Free The Horned Viper by Gill Harvey Page B

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.