the sledge cracked. It was an old one and Antef should have got them a better one.
Yenini was a bit upset by that.
The cracked sledge was harder to pull and it took them most of the morning to get it to the foot of the pyramid. Yenini was getting hungry. He had a lunch bag at his belt. When the sun passed the peak of the pyramid they could take a rest and eat in the shadowed side of the tomb.
But the sledge stuck on the ramp that led to the top.
Yenini was annoyed.
“Come on, Boat Gang,” he cried. “Put your backs into it. There’s a neat little hole at the top just waiting for this stone. And there’s an even bigger hole in my stomach waiting for my dinner!”
The men laughed and tried harder. They sweated and strained and the huge stone moved upwards.
That was when Antef really upset them. He walked behind them and watched them.
“Laughing are you? Laughing. You are the biggest bunch of brainless beetles on this pyramid and all you can do is laugh. You can’t move one little stone and you think it’s funny?” he jeered and cracked his leather whip. It snapped in the air close to Yenini’s nose.
“Hang on, Antef,” Yenini said. “It’s your fault that we have this cracked old sledge. It’s your job to see we get the best.” He was getting angry.
The stone reached the edge of the hole and the Boat Gang began to turn it so it would slide down neatly into the space.
Antef shook his whip in Yenini’s face. “I am the servant of Amenemhat. It is the King who tells me what my job is. It’s not your job to tell me my job. It’s my job to tell you your job,” he gabbled. “That’s my job and I’m doing my job – so you do your job or my job will be to send you to the King to be punished.”
“Don’t threaten me,” Yenini roared. He let go of the rope and stepped towards Antef. The little man jumped back in fear. His foot slipped on the edge of the hole and he slipped back into it.
The hole was just too deep for him to climb out. “Throw me a rope you desert snakes, you river rats, you savage scorpions you … you … slimy ox dung!”
Yenini was red with rage. “It is time for lunch.”
“You take lunch when I say you can take lunch! The King is coming this afternoon. He wants to see this stone in place. You will not stop for lunch. I forbid it,” Antef wailed. “Get me out of here!”
The Boat Gang looked at each other. They dropped the ropes and walked back down the pyramid for a rest.
Back in the village Nephoris was carrying Pere home …
Chapter 3
The Slipping Stone
Yenini’s family lived in a village on the edge of Lisht. That morning the people were working in the shade of the houses but one man worked in the full glare of the sun.
Using precious cedar wood, the artist Oneney was building a large statue.
“Big man,” Pere said.
“Statue,” Nephoris explained. “It’s a statue of King Amenemhat. When he dies the statue will go inside the pyramid with the King’s mummy.”
The King’s statue was almost finished. It was dressed in a white kilt and carrying a shepherd’s crook. The life-sized model had one leg raised as if it was striding forward.
Beside it stood a finished model. A small round man in a wig, beard wig and purple robes, no taller than Nephoris.
“That’s a model of Antef, the work-driver” Nephoris told her brother. “That will go in the pyramid too, so the dead King has company. Dad doesn’t like Antef.”
“Naughty man,” Pere said and slapped the model.
Oneney was painting the crown on Amenemhat’s head a bright red. A bowl was full of red paint.
“Blood,” Pere said as Nephoris carried him past the artist.
Oneney shook his head. “No, young Pere. Beetles. I crush beetles to make the red colour.”
Nephoris shuddered but Pere just looked puzzled.
“Your mother is looking for you,” Oneney told her.
“I heard her calling. What does she want?” Nephoris asked.
Oneney shrugged.
Nephoris’s mother stood at
Yenini was a bit upset by that.
The cracked sledge was harder to pull and it took them most of the morning to get it to the foot of the pyramid. Yenini was getting hungry. He had a lunch bag at his belt. When the sun passed the peak of the pyramid they could take a rest and eat in the shadowed side of the tomb.
But the sledge stuck on the ramp that led to the top.
Yenini was annoyed.
“Come on, Boat Gang,” he cried. “Put your backs into it. There’s a neat little hole at the top just waiting for this stone. And there’s an even bigger hole in my stomach waiting for my dinner!”
The men laughed and tried harder. They sweated and strained and the huge stone moved upwards.
That was when Antef really upset them. He walked behind them and watched them.
“Laughing are you? Laughing. You are the biggest bunch of brainless beetles on this pyramid and all you can do is laugh. You can’t move one little stone and you think it’s funny?” he jeered and cracked his leather whip. It snapped in the air close to Yenini’s nose.
“Hang on, Antef,” Yenini said. “It’s your fault that we have this cracked old sledge. It’s your job to see we get the best.” He was getting angry.
The stone reached the edge of the hole and the Boat Gang began to turn it so it would slide down neatly into the space.
Antef shook his whip in Yenini’s face. “I am the servant of Amenemhat. It is the King who tells me what my job is. It’s not your job to tell me my job. It’s my job to tell you your job,” he gabbled. “That’s my job and I’m doing my job – so you do your job or my job will be to send you to the King to be punished.”
“Don’t threaten me,” Yenini roared. He let go of the rope and stepped towards Antef. The little man jumped back in fear. His foot slipped on the edge of the hole and he slipped back into it.
The hole was just too deep for him to climb out. “Throw me a rope you desert snakes, you river rats, you savage scorpions you … you … slimy ox dung!”
Yenini was red with rage. “It is time for lunch.”
“You take lunch when I say you can take lunch! The King is coming this afternoon. He wants to see this stone in place. You will not stop for lunch. I forbid it,” Antef wailed. “Get me out of here!”
The Boat Gang looked at each other. They dropped the ropes and walked back down the pyramid for a rest.
Back in the village Nephoris was carrying Pere home …
Chapter 3
The Slipping Stone
Yenini’s family lived in a village on the edge of Lisht. That morning the people were working in the shade of the houses but one man worked in the full glare of the sun.
Using precious cedar wood, the artist Oneney was building a large statue.
“Big man,” Pere said.
“Statue,” Nephoris explained. “It’s a statue of King Amenemhat. When he dies the statue will go inside the pyramid with the King’s mummy.”
The King’s statue was almost finished. It was dressed in a white kilt and carrying a shepherd’s crook. The life-sized model had one leg raised as if it was striding forward.
Beside it stood a finished model. A small round man in a wig, beard wig and purple robes, no taller than Nephoris.
“That’s a model of Antef, the work-driver” Nephoris told her brother. “That will go in the pyramid too, so the dead King has company. Dad doesn’t like Antef.”
“Naughty man,” Pere said and slapped the model.
Oneney was painting the crown on Amenemhat’s head a bright red. A bowl was full of red paint.
“Blood,” Pere said as Nephoris carried him past the artist.
Oneney shook his head. “No, young Pere. Beetles. I crush beetles to make the red colour.”
Nephoris shuddered but Pere just looked puzzled.
“Your mother is looking for you,” Oneney told her.
“I heard her calling. What does she want?” Nephoris asked.
Oneney shrugged.
Nephoris’s mother stood at
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