Shoshan on the nile
Extract 6 The Jackal
Chilly droplets of water speckled her arm, as Shoshan trailed her hand in the river. The small boat ran with the current. The palm trees on the banks slowly appeared, passed by and gradually fell away behind them. Their progress over the past few days had been so slow.
Captain Gruff managed the boat with ease, barking directions at her and uttering salty oaths when she messed up. She messed up frequently at first, but soon learned, and now the atmosphere on the boat had become one of truce rather than harmony. Shoshan didn't actually call her boat captain 'Gruff', but she’d awarded him this title in her head, as he’d yet to say a kind word to her, never smiled and hadn't told her his name. His lined face and crinkled eyes, narrowed against the sun, suggested he was much older than her father.
Hours and hours passed with little happening. Above her head the sail flapped and snapped as the captain allowed the wind and current to carry them down the wide river. They stopped near small villages and bought fresh food. They never took the local water. When a villager had offered them some, Gruff had rudely ordered him away. He’d frowned at Shoshan and said "I don't want to deliver you with the squits." Shoshan could imagine what having the ‘squits’ would feel like and was glad they had several casks of the safe, sweet water from Ta-Opet.
One day had merged into the next. At night they’d tie up at the bank, and make a camp a little way inland. Gruff would direct Shoshan to collect driftwood and palm fronds for a fire. With sunset, the night-time chill soon had them both wrapping themselves in their cloaks. Gruff dozed sitting with his back against a tree. He kept a spear close at hand. Shoshan chose not to ask why; her stomach frequently turned over with anxiety anyway.
A movement by the boat startled Shoshan from her reverie. The hot sun burned down on her bare skin, skin that had been a pleasant olive colour and now was the dark reddish brown of field workers. She splashed some water on her face. Dipping her hand back in the water, she enjoyed its coolness and dreamt of swimming, to wash away the stale sweaty smell that now assaulted her nostrils.
The boat tipped sharply to one side so far, her hand jerked out of the water, and then the other way, plunging it back in. She gripped her wooden seat with her other hand, expecting to fall into the river any moment. A shadow passed between her and the sun and something flashed in the sunlight. The Captain stood astride her and beat at the water with an oar as he shouted "pull yer arm in, lad!”
She obeyed and saw - just a cubit away - the cold eyes of a crocodile above the surface of the water. It had been moving towards the boat and now veered away from the splashing made by the oar.
Captain Gruff cursed under his breath as he righted the boat and put them once more before the wind. They’d come quite close to the shore. "Keep your eyes on me, lad," he hissed at her, "don't look to the shore."
But Shoshan had already seen the two men, dressed like priests, standing close by on the bank. Had they heard the captain shout? She couldn't be sure, but if they were watching out for a fleeing priestess, they might now be alerted.
Gruff moved the boat into the centre of the river and set the fullest sail, giving up all pretence of being a fishing boat or local craft trading at the riverside villages. They moved on much faster now and passed by several small hamlets, where curious children watched them go swiftly by. Some called out, but the boat sailed too far away to hear their words clearly enough.
For the first time they noticed soldiers; a group of men sat in the shade of a clump of palms by the water's edge and the sun sparkled on the spears they had lent against the trees. The captain looked at Shoshan and grimaced. Shoshan guessed he didn't know whether they were servants of Osiris or of the rebellious priests of Set. They weren’t about to stop and ask, and risk being caught.
That night, they pulled into shore, out of sight of any village. Earlier in the day, a trailing line and hook had taken a couple of river fish. These were soon cooking in the glowing embers of a fire.
The fishes tasted delicious and both Gruff and Shoshan washed down the welcome white flesh and crispy skin with weak beer. Gruff threw away the bones and burped into his fist. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and burped again.
"I need to leave you for a bit, boy,” he said softly. His eyes caught the firelight. Shoshan saw anxiety reflected back in them and possibly fear. Does he know I’m a priestess? She wondered if he’d now betray her, and resolutely pushed the thought out of her mind.
"There’s a village an hour's walk from here, on the river's edge. It’s near a small temple. The priests we saw earlier may have come from there. I do not know if it has stayed loyal to …” He didn’t finish the sentence but looked out over the dark waters of the river. After a moment he continued, "It's not late. I will go and see if it is safe for us to pass. You sleep child, and I will be back long before dawn." Without waiting for Shoshan to protest or ask any questions, he stood, took his spear and walked off into the night.
Rivulets of fear spread through Shoshan’s limbs. Shivering, she moved closer to the light and warmth of the fire, adding a few twigs and the final large, water-smoothed piece of driftwood. Its twisted shape was soon ablaze and the light provided a little comfort. The moon had just emerged above the palm tops, and over her head, she could see the familiar constellations that Hasina often spoke about. The stars flickered their cold light across the black sky.
Around her the landscape brooded, with a deeper darkness than the sky, and no stars to give it definition. Acrid wood smoke caused her eyes to smart. The river swished and gurgled, as it made its way towards the distant sea. On the river bank, just beyond the weak glow cast by the fire, two red stars did not flicker. They watched Shoshan - unblinking.
