Eye of the Moon Read Online Free Page B

wasn’t strong enough!” His voice rasped with annoyance.
    Poison?
I listened hard.
    â€œYou’ll have to help him to the Underworld with a small puncture directly into the heart. Nothing more than the thinnest of needles.”
    â€œI can’t do that!” My father sounded agitated.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œI’ll be judged when I enter the Hall of Truths. When Anubis holds the scales, my heart will measure heavily against the ostrich feather of Maat. My soul will be cursed forever. Puncturing someone’s heart is an act of murder.”
    Murder?
My father, a murderer? I swallowed hard and pressed my eye to the spy hole again.
    My father was looking down at the boy on the slab. “I can’t allow his heart to be punctured.”
    The Anubis figures—all except my father—clustered together. The masks made their heads look clumsy. Every movement they made was slower than normal. They were whispering and nodding to one another.
    The highest of high priests turned from them. He held his head up so that he could look directly at my father through the tiny peepholes below the snout of his mask. “It’s been decided. You won’t be judged for doing something that is right for Egypt. We can’t allow him to live. He’s weak. Egypt has no place for a weak king. His brother, Amenhotep the Younger,
must
be king. We can’t allow rivalry between the brothers. Now that Queen Tiy is dead, this is the moment for Prince Tuthmosis to die as well.”
    What?
Tuthmosis!
My hands flew to my throat. The boy was the royal crown prince! I held my breath and felt my heart pounding. What would my father answer?
    â€œTuthmosis is
not
weak. He walks with a limp,through no fault of his own. It was an accident. You know that!”
    Wosret stood with his jackal head thrown back. He appeared to be looking down his snout at my father. “No country wants a disfigured pharaoh. His death is right for Egypt. We do this for the love of his brother, Amenhotep, the boy king.”
    My father shook his head slowly and deliberately. “Amenhotep is as young as the moon. He’s
not
the king. He
can’t
be king. On this slab is the rightful king. The
real
king.”
    Wosret flourished his hand. I half expected to see leopard claws showing in place of fingers. “Amenhotep was named after his father. He was the favorite son before his father died. He’s young, but it’s not Amenhotep who will rule . . . it’s
us
! After her husband died, Queen Tiy meddled too often in the affairs of the Temple of Karnak. We can’t have that. Amenhotep, the new king, will rule under our guidance.”
    The group of jackals standing behind Wosret nodded their agreement.
    â€œThebes is a viper’s nest. It’s time for change,” Wosret snapped when my father didn’t respond.
    â€œBut not by killing.” Now my father sounded impatient.
    Wosret shook his head like a dog trying to get rid of a pesky fly. “I am the highest of high priests. I won’t take interference with my plans.”
    There was an intense silence. Despite the heat I felt shivery.
    â€œSurely . . .”
    Wosret lowered his head. It seemed as if an animal growl might come from his throat. “Henuka, we can’t have dissension. My way is the
only
way!”
    â€œWhat do you imply?” My father’s words were sharp.
    â€œIf you disagree with Tuthmosis’s death, you’ll have to drink the Cup.”
    â€œThe Cup!” I heard my father’s startled intake of breath.
    I was too scared even to blink now as I waited for Wosret’s answer. He looked directly at my father and nodded, his jackal ears tipping up and down. “It’s your duty for the love of Egypt to drink the Cup. Your soul will travel through the Underworld in peace then.” He spoke in a deep, flat voice, witha dismissive wave of his hand as if this were a small procedure to be quickly done