“I noted a hint of suspicion in Menna’s eyes the moment he entered the room. Yet, this instantly vanished, when once he had looked upon the body. He smiled. Menna no longer fears that Hanit will take vengeance for the murder of her son. To Menna, as to Thi, the body is that of Hanit. Their triumph seems to them assured. Hanit and Wazmes, her son, are dead. Thi’s son reigns! The Syrian sun-god triumphs over Amen!”
Enana, Chief Magician of the Temple of Amen, rubbed together his lean and shriveled hands. His experiment seemed well on the road to success.
A Pharaoh might set aside one queen for another; the late Pharaoh had done that. He might depose a queen of the line of the sun-god Ra in favor of Thi, a Syrian, a commoner. Beguiled by the latter’s crafty wiles he might close his eyes to the murder of an inconvenient son or so. ’Twas harem work that! But, to strike at the great God Amenra whom Enana served—that was a different matter!
Thi, the Queen-Mother, was a foreigner, an idolator. The present Chancellor was also a Syrian, Yakab of Rabbath.
Was it to be wondered at that the present Pharaoh, Thi’s son, was daily urged to overthrow the gods whom Egypt worshiped in favor of Aton, the _Syrian_ god?
But what then would become of the great gods Amen, Ptah and Khonsu; of Osiris, Isis, Horus, and a host of deities worshiped through countless ages along the valley of the Nile? And last, but well to the fore in Enana’s vision, what would become of the innumerable priests, himself included, who served those powerful gods?
Yes! Menna could strangle Hanit’s only son, the lawful heir; Thi could seek to poison Hanit! But, touch the cult of Amen of Thebes and, at a word, the great priestly hierarchy throughout Egypt would rise as one man.
So, at least, thought Enana. So too Huy, First Prophet of Amen, his brother, and so Kathi, the Embalmer, their hireling.
If it was to resolve itself into a clash between Court and Temple (and, certainly, recent events had pointed to a rupture) Enana and the Prophets of Amen were ready.
Enana’s small black eyes fixed themselves upon those of the Embalmer who perceptibly cringed. He laid one thin hand upon Kathi’s shoulder: “Son of Kathi, thy skill is that of thy revered father (peace in Aaru be his), nay, more excellent! For what man was ever called upon to do the work that thou hast done?” Enana pointed to the figure lying half-concealed in the shadows of the room. “Verily in thee hath Amen a faithful follower, one whose reward shall surely find him.