Andre Norton - Shadow Hawk by Shadow Hawk Page A

vigorous nods.
    "Pharaoh commands—"
    Unis corrected Nereb. "A prince who has his throne in Thebes commands—but does his force reach over all of Egypt? Apophi of the Hyksos will have a few things to say concerning such a claim. Not one man goes forth from Nubia to fight for Thebes."
    Rahotep pulled himself up and found words at last.
    "Not so, brother. One man goes forth—"
    Unis swung about so fast that the transparent pleated upper skirt he wore whirled out like the scarf of a dancing girl.
    "Speak not so loud, tomb robber!" he snapped. "You are as a fly crawling upon the floor—buzz and a sandal shall crush you. But go north if you will; we shall be well rid of you!" Pen-Seti touched his arm, the priest's shaven head close to the other's elaborate wig as he hissed some suggestion, his fanatic's eyes hard upon Rahotep.
    "Two men." That was Methen. And Kheti, grinning, smacked his lips together as one might when facing a feast. "Eleven more, all archer Scouts," he added to the tally.
    The archers who had come with Methen gave their consent to that eagerly.
    Unis had his temper once more under control. He ignored Rahotep but spoke to Nereb. "You have had your answer, Lord. We regret we cannot send the regiments your Pharaoh has asked for—there are no such men within the borders of Nubia. Also, since you bear no orders for recruitment, that you cannot do. It would be well for you to hasten back to Thebes lest your lord depend too much on service he will not get and so go rashly into some enterprise—"
    Nereb flushed, reading well the insolence beneath that. But the exactness of the royal orders had tied his hands, and he was forced to stand silent as Unis and his party left in triumph.
    Methen moved to the side of the couch. "You are badly hurt, boy?"
    "A small slash only." Rahotep was quick to make light of the wound.
    "He has lost much blood," Kheti corrected. "Lord Methen, it is in my mind that if we would keep to our purpose and get us to Thebes, we must do it speedily before those others can think of some net to take us in."
    Methen beckoned to the northern officer. "Just so. Kheti, send one of these guards to bring their fellows here prepared to march. If they are all like minded to take service elsewhere—"
    The Nubian underofficer chuckled. "Lord Methen, they are fighting men. What matter if they pad the border sands or the northern plains? And I think that I smell more loot in this foray against the Hyksos than can be found in any Kush hole!"
    Nereb came up as Kheti sent one of the archers back to the fort with orders to round up his fellows and collect the baggage they had brought from Kah-hi.
    "Now"—Methen spoke to the King's messenger—"do you accept us for service under Pharaoh by the rules of the warriors' code?"
    Nereb looked over his shoulder to the Voice of Amon.
    "Will he who speaks for Re witness in the place of Pharaoh?"
    Khephren did not reply at once. It was dawn now, though the first rays of the sun were not above the eastern hills. And the priests of the temple were assembling for the morning "Awakening Hymn." Their leader fingered the roll of papyrus.
    "The time is the time of Amon-Re," he said. "Await you upon Him."
    Sistrums chimed; the trumpet of the Great One called from the portico. With the others Rahotep bowed his swimming head and tried to fit one word of the chant to another. But he was glad to have Kheti settle him back upon the bed as the incense arose and the bright streamers of the rising sun cut the sky.
    Sometime later—time was dim now—something was placed beneath his hand. His fingers identified the impress of a seal in wax. And he repeated stumblingly the words of an oath, seeing Nereb standing in the place of his future commander, Khephren as witness. He heard other voices saying the same words—Methen, Kheti, the slightly awed tones of the archers.
    It was done, they were no longer Scouts of the border, but men of an unknown Pharaoh ruling in a city they had never