Death Comes as End - Agatha Christie [76]
‘Yes. She has just hinted that Renisenb may be the next to–go.’
Imhotep’s voice came fretfully:
‘Am I to wait all day? What conduct is this? No one considers me any more. No one knows what I suffer. Where is Henet? Henet understands.’
From within the storeroom Henet’s chuckle of triumph came shrilly.
‘Do you hear that, Yahmose? Henet! Henet is the one!’
Yahmose said quietly:
‘Yes, Henet–I understand. You are the powerful one. You and my father and I–we three together…’
Hori went off to find Imhotep. Yahmose spoke a few more words to Henet who nodded, her face sparkling with malicious triumph.
Then Yahmose joined Hori and Imhotep, apologizing for his delay, and the three men went up to the Tomb together.
III
The day passed slowly for Renisenb.
She was restless, passing to and fro from the house to the porch, then to the lake and then back again to the house.
At midday Imhotep returned, and after a meal had been served to him, he came out upon the porch and Renisenb joined him.
She sat with her hands clasped round her knees, occasionally looking up at her father’s face. It still wore that absent, bewildered expression. Imhotep spoke little. Once or twice he sighed deeply.
Once he roused himself and asked for Henet. But just at that time Henet had gone with linen to the embalmers.
Renisenb asked her father where Hori and Yahmose were.
‘Hori has gone out to the flax fields. There is a tally to be taken there. Yahmose is on the cultivation. It all falls on him now…Alas for Sobek and Ipy! My boys–my handsome boys…’
Renisenb tried quickly to distract him.
‘Cannot Kameni oversee the workers?’
‘Kameni? Who is Kameni? I have no son of that name.’
‘Kameni the scribe. Kameni who is to be my husband.’
He stared at her.
‘You, Renisenb? But you are to marry Khay.’
She sighed, but said no more. It seemed cruel to try and bring him back to the present. After a little while, however, he roused himself and exclaimed suddenly:
‘Of course. Kameni! He has gone to give some instructions to the overseer at the brewery. I must go and join him.’
He strode away, muttering to himself, but with resumption of his old manner, so that Renisenb felt a little cheered.
Perhaps this clouding of his brain was only temporary.
She looked round her. There seemed something sinister about the silence of the house and court today. The children were at the far side of the lake. Kait was not with them and Renisenb wondered where she was.
Then Henet came out on to the porch. She looked round her and then came sidling up to Renisenb. She had resumed her old wheedling, humble manner.
‘I’ve been waiting till I could get you alone, Renisenb.’
‘Why, Henet?’
Henet lowered her voice.
‘I’ve got a message for you–from Hori.’
‘What does he say?’ Renisenb’s voice was eager.
‘He asks that you should go up to the Tomb.’
‘Now?’
‘No. Be there an hour before sunset. That was the message. If he is not there then, he asks that you will wait until he comes. It is important, he says.’
Henet paused–and then added:
‘I was to wait until I got you alone to say this–and no one was to overhear.’
Henet glided away.
Renisenb felt her spirits lightened. She felt glad at the prospect of going up to the peace and quietness of the Tomb. Glad that she would see Hori and be able to talk to him freely. The only thing that surprised her a little was that he should have entrusted his message to Henet.
Nevertheless, malicious though Henet was, she had delivered the message faithfully.
‘And why should I fear Henet at any time?’ thought Renisenb. ‘I am stronger than she is.’
She drew herself up proudly. She felt young and confident and very much alive…
IV
After giving the message to Renisenb, Henet went once more into the linen storeroom. She was laughing quietly to herself.
She bent over the disordered piles of sheets.
‘We’ll be needing more of you soon,’ she said to them gleefully. ‘Do you hear, Ashayet? I’m the mistress here now and I’m telling you that your linen will bandage yet another body. And whose body is that, do you think? Hee hee! You