Cursed Times - Only Yesterday! Sequel to Wattys 2015 winner!

Chapter 26: Seisi - Too Many Camels

Seisi had expected Trueth to release her clammy grip on his hand once they reached the room of repast; instead she squeezed his fingers even tighter and marched on. Ranofer was sharing his attention between the beeping contraption in his hand and his breakfast, he never even noticed their arrival. Metjen's mother just smiled that smile of hers and started filling two plates just as Rani-Ra punched the air with a fist. Why she did that, he was not sure. Loud voices came from next door, where Metjen, his father and his majesty seemed engaged in a heated exchange.

Trueth had swiftly swallowed a dose of the stimulating beverage they all craved so much and was pouring another one. She waggled the shiny white pot at him and asked. 'What are those three on about?'

'Metjen and my dear husband want Khy to understand some basics of our world,' Metjen's mother said. She diluted the brown broth in Seisi's cup with delicious warm milk, masking the bitter taste of the brew and giving him a fair chance of not dying from hyperventilation.

'All at once? Poor guy,' Trueth said.

'What is his majesty imbibing? If he takes too much of this medicine, his belligerence will increase,' Seisi asked.

'Medicine?' Trueth's stared into the dregs of her cup and reached for the pot without looking up. 'I guess, in a way it is.'

'I'm in coffee heaven,' Rani-Ra emptied the pink mug she had been cradling in her hands as if it was a baby.

'I'll bring his majesty some milky tea. He will never notice the difference,' the Lady Nefertiti said.

Rani-Ra got up, stretched like a cat and reached for the mug her mother had filled. 'Here, let me do that.'

Trueth had been inhaling the fumes from her brew, she put down the pot and scowled at her adopted sister. 'Stop teasing the king. It's not nice.'

Seisi decided to keep well out of this debate. He bit into his ka's-ankh, or however they called this delectable piece of flaky pastry.

'I don't. Or maybe just a little. He's a bit like a baby brother. Ok, he keeps gawking at my breasts, but the two times he went for a grope I zapped him with my sun-flow.'

'That is really not nice of you, dear,' said her mother and held on to the mug. 'I'll go and bring him this.'

'I'm not sure his majesty would approve of the swap,' Rani-Ra said.

'If he doesn't know he had an alternative, he can't get upset. Stop toying with the bloke, he might be fairly harmless here, but not when he gets back.' Trueth drank the rest of her medicine.

Ranofer looked up from the contraption he had been toying with. 'Khy also needs to learn that body slaves are extinct in this millennium.  He can get his tea himself. And True is right, stop provoking him.'

'Thanks Ranofer.' Trueth was spreading some translucent orange gel on another crisp crescent and waved it in front of Seisi's face. 'Try this, Sei, you might like it.'

Seisi gingerly bit into the confection. She was right.

In the other room, the distribution of wealth in this world seem to be the cause of much contention, yet Pharaoh's wavering pitch was losing against Metjen's determined vocal thrust. 'No, all these riches are not owned by the crown, they belong to some international groupings.' Metjen carried on, but dimmed his volume, so Seisi could not longer hear what he was saying.

Could it be, Trueth has finally seen the light, the way she is responding to you? 

Seisi jumped in his seat as the voice of his friend materialised in his head. He knew high priests could do many things all at once. But knowledge and experience were two different matters entirely. Imhotep had always been most discreet.