wilbursmith_warlock-第54节

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f　itinerant　entertainers；　acrobats　and　musicians　to　e　aboard　the　galley　to　entertain　Mintaka。　One　of　the　magicians　was　a　handsome　fellow；　with　an　amusing　patter。　However；　his　repertoire　of　tricks　was　stale　and　his　execution　lacking　in　finesse。　Yet　as　soon　as　Mintaka　learned　that　the　troupe　was　taking　advantage　of　the　peace　that　had　e　with　the　treaty　of　Hathor　and　was　on　its　way　upriver　to　Thebes；　where　they　hoped　to　play　before　the　court　of　the　southern　Pharaoh；　Mintaka　became　enthralled　with　their　performances；　particularly　that　of　the　magician　whose　name　was　Laso。　After　the　performance　she　invited　them　to　join　her　for　refreshments　of　sherbet　and　honeyed　dates。　She　gestured　at　the　magician　to　sit　on　the　cushions　at　her　feet。　He　soon　overcame　his　awe　of　her　and　regaled　her　with　a　few　stories　at　which　she　laughed　merrily。
　　
　　Under　the　cover　of　the　chatter　and　giggling　of　her　girls　she　asked　Laso　to　deliver　a　message　to　the　famous　Magus；　Taita；　when　he　reached　Thebes。　Almost　overe　with　her　condescension　Laso　agreed　readily。　First　she　impressed　upon　him　the　secrecy　and　the　delicacy　of　the　task；　then　slipped　into　his　hand　a　small　roll　of　parchment；　which　he　hid　under　his　chiton。
　　
　　She　felt　a　great　lift　of　relief　as　she　watched　the　troubadours　go　ashore。　She　had　been　desperately　seeking　some　means　to　convey　a　warning　to　Taita　and　Nefer。　The　parchment　contained　protestations　of　her　love　for　Nefer　as　well　as　a　warning　of　Naja's　murderous　intentions；　and　that　his　sister　Heseret　could　no　longer　be　trusted　as　she　had　joined　their　enemies。　She　went　on　to　tell　of　the　true　circumstances　surrounding　the　death　of　her　father　and　brothers。　Finally　she　told　of　how　Trok　planned　to　take　her　to　wife；　despite　her　betrothal　to　Nefer；　and　asked　Nefer　to　intervene　with　all　his　authority　to　prevent　this　happening。
　　
　　She　estimated　that　it　might　take　the　troupe　ten　days　or　more　to　reach　Thebes　and　prostrated　herself　on　the　deck　to　pray　to　Hathor　that　her　warning　would　not　arrive　too　late。　That　night　she　slept　better　than　she　had　since　the　terrible　events　at　Balasfura。　In　the　morning　she　was　almost　gay；　and　her　girls　remarked　on　how　beautiful　she　looked。
　　
　　Trok　insisted　that　she　joined　him　for　breakfast　on　the　foredeck。　His　cooks　had　provided　a　lavish　banquet。　There　were　twenty　other　guests　and　Trok　seated　himself　next　to　Mintaka。　She　determined　that　she　would　not　allow　even　this　imposition　to　dampen　her　spirits。　Pointedly　she　ignored　Trok　and　directed　all　her　charm　and　wit　to　the　officers　of　his　army　who　made　up　most　of　the　rest　of　the　pany。
　　
　　At　the　end　of　the　meal　Trok　clapped　his　hands　for　attention；　and　was　rewarded　with　an　obsequious　silence。　'I　have　a　gift　for　the　Princess　Mintaka。'
　　
　　'Oh；　no！'　Mintaka　shrugged。　'And　what　shall　I　do　with　this　one？'
　　
　　'I　believe　Your　Highness　will　find　it　more　to　her　taste　than　my　other　poor　offerings。'　Trok　was　looking　so　pleaseed　with　himself　that　she　began　to　feel　uneasy。
　　
