But her kindness cost her dearly.

  Behind us, Aat growled. She was at the edge of the pool. Had she thrown off Khepri? Had she killed him?

  Dripping wet in Tedimut’s arms, I yowled in alarm. Licking her lips, Aat crouched, ready to spring on us.

  “Stop.”

  It was the voice of Pharaoh. And in Egypt, everyone listens to Pharaoh. We all froze, even Aat.

  Magnificent in his embroidered night robes, Pharaoh appeared in the doorway. An instant later, his guards raced forward.

  Sssss­sssss­sssss­wish! A net went down over Aat.

  I started to cheer, but then two of the guards leaped into the pool to seize Tedimut.

  “It’s the girl!” the first guard called back to the others. “The thief who stole the Great Wife’s amulet.”

  “Looks like she was trying to steal Pharaoh’s Cat, too,” the second guard said, prying me from Tedimut’s arms. He set me gently on the side of the pool. “Or drown him.”

  “I would never do that!” Tedimut cried, turning to Pharaoh. “O Ruler of Rulers, I would never do any of it!”

  “Of course she wouldn’t,” I spluttered. As always, however, none of the humans understood me. Not even Pharaoh.

  “Tie her up, and set a watch over her,” Pharaoh ordered. “We will deal with her in the morning.”

  I could guess where that would lead. At best, Tedimut would find her nose cut off. At worst—if the charge of treason held—she would be sentenced to death.

  “You’ve got the wrong thief!” I mewed.

  “He certainly does,” someone whispered from under my belly.

  “Khepri!” I’d never been happier to hear his voice. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” Khepri said, climbing aboard. “Aat did her best, but she can’t stop me. We’ve got to save Tedimut.”

  “I’m trying,” I said. “But they just won’t listen.” Pharaoh was talking to his guards about Aat, held captive in the net. No one seemed to notice I was there, except Aat herself, who snarled at me.

  “Never mind,” Khepri said. “I’ve got a plan.”

  I was a little wary, given that Khepri’s last plan had nearly drowned me. “What is it?”

  “Steal something from Pharaoh. His beads, his sash, his slipper—I don’t care what.”

  “Me? Steal from Pharaoh?” I balked. “Khepri, really. We royals don’t do that kind of thing to one another.”

  “It’s not impossible,” Khepri said grimly. “Just make sure he notices.”

  “Khepri!”

  “Trust me,” Khepri said. “Now.”

  I only had to think about it for a moment. The truth was, I did trust Khepri. Maybe I hadn’t when we started this detective job, before we’d had to work together as a team. But I did now.

  Brushing up against Pharaoh’s knees, I clamped my teeth on the end of his gold-embroidered sash. Jerking it free, I started running, the sash spooling out behind me.

  “Ra!” Pharaoh called out. “Bring that back! This is no time for games.”

  “To the audience hall!” Khepri shouted in my ear, and I raced ahead.

  Behind us, I heard Pharaoh shouting, and the heavy footsteps of guards chasing after us.

  “Slow down just a little,” Khepri said. “We need to make sure the guards follow us. There, that’s it. Go!”

  I was too winded to ask where we were going, but I wouldn’t have anyway. I didn’t want to admit to Khepri that I still didn’t know for certain who the thief was. But I was pretty sure that it was Lady Shepenupet.

  When we reached the audience hall, Khepri told me where we were really going.

  I couldn’t say anything because my mouth was full of sash. (And an awful mouthful it was, too. Gold threads are so prickly.) But I could hardly believe what he said.

  And yet, as I thought it over, it made a funny sort of sense.

  “Run!” Khepri said. “They’re catching up to us!”

  With the guards right on my heels, I raced through the palace, trailing drops of water from my soaked fur as I ran. Leaping over several servant women and waking them from sleep, I arrived at the final door. It was closed, but not latched, and when I pushed against it, it opened onto a shabby room lit by a single candle.

  As the guards tumbled in behind me, the Royal Mother put up a startled hand. Even in the faint light, the Eye of Horus glittered brightly over her heart.

  I stared at the Eye of Horus. The amulet matched Bebi’s description perfectly—an enormous eye made of gold and ivory and lapis lazuli, with gods in turquoise and carnelian on each side. And here was Pharaoh’s mother wearing it.

