if you are not careful I will go! I have ideas, I tell you—good ideas—that would bring in wealth if I was not tied down by pettifogging caution and never allowed to act as I choose.’
‘Have you finished?’
Imhotep’s tone was ominous. Sobek, a trifle deflated, muttered angrily:
‘Yes—yes—I have no more to say—now.’
‘Then go and see after the cattle. This is no time for idling.’
Sobek turned and strode angrily away. Nofret was standing not far away and as he passed her she looked sideways at him and laughed. At her laugh the blood came up in Sobek’s face—he made an angry half step towards her. She stood quite still, looking at him out of contemptuous half-closed eyes.
Sobek muttered something and resumed his former direction. Nofret laughed again, then walked slowly on to where Imhotep was now turning his attention to Yahmose.
‘What possessed you to let Sobek act in that foolish fashion?’ he demanded irritably. ‘You should have prevented it! Don’t you know by now that he has no judgement in buying and selling? He thinks everything will turn out as he wants it to turn out.’
Yahmose said apologetically:
‘You do not realize my difficulties, father. You told me to entrust Sobek with the sale of the timber. It was necessary therefore that it should be left to him to use his judgement.’
‘Judgement? Judgement? He has no judgement! He is to do what I instruct him to do—and it is for you to see that he does exactly that.’
Yahmose flushed.
‘I? What authority have I?’
‘What authority? The authority I give you.’
‘But I have no real status. If I were legally associated with you—’
He broke off as Nofret came up. She was yawning and twisting a scarlet poppy in her hands.
‘Won’t you come to the little pavilion by the lake, Imhotep? It is cool there and there is fruit waiting for you and Keda beer. Surely you have finished giving your orders by now.’
‘In a minute, Nofret—in a minute.’
Nofret said in a soft, deep voice:
‘Come now. I want you to come now …’
Imhotep looked pleased and a little sheepish. Yahmose said quickly before his father could speak:
‘Let us just speak of this first. It is important. I want to ask you—’
Nofret spoke directly to Imhotep, turning her shoulder on Yahmose:
‘Can you not do what you want in your own house?’
Imhotep said sharply to Yahmose:
‘Another time, my son. Another time.’
He went with Nofret and Yahmose stood on the porch looking after them.
Satipy came out from the house and joined him.
‘Well,’ she demanded eagerly, ‘have you spoken to him? What did he say?’
Yahmose sighed.
‘Do not be so impatient, Satipy. The time was not—propitious.’
Satipy gave an angry exclamation.
‘Oh yes—that is what you would say! That is what you will always say. The truth is you are afraid of your father—you are as timid as a sheep—you bleat at him—you will not stand up to him like a man! Do you not recall the things you promised me? I tell you I am the better man of us two! You promise—you say: “I will ask my father—at once—the very first day.” And what happens—’
Satipy paused—for breath, not because she had finished—but Yahmose cut in mildly:
‘You are wrong, Satipy. I began to speak—but we were interrupted.’
‘Interrupted? By whom?’
‘By Nofret.’
‘Nofret! That woman! Your father should not let his concubine interrupt when he is speaking of business to his eldest son. Women should not concern themselves with business.’
Possibly Yahmose wished that Satipy herself would live up to the maxim she was enunciating so glibly, but he was given no opportunity to speak. His wife swept on:
‘Your father should have made that clear to her at once.’
‘My father,’ said Yahmose drily, ‘showed no signs of displeasure.’
‘It is disgraceful,’ Satipy declared. ‘Your father is completely bewitched by her. He lets her say and do as she pleases.’
Yahmose said thoughtfully:
‘She is very beautiful …’
Satipy snorted.
‘Oh, she has looks of a kind. But no manners! No upbringing! She does not care how rude she is to all of us.’
‘Perhaps you are rude to her?’
‘I am the soul of politeness. Kait and I treat her with every courtesy. Oh, she shall have nothing of which to go complaining to your father. We can wait our time, Kait and I.’
Yahmose looked up sharply.
‘How do you mean—wait your time?’
Satipy laughed meaningfully as she moved away.
‘My meaning is woman’s meaning—you would not understand. We have our ways—and our weapons! Nofret would do well to moderate her insolence. What does a woman’s life come to in the end, after all? It is spent in the back of the house—amongst the other women.’
There was a peculiar significance in Satipy’s tone. She added:
‘Your father will not always be here … He will go away again to his estates in the North. And then—we shall see.’
‘Satipy—’
Satipy laughed—a hard-sounding, high laugh, and went back into the house.
By the lake the children were running about and playing. Yahmose’s two boys were fine, handsome little fellows, looking more like Satipy than like their father. Then there were Sobek’s three—the youngest a mere toddling baby. And there was Teti, a grave, handsome child of four years old.
They laughed and shouted, threw balls—occasionally a dispute broke out and a childish wail of anger rose high and shrill.
Sitting sipping his beer, with Nofret beside him, Imhotep murmured: ‘How fond children
