City of the Dead

would be your house. I’d let you do as you liked. You’d be mistress here. You could entertain my friends.’
    ‘No.’
    His eyes almost vanished into his face, if you leave this house, no one will look after your garden. Who will there be? I have no time for such things. It will have to be burned out and paved over.’
    She looked at him. ‘This is my house for another fifty days. You are trespassing in it. Leave now or I will have Hapu throw you out.’
    He smiled nastily. ‘Now, that would be a mistake.’
    ‘Get out!’
    He spread his hands. ‘Just a moment, please. There is something else you might like to consider before you do that.’
    She made herself breathe evenly. ‘What is that?’
    The unpleasant grin remained. ‘I saw you. Thrashing around, grabbing each other. He took you like a dog takes a bitch.’ The voice was quiet, but its edge was only just this side of insanity.
    She looked at him, unable to speak.
    ‘You and Huy. Oh yes, I know his name. What’s your game with that little shit?’
    ‘What -?’
    ‘Or is he just servicing you? Must have built up, all those years without any.’
    The fury broke over her like a wave, hollowing her stomach and making her head light. Immediately, cold calm followed. She knew without any doubt that as soon as it was possible she would kill this man, neatly and quickly.
    He caught her thought and half laughed, half snarled. ‘I’d come over to talk to you and I heard a noise. Like pigs rutting. I watched through the window. I was quiet, but I needn’t have bothered. You two were so hard at it I could have walked through the room and you wouldn’t have noticed.’ He paused, letting the words sink in. ‘But it doesn’t matter. I’ll still have you. I enjoyed watching. Who knows? If you like it I might set you at it with some of the servants now and then. I’m sure that’d be the kind of entertainment my friends would appreciate.’
    ‘Why don’t you crawl back under your stone?’
    ‘I could have told Kenamun about you,’ continued Merinakhte. ‘It’s probably my duty, especially if humping each other isn’t all you are doing. But I love you, Senseneb, so I thought I’d be merciful. I’d do anything to keep you, my dear. And be sure of this. If I can’t have you, no one else will.’
    Again she could not answer. Her throat was too try to admit speech. Her Ka seemed to float above her. She watched the scene from outside herself as if it were a dream. She tried to send a thought from her heart to Huy, but the way was blocked.
    There was a noise from beyond the room. Hapu was returning from the garden.
    Merinakhte eased himself away from the door jamb. ‘Think about what I have said. I am not a monster. But I will not wait long. I will be back for an answer soon.’ He smiled. ‘I am sure you will see sense. Despite the pleasures of the Fields of Aarru, we all prefer the short life we know to the eternity we do not.’
    He left then, idly, not hurrying but not looking back. Senseneb’s heart stampeded over possibilities. One thing was certain: Merinakhte was wrong. If she could not destroy him, she would prefer to risk Osiris’s anger by killing herself than face a known hell on earth.

    Huy had returned to his house to find Ineny waiting for him outside, idling among the handful of stallholders who set up a morning market twice a week in the little square. He greeted Huy brusquely, and hurried him towards the litter which was waiting to take them to Ay. For the second time that day, Huy set off for the palace compound. Huy noticed that Ineny was reserved once again. He was cordial, but no more than polite, and appeared disinclined to take the scribe into his confidence.
    Huy did not have an opportunity to consider this return to reserve, as Ay was waiting for him in a greater state of agitation and impatience than Huy would have believed possible.
    ‘You must tell me what you know now. Now !’
    ‘I do not have the whole picture yet.’
    ‘Never mind that!’ Ay leant across the table between them, his arms trembling as they supported his body, his eyes showing white under the iris. ‘I want all that you have got. I was a fool to let you have so much time.’
    ‘What has happened?’
    ‘Never mind. It does not concern you. An avenue has closed. That is all you need to know.’
    Huy was aware of Ineny standing behind him, but could not turn to see his expression. Had Ay told him that the queen had rejected his marriage offer?