  “Ra, what possessed you?” Pharaoh came through the door. He stopped dead when he saw the amulet. “Mother? Where did you get that?”

  “Maybe the girl gave it to the Honored Royal Mother, O Ruler of Rulers,” a guard suggested.

  Pharaoh’s mother gave the guard a withering glance. “A girl? What are you talking about? It was my precious baboon who brought this back to me. My sweet Bebi, who serves me always.”

  The guards looked staggered, but not as staggered as Pharaoh.

  “Bebi did this?” Eyebrows sky-high, Pharaoh looked from the baboon to his mother. “I don’t believe it.”

  “He’s a very clever creature, my Bebi,” the Royal Mother said calmly. “All I had to do was let him out into the courtyard and he went up the palm tree onto the roof. From there, he crept into the Great Wife’s rooms—the rooms that used to be ours—and he took back what was mine.” She motioned to the darkest corner of the room. “Come here, Bebi darling.”

  Shuffling out of the shadows, the old baboon joined her, candlelight shining on his silver hair.

  As Pharaoh and his mother began to argue, I stalked up to Bebi.

  “Bebi, how could you?” I said, shocked. “I thought you cared about justice. About Ma’at.”

  “I do,” Bebi said, with angry dignity. “I serve Ma’at—and the Royal Mother. Pharaoh has treated her shamefully. His own mother! He made her give up everything to the new Great Wife, and the new Great Wife never showed her a single kindness. It wasn’t fair, Ra. It wasn’t just.”

  “It’s the way things have always been done,” I said.

  “It wasn’t fair,” Bebi repeated. “So when I found a way into the Great Wife’s quarters, I knew it was meant to be. I started retrieving the Royal Mother’s favorite treasures—first, her beads and her comb. And then, when I saw it, the Eye of Horus. It wasn’t stealing. It was taking back what was ours.”

  “But you knocked Tedimut on the head to get the amulet,” Khepri pointed out.

  “It was merely a small stone,” Bebi muttered, avoiding our eyes. “I was serving a higher justice.”

  “And you set Aat on us,” I said.

  “I only told her to scare you off. And I didn’t set her after the girl.”

  “But you must have known Aat would get carried away,” I said. “You know what she’s like—”

  “I was serving Ma’at,” Bebi said stubbornly. He wouldn’t look at us. “I was doing what was right, and you were getting in the way. I had to do something.”

  Khepri clicked disapprovingly. I shook my head. Alongside us, Pharaoh was scolding his mother, who was nursing the amulet against her heart. When Bebi leaned against her, she stroked his silver hair. “Bebi knows what is owed to me,” she crooned. “Bebi is always loyal and true. Unlike certain others.” She glared at her son.

  Pharaoh looked pained. “Mother, that’s not fair.”

  “You neglect me. You do. You don’t care about me!” She clutched the Eye of Horus. “Your father had this made for me—for me! And you took it away.” She bent her head and started to cry.

  Pharaoh touched a hand to her shoulder, then turned to his guards. “You will go now. You will not speak of this matter to others, but you will release the girl. Make sure everyone knows she is innocent and under my protection.”

  My tail soared. Never let it be said that Pharaoh can’t learn from his mistakes. His father could never admit to being wrong, but Pharaoh’s different. He always wants to set things right. Unlike Bebi, he’s a true servant of Ma’at—even if he does need a little help sometimes.

  After the guards left, Pharaoh picked up the sash I’d taken from him, and bent down to stroke my damp head. “You may go, too, Ra. I don’t know how you knew. But thank you.”

  I leaned into his hand, rubbing my cheek against his palm. You’re welcome.

  When Pharaoh finally stood up and turned away, Khepri jumped onto my back. Bebi still wouldn’t look at us. There was no point in saying good-bye.

  As the door closed behind us, I heard Pharaoh say, “Now, Mother…”

  * * *

  Pharaoh’s Cat is as fast as they come, but that night’s adventures had exhausted me. With Khepri riding on my head, I padded very slowly back through the palace, stopping now and again to snaffle up various crumbs lying around. Normally, I’d be more particular, but after so much exertion I needed all the nourishment I could get.

  At the entrance to the Great Wife’s rooms, I paused. For once, it wasn’t for treats. I stopped because I’d heard a young girl’s excited voice.