　　'Your　generosity　is　misplaced；　my　lord。'　She　would　not　address　him　by　any　of　his　numerous　new　royal　titles。　'Thousands　of　your　subjects；　victims　of　war　and　plague；　are　starving　and　stand　in　greater　need　than　I。'
　　
　　'This　is　something　special；　which　will　have　value　to　you　alone；'　he　assured　her。
　　
　　She　threw　up　her　hands　in　resignation。　'I　am　only　one　of　your　loyal　subjects。'　She　made　no　effort　to　hide　her　sarcasm。　'If　you　insist；　far　be　it　from　me　to　deny　you　anything。'
　　
　　Trok　clapped　his　hands　again　and　two　of　his　guardsmen　came　down　the　deck　from　the　bows；　carrying　between　them　a　large　bag　of　untanned　leather。　The　smell　it　gave　off　was　strong　and　unpleasant。　Some　of　the　girls　exclaimed　with　disgust；　but　Mintaka　remained　expressionless　as　the　two　soldiers　stopped　in　front　of　her。
　　
　　Trok　nodded　at　them　and　they　loosened　the　drawstring　at　the　mouth　of　the　bag；　then　tipped　out　the　contents　on　to　the　deck。　The　girls　shrieked　with　horror；　and　even　some　of　the　men　started　and　exclaimed　with　disgust。
　　
　　The　severed　human　head　rolled　across　the　planking　to　Mintaka's　feet；　and　lay　there；　staring　up　at　her　with　a　wide　and　startled　gaze。　The　long　dark　locks　were　stiff　with　dried　black　blood。
　　
　　'Laso！'　Mintaka　whispered　the　name　of　the　inept　magician　whom　she　had　entrusted　with　her　message　to　Thebes。
　　
　　'Ah！　You　recall　his　name。'　Trok　smiled。　'His　tricks　must　have　impressed　you　as　much　as　they　did　me。'
　　
　　In　the　summer　heat　the　head　had　begun　to　depose；　and　the　smell　was　strong。　The　flies　came　swiftly　and　crawled　on　the　open　eyeballs。　Mintaka's　gorge　rose；　and　she　swallowed　hard。　She　saw　that　a　scrap　of　papyrus　parchment　protruded　from　between　Laso's　purple　lips。
　　
　　'Alas；　it　seems　that　his　last　trick　was　his　most　amusing。'　Trok　leaned　over　and　retrieved　the　blood…smeared　parchment。　He　held　it　so　that　Mintaka　could　be　certain　it　was　her　own　cartouche　that　sealed　the　message；　then　dropped　the　papyrus　into　the　charcoal　brazier　on　which　the　lamb　kebabs　were　roasting。　It　burned　quickly　and　the　ashes　curled　into　grey　powder。
　　
　　Trok　gestured　for　the　head　to　be　removed。　One　of　the　soldiers　picked　it　up　by　the　hair；　dropped　it　back　into　the　bag　and　took　it　away。　The　pany　sat　for　a　long　minute　in　shocked　silence；　except　that　one　of　the　girls　was　sobbing　softly。
　　
　　'Your　Royal　Highness；　your　divine　father　of　illustrious　memory　must　have　had　some　premonition　of　the　fate　that　awaited　him；'　Trok　addressed　her　gravely。　Mintaka　was　too　disturbed　to　reply。　'Before　his　tragic　death　he　spoke　to　me。　He　placed　you　under　my　protection。　I　gave　him　my　oath；　and　I　accepted　this　as　a　sacred　charge。　You　need　never　appeal　to　any　other　for　protection。　I；　Pharaoh　Trok　Uruk；　am　your　oath　man。'　He　placed　his　right　hand　upon　her　bowed　head；　and　in　the　other　hand　he　raised　another　scroll　of　parchment。
　　
