Chapter 15 Chapter Fourteen

The sloop sails in the vast waters of the delta, and the wind blows the huge cloth sails.The boatman steered deftly downstream, while Judge Pazar, Kem, and the baboon police rested in the mid-deck cabin, with their luggage stowed above.After the captain measured the water depth with a principal rod at the bow, he gave orders to the crew.Both the bow and stern are painted with the eye of Horus, the god of the sky, in order to pray for a safe journey. Pazar walked out of the cabin, wanting to take a good look at the scenery he just discovered by accident.That valley is so far away, all the farmland in the valley is sandwiched between two deserts.Here, the big river divides into large and small tributaries to provide water for cities, villages, and farmland.Occasionally, there are a few white clouds dotted in the soft blue sky, and thousands of birds are flying around. Pazar felt that what spread out in front of him seemed to be a vast sea of ​​reeds and papyrus, among which there were several small hills protruding from the sea. , There are also large tracts of willow and acacia forests surrounding several white bungalows.Isn't this the earliest swamp mentioned by ancient writers?Isn't it the land incarnated by the ocean that surrounds the world and greets the sun every morning?Several hunters beckoned the boatman to detour, they were chasing a male hippopotamus.This injured hippopotamus has just dived into the water and is likely to jump up from the bottom of the water at any time. Even a slightly larger boat will be knocked over by him.Once the giant beast resists, it will be very fierce.

The captain did not dare to take it lightly, so he took the Lei River, the easternmost tributary of the Nile, and headed northeast.When he was about to approach Bubastis, the city of the goddess Bastet, which is symbolized by cats, he turned into the "Ningshui Canal" and headed towards the Great Lakes along Vatitumila.The wind was blowing violently.Looking to the right, you can see a few buffaloes soaking in the pond, and a small hut under the tamarisk tree on the other side. The ship docked and the crew threw off the gangway.Pazar, who was not as nimble as a sailor, wobbled a lot when he walked.

A group of children ran away in fright when they saw the baboon.The screams of the children startled the villagers, who were seen waving pitchforks and walking towards the people who had just disembarked. "You don't have to be afraid. I am Judge Pazar, and they are my policemen." So the villagers put down their long forks and took the judge to see the village chief.The village chief is a grumpy old man. "I want to find a retired soldier. He came back here a few weeks ago." Pazar explained his purpose. "In the world, you won't see him anymore." The village head replied.

"He passed away?" Pazar was shocked again. "His body was brought back by several soldiers. We have buried him in the cemetery." "What's the cause of death?" "Too old." "Have you examined the body?" "He has been mummified." "Did those soldiers tell you anything?" "They didn't say anything." Pazar could not dig out the mummy, otherwise it would be disrespectful to the dead, so he and his companion boarded the boat again and went to another village where retired soldiers lived. "You'll have to wade across the swamp," said the captain, "because there are some small islands here, and it's dangerous. I'll keep the boat as far away from the bank as possible."

Baboons don't like water, and it took Cam a long time to convince him to go down a path that cut through the reeds. The baboon was still uneasy and kept looking around. Pazar walked in the front, he couldn't wait to get to the huts on the top of the hill, and Kem kept paying attention to the reaction of the baboon. There is a reason. Suddenly, the baboon let out a squeal and gave Pazar a push before grabbing a baby crocodile's tail from the muddy water.The crocodile was about to open its mouth when it was pulled back by the baboon.This so-called "big fish" by residents along the river often kills sheep that come to drink by surprise.

The crocodile struggled hard, but it was too young and small to withstand the pull of the baboon in the swamp, and was finally thrown a few meters away by it. "Thank the killer for me," Pazar said to Kym. "I'll consider promoting him." The mayor of this village sat on a low chair with a slightly sloping surface and a rounded back.He reclined comfortably in his chair, under the shade of the fig tree, while he ate a hearty meal of chicken, onions, and a pitcher of beer in a pan basket. He invites guests to dine with him.The baboon, who had made great achievements and was about to be promoted in the near future, grabbed the chicken leg and chewed it.

