Replay - The Secret of the Pyramids - 7. Chapter 7

“Ameniu, wake up. We need to go soon. The ship departs at ten o'clock.”

Bleary eyed, I rolled over. I saw Manu standing next to our shared bed.

How late was it… almost nine! I overslept! No wonder though, given how late I fell asleep last night. Before that, Manu and I had snuggled properly and fooled around a little. The pleasant memory made me feel a tingle below the waist.

I sighed and got up, leaving the warm blanket behind. “Good morning!” I greeted Manu with a big grin on my face and a kiss on his mouth.

He returned the kiss, but it was more of a peck. He was preoccupied with travel preparations. Turning to the small stack of clothes I assembled yesterday, he raised an eyebrow.

“It seems you’ve packed already, Ameniu. Or at least tried to…”

“I couldn’t think of much. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be adding a few items but in the end we don’t need that much.”

He turned back to me. I thought I saw a speck of insecurity in his eyes, though it was quickly overshadowed by anticipation.

“How about breakfast?” I asked. “Who knows what we’ll get to eat during the journey.”

He nodded.

I had no idea what provisions, or for that matter accommodation, would be like on a ship here. For sure, it would be a different story than cocktail bars and captain's dinner on a modern-day cruise ship. Well, as long as we didn’t need to drink the Nile water, I’d be fine.

“Did you tell your wife already?”

“Yes, just this morning. Before she went out to meet her friend.”

---

After breakfast on the roof terrace, which had become our favorite dining spot due to its secluded nature, Manu completed our luggage. Among other things he added a few items from the bathroom, stating that one never knew in what dire straits you might find the hygiene onboard.

Meanwhile, I sat on the bed waiting. I pondered a few questions like ‘would there be other travelers onboard?’ and ‘would I get seasick?’

After another twenty minutes or so, Manu finally was content with our luggage. Everything was ready to go. He came up to me, smiling, and gave me a long, deep kiss. Until I suddenly noticed that something was off. I thought I heard something.

“Warning, Dr. Marten! A third person is approaching!”

I stumbled backward, abruptly breaking our kiss. Manu and I turned towards the door.

There she stood. Naha. Eyes wide in horror. I blushed. Manu's skin tone went from lively to pale as ashes.

Naha gasped. “So that’s how it is! That’s why you can’t sleep with me!”

She buried her face in her hands. “This is horrible!”

Manu’s voice was shaking, carrying a tone of despair. “Naha, I… I’m so sorry. I couldn’t tell you. And you know… everything can turn out alright still.”

I couldn’t tell whether she heard his words. And whether he actually believed what he said. Regardless, she charged out of the room and down the stairs. During the whole scene, I just stood there petrified. Now that it was over, I plopped down on the bed.

“Manu,” I hawed, “I’m so sorry that just happened. It is all my fault. If I hadn’t been here – “ he interrupted me with a stern gesture.

“No, Ameniu. You are the last person that needs to apologize. Nobody is to blame but me. I am the one who needs to apologize to you for pulling you into this.”

He gave me a hug, squeezing hard. “Besides, I’m very happy you’re here, Ameniu.”

I felt his body was still trembling and his heart racing. “What is she going to do now?” I asked.

“I presume she will spend the whole day locked up in her room, lamenting her bad luck in life. And I can’t resent her for it because she is right. And then… then she will act as if nothing ever happened. Because the last thing she’d want is for other people to find out.”

He swallowed hard, looking at the floor. “I guess our journey comes at the right moment in time. It will give her time away from me. And vice-versa.”

I did feel sorry for Naha somehow. Good thing in my time something like this didn’t happen anymore. At least I hoped it didn’t.

Manu picked himself up. “Come, let’s go to the ship. It’s time. We don’t want it leaving without us.”

---

The ship turned out to be surprisingly spacious, measuring sixty-five feet in length and sixteen feet in breadth. A man, not known to me yet, welcomed us aboard.

“Judge Imanuthep, how nice of you to join us. The other passengers are already here, so we will depart momentarily. How is your father? I did work together with him a couple of years ago.”

“Oh, he’s doing great, Captian Senmut. I just wished he’d start to take things easier. He’s approaching fifty after all.”

The man Manu called Senmut laughed. “And who are you bringing along? From what your father said I assumed you’d travel alone.”

“Not quite. May I introduce Ameniu to you? He is a diplomat from the north who I’m hosting at the moment. As he needs to leave in a week's time anyway, I asked him to travel with me now.”

Manu really could be resourceful when it came to excuses and pretexts.

