“Can I go now?”

The Sard shooed him away. “Wait,” he said suddenly. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No, not at all.”

“Go, but never tell anyone we spoke, unless you’d like to test my grip again.”

The scribe bolted into the darkness. Serramanna walked calmly out of the shop and headed in the opposite direction.

His instincts had pointed toward Romay. After his sudden promotion, the steward was in the ideal position to harm the king. He was also the type of man Serramanna mistrusted; a jovial facade often cloaked ruthless ambition. Still, he might as well admit he’d been wrong about Romay, since the mistake had provided him with an interesting prospect.

Interesting, but tricky. Ramses held friendship sacred. Going after Setau would be risky, especially considering his defense capabilities. Nevertheless, Serramanna was honor-bound to follow every lead. As soon as they returned to Memphis, he would pay very special attention to this unconventional couple who lived on such easy terms with reptiles.

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