The Horned Viper Read online

  Why had Tutmose hidden these supplies in the depths of the hold? He kept most of his medicines in the cabin, where they were easily reached. Hopi lay back on the sacks, thinking. Perhaps, after all, Isis was right – perhaps the doctor was up to something. Hopi remembered her story about Hat-Neb’s fan. It was a magical, powerful object, and deep down, Hopi knew that Tutmose had no business touching it . . . unless it was to tamper with its magic in some way.

  And then there was his mysterious visit to the town that morning. A doctor could have found normal medical supplies easily enough, if he’d wanted to. He didn’t have to sneak around using a false name. Hopi’s hand drifted to the viper’s basket. Tutmose had taken an interest in Hopi’s skills from the word go. And he had felt so flattered by it! He had thought that the doctor held him in genuine respect. Hopi’s heart clouded with anger once more as he thought of how Tutmose had betrayed him. Now he could see that the doctor had his own agenda. And slowly Hopi was realising what it might be . . .

  It was now very dark in the hold, and Hopi listened for signs that they were heading to shore. Someone would have to come down to the cabin for supplies before nightfall. Sure enough, there was a scraping of wood as the hatch opened, and feet climbed down the ladder. It was Kerem and two of the crew.

  Kerem bowed to Hopi respectfully. ‘We need to take food and shelter to the deck,’ he said.

  ‘Of course,’ said Hopi. ‘Go ahead.’

  The crew members began to hoist the linen camp shelters on to their backs, while Kerem stared at Hopi curiously. ‘This is strange place to sit. What are you doing down here?’

  ‘Don’t you know?’ Hopi shrugged. ‘Hat-Neb and Nebo are punishing me.’

  ‘Punishing you!’ Kerem looked shocked. ‘But you the priest. You still have the snake god?’

  ‘Yes, he’s still here,’ replied Hopi. ‘He’s safe.’ He indicated his bag.

  ‘Why do they punish you?’

  Hopi gave a wry smile. ‘They don’t respect the snake god,’ he said. ‘They don’t want it on board.’

  Kerem’s face darkened. ‘These men –’ he said. ‘We have had enough.’ He glanced back at the hatch to check that no one else was there. ‘They think we are stupid and desperate. They treat us very bad. Maybe you do not see this, but it is true.’

  Hopi thought of the injured man crumpling to the ground as Nebo punched him. ‘I have seen it. I know how Nebo behaves. He and Hat-Neb are both evil.’

  ‘Yes. It is more than our honour will bear. We will not take it any more. And there is something else.’ Kerem’s eyes flashed. ‘We have no reason to serve him longer, because of what we heard on the riverbank. You remember the men that we fight? They laugh at us. They say we will never be paid in Djeba. And now we think they are right.’

  Hopi did remember. He pictured the leader heading back to the tug, calling over his shoulder, ‘If that motley crew of yours think they’ll get a fortune in Djeba, they are even more foolish than they look . . .’

  ‘Whatever we do, we do it before we get to Djeba,’ Kerem carried on. ‘When we get to the town, it will be too late. There will be many others to protect him.’ His men were now loaded up with mats, rugs and stakes for building shelters. He nodded to them, and they began to climb to the deck. Then he turned back to Hopi. ‘You saved us once,’ he said. ‘Are you with us now?’

  Hopi hesitated. He wasn’t sure what Kerem had planned, or if there was anything that he could do to help. But if the captain wanted support against Hat-Neb and Nebo, he should surely give it.

  ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘I’m with you.’

  Kerem nodded, satisfied. ‘Good.’ He picked up a casket of figs, and headed out of the hold.

  .

  Isis was still on the deck. She had tried peering through the planks into the hold, but she couldn’t see a thing. When Kerem emerged, she ran to him.

  ‘Kerem,’ she asked, ‘is Hopi all right?’

  The captain looked at her. ‘He is well enough. But this punishment is a great evil,’ he muttered darkly. ‘Hat-Neb thinks he is strong, but no one can fight the gods.’

  His words frightened Isis. It was getting dark, and the men were not behaving as they usually did at this hour. They moved slowly, sullenly, and some were doing nothing at all.

  Nebo appeared out of the cabin. ‘What is happening?’ demanded the fan-bearer. ‘Darkness is coming. Why are we not going to shore?’