　　'This　is　my　royal　proclamation　setting　aside　the　betrothal　of　Princess　Mintaka　of　the　House　of　Apepi　to　Pharaoh　Nefer　Seti　of　the　House　of　Tamose。　Furthermore；　it　contains　a　proclamation　of　the　marriage　of　the　Princess　Mintaka　to　Pharaoh　Trok　Uruk。　The　proclamation　has　been　ratified　by　the　cartouche　of　Lord　Naja；　accepting　and　confirming　it　in　the　name　of　Pharaoh　Nefer　Seti。'　He　handed　the　scroll　to　his　chamberlain　with　a　terse　instruction。　'Have　one　hundred　copies　made　of　this　proclamation　and　cause　them　to　be　publicly　displayed　in　every　city　in　every　nome　of　this　very　Egypt。'
　　
　　Then；　with　both　hands；　he　lifted　Mintaka　to　her　feet。　'You　will　not　be　alone　for　much　longer。　You　and　I　will　be　husband　and　wife　before　the　rise　of　the　Moon　of　Osiris。'
　　
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　　Three　days　later　Pharaoh　Trok　Uruk　arrived　at　Avaris；　his　military　capital　in　the　Lower　Kingdom；　and　immediately　plunged　with　indefatigable　energy　into　securing　to　his　own　hand　all　the　affairs　of　state；　and　the　trappings　of　power。
　　
　　The　populace　was　delirious　with　joy　at　the　news　of　the　treaty　of　Hathor；　and　at　the　promise　of　peace　and　prosperity　in　the　years　ahead。　However；　there　was　some　puzzlement　and　dismay　when　one　of　the　first　acts　of　the　new　Pharaoh　was　to　put　in　hand　another　massive　enforced　draft　of　men　for　the　army。　It　soon　became　clear　that　he　was　intent　on　doubling　the　size　of　his　infantry　regiments　and　building　two　thousand　more　fighting　chariots。
　　
　　The　question　was　asked；　but　not　to　Trok's　face；　where　he　expected　to　find　a　new　enemy　now　that　Egypt　was　once　more　united　and　at　peace。　The　loss　of　working　men　from　the　millet　fields　and　pastures　to　the　army　resulted　in　a　shortage　of　food　and　a　sharp　increase　in　the　prices　in　the　markets。　The　expenditure　on　new　chariots；　weapons　and　military　equipment　necessitated　an　increase　in　taxation。　There　were　mutters　now　that　Apepi；　despite　his　warmongering；　taxation　and　contempt　of　the　gods；　had　not　been　as　bad　a　ruler　as　they　had　believed　him　to　be。
　　
　　Within　weeks　Trok　ordered　work　to　mence　on　the　extensive　enlargements　and　refurbishment　to　the　palace　in　Avaris　into　which　he　intended　to　move　with　his　bride；　Princess　Mintaka。　The　architects　estimated　that　these　works　would　cost　over　two　lakhs　of　gold。　The　muttering　grew　louder。
　　
　　Well　aware　of　the　rising　discontent；　Trok　met　it　with　the　proclamation　of　his　own　divinity　and　elevation　to　the　pantheon。　Work　was　to　begin　within　the　week　on　the　construction　of　his　temple　on　a　choice　site　alongside　the　magnificent　temple　of　Seueth　in　Avaris。　Trok　was　determined　that　his　temple　would　exceed　that　of　his　brother　god　in　splendour。　The　architects　estimated　that　the　pletion　of　the　temple　would　require　at　the　very　least　five　thousand　labourers；　five　years　and　another　two　lakhs　of　gold。
　　
　　The　revolt　started　in　the　delta　where　a　regiment　of　foot；　who　had　been　unpaid　for　over　a　year；　murdered　their　officers　and　marched　on　Avaris；　calling　on　the　population　to　rise　and　join　them　against　the　tyrant。　Trok　met　them　with　three　hundred　chariots　near　Manashi　and　cut　them　to　pieces　with　his　first　charge。
　　
　　He　emasculated　and　impaled　five　hundred　mutineers　on　stakes。　Like　a　macabre　forest；　they　decorated　both　sides　of　the　road　for　half　a　league　beyond　the　village　of　Manashi。　The　ringleaders　of　the　revolt　were　roped　to　the　ba