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CHAPTER NINE
FOURTH MONTH OF WINTER 6 TH DAY
Imhotep sat facing Esa.
‘They all tell the same story,’ he said fretfully.
‘That is at least convenient,’ said Esa.
‘Convenient–convenient? What extraordinary words you use!’
Esa gave a short cackle.
‘I know what I am saying, my son.’
‘Are they speaking the truth, that is what I have to decide!’ Imhotep
spoke portentously.
‘You are hardly the goddess Maat. Nor, like Anubis, can you weigh the
heart in a balance!’
‘Was it an accident?’ Imhotep shook his head judicially. ‘I have to re-
member that the announcement of my intentions towards my ungrateful
family may have aroused some passionate feelings.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ said Esa. ‘Feelings were aroused. They shouted so in the
main hall that I could hear what was said in my room here. By the way,
were those really your intentions?’
Imhotep shifted uneasily as he murmured:
‘I wrote in anger– in justifiable anger. My family needed teaching a
sharp lesson.’
‘In other words,’ said Esa, ‘you were merely giving them a fright. Is that
it?’
‘My dear mother, does that matter now?’
‘I see,’ said Esa. ‘You did not know what you meant to do. Muddled
thinking as usual.’
Imhotep controlled his irritation with an effort.
‘I simply mean that that particular point no longer arises. It is the facts
of Nofret’s death that are now in question. If I were to believe that anyone
in my family could be so undutiful, so unbalanced in their anger, as wan-
tonly to harm the girl–I–I really do not know what I should do!’
‘So it is fortunate,’ said Esa, ‘that they all tell the same story! Nobody has
hinted at anything else, have they?’
‘Certainly not.’
‘Then why not regard the incident as closed? You should have taken the
girl North with you. I told you so at the time.’
‘Then you do believe–’
Esa said with emphasis:
‘I believe what I am told, unless it conflicts with what I have seen with
my own eyes (which is very little nowadays), or heard with my own ears.
You have questioned Henet, I suppose? What has she to say of the matter?’
‘She is deeply distressed–very distressed. On my behalf.’
Esa raised her eyebrows.
‘Indeed. You surprise me.’
‘Henet,’ said Imhotep warmly, ‘has a lot of heart.’
‘Quite so. She has also more than the usual allowance of tongue. If dis-
tress at your loss is her only reaction, I should certainly regard the incid-
ent as closed. There are plenty of other affairs to occupy your attention.’
‘Yes, indeed.’ Imhotep rose with a reassumption of his fussy, important
manner. ‘Yahmose is waiting for me now in the main hall with all sorts of
matters needing my urgent attention. There are many decisions awaiting
my sanction. As you say, private grief must not usurp the main functions
of life.’
He hurried out.
Esa smiled for a moment, a somewhat sardonic smile, then her face
grew grave again. She sighed and shook her head.
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