“Then be welcome aboard my ship, ambassador Ameniu. May Amun bless your journey.”

I nodded my thanks toward the captain and followed Manu across a narrow pontoon onto the ship. There was no handrail or barrier of any sort so I avoided looking down. Of course, I wouldn’t fall far, given the deck was a mere two meters above the water. Still, I wanted to spare myself the embarrassment and needless contact with the brackish river.

Having arrived safely on deck, the pontoon was removed behind us. A few commands from the captain signaled the ship’s departure. He apparently wasn’t needed for that any longer because he began to give us a tour. I quickly noticed it was directed more at me than Manu, as the captain wanted to showcase the good facilities and general magnificence of his vessel.

“This is the flagship of the fleet and the only one that transports passengers. The other four ships, casting off behind us, solely transport goods. Most notably ore and imported merchandise from the south. Our ships are propelled by sail and given we are traveling downstream, the current is in our favor. However, we have oars as well should the wind die down.”

That was all interesting, but what I really wanted to know was how long our journey would take. I asked the captain.

“The Nile is almost at peak level. We will reach Memphis in good time. About two weeks, I presume.”

What?! I expected a few days, but not weeks.

The captain noticed my surprise and interpreted it the other way. “Yes, that’s quick, isn’t it? If the water was low, it could well take two months.”

So I guess it could have been worse. After two months my chances of finding anything at our destination would have been slim at best.

While the captain was indulging me with further nautical facts about his fleet, I let my gaze wander over the deck. Passengers and crew were easy to tell apart. Except for the captain the sailors were dressed much simpler and wore less jewelry. As far as I could see, there were only two other passengers. A man and a woman, a couple apparently. He was looking like I had imagined an Ancient Egyptian to look like. As if he had emerged from one of those wall paintings found in the pyramids and temples. He even featured the distinctive black wig. Were they traveling all the way to Memphis as well?

The captain finally ran out of enumerable amenities. “Make yourselves at home on my ship. But first, let me introduce you to the other two guests.”

Manu thankfully took charge of the conversation. We learned that the man was Amendat, a priest of Amun. He was accompanied by his wife, Aneksi. Amun rang a bell. It was the local god of Thebes. In this time, plenty of pompous temples were built for a plethora of gods. Of course, running a lot of temples requires a lot of priests.

The ship was well on its way by now. We were sailing down the river, a good distance from the shore. While Manu continued to talk to the couple, I stood in front of the railing, looking over the landscape. Four hundred meters in width, the Nile was an impressive body of water.

I could make out several figures along the shore. Farmers probably, who were tilling their fields. This country was dependent on river water like no other. After all, a few hundred meters further inland there was nothing but hot sand. The fertile soil along the Nile was the only place where agriculture could thrive. If the yearly flooding was poor, the people could face famine. So it was no surprise the Egyptians erected monuments and made sacrifices to the gods, who were supposedly responsible for that.

We slowly left the town behind. Only farmers and their fields were visible along the shoreline now. No matter what direction I looked in, it was always an idyllic scene. Very much in contrast to the densely built-up landscapes of the future. It would almost have felt as if I was on vacation. As a sort of professional castaway though, I was always on duty.

Manu finished his conversation with the priest and joined me at the railing. “A desolate landscape, isn’t it?” he remarked.

I begged to differ. Would he have preferred the look of the landscape in my time? Hardly. It would have rather shaken him to the core.

I posed a counterquestion I had been pondering over for a while. “Why did you introduce me as a diplomat from the north and not as your servant?”

“Well, I didn’t want them to regard you as a servant. They wouldn’t pay attention to you and you couldn’t partake in our meals. And you know, I did notice you are partial to good food.”

I had to laugh. So he noticed that. Well, he was right. It wasn't difficult to imagine something better than the gross mash I had back when I was in that slaver’s cage. Or dry bread, for that matter. I could have done without the extra attention, on the other hand.

“So I came up with the whole diplomat thing. It suits you perfectly. You are not wearing any jewelry, which would normally degrade you. Yet you have soft, pale skin, which makes you look like someone of high status. And finally, you have a strong accent. For a foreign diplomat, all that fits together and is totally understandable.”

A good idea, for sure. Manu seemed to be a smart guy. He certainly would have made something of himself in my time as well. I expressed my gratitude by throwing him a smile. I‘d much rather kiss him, but that wasn’t possible in public here.

