Chapter 21 Chapter Twenty

Take Beifeng and the warriors for a walk in the countryside, consult the police files, establish a register of timber tax payers, inspect the actual registered villages, and interview the village chiefs and lords on administrative management issues... Pazar is here in Thebes A few days passed like this, and finally he went to visit Carney again. Seeing Carney working with his head down, Pazar knew that he had neither found Nefiri nor the fifth veteran. Another week passed.Meng Moxie's men still reported the judge's unchanging activities on time, and Cam also went to the market every day to catch thieves.It was time for them to go back to Memphis, too.

Pazar walked through the palm trees, along a small earthen embankment beside the irrigation canal, and then down the steps to Carney's garden.When the sun starts to set, Carney has to tend to the herbs that require a lot of care. After watering every night, he slept in a simple hut by the garden. There seemed to be no one in the garden.Pazar went around in surprise, and opened the door of the hut again: it was empty. He simply sat on a low wall to enjoy the afterglow of the setting sun.Later in the day, the full moon shone silver on the surface of the river.As time passed by, he became more and more worried.Maybe Carney had spotted the fifth veteran, maybe he was being followed, maybe... Pazar regretted dragging Carