Cat of Bubastes #9

Chapter 9, Part B

They ran for the ladders in the third courtyards.  Voices were heard around them but no one discovered them.  They prssed on towards the court.  They finally reachced it, one or two short ladders were there, but one long one could be seen against the skyline.

"Mount, Chebron," Amuba exclaimed.

Chebron began climbing and had gotten to the top when some men came into the courtyard and Amuba had barely joined him when a man caught sight of the ladder and ran towards them shouting for his comrades.

"Pull Chebron," Amuba exclaimed.

Chebron at once assisted him and at once they pulled up the ladder well before the men had reached it.

"Where to now?" Chebron said.

"Somewhere near the gates, I think," Amuba said.

Critical as the position was, Amuba could not help marveling how the whole temple looked from there.  The marble tops criss-crossed and recrossed as they ran along the tops.  Finally, they put the ladder down real quick.

Amuba said, "We had better be quick for they will soon tie the short ladders together and be up and after us."

They put down the ladder and quickly went down.  Amuba said, "We had better get out of sight before they find the top of the ladder for then they will have no idea in which direction we have gone and they will give up the chase."

They went home, discussing what to do and whether to tell Ameres or not.  They decided it would be best to keep silent for a while.

Next morning, a priest came and demanded to see Ameres.  "Your son Neco has been killed," he said.

"Nico killed?" Ameres said stunned.

"Yes," the priest replied.  "It was his turn to do the sacrifices and he did not come early with the other two priests.  A messenger was sent to get him and found him just a few paces outside his home with a dagger in his heart."

Ameres waved his hand to show that he wished to be alone.  He sat down, stunned with grief.  He and Neco had not been close.  Neco had felt more anger and disrespect towards his father as he had grown older.  Still, Ameres felt stunned at the suddenness until a cry of grief was heard from the mother's quarters.  It showed that the priest had told the servants and the servants has carried the news to Neco's mother.

Ameres rose and tried to comfort Amense.  He didn't. She had always thought he would be the successor to Ameres and had been so proud that he was rising quickly and steadily in the esteem of the other priests at the temple.  She could not be consoled.