  “Tedimut!” Khepri cried.

  Wanting to see for myself that she was safe, I marched—well, waddled—through the doorway.

  When Tedimut saw me, she beamed. “There he is, O Gracious Great Wife,” she said to the radiant queen stretched out on the gilded divan. “Ra the Mighty, Pharaoh’s Cat, Protector of the Small, and Defender of Justice. He solved the crime, and he saved my life.”

  “Ra solved a crime?” The Great Wife tilted her elegant head and half-smiled, as if she thought Tedimut was joking.

  “I don’t see how that can possibly be true,” Lady Shepenupet sniffed.

  Lady Nefrubity blinked her kohl-rimmed eyes at me. “I thought all he did was eat.”

  Honestly. I’d missed a day’s worth of snacks in the pursuit of justice, and this was the thanks I got?

  “I don’t know how he did it,” Tedimut admitted. “But the guards say he did, and I believe them.” She looked at me, eyes shining. “Pharaoh’s Cat can do anything.”

  I was touched, I have to admit it. What a discerning child.

  Behind me, a guard spoke up. “The girl speaks the truth, O Gracious Great Wife. Ra the Mighty did solve the crime. I saw it. I was there.”

  “And I, too,” another guard added.

  “And I,” a third chimed in. “He led us straight to the culprit.”

  “How extraordinary!” exclaimed the Great Wife. Lady Shepenupet looked unnerved, and so did Lady Nefrubity. As I swished my way past them, they regarded me with new respect.

  About time, I thought.

  When I took a spot near Tedimut, the Great Wife smiled at me, and then at the guards. “Tell me, can you confirm the rumor I heard? That the Royal Mother is the guilty one?”

  “We cannot speak to that, O Gracious Great Wife,” the first guard said with a stolid expression. “As I said, we were sent here only to return the girl Tedimut to your most gracious charge. The Ruler of Rulers says she is innocent and under his protection.”

  “I see.” The Great Wife gave a knowing look to her ladies, then turned back to the guards. “And is it true, what Tedimut told me about the leopard Aat?” she asked anxiously. “That Aat attacked her?”

  “Yes, O Gracious Great Wife,” the guard said. “It is true.”

  “I saw it,” said the next.

  “I was there as well,” the third added, holding up his bandaged hand. “And I have the scratches to prove it.”

  The Great Wife looked more anxious than ever. “So Aat will not be coming back?”

  Tedimut stiffened. So did I. Was the Great Wife going to beg Pharaoh for Aat’s freedom?

  “The Ruler of Rulers says that the leopard cannot return to the palace,” the guard said. “She attacked the girl, and she attacked the guards who tried to subdue her. She is a danger to all who live here.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Lady Shepenupet said to the Great Wife. “Tedimut probably teased the poor thing.”

  The Great Wife froze her with a look. “That leopard attacked a child, Lady Shepenupet. How can you defend that? Do you wish my own children to be eaten by Aat?”

  Lady Shepenupet turned red and bowed her head. “Of course not, O Gracious Great Wife.”

  “Come here, dear girl.” The Great Wife beckoned to Tedimut. “I am so very sorry for all you have suffered. We must make it up to you.”

  She and her ladies began cooing over Tedimut and plying her with delicacies. For a few moments, I lost sight of the girl, but then Tedimut darted through the crowd and ran over to me, carrying a plate of roast duck.

  “For you, O Great One,” she whispered. She bowed her head as she offered the plate to me.

  O Great One. Such wonderful words! And the crispy duck smelled delicious. But even as my mouth watered, something struck me as wrong.

  It was the way Tedimut was bowing her head. True, I was Pharaoh’s Cat, and I’d rescued her. No wonder she was grateful. But hadn’t she rescued me, too, in the pool?

  I poked my head forward and nuzzled her fingers.

  Tedimut smiled in delight. Her bright eyes met mine, and she reached out and stroked my fur.

  I meowed in approval.

  * * *

  Khepri and I were leaving the Great Wife’s rooms when we overheard Lady Nefrubity talking to some of the younger servants.

