Far behind, Taita and Fenn followed in their disguise, making their way on foot through the surging, shifting throng until they reached the palace gates. Here they paused, joined hands and shrouded themselves in the spell of concealment to pass between the palace guards into the great royal audience hall. They stood aloof from the dense press of courtiers and dignitaries that filled the space.
On the raised dais at the far end, Pharaoh Nefer Seti and his queen sat side by side on their ivory thrones. Pharaoh wore the blue war crown, Khepresh: it was a tall headdress with flanged sidepieces adorned with discs of pure gold and, on the brow of the helmet, the uraeus, the entwined heads of the cobra and the vulture, the symbols of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms. Pharaoh wore no cosmetics and his torso was bare, showing the scars of fifty battles, but the muscles of his chest and arms were still sleek and hard. Taita examined his aura and saw that it was brave in endeavour and steadfast in duty. Beside him, Queen Mintaka also wore the uraeus, but her hair was streaked with silver, and her features were etched with the marks of mourning and sorrow for her children. Her aura was confused and forlorn, riven by doubt and guilt. Her misery was deep and desolate.
Before the royal thrones Colonel Meren Cambyses and Colonel That Ankut were spreadeagled face down in loyal obeisance. Pharaoh rose to his feet and lifted one hand. A deep hush fell over the assembly. When he spoke, his voice echoed among the tall sandstone pillars that rose from their plinths to the high, painted ceiling.
'Be it known through both of my kingdoms and throughout all my foreign dominions that Meren Cambyses and That Ankut have found great favour in my eyes.' He paused and his grand vizier, Tentek, knelt before him and offered a silver tray on which lay a scroll of papyrus.
Pharaoh took and unrolled it. He read from the parchment, in a ringing voice, 'By these presents, let all men know that I have elevated Lord That Ankut to the nobility, and donated to his dignity one river unit of fertile land along the banks of the Nile below Esna.' A river unit comprised ten square leagues, an enormous extent of arable land. In one stroke That had become a wealthy man, but there was more. Nefer Seti went on, 'From henceforth Lord That Ankut shall be ranked a field general in my army of the Upper Kingdom. He shall have command of the Phat Legion. All this by my grace and magnanimity.'
'Pharaoh is merciful!' shouted the congregation in one voice.
'Arise, Lord That Ankut, and embrace me.' That stood to kiss Pharaoh's bare right shoulder, and Nefer Seti placed the deeds to his new estate in his right hand.
Then he turned to Meren, who still lay prostrate before him. Tentek offered him a second silver tray. Pharaoh took from it another scroll and displayed it to the gathering. 'By these presents, let all men know that I have elevated Lord Meren Cambyses to the nobility, and donated to his dignity three river units of fertile land along the banks of the Nile above
Assuit. From henceforth Lord Meren shall be ranked marshal general of the army of the Lower Kingdom. Furthermore I bestow upon him as a mark of my special favour the Gold of Praise and the Gold of Valour.
Arise, Lord Meren.'
When Meren stood before him, Pharaoh placed the heavy gold chains of Praise and Valour over his shoulders. 'Embrace me, Lord Marshal Meren Cambyses!' he said, and kissed Meren's cheek.
With his lips close to Pharaoh's ear, Meren whispered urgently, 'I have news of Taita, which is for your ears only.'
Pharaoh's grip on Meren's shoulder tightened momentarily, and he replied softly, 'Tentek will bring you to my presence directly.'
While the entire assembly prostrated themselves, Pharaoh took his queen by the hand and led her from the hall. They passed only a few paces from where Taita and Fenn stood unseen. Meren waited until Tentek reappeared and spoke quietly to him. 'Pharaoh bids you to his presence. Follow me, my lord marshal.' As Meren passed, Taita took Fenn's hand and they fell in behind him.
Tentek ushered Meren into the royal presence, but when Meren would have made another obeisance Nefer Seti came to him and embraced him warmly. 'My dear friend and companion of the Red Road, it is so good to have you back. I only wish you had brought with you the magus. His death has struck me to the heart.' Then he held Meren at arm's length and gazed into his face. 'You were never good at concealing your emotions. What is it that disturbs you now? Tell me.'
'Your eyes are as sharp as ever. They miss nothing. I have tidings that I shall relate to you,' Meren replied, 'but before I do I must caution you to prepare yourself for a great shock. What I have to tell you is so strange and wonderful that when I was first presented with it my mind could not encompass it.'
'Come now, my lord.' Nefer Seti smote him a blow between the shoulder-blades that made him stagger. 'Speak!'
Meren drew a deep breath and blurted out, 'Taita lives.'
Nefer Seti stopped laughing and stared at him in astonishment. Then his features darkened in a scowl. 'Jest with me at your peril, my lord marshal,' he said coldly.
'I speak the truth, mighty King of Kings.' In this mood Nefer Seti struck terror into the bravest heart.
'If this is the truth, and for the good of your soul, Meren Cambyses, it had better be, then tell me where Taita is now.'
'One more thing I must tell you, O majestic and magnanimous one.
Taita is much altered in appearance. You may not recognize him at first.'
'Enough!' Nefer Seti's voice rose. 'Tell me where he is.'
'In this very chamber.' Meren's voice cracked. 'Standing close to us.'
Then, under his breath, he added, 'At least, I hope he is.'
Nefer Seti placed his right hand on the hilt of his dagger. 'You trespass on my good nature, Meren Cambyses.'
Meren looked wildly around the empty chamber and his voice was pitiful as he spoke to the empty air: 'Magus, O mighty Magus! Reveal yourself, I beseech you! I stand in peril of Pharaoh's wrath!' Then he let out a cry of relief. 'Behold, Majesty!' He pointed across the room to a tall statue carved from black granite.
'That is the statue of Taita, carved by the master sculptor Osh,' Nefer Seti said, in fury. 'I keep it here to remind me of the magus, but it is only stone, not my beloved Taita in the flesh.'
'Nay, Pharaoh. Look not at the statue but to its right-hand side.'
Where Meren pointed a shimmering and transparent cloud appeared, like a desert mirage. Pharaoh blinked as he stared at it. 'There is aught there. It is light as air. Is it a djinni? A ghost?'
The mirage became denser, and slowly took solid shape. 'It is a man!'
Nefer Seti exclaimed. 'A veritable man!' He stared in astonishment.
'But it is not Taita. This is a youth, a comely youth, not my Taita. Surely he must be a magician that he is able to mask himself in a spell of concealment.'
'It is magic,' Meren agreed, 'but of the whitest and noblest kind. A magic wrought by Taita himself. This is Taita.'
'Nay!' Nefer Seti shook his head. 'I know not this person, if he is indeed a living person.'
'Your Grace, this is the magus made young and whole again.'
Even Nefer Seti was speechless. All he could do was shake his head.
Taita stood quietly, smiling at him, a warm, loving smile.
'Look to the statue,' Meren pleaded. 'Osh carved it when the magus was already an old man, but even now that he is young again the resemblance is unmistakable. Look to the depth and width of the brow, the shape of the nose and the ears, but above all look to the eyes.'
'Yes… perhaps I can see some resemblance,' Nefer Seti murmured dubiously. Then his tone became firm and challenging: 'Ho, phantom! If you are indeed Taita, you must be able to tell me something known only to the two of us.'