Chilly droplets of water speckled her arm, as Shoshan trailed her hand in the river. The small boat ran with the current. The palm trees on the banks slowly appeared, passed by and gradually fell away behind them. Their progress over the past few days had been so slow.
Captain Gruff managed the boat with ease, barking directions at her and uttering salty oaths when she messed up. She messed up frequently at first, but soon learned, and now the atmosphere on the boat had become one of truce rather than harmony. Shoshan didn't actually call her boat captain 'Gruff', but she’d awarded him this title in her head, as he’d yet to say a kind word to her, never smiled and hadn't told her his name. His lined face and crinkled eyes, narrowed against the sun, suggested he was much older than her father.
Hours and hours passed with little happening. Above her head the sail flapped and snapped as the captain allowed the wind and current to carry them down the wide river. They stopped near small villages and bought fresh food. They never took the local water. When a villager had offered them some, Gruff had rudely ordered him away. He’d frowned at Shoshan and said "I don't want to deliver you with the squits." Shoshan could imagine what having the ‘squits’ would feel like and was glad they had several casks of the safe, sweet water from Ta-Opet.
One day had merged into the next. At night they’d tie up at the bank, and make a camp a little way inland. Gruff would direct Shoshan to collect driftwood and palm fronds for a fire. With sunset, the night-time chill soon had them both wrapping themselves in their cloaks. Gruff dozed sitting with his back against a tree. He kept a spear close at hand. Shoshan chose not to ask why; her stomach frequently turned over with anxiety anyway.
A movement by the boat startled Shoshan from her reverie. The hot sun burned down on her bare skin, skin that had been a pleasant olive colour and now was the dark reddish brown of field workers. She splashed some water on her face. Dipping her hand back in the water, she enjoyed its coolness and dreamt of swimming, to wash away the stale sweaty smell that now assaulted her nostrils.
The boat tipped sharply to one side so far, her hand jerked out of the water, and then the other way, plunging it back in. She gripped her wooden seat with her other hand, expecting to fall into the river any moment. A shadow passed between her and the sun and something flashed in the sunlight. The Captain stood astride her and beat at the water with an oar as he shouted "pull yer arm in, lad!”
She obeyed and saw - just a cubit away - the cold eyes of a crocodile above the surface of the water. It had been moving towards the boat and now veered away from the splashing made by the oar.
Captain Gruff cursed under his breath as he righted the boat and put them once more before the wind. They’d come quite close to the shore. "Keep your eyes on me, lad," he hissed at her, "don't look to the shore."
But Shoshan had already seen the two men, dressed like priests, standing close by on the bank. Had they heard the captain shout? She couldn't be sure, but if they were watching out for a fleeing priestess, they might now be alerted.
Gruff moved the boat into the centre of the river and set the fullest sail, giving up all pretence of being a fishing boat or local craft trading at the riverside villages. They moved on much faster now and passed by several small hamlets, where curious children watched them go swiftly by. Some called out, but the boat sailed too far away to hear their words clearly enough.
For the first time they noticed soldiers; a group of men sat in the shade of a clump of palms by the water's edge and the sun sparkled on the spears they had lent against the trees. The captain looked at Shoshan and grimaced. Shoshan guessed he didn't know whether they were servants of Osiris or of the rebellious priests of Set. They weren’t about to stop and ask, and risk being caught.
That night, they pulled into shore, out of sight of any village. Earlier in the day, a trailing line and hook had taken a couple of river fish. These were soon cooking in the glowing embers of a fire.
The fishes tasted delicious and both Gruff and Shoshan washed down the welcome white flesh and crispy skin with weak beer. Gruff threw away the bones and burped into his fist. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and burped again.
"I need to leave you for a bit, boy,” he said softly. His eyes caught the firelight. Shoshan saw anxiety reflected back in them and possibly fear. Does he know I’m a priestess? She wondered if he’d now betray her, and resolutely pushed the thought out of her mind.
"There’s a village an hour's walk from here, on the river's edge. It’s near a small temple. The priests we saw earlier may have come from there. I do not know if it has stayed loyal to …” He didn’t finish the sentence but looked out over the dark waters of the river. After a moment he continued, "It's not late. I will go and see if it is safe for us to pass. You sleep child, and I will be back long before dawn." Without waiting for Shoshan to protest or ask any questions, he stood, took his spear and walked off into the night.
Rivulets of fear spread through Shoshan’s limbs. Shivering, she moved closer to the light and warmth of the fire, adding a few twigs and the final large, water-smoothed piece of driftwood. Its twisted shape was soon ablaze and the light provided a little comfort. The moon had just emerged above the palm tops, and over her head, she could see the familiar constellations that Hasina often spoke about. The stars flickered their cold light across the black sky.
Around her the landscape brooded, with a deeper darkness than the sky, and no stars to give it definition. Acrid wood smoke caused her eyes to smart. The river swished and gurgled, as it made its way towards the distant sea. On the river bank, just beyond the weak glow cast by the fire, two red stars did not flicker. They watched Shoshan - unblinking.
