Chapter Thirty Five: A Secret Revealed
With a sinking heart, Kiya saw a barrier several men deep between her and the crowd gathered in the street outside the temple. The men's backs were to Kiya and she tried to squeeze between them, but a heavy hand seized her shoulder.
“Where do you think you are going, my girl?”
“Home, Sur,” said Kiya in her rustic accent.
“Oh, no, you’re not. You’re under arrest!”
The stout figure of Laylos emerged from the crowd. “You let my niece be!” she shouted.
Dennu stepped forward and stood by her side. “Lay a hand on that girl and you will be sorry!”
Kiya looked at him with gratitude. What Dennu hoped to do against twenty men armed with spears she couldn’t imagine, but his courage was impressive. She marvelled at how much he had changed since the days on the farm. His fine clothes and expensive jewelled collar marked him as part of the city’s elite and she could sense the hesitation in her captor.
“I’m just doing my job,” the soldier said.
A growling noise came from the crowd as the people’s anger became focussed on the drama in front of them.
“You had better let her go, Captain.” It was Huy’s voice. He had emerged from the temple behind them. “We do not want to antagonise the crowd or there might be bloodshed.”
The Captain stood undecidedly. “My orders are to arrest everyone in the temple,” he said, but he removed his hand from Kiya’s shoulder.
“She is just a dancing girl, of no importance,” said Huy.
“How do I know she is a dancing girl?” said the Captain. “Only the wealthy could afford such a finely-woven shift, and why is she wearing so much make-up?”
“What else could she be?” said Huy. “All the dancing girls wear clothes of such material. It is so the gods can admire their figures as they dance.” The two men stared at Kiya’s breasts, outlined beneath the translucent linen. She wrapped her arms across her chest to hide them.
“Here, you! Stop staring at my niece like that!” Laylos sounded furious.
The crowd was growing restless and started to call out.
“Let the girl go!”
“Get away from our temple!”
“Make a decision quickly. It will be your responsibility if the crowd gets out of hand,” said Huy.
The Captain relented. “Allow the girl to pass!” he shouted to the guards. They stood to one side and Kiya ran down the steps.
People cheered as Laylos embraced her. “Come, we must get you back to my place,” her aunt said.
“I had better wait here for Eopei,” said Dennu.
“Eopei has gone,” said Kiya.
“What do you mean?” His brow wrinkled in puzzlement. “ We have been here from the beginning and you are the first to come out.”
“She was not at the temple. She is in Nubia visiting her parents,” explained Kiya.
Dennu frowned. “I don't believe it!” he declared. “Eopei would never have left without telling me."
Kiya had almost come to accept the lie and felt a flush of mortification at his reaction. Fortunately, his attention was on the temple and he did not notice her embarrassment. “I will stay here for a while,” he said, “and see what happens.”
“Thank you for your help,” Kiya said, but he remained looking at the entrance and did not reply.
Laylos and Kiya made quick progress through the streets. Everyone was rushing, full of anxious energy – some towards the temple and some away. A few curious glances were cast in Kiya’s direction and she was aware what an unusual sight she must look in her fine shift and heavy makeup, but nobody attempted to question her or prevent her escape.
Kiya followed Laylos down an alleyway and through a brick-maker’s yard. She glanced around and saw that the yard was deserted - shovels and straw strewn upon the ground.
“News of the temple’s destruction has brought Thebes to a stand-still,” said Laylos leading the way up some steps that led to a door. She flung open the door. “Welcome to my home.”
Kiya stepped into a room dominated by a large wooden bed. She looked around and saw a kitchen area full of medicine packages, a clothes chest and a wash basin. Laylos showed her out onto a shaded roof terrace and indicated a row of cushions against the wall.
“Now sit down, have something to drink, and tell me what really happened to Eopei. I could see from your demeanour that you had something to hide.”
“You will not tell Dennu?” said Kiya.
“There are some things that Dennu should not know, and I suspect that this is one of them,” said Laylos. She went indoors and came back with a goblet of beer, which Kiya drank, while she told her aunt about the monthly sacrifice of a dancing girl and how she had attempted to save Eopei's life.
Laylos grew pale as she listened. “So many girls! We must thank the gods – and your father – that you were saved. But I cannot think why you chose to return to the temple.”
“Anubis selected me to be the next High Priestess. It was a great honour and one that I found impossible to refuse,” said Kiya.
“Impossible? Why so?”
Kiya hesitated, but having told her aunt so much she felt compelled to confess, “Because I am in love with him.”
“That monster? You must be mad! Stay away from him, Kiya. Without sacrificial meat he will become dangerous, indeed.”
Kiya was trying to explain to her aunt that Anubis was more human than monster, when she heard hurrying footsteps on the stairs. She tensed, expecting pursuers. The door banged open and Huy emerged onto the terrace.
“Well done,” he said to Laylos. “You have got her home safely.”
“I am shocked that you stared at the poor girl’s breasts like that!” said Laylos.
Huy shrugged. “Painful though it was, I had to be convincing.”
“Thank you for saving me, Huy,” said Kiya. “It was lucky you came out of the temple when you did.”
“I was looking for you,” he said. “Thank the gods you are a quick-thinking girl. They found your cloak and crown in the shrine and knew you had escaped, but they were searching for an older woman.”
“What has happened to the others?” asked Kiya.
“Those who resisted, or refused to renounce the old gods, were killed. Most of the dancing girls were questioned and then released. The temple is now closed and the soldiers are busy packing up its treasures to be taken to Akhetaten.”
“I did not see you put up a fight to save it,” said Laylos.
“Why should I?” said Huy. “It was closed by orders of the King.”
“Such a wicked violation of his duties!” said Laylos.
“I agree,” said Huy. “But I’m not going to fight a battalion of soldiers on that basis.” He paused. “Is my wife going to get me a beer?”
For a moment Kiya thought that Laylos might refuse, but she got to her feet with exaggerated difficulty and went indoors.
Huy turned to Kiya. “You were lucky to escape. If you had been captured, the dancing girls would have identified you without hesitation. As it is, they had little information to give except that you were once one of them and that your name is Kiya. It is a common enough name. Let us hope the authorities have too much on their minds to hunt for you.”
Laylos came out, carrying a goblet. “You look pale, Kiya? What has Huy been saying?”
“I have been telling her to stay hidden and not get into trouble,” said Huy, taking the goblet and raising it high. “I have exciting news for you, my darling. Let us drink to my new career.”
“What new career?” said Laylos.
“I have been instructed to go to Akhetaten to help supervise the building of the new city. We will leave tomorrow with the wagon train.” Kiya’s heart sank. Huy and Laylos would be leaving? And so soon?