Free That God Won't Hunt by Susan Sizemore Page A

don’t like taking baths any better than I do.”
    Only the friendly hound’s bumping her hand with its very cold nose distracted Ipuit enough not to gasp with shock at Pepi’s claim to dislike bathing, for being ritually cleansed in the water of the Nile was one of pharaoh’s daily duties.
    Pepi came forward and kissed his mother on the cheek. At the same time he gestured that there was no need for Ipuit to bow. He kissed her on the cheek a moment later, leaving her skin rather damp. The informality surprised her, but it also pleased Ipuit to see that her future husband was affectionate in private despite being pharaoh.
    Her favorable impression was dimmed a moment later when Pepi stepped back and announced petulantly, “Djau said I had to come see you before I could go hunting.” He looked Ipuit over critically, then his gaze shifted to contemplate the shafts of sunlight coming in the windows set high in the thick wall.
    Ipuit looked toward the king’s entourage, and saw several familiar faces. One was Queen Ankhnes-Mery-Re’s brother, the vizier Djau, who had served as co-regent with the queen mother during Pepi’s childhood. From the bold, and very nearly disdainful way the vizier returned her regard Ipuit surmised that he was very confident in the influence he held over the king, though Pepi was now a man. Ipuit was careful to bow slightly to the vizier, as a niece to an honored great uncle.
    As if Djau’s attitude was not disturbing enough, Ipuit saw that a priest of Seth stood at the vizier’s side. She firmly believed that Seth was a god of darkness and mischief, though his priests defended his role as a god of love. Dark magic came where Seth was. Seeing Seth’s priest so close to the vizier gave Ipuit at least one answer to the meaning behind Ankhnes-Mery-Re’s questions. Perhaps Ankhnes-Mery-Re hoped Ipuit would influence Pepi to favor the goddess of justice over the god of chaos. When the Seth priest looked at her and smiled a thin, contemptuous smile, Ipuit knew he was aware the queen mother might think this as well, and he did not believe Ipuit had any hope of succeeding.
    Ipuit saw the man’s scorn as a challenge, but gave him no indication she accepted it. She stayed as quiet and unobtrusive as she could, willing herself to seem no more than a meek shadow at the queen mother’s side. But for the enthusiastic young hound that continued to lean against her and nudge at her hand for a petting.
    “You are a persistent thing,” she murmured to the dog, and the king heard her.
    “That’s Nebshedd. He’s a house hound, that one.” The pharaoh sounded disappointed in this lean red hound. He looked at the vizier. “I have seen my mother and my new queen. Can I go hunting now, Djau?”
    “But, my dear, there are ambassadors. And the marriage, and—” the appalled queen mother began.
    “Pharaoh is no longer a child for you to rebuke, sister,” Djau interrupted. “He will do as he pleases, and we will loyally wait for him to turn his attention to us—when it pleases him.” He bowed, then gestured toward the door. “If it pleases you to go hunting, my lord, then we rejoice in what pleases you.”
    Pharaoh yelped with joy at this encouragement to ignore his duties, and he rushed from the reception hall without a further word or glance for his mother or wife-to-be. The dogs bounded out on his heels, with Djau and the rest moving almost as quickly to follow the king.
    The queen mother and Ipuit looked at each other in shock and amazement, but neither voiced any complaints about pharaoh’s behavior. A god could do as he pleased, and it was traitorous to say anything about it. “If my lady allows,” Ipuit said instead, “then I should take my leave as well. The journey to Menfi has been tiring, and I have much to do to settle into my new household.”
    And much to think on , she added to herself, as she made a formal bow to Ankhnes-Mery-Re.
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    What do I know so far? Ipuit asked herself