dozen swift strides. He seized me in a crushing embrace and swung me off my feet in front of all my men, oblivious to my dignity. But I can forgive him anything and I laughed with him.
‘Indeed, Majesty. It has been far too long. An hour without your presence is like a week without sunshine.’
He set me on my feet and looked about him with an enquiring expression. I saw now that he was filthy with the dust and grime of a hard campaign, but that he was invested also with the grace and nobility of a true pharaoh. He saw his sisters waiting to greet him and pay their respects. He embraced them both in turn, and then he came back to me.
He pointed out the three great triremes lying at the wharf. ‘What ships are these? Even with their masts unstepped and their oars shipped they are twice the size of any other I have ever seen before. Where did you find them, Taita?’ The message I had sent him was cryptic and devoid of details. However, he did not wait to receive my answers to his questions, but he went on immediately, ‘And who are all these ruffians? I sent you off with a handful of men and you return with your own little army, Taita.’
He swept his gaze along the ranks of men that reached from the wharf down into the depths of the royal tomb. Those closest to us dropped the chests of bullion they were passing and threw themselves to the ground in obeisance.
‘Please do not let appearances deceive you, Mighty Majesty. No ruffians here. All brave men and true warriors of your Egypt.’
‘But what of these ships?’ He turned back to study the triremes with intense interest. ‘How do you account for them?’
‘Pharaoh, let me take you to a place where we can talk more freely,’ I implored him.
‘Oh, very well, Taita. You have always loved your little secrets, have you not?’ He strode away towards the gates of the tomb without looking back at me. I followed Pharaoh Tamose down into his putative father’s tomb.
He paused as he entered the first treasury chamber, and he studied the stacks of wooden chests that filled the capacious room. I thought he might enquire again about the contents of the chests, but I should have known better that he would not lower his dignity to do so.
‘It is strange that each of these chests should be branded with the emblem of the Supreme Minos,’ was all he said before he walked on into the next chamber, then into the third where Aton knelt before him.
‘And it is odder still that my dignified chamberlain should be party to this monkey business of yours, Taita.’ Pharaoh lowered himself on to an uncompleted stack of the chests, stretched his legs out in front of him and regarded the two of us with an expression of intense curiosity. ‘Now tell me, Taita. Tell me everything!’
‘Perhaps it is better that I show it to you, Pharaoh,’ I demurred, and went to the chest I had opened for his sisters. I set the lid aside and I lifted out the same shining ingot that I had shown to the princesses. I went down on one knee to offer it to him. He took it from my hands and turned it slowly in his own. With his fingertip he traced the hallmark that was stamped into the metal. Again this was the rampaging bull of Crete.
At last he asked softly, ‘It has the weight and feel of veritable silver. Surely it cannot be so?’
‘Surely it can be and it is, Pharaoh. Every chest you see here is full of the same ingots.’
He was silent again for a long time, and under the dust and sun-bronzing of his face I saw him flush with intense emotion. When he spoke again his voice was hoarse.
‘How much is there, Tata?’ He used my familiar name, which was always an expression of his gratitude and affection towards me.
‘Every one of these chests is full, Mem.’ In return I used his baby name. I was the only one to whom he ever granted that liberty.
‘Stop your silly games. Tell me how much silver you have brought back to me? I am struggling to encompass the magnitude of it.’ His tone was still awed.
‘Aton and I have weighed the greater part of it,’ I replied.
‘That does not answer my question, Tata.’
‘We have weighed only the bullion from the first two Minoan ships, and a part of that from the third and last. So far the total is four hundred and forty-nine lakhs, Pharaoh. There is probably another one hundred lakhs still to be weighed, although it might be as much as one hundred and fifty.’
Again he was silent, shaking his head and frowning. At last he spoke once more. ‘Almost six hundred lakhs. That is enough to erect a city twice the size of Thebes with all its temples and palaces.’
‘And then to build ten thousand ships and still have sufficient left over to fight a dozen wars, my Pharaoh,’ I agreed softly. ‘Enough to win back all of your very Egypt from the Hyksos barbarian.’
‘You have given me the wherewithal to cut down and destroy Beon and all his multitudes,’ Pharaoh agreed; his voice quickened and rose with the vision of it.
‘You are too late, Pharaoh.’ Aton came to his feet and moved in front of me to get the attention of Pharaoh. ‘Beon of the Hyksos is dead and drowned already.’ He stepped back and pointed at me with a flourish. ‘Taita has killed him,’ he declaimed.
Pharaoh’s gaze swivelled back to me. ‘Is this which Aton avows true? Have you killed Beon in addition to all your other services to my Crown?’ Pharaoh demanded.
I bowed my head in acquiescence. I find boastfulness abhorrent in any man, more especially in myself.
‘Tell me about it, Taita. I want every detail of the death of that monstrous animal.’
Before I could reply Aton cut me off. ‘Please give me your royal attention once more, my Pharaoh.’ He bowed to the king. ‘This is a tale that deserves all your royal attention. After our final triumph over the Hyksos tyrant it will become part of our glorious military history. Future generations will sing of it to their sons, and the sons to their sons. I beg Your Majesty to allow me to arrange a triumph this evening which will be attended by every member of the high council of state and all your royal family. It will be a triumph during which we will be able to pay due honour to a feat of arms which has probably never been equalled in our history.’
‘You are right, Lord Aton. Taita has laid before me a feast that cannot be swallowed at a single gulp. We must savour every mouthful. I must inform my council of this incredible stroke of fortune. Eight of my councillors are ensconced in my palace in Thebes, near at hand. Lord Kratas follows close behind me from the north and you, Taita, and Lord Aton are already here. We can assemble the full council within three or four hours.’
‘Ample time for you to bathe and rest, my Pharaoh.’ I glanced down at his attire.
‘It is good honest dirt, Taita, and paid for in Hyksos blood.’ Pharaoh grinned at me. ‘But as so often is the case, you are right. Have my slaves heat the water for my bath.’
By the time the high council of Egypt was fully assembled the third and last trireme had been unloaded and the bullion from its hold weighed on the balance. The formal triumph had been prepared and the sun was setting.
I went to inform Pharaoh, expecting him to be resting. To relieve him of the necessity of travelling to his palace and returning again before nightfall, I had ordered that his father’s burial chamber be set aside as his temporary lodging. It had never