  The crew members looked at each other. They might not speak Egyptian, but they understood Nebo clearly enough. Before Kerem could answer, one of them stepped forward and made a rude gesture, right in the fan-bearer’s face.

  Nebo’s response was like lightning. He grabbed the man’s arm and spun him around so that his arm was twisted at a terrible angle up his back. Then, with his other hand, Nebo wrenched the man’s elbow. There was a ghastly crunching, tearing sound. The man screamed. Nebo threw him down on the deck and watched him howl in agony.

  ‘I told you,’ he said, looking around at the men. ‘If you do not do what I say, there is easy answer for me.’

  Isis stared at Nebo in disbelief. This was the man who had promised to protect her, but he had just done . . . that. It was terrible. She couldn’t move. Her throat felt dry. And now things were happening fast. The crew were gathering together, shoulder to shoulder. Silently, they drew weapons. Kerem spoke to one of them, and he disappeared into the hold. When he came back, he brought with him Hopi, carrying his basket in his arms.

  Night had fallen. The moon had not yet risen, and the boat was drifting on the Nile. One of the men held a flaming torch in his hand, which cast eerie shadows across the deck.

  ‘You will not break us.’ Kerem faced the fan-bearer with a curved bronze dagger in his hand. ‘We suffer, yes. But we are strong, and the snake god is with us.’

  Nebo sneered, but Isis saw that he was afraid. ‘The boy is nothing,’ he retorted. ‘And you are nothing. You mercenaries all the same. All you think of is gold. But if you touch me, there will be no gold.’

  Kerem’s eyes filled with hatred. ‘This what you think,’ he said. ‘But you know nothing about us. The sick men my brothers.’ Then he pointed to the man that Nebo had injured. ‘This man my uncle’s son.’ He lifted the tip of his dagger so that it just touched the fan-bearer’s throat. ‘Some things more important than gold.’

  .

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Hopi stood alongside Kerem in the flickering torchlight. He saw his sister’s terrified face. He saw the sweat and agony of the injured man lying slumped on one side of the deck. He saw the smouldering anger in Nebo’s eyes, and the fear mixed with fury in the eyes of the crew. He reached for his basket. The men feared the viper, but it would give them strength to know it was on their side.

  He lifted it out, and raised it above his head.

  The men cowered, but Kerem spoke sharply. ‘The priest is with us!’ he said in Egyptian, then switched to their own language, his voice full of fire and passion. The men listened, and they stood up straighter, inspired by their leader’s words.

  But now Nebo was no longer alone. Tutmose appeared out of the cabin, and by his side was Hat-Neb.

  The overseer glared at the crew. ‘What do you want from me?’ he growled.

  Kerem still had his sword pointed in Nebo’s direction. ‘What we wanted you did not give,’ he said. ‘We have our honour. We wanted respect; we have received nothing but more injuries. And so now, it is too late. There is only one thing we want.’

  Hat-Neb sneered. ‘And what is that?’

  Kerem nodded to his men. They all raised their weapons. ‘We want your life,’ he said.

  A tense silence fell. Almost imperceptibly, Kerem’s men were closing in on Hat-Neb. But Hat-Neb did not look afraid. Instead, he whispered something into Nebo’s ear, and the fan-bearer gave a slight nod. Isis was still watching from around the side of the cabin. Hat-Neb turned to her.

  ‘My daughter,’ he said, in a husky voice, ‘come. This is not a scen
e for your eyes. Come into the cabin, where it is safe.’

  Hopi watched as his sister stepped nervously past the crew. Too late, a warning rose in his throat. Isis was almost at the entrance to the cabin. As she brushed past Nebo, the fan-bearer grabbed her, and slung her under his massive arm.

  ‘No!’ shouted Hopi.

  Isis yelped, and thrashed out in shock. But the fan-bearer held her fast. One arm pinned her shoulders, while the other reached into his kilt. Hopi almost buckled in horror. In one swift movement, Nebo had drawn a dagger, and had put it to Isis’s neck.

  .

  Isis’s heart was beating so loudly that she could scarcely hear. She tried to wriggle, but Nebo was ten times too strong for her. All she could move were her eyes, which she swivelled around to the faces in front of her. Hopi looked sick with fear.

  ‘Do you know who this is?’ Hat-Neb’s voice was relaxed and smooth as he waved his hand towards Isis.

  ‘Let her go!’ shouted Hopi.