"We are looking for a retired soldier, he came here after retiring." Pazar repeated the same words to the village chief. Unexpectedly, the village head's answer was the same: "Oh, Judge Pazar, when we saw him again, he was already a mummy. The military sent him back and paid all the funeral expenses. Our cemetery Although it’s not big, you can still be very happy in your next life.” "Did they say the cause of death?" "The soldiers didn't say anything, but I insisted on knowing. Seems like an accident." "What kind of accident?" "I don't know about that."

On the way back to Memphis, Pazar couldn't hide his disappointment. The head of the guard disappeared, two of his men died, and the other two were probably mummified. "Aren't you going to keep looking?" Cam asked. "No, Cam, I've got to get this straight." "It would be nice to go back to Thebes again." Cam said lightly. "What's on your mind?" "I hope these people are all dead, so that you can't find out the answer, that's good." "Don't you want to know the truth?" "I'd rather not know when the truth is too dangerous, I've lost a nose and now you could die."

When Suti came back at dawn, Pazar had already started working, and the warrior was still lying at his feet. "You didn't sleep? Neither did I. I need a rest... This farm mistress is killing me, she's trying all kinds of weird things, and she can't get enough of them. Well, I bought some hot Baking cakes, just out of the oven!" After the warrior ate first, the two friends had breakfast together.Although Suti was so tired that he could hardly stand on his feet, he could still see that Pazar was in pain, so he asked him: "You are either very tired or have great troubles.

Is it because of the person you have a crush on? "I can't tell. " "The investigation is not made public. Does it include me? That must be serious." Su Ti realized that the matter was not simple. "The investigation has not progressed, but I am sure that I have been involved in a criminal case." Pazar couldn't help but revealed it to his close friend. "You mean...to kill someone?" Su Ti asked seriously. "Very likely." "Be careful, Pazar. There are not many criminals in Egypt. Are you pulling your tooth out of a tiger's mouth?