---

The sun was already grazing the horizon as the day drew to a close. So far, I had to admit, the journey was very comfortable. At the moment, a meal was being prepared for the guests, meaning for us. We were sitting on deck on those renowned cushions, where we had already spent most of the day. Standing at the railing taking in the surroundings was nice, but you’re also exposed to the sun so it was too hot to do all day. Here, beneath a big linen sheet, the heat was much more bearable.

We weren’t bored, either. The couple and Manu had taken the opportunity to teach me a board game called Senet. It was played with two people and somewhat resembled what I knew as Ludo. At least in the regard that dice were thrown and pegs were moved. It wasn’t difficult and I quickly got the hang of it. We spent the evening playing against each other.

Eventually, something odd happened. The captain gave a signal and all ships stopped. The anchor was dropped, putting us into a parking position so to speak. But why? I was about to ask Manu when the idea came to mind that it could have something to do with dusk. On our way so far, we had passed a couple of sandbanks. They would be hard to spot at night without headlights. Maybe that was the reason we couldn't travel in the dark? I could have asked but realized that it was too risky. I had already made this journey in the opposite direction, according to my background story. So I should have been familiar with these facts.

Dinner arrived. Although we were on a river, there was no fish on the menu. They served some sort of meat instead. I didn’t ask what it was but it was tasty. It also came with wine, which the captain dining with us declared as home-made. As usually with beverages of such kind, more was served than thirst commanded. We were still sitting together long after the meal was done, ever-full glasses in front of us. We listened to Amendat regaling us with temple anecdotes of lost visitors and drunk priestesses. Stories that got more and more explicit as time passed.

Finally, the convivial group dissolved, wishing each other a good night. We would spend it on deck in a bed not unlike the one I had in Manu’s vestibule. Except here they provided a little more padding. We had to sleep up here because the ship’s belly was full to the brim with cargo. I didn’t mind at all. The air was mild and there was a nice breeze, a welcome relief from the hot day.

Being a little tipsy – or, let’s face it, completely drunk – it didn’t take long for me to fall asleep next to Manu.

---

A noise in my ear woke me up. It was Elisa’s insistent voice.

“Warning! Multiple people are approaching the ship with small boats. The probability of this being a raid is over 98 percent.”

The content of this matter-of-fact message hit me like an electric shock. I jumped out of bed, shouting “We’re being raided!”

I said it in English but the volume alone woke everybody on board. I hurried to repeat the warning in Egyptian. The captain started yelling orders immediately. Crew members spang to arms.

However, the attackers were one step ahead. The first ones had already climbed over the railing. And they were armed. Spears on their backs, a saber on the hip.

Manu had woken up as well. He now tried to drag me with him. “Come, Ameniu! We must get below deck!”

“Go ahead! I’ll be right there.”

I looked around, desperately searching for my luggage. As soon as I spied the pile of clothes, I dove for it, pulling out my undershirt. I slipped it over my head.

Manu hadn’t moved yet. I grabbed him by the arm. “Go!”

A grim scene played out behind us, as we were sprinting toward safety. The attackers had drawn their weapons, engaging the crew in a brutal fight. In front of us, the priest just disappeared down the hatch. He held it open for us. We were almost there!

I heard a yell behind us, making me quickly glance over my shoulder. One of the attackers had noticed us. He raised his spear to throw it in our direction. I acted immediately, trying to duck low and pull Manu down as well. He apparently had a similar idea because he launched himself at me.

It was too late. During the fall, the spear hit him from behind, piercing his shoulder.

I yelled. “Fuuuck!”

The fucking spear should have hit me! It would just have bounced off my shirt’s nanostructure.

Manu cried out loud, collapsing on top of me. Carefully but as quick as I could, I pushed him aside. He needed medical aid as soon as possible. We had to win the battle!

I stood up, taking a look around. Captain Senmut was fighting with wild determination, trying to save his fleet. Two crew members were lying on the floor and there were still at least four attackers on board. I had no idea how this would end.

The man who had thrown the spear was standing just over ten feet away. Drawing his sword, he began to approach me.

Shit! I frantically looked around but there was nothing I could defend myself with. There was no time left for that anyways. A last leap and the attacker stood in front of me. He thrust his sword toward my chest with full force. Yet, the effect was different than he had imagined. There was a dreadful screeching noise. The impact knocked me down, pushing all the air out of my lungs.

The sword faced a less fortunate fate. Its blade broke into pieces.

Eyes wide open, the man stared at me. He didn’t understand what just happened. That moment of shock was his doom because the captain approached him from behind to save his guest. Without hesitation, Senmut drove his sword straight through the attacker’s body. It was a rather disgusting sight. I’d long remember the horror in the dying man’s eyes.