  But no one else spoke. Hat-Neb smiled. ‘This is the sister of your precious snake priest,’ he said to Kerem. ‘If you make a single move against us, Nebo will cut her throat. Do you think your priest will support you then?’

  Isis felt so thin and fragile pinned to Nebo’s side. She wanted to cry, but she was too frightened. She implored Hopi with her eyes, but she could see he was helpless, too. Hat-Neb was horribly clever.

  Kerem spat on the deck. ‘You think you have won,’ he said, lowering his dagger.

  ‘I generally do,’ said Hat-Neb. ‘Now, enough of this nonsense. Tonight we shall not go ashore. Your men will anchor the boat here and we shall make ourselves comfortable the best we can. And then, in the morning, you will guide the boat into Djeba, where everyone will disembark. Is that clear?’

  ‘The gods bring justice,’ was Kerem’s reply. ‘You think you can do anything. But nothing good comes to a man like you.’

  The crew slowly backed off, but Nebo was taking no chances. If anything, his grip on Isis tightened. As Hat-Neb followed Tutmose back into the cabin, he carried her in after them, the dagger still dangerously close to her throat.

  ‘Isis!’ gasped Sheri. She stared at Nebo. ‘What are you doing with her? Let her go!’

  ‘Now, come, don’t make a fuss,’ said Hat-Neb. ‘We have a little problem with this rabble of a crew. She makes a good guarantee, that’s all.’

  ‘A guarantee!’ Sheri was aghast. ‘How dare you! Let her go at once, and take us to shore!’

  But Nebo did nothing of the sort. He positioned Isis in a corner of the cabin, where she was trapped. ‘You can sleep here,’ he told her, then leaned closer. ‘And don’t try to escape. There is nowhere to go. This . . .’ He flicked his dagger, so that the blade glinted. ‘. . . this the only friend you will find.’

  .

  Hopi lowered the viper back into its basket. He felt numb. He had known that Hat-Neb was cruel, but he had not imagined that anyone could be quite this cruel. As the crew milled around the deck, talking among themselves, he gazed over to the dark fields, and a wave of hopelessness washed over him.

  ‘Come, Hopi.’ Kerem was at his elbow. ‘Come and sit with me.’

  The captain guided him to the shelter at the prow of the boat, where the injured men were lying. One of the crew brought a little oil lamp, and they sat down on the bare planks.

  ‘Kerem,’ said Hopi in a low voice, ‘do you think my sister will be safe?’

  Kerem stroked his grey beard. ‘I do not know. These men . . . they might do anything. They could kill her, if we betray you.’

  Hopi’s heart beat faster. He swallowed. ‘And . . . and are you going to betray me?’

  Kerem said nothing for a moment. He looked at the injured men, their foreheads shining with sweat. He looked at his gnarled knuckles. Then he turned to Hopi and fixed him with his dark eyes. ‘We are tough men,’ he said. ‘We sail. We fight. We know we may die. But we are not animals.’ He shook his head. ‘We would never kill a little girl. There is justice in this world, and we have our own gods to fear. Not just the snake god.’

  Hopi breathed a sigh of relief. So Isis was safe – from Kerem at least.

  But Kerem’s next words were not so reassuring.

  ‘We will find a way to kill him,’ said the captain. ‘This man and his guard. You see. We will find a way. Before the morning they both dead.’ He made a gesture with his finger across his throat.

  ‘No. No. You can’t.’ Hopi shook his head. He felt desperate. ‘That’s the whole point. They will kill Isis before you kill them. And they will kill many of you, too. Please, please . . .’

  Kerem’s eyes glittered. He laid a hand on Hopi’s shoulder. ‘There is always a way.’

  ‘But not this way!’ Hopi was dismayed.

  The captain gave a cynical smile.

  Hopi was silent, but he was thinking furiously. There had to be a way out of this . . . He got up slowly, and wandered out along the deck, into the darkness. He gazed up at the stars, thinking over everything he knew. Time was running out. Even now, Kerem had called his crew to start plotting . . . plotting to take Nebo by surprise. But the Nubian was so strong and vigilant; Isis was surely doomed.

  A shooting star blazed across the sky, falling to nothingness near the horizon. And suddenly, Hopi saw a chink of light. Of course: the pouch of potions . . . He hurried back to the prow, where Kerem sat crouched with his men.

  ‘What did Hat-Neb say he would pay you?’