You may have messed with a heavy hitter. " "Being a judge is inevitable." "Will it be the prime minister's trick?" Suti asked boldly. "There must be proof." "Is there anyone suspicious?" "Only one thing is certain, there are several soldiers involved in this conspiracy, and these soldiers should be under the orders of General Asher." Su Ti blew a long whistle in admiration, "This is a big tiger! Is it a military conspiracy?" "This possibility cannot be ruled out." "What are they trying to do?" "have no idea." "This matter is on me, Pazar!" Suti said with confidence. "What's the meaning?" "I think it's not just a dream to join the army. I'll soon be a good soldier, then an officer, maybe even a general! Anyway, I'll be a hero. Then I'll know all about Asher. If he does commit a crime, I will know, and I will tell you." "Too risky." "No, that's exciting! This is the opportunity I've been dreaming of! Let's save Egypt together, how about it? If it's a military conspiracy, it means someone is going to seize power." What Suti said made Pazar cautious. "Big plan, Suti! I'm not sure it's that bad yet." "That's not necessarily the case. Just let me do what I want." In the morning, a chariot adjutant, accompanied by two archers, appeared in Pazar's office. The adjutant had a rough appearance but a cautious attitude. "You still have a job transfer case waiting for approval, and the superior sent me to complete the formalities." "You're not talking about the case of the former head of the Sphinx's guard, are you?" "Exactly," replied the adjutant. "As long as the veteran doesn't explain it to me personally, I will never stamp it." "That's why I'm taking you to him to close the case." At this time, Suti was still asleep, Kaim was patrolling outside, and the clerk had not yet arrived.Pazar drove away the feeling of suspicion and fear in his heart. After all, what legally supervised group would dare to murder a judge?Even the military does. So he patted the warrior to appease its worried eyes, and then got into the officer's carriage. The carriage passed quickly through the suburbs and left Memphis.Then enter the desert through a road next to the farmland. In the desert stands the pyramids of the Pharaohs of the Old Kingdom.The gorgeous tombs around are full of unparalleled murals and sculptures. The stepped Jinyu Pagoda towering over Saqqara is the masterpiece of King Djoser and Prime Minister Inkhtai.The huge stone steps are like heavenly ladders, which can be used for the pharaoh's soul to go to heaven to combine with the sun god, and return to the world again.Only the top of this huge building can be seen from the outside, because the trapezoidal wall surrounds it, and the only gate that is opened is always guarded by guards, completely isolated from the world.Whenever the pharaoh's power and ruling ability were exhausted, he would go to the vast inner court to hold a rebirth ceremony. Pazar took a deep breath of the desert air of the day, which was full of vitality but extremely dry.He really loved this red land, this stretch of sun-scorched rock and golden sand, this void filled with the voices of the ancestors. After the carriage galloped for a while, Pazar asked the officer, "Which country are you taking me to?" "It's almost there." The carriage stopped in front of a house far away from human habitation. There were only a few small windows opened in the house, and several sarcophagi were placed by the wall.The wind raised gusts of sand.Not a bush or a flower is to be seen nearby, only pyramids and tombs in the distance. A rocky hill blocked the line of sight, and the palm forest and farmland could not be seen.This house, located on the edge of death, in the center of silence, seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. "Here it is." The adjutant announced, clapping his hands. Pazar got out of the car suspiciously.It's a good place to ambush, and no one knows where he is. At this time, he suddenly thought of Nefili, and it would be the greatest regret in his life to die like this before expressing his love to her. The door of the house creaked open.A very thin man stood at the door.He didn't move, his complexion was pale, his hands were astonishingly long, his feet were also slender, his long face had a pair of thick black eyebrows that were very eye-catching, and there was a line above his nose, and his thin lips were bloodless.He was wearing a goatskin apron with some beige stains on it. He looked at Pazar with round black eyes.Pazar had never seen such Yang's eyes before, they were intense, cold, and as sharp as a blade.He didn't show weakness and looked at each other. "Joy is the master mummy maker in the army," the adjutant explained. The man lowered his head. "Follow me, Judge Pazar." Xi Yi stepped aside and let the adjutant lead the judge in.Inside is a studio for embalming corpses. On a stone table, there is a corpse that Joey is processing.Iron hooks, obsidian knives and sharpened stones are hung on the wall one by one, and there are oil jars, spice jars and bags containing natural hydrous soda on the shelves, which are indispensable raw materials for making mummies.Mummifiers are not legally allowed to live in cities, and after training, these people are always withdrawn, quiet, and scary. The three of them walked down the first staircase to a huge cellar.The steps are in disrepair and slippery. The torch in Xi Yi's hand faltered.There were mummies of different sizes lying on the ground, and Pazar was terrified when he saw them. "I received a report about the former head of the Sphinx's guard." The adjutant explained to him, "The official document sent to you was wrong. In fact, he died in an accident." "And it was a terrible accident," Pazar said. "Why do you say that?" "Because at least three ex-servicemen have lost their lives." The adjutant turned up his collar and said, "I don't know about that." "What was the situation at the scene of the accident?" "No one knows the details. After the body of the head of the guard was found at the scene, he was directly elected here. Unfortunately, a certain clerk made a mistake and wrote the official burial document as a transfer. This is a complete administrative error." "Where's the body?" "I brought you here to see the corpse, so that this regrettable matter can be brought to an end." "Surely he has been turned into a mummy?" "certainly." "Is the body in the sarcophagus?" asked the judge. The adjutant seemed a little confused by the judge's question. He looked at the mummy craftsman and saw that the craftsman shook his head. "So the final burial ceremony was not held?" Pazar concluded. "Yes, but..." "Okay, let me see this mummy." So Xiyi led the judge and the officer into the deepest part of the cellar.The body of the head of the guard stood in a recess in the wall, wrapped in thin cloth strips, and the number was written in red ink.The craftsman gave the adjutant the label that would be affixed to the mummy in the future.The adjutant then said to Pazar: "Now you just need to stamp it." Joey stood behind Pazar. The fire was shaking, and Pazar said sternly: "The mummy will continue to be kept here. If it is missing or damaged, I will only ask you."