“You alright?” my savior asked. I nodded, picking myself up from the floor.

The captain immediately jumped back into the turmoil. Meanwhile, the tide had turned in our favor. One of the attackers was about to be thrown overboard. The last one tried to escape but didn’t get far.

“Status Report, Elisa!”

“The attackers have been repulsed on all ships. The remaining survivors are escaping. We have five injured and three dead on our side.”

I rushed back to Manu, who was one of the injured people Elisa counted. He was still lying on the floor so I kneeled down next to him.

“Medical analysis!”

Immediately, a three-dimensional, translucent projection of his body appeared, magnifying the injured area. It looked like the spearhead was pretty basic, no barbs or other dirty tricks. Thank Goodness.

“The projectile has pierced 78 percent of the body. There is substantial tissue damage. A rib is broken. However, no vital organs have been injured.

Recommended emergency treatment: Inject the patient with a dose of nanobots that release pain-killing and anti-inflammatory drugs. Then, remove the projectile and apply a pressure bandage. The nanobots will support tissue regeneration.

The TTEK’s medical emergency system is only suited for self-treatment so you need to put the right bracelet on the patient’s arm.”

It wasn’t a lot, but at least I could do something. I took his hand. “Everything is going to be alright, Manu. You’ll get well soon.”

Saying this, I released the bracelet from my right arm and put in on his. His arms were bigger than mine, but luckily it kind of fitted. A gentle whizz gave the injection away. Manu didn’t notice.

In the meantime, the other two passengers had emerged from the ship’s belly. The priest came directly towards us, kneeling down on Manu’s other side.

“I studied medicine at the temple, amongst other things. Let’s see if I can help him.”

He examined the spear’s entry wound.

“We need to pull it out,” he said.

What an astute conclusion. One I had reached myself without having studied medicine at all. Amendat went to fetch something from his luggage. A leather satchel, from which he pulled out a linen bandage.

“I always carry this for emergencies.”

He was just about to grab the spear, as I interjected skeptically. “Have you done something like this before?”

“Not directly, but my teacher showed me once during my apprenticeship.”

That inspired confidence for sure. I let him continue, nonetheless. My own experience in these things was even less. The last time I suffered a serious injury was about a year ago. I slipped in a maintenance shaft in the ATR building when I was carrying out a periodic measurement. Not that it had happened to anyone ever before, but after that Lisa Bolzano insisted on making a safety rope mandatory for all work in the maintenance shafts. I spent three days in the sickbay with a broken leg and bruised ribs, due to the fall. That was long enough to heal the fracture, thanks to modern nano and stem cell technology. Thinking back to my parents’ and grandparents’ stories of legs in plaster and crutches… I could almost believe society had grown soft with these advances.

The quack was just pulling out the spear.

Manu didn’t even twitch. “Oh, it doesn’t hurt at all.”

Perhaps Elisa had been a little too aggressive with the painkillers.

Now, Amendat put the bandage on. Dear God, there was so much blood. Wasn’t that concerning? I asked Elisa about it, but she reassured me. The blood loss was far from critical. Having finished the bandage, Amendat looked down on his work with satisfaction. As the last step, he spoke some kind of magic formula. Well, everybody does what he can.

The priest then checked out the other wounded. I did the same, or rather let Elisa do it. Two were already dead. The captain and one other crew member had suffered light injuries. There was nothing else I could do so I headed back to Manu.

“How do you feel?” I asked him.

“I’ve had better days, you know. But at least it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Okay, just stay put. I’ll fetch some pillows for you to rest on.”

After having bedded Manu more comfortably, I joined the captain at the ship’s nose. He was watching closely as a few specks of light disappeared into the distance, which must have been what remains of the raiding party.

“Vermin!” He spat out. “They are desert nomads, making their living by raiding freighters.”

He turned to me. “I have to thank you, ambassador Ameniu. If you had not woken us up in time, we would have all been dead by now.”

I would actually have to thank Elisa for that. Without her, I wouldn’t have woken up.

“Someone should probably stand guard at night,” I suggested.

“Of course. I’ve already made arrangements. Three hours now until the sun rises and we can continue on our way. You should get some rest, ambassador.”

I nodded and returned to my sleeping berth, which without further ado I moved right next to Manu’s. I didn’t smoke. But if they had the opportunity at this time, I would perhaps be tempted to start. There was no chance of falling asleep with all the adrenaline in my system, so I just lay there until dawn.