  Kerem looked up. ‘What?’

  ‘He promised you a big payment,’ said Hopi, ‘didn’t he?’

  The captain frowned. ‘He promised each of us gold, to the value of twenty debens of copper,’ he said eventually.

  It was a huge sum for a few days’ work. Hopi almost gasped. ‘I see,’ he managed to say.

  ‘Why do you ask?’ Kerem looked curious.

  Hopi controlled himself. He took a deep breath. ‘I can get you this gold,’ he said calmly.

  Kerem laughed. ‘You!’

  ‘You think that you want revenge,’ said Hopi. He crouched down with the men, and looked around at their rugged faces. ‘But gold is much more useful.’

  The captain shrugged. ‘Yes, but you think we get the gold now?’ Kerem shook his head. ‘Hat-Neb would kill a little girl. Whatever you think you can say to him, we will never see this gold.’

  Hopi leaned closer. ‘There is something you do not know.’

  ‘And what is that?’

  ‘I can’t tell you yet.’ Hopi’s heart was beating fast. ‘It is knowledge that only I can use. It has been given to me by the gods. But I promise you, on my own life, that if you deliver us all to Djeba safely, you will receive your gold.’

  The captain clearly thought Hopi was mad. ‘You are trying to protect your sister.’

  ‘Of course.’ Hopi couldn’t deny it. ‘But think. If you try to kill Hat-Neb, you will lose many things. You will lose your gold. If Isis is killed, you will lose the goodwill of the gods. You may also lose your freedom – and even your life.’

  ‘True,’ said Kerem. ‘But if we do as you say, we shall lose both the gold and our honour.’

  ‘No,’ said Hopi. ‘I have already told you. I promise this gold with my life. And your honour . . .’ He paused, searching for the right words. ‘If it depends upon a man like Hat-Neb, then honour does not count for very much.’

  ‘Brave words!’ exclaimed Kerem.

  ‘Trust me,’ said Hopi fervently. ‘You will see.’

  .

  Isis couldn’t sleep. Hat-Neb’s snores filled the cabin, while Nebo sat still and silent beside her. She heard drifting murmurs from the crew, talking in low voices to each other on the deck. The darkness was fearful, but Isis dreaded the dawn. What would happen then? Would there be a battle? Would she survive if there was?

  Halfway through the night, Hat-Neb’s snores suddenly stopped. Isis listened. He seemed to have stopped breathing altogether. Then, with a choking sound, he woke and jerked himself uprigh
t. Isis watched in the gloom. Hat-Neb coughed and retched. Everyone was sitting up now. Tutmose lit an oil lamp, and crept to the overseer’s side.

  ‘Drink this,’ he said, handing Hat-Neb a beaker.

  Hat-Neb took it, and glugged the liquid noisily. ‘Urgh,’ he moaned when it was finished, clutching his stomach.

  ‘You will sleep again now,’ said the doctor.

  Isis thought of their trip to the marshes that morning, and the way Hat-Neb had collapsed. How differently she felt now. After all that had happened, she almost wished Hat-Neb were dead. She looked over at Sheri and Kia. Mut was tucked securely between them and Isis envied her.

  ‘Are you all right?’ Sheri mouthed at her.

  Isis nodded dumbly. She lay back down again, staring at the roof of the cabin.

  Tutmose put out the lamp, but the atmosphere in the cabin remained thick and heavy. Isis was sure that no one else was asleep, or even sleepy. There were just six tense people, and one sick one. Killer padded through the cabin with a soft yowl, but everyone ignored him.

  .

  Dawn broke at last. The crew were huddled, dozing, on the deck. There had been no more plotting, and no attack. Now they woke and stretched. Kerem placed two guards by the cabin door, and ordered the others to set sail. Hopi breathed a sigh of relief. It looked as though they would carry on to Djeba after all.

  The first person to appear from the cabin was Tutmose. He looked haggard, his thin face even more drawn than usual.

  ‘I need to go down to the hold,’ he said, pointing to the hatch.

  Kerem wasn’t taking any chances. He called another crew member to accompany the doctor. Hopi watched them disappear, and felt his heart beat a little faster. He could guess exactly what the doctor was after.

  Tutmose re-emerged a few minutes later, his eyes wild. He looked around the members of the crew, then fixed his gaze on Hopi. Hopi leaned on the rail of the boat, determined to look casual.