City of the Dead

Get Nehesy,’ snapped Huy.
    While he stood in the sun waiting, Huy rehearsed in his heart what he would say. He had planned little for he would have to get the measure of the chief huntsman, and decide whether he w as likely to be a friend or an enemy.
    Wisely or not, he liked the look of the giant who came to meet him. Nehesy was a great wolf, as heavily built as Huy and about the same age, but nearly twice his size, so that he carried his weight better. He had open, generous eyes and a large nose and mouth, his big features making him seem larger than he was. At the moment he regarded Huy with curiosity mingled with irritation. Here was a man clearly unused to being summoned, and Huy could see by his expression that he had a certain opinion of indoor palace officials, particularly if they did not appear to outrank him. But how worried was he about his own future? Had not he been in charge of the fatal hunting party?
    They saluted each-other formally.
    ‘Something about the dogs?’ said Nehesy.
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘What about them?’
    ‘Can we talk out of the sun?’
    ‘Not used to it, are you?’
    ‘How can you say that to a Blacklander?’
    Nehesy looked taken aback, and then, to Huy’s surprise, he smiled. ‘Come on. I’m feeding them. Always like to do that myself. Anyway they know me; wouldn’t take food from anyone else.’ He turned without another word and led the way hack to the cedar shed.
    Its high roof made it cool, and the wind which constantly blew from the north kept it ventilated for the animals inside. Seven dogs, lithe tan-and-white creatures with silky ears, long s nouts and feathered tails, paced their large enclosure, running up to the wooden rail and yelping plaintively when they saw Nehesy. From a large bucket made of sycamore wood which stood on the ground near the gate of the pen, he drew several handfuls of meat already cut into generous chunks and dropped them into a trough on the other side.
    ‘Antelope,’ he said, it’s the cleanest meat, and it’s all I’ll give them. Now, what do you really want?’
    Huy paused for a moment before replying, I’m conducting an inquiry about the accident. Just routine, for the palace records, but I couldn’t tell your man because it is confidential.’
    ‘Even he thought it was a bit early to be signing up the dogs for the king’s procession to the tomb,’ said Nehesy sombrely. ‘And he isn’t any brighter than a horse.’ He finished ladling meat into the trough. ‘What can I tell you that I haven’t said already?’
    ‘Whom did you report to?’
    ‘Don’t you know?’
    ‘Tell me again.’
    Nehesy hesitated. ‘Horemheb.’
    ‘Why?’
    Nehesy would not meet his eye. ‘You know how things are,’ he said. ‘I didn’t want to get the blame for what happened.’
    ‘What did happen exactly?’
    ‘Haven’t you seen the account I gave?’
    'I’m gathering information for the palace,’ said Huy. 'It’s an independent inquiry. Nothing to do with Horemheb.’
    Nehesy’s eyes became more wary. 'Is it? I see... Well, I’d do anything in the world to help the queen, poor creature.’ As long as it does not cost you your neck, thought Huy, though he continued to smile. ‘Keep our meeting to yourself,’ he said, ‘and there won’t be any trouble.’
    Nehesy nodded. The big man was as well aware as anyone that you did not leave it to the protector gods to watch your back.
    ‘We awoke just before dawn,’ he said. ‘The cook had stoked up the fire and the water was on to boil for the ful. Apart from him, I was the first one up. I noticed the king’s tent was closed; but then I saw that his chariot was gone. I felt Set’s talons round my heart then, I can tell you.’ He broke off, looking into Huy’s face. The dogs had made short work of the meat but as he lingered by their enclosure they stayed near, looking up at him with hopeful yellow eyes.
    ‘I ran to Sherybin’s tent and of course he had gone, too. Then the guard who’d been on duty last came up and told me that one of the trackers had arrived back in camp an hour before the others, with news of wild cattle. Sherybin had set off with him and the king soon after.’
    ‘What did you do?’
    ‘I was furious at first. The trackers should report to me, not to the charioteers. But I knew the king would have been off after any worthwhile prey. It’d been a bad hunt, and wild cattle at this time of year are almost unheard of.’ He paused, spread his hands. ‘I roused