Death Comes as End - Agatha Christie [49]
‘He is very busy superintending the storing of the grain. My father left him in charge.’
Esa grinned.
‘That will please our young gander. He will be strutting about full of his own importance. When he comes in to eat tell him to come to me.’
‘Yes, Esa.’
‘For the rest, Renisenb, silence…’
III
‘You wanted to see me, grandmother?’
Ipy stood smiling and arrogant, his head held a little on one side, a flower held between his white teeth. He looked very pleased with himself and with life generally.
‘If you can spare a moment of your valuable time,’ said Esa, screwing her eyes up to see better and looking him up and down.
The acerbity of her tone made no impression on Ipy.
‘It is true that I am very busy today. I have to oversee everything since my father has gone to the Temple.’
‘Young jackals bark loud,’ said Esa.
But Ipy was quite imperturbable.
‘Come, grandmother, you must have more to say to me than that.’
‘Certainly I have more to say. And to begin with, this is a house of mourning. Your brother Sobek’s body is already in the hands of the embalmers. Yet your face is as cheerful as though this was a festival day.’
Ipy grinned.
‘You are no hypocrite, Esa. Would you have me be one? You know very well that there was no love lost between me and Sobek. He did everything he could to thwart and annoy me. He treated me as a child. He gave me all the most humiliating and childish tasks in the fields. Frequently he jeered and laughed at me. And when my father would have associated me with him in partnership, together with my elder brothers, it was Sobek who persuaded him not to do so.’
‘What makes you think it was Sobek who persuaded him?’ asked Esa sharply.
‘Kameni told me so.’
‘Kameni?’ Esa raised her eyebrows, pushed her wig on one side and scratched her head. ‘Kameni indeed. Now I find that interesting.’
‘Kameni said he had it from Henet–and we all agree that Henet always knows everything.’
‘Nevertheless,’ said Esa drily, ‘this is an occasion when Henet was wrong in her facts. Doubtless both Sobek and Yahmose were of opinion that you were too young for the business–but it was I–yes, I who dissuaded your father from including you.’
‘You, grandmother? The boy stared at her in frank surprise. Then a dark scowl altered the expression of his face, the flower fell from his lips. ‘Why should you do that? What business was it of yours?’
‘My family’s business is my business.’
‘And my father listened to you?’
‘Not at the moment,’ said Esa drily. ‘But I will teach you a lesson, my handsome child. Women work roundabout–and they learn (if they are not born with the knowledge) to play on the weaknesses of men. You may remember I sent Henet with the gaming board to the porch in the cool of the evening.’
‘I remember. My father and I played together. What of it?’
‘This. You played three games. And each time, being a much cleverer player, you beat your father.’
‘Yes.’
‘That is all,’ said Esa, closing her eyes. ‘Your father, like all inferior players, did not like being beaten–especially by a chit of a boy. So he remembered my words–and he decided that you were certainly too young to be given a share in the partnership.’
Ipy stared at her for a moment. Then he laughed–not a very pleasant laugh.
‘You are clever, Esa,’ he said. ‘Yes, you may be old, but you are clever. Decidedly you and I have the brains of the family. You have pegged out in the first match on our gaming board. But you will see, I shall win the second. So look to yourself, grandmother.’
‘I intend to,’ said Esa. ‘And in return for your words, let me advise you to look to yourself. One of your brothers is dead, the other has been near to death. You also are your father’s son–and you may go the same way.’
Ipy laughed scornfully.
‘There is little fear of that.’
‘Why not? You also threatened and insulted Nofret.’
‘Nofret!’ Ipy’s scorn was unmistakable.
‘What is in your mind?’ demanded Esa sharply.
‘I have