Death Comes as End - Agatha Christie [20]
‘Am I?’ Renisenb felt pleased–warmed. Then she asked:
‘Was Yahmose badly hurt?’
‘No, it was not as bad as it looked. Sobek was very ill the next day. It might have been something he ate, but your mother said it was his rage and the hot sun–it was the middle of summer.’
‘Sobek has a terrible temper,’ said Renisenb thoughtfully.
She looked again at the dead snake and turned away with a shiver.
II
When Renisenb got back to the house Kameni was sitting on the front porch with a roll of papyrus. He was singing and she paused a minute and listened to the words.
‘I will go to Memphis,’ sang Kameni, ‘I will go to Ptah, Lord of Truth. I will say to Ptah, “Give me my sister tonight.” The stream is wine, Ptah is its reeds, Sekhmet its lotus, Earit its bud, Nefertum its flower. I will say to Ptah, “Give me my sister tonight. The dawn breaks through her beauty. Memphis is a dish of love apples set before the fair face…”’
He looked up and smiled at Renisenb.
‘Do you like my song, Renisenb?’
‘What is it?’
‘It is a love song from Memphis.’
He kept his eyes on her, singing softly:
‘Her arms are full of branches of the persea, her hair is weighed down with unguent. She is like a Princess of the Lord of the two Lands.’
The colour came up in Renisenb’s face. She passed on quickly into the house and almost collided with Nofret.
‘Why are you in such a hurry, Renisenb?’
Nofret’s voice had a sharp edge to it. Renisenb looked at her in faint surprise. Nofret was not smiling. Her face looked grim and tense and Renisenb noticed that her hands were clenched at her sides.
‘I am sorry, Nofret, I did not see you. It is dark in here when you come from the light outside.’
‘Yes, it is dark here…’ Nofret paused a moment. ‘It would be pleasanter outside–on the porch–with Kameni’s singing to listen to. He sings well, does he not?’
‘Yes–yes, I am sure he does.’
‘Yet you did not stay to listen? Kameni will be disappointed.’
Renisenb’s cheeks felt hot again. Nofret’s cold, sneering glance made her uncomfortable.
‘Do you not like love songs, Renisenb?’
‘Does it matter to you, Nofret, what I like and do not like?’
‘So little cats have claws.’
‘What do you mean?’
Nofret laughed. ‘You are not such a fool as you look, Renisenb. So you find Kameni handsome? Well, that will please him no doubt.’
‘I think you are quite odious,’ said Renisenb passionately.
She ran past Nofret towards the back of the house. She heard the girl’s mocking laugh. But through that laugh, sounding clearly in her memory, was the echo of Kameni’s voice and the song that he had sung with his eyes watching her face…
III
That night Renisenb had a dream.
She was with Khay, sailing with him in the Barque of the Dead in the Underworld. Khay was standing in the bows of the boat–she could only see the back of his head. Then, as they drew near to sunrise, Khay turned his head, and Renisenb saw that it was not Khay but Kameni. And at the same time the prow of the barque, the serpent’s head, began to writhe. It was a live serpent, a cobra, and Renisenb thought: ‘It is the serpent that comes out in the Tombs to eat the souls of the dead.’ She was paralysed with fear. And then she saw the serpent’s face was the face of Nofret and she woke up screaming: ‘Nofret–Nofret…’
She had not really screamed–it was all in the dream. She lay still, her heart beating, telling herself that none of all this was real. And then she thought suddenly: ‘That is what Sobek said when he was killing the snake yesterday. He said: “Nofret”…’
CHAPTER SEVEN
FIRST MONTH OF WINTER 5TH DAY
Renisenb’s dream had left her wakeful. She slept after it only in snatches and towards morning she did not sleep at all. She was obsessed by an obscure feeling of impending evil.
She rose early and went out of the house. Her steps led