  “Terrible, isn’t it, that Aat turned on that dear child?” she said. “But I’m not surprised. Felines are untrustworthy, and not just the big ones. Why, a cat once shredded my darling nephew Yuya’s entire collection of papyrus rolls. He can’t abide the sight of the creatures now.”

  “So that’s why he chased you out,” Khepri murmured sleepily in my ear.

  Maybe I should stop by the schoolroom more often, I thought.

  * * *

  By the time Khepri and I reached the pool, the moon was rising, but Miu was there waiting for us. I found her beside my sleeping mat. The servants always set it by the pool on hot nights.

  “Have you been here this whole time?” I asked her.

  “No,” Miu said. “First I made sure that the guards released Tedimut and brought her to the Great Wife.”

  “We went to see Tedimut, too,” I said. “We must have just missed you.”

  “That’s because I went to check on Aat. Some of the guards were told to put her in a cage by the stables, and I wanted to see for myself that she couldn’t get out.”

  “And can she?” I asked.

  “No,” Miu said. “She’s locked up tight. They took her jeweled collar away, too. Aat’s furious.”

  “Good.” I yawned.

  “So tell me what happened,” Miu said. “Who was guilty? The guards wouldn’t say, and Aat didn’t seem to know.”

  “Pharaoh’s mother had the amulet,” I told her. “It was Bebi, her baboon, who stole it.” I shook my head, still stunned that the thief was Bebi. Bebi, who was my father’s old friend. Bebi, who cared so much about justice.

  Miu looked surprised and impressed. “And that’s why you grabbed the sash? To lead Pharaoh to the true culprits?”

  I nodded. Sleepy though I was, I liked the admiring way she was looking at me.

  “But how did you know?” she asked. “How did you solve the crime?”

  “Er…” The truth was, I was hazy on the details. I waited, hoping Khepri would chime in. After a moment or two, I realized he was asleep.

  Miu looked at me expectantly.

  “I’ll tell you everything in the morning,” I said to her. “Right now, I need to rest.” Careful not to disturb Khepri, I lowered myself to the sleeping mat and settled my head on my paws.

  Miu frowned. “But—”

  “In the morning,” I said firmly, closing my eyes.

  I expected her to go back to the kitchens. To my surprise, however, she lay down beside me. Not right next to me, exactly, but close enough.

  I wasn’t used to having anyone share my sleeping mat. After a moment or two, however, I decided I rather liked it.

  Soon we were all fast asleep.

  * * *

  All too soon, Miu was nudging me with her paws. “Are you going to sleep all morning, Ra?”

  “Go away,” I moaned, eyes tight shut. “It’s the crack of dawn.”

  “Dawn? The sun’s been up for hours,” Miu said.

  “It’s true,” chirped Khepri. “And it’s a beautiful day, Ra.”

  I opened my eyes a chink. The sun was high in the sky, and the air was already heavy with heat.

  “A beautiful day,” I agreed. “Just right for sleeping.” I buried my head between my paws.

  “Oh, he’s hopeless,” I heard Miu say. “You can ride on me instead, Khepri.”

  “Let me try one more time.” Khepri tugged at my right paw. “Wake up, Ra! You don’t want to miss this.”

  “What am I missing?” I said groggily, opening my eyes again.

  “Your chance to say good-bye to Bebi,” Khepri said.

  “Bebi?” That woke me up. “He’s going? Where?”

  Miu was already running toward an entrance to the palace. “Come on,” she called back. “If we don’t go now, they’ll be gone.”

  “Hurry, Ra!” Khepri climbed onto my back. “We’ll explain as we go.”

  When we caught up with Miu, they told me everything they’d learned that morning.

  “We stopped by the Great Wife’s rooms to see Tedimut,” Miu said. “They’re being kind to her, and she’s happy. She had a chance to visit with her uncle Sebni in the kitchens this morning, and they were so glad to see each other. Oh, and Aat is still furious. I heard Pharaoh might send her to his enemies as a gift.”

  “Some gift!” I said.

  “We also found out why the Director of the Royal Loincloths was so worried,” Khepri told me. “The Overseer was insisting that he dismiss some of his underservants to save money. The Director hates having to fire anyone, so he kept putting it off. Two of them are cousins to Lady Nefrubity, who kept asking him to promote them, and that made him feel even worse. He couldn’t stand their suffering.”

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10