Andre Norton - Shadow Hawk (32 page)

"It is well, brother?" asked Rahotep softly.

Kheti appeared to have some difficulty in answering, and when he did, it was in a small voice.

"It is very well! Stand for the pride of the Land of the Bow before the Son of Re, that he may know we breed
men
in the south!"

Kamose was holding court in what must have once been the justice hall of Neferusi. The walls were blackened with smoke, the roof had been burned away so that they stood under the open sky, and there was the smell of burning and death warring with the incense given off from the line of braziers someone had assembled between the rows of pillars that now supported nothing.

The Pharaoh still wore the blue helmet, thus signifying that he gave audience as the leader of the army and not as the Son of Re, so his officers did not "kiss earth," but saluted as they approached upon summons. Rahotep, at the head of his small force, waited for orders.

"The Lord Rahotep, Captain of Desert Scouts, together with his command."

Lie heard Prince Ahmose's call and marched forward, though by custom he did not raise his eyes to the man on the improvised throne.

"The Lord Rahotep, Commander of a Thousand!" That correction came in the usual hurried speech of the Pharaoh. He spoke as if he were harried by the passing of time, that there was so much to be done that he grudged each moment's delay.

Rahotep went down on his knees. "Life! Health! Prosperity! May the Son of Re live forever! I am one unworthy of his notice! Let the Son of Re know that this one is less than the dust on his sandals, unused to the leading of a Thousand—" "The Thousand shall be of your own raising and training, Commander! Six bowmen stand behind you now. We would see a full regiment of their like. We are told that countrymen of theirs have been enslaved within this city, men who threw off their bonds and fought with our army. Do you seek them out and make of them a weapon for our hand. This duty do we lay upon you here and now. Giving also this 'gold of valor' that all men shall know how well you have served Egypt this day—"

Someone had come up beside the captain, and he realized that he was to have the great honor of being handed his award by the Royal Son. He dared to glance up as the Prince Ahmose slid from his own upper arm a broad gold band supporting a dagger after the new fashion. At the same time one of the officers at the foot of the throne tossed an ornament to each of the archers.

The silver bracer clicked against the dagger as Rahotep advanced to put his lips to the Pharaoh's sandal strap. To be whirled from a simple Scout captain to Commander of a Thousand was a dizzying experience—even if it still lay before him to bring those thousand men into line before lie had a regiment.

He came out of the hall to face the city eagerly. Had Huy, Icar, and Menon survived the battle? Perhaps they would aid him in seeking out the men he must have.

An officer saluted him—Methen!

"Lord—" the older man began, but Rahotep shook his head.

"Not 'lord,' Methen!" He dropped his hands on the other's shoulders in a kinsman's greeting. "Praise be to Re you, too, have seen the end of this fighting unmarked!" Then he stood back, planting his fists on his hips as he surveyed the city. "I do not know if I shall make a commander worthy of Pharaoh's notice, but he has set me a task and I must be about it. I need archers for bows and bows for archers! Shall we go questing for them both?"

He went on into the murk of the city, Methen walking beside him, the Nubians at their parade tread trailing him as they had out of Kah-hi months earlier. Bis trotted soft-footed and unleashed to his right. Shadow Hawk he might be, he thought with some secret pride, but a shadow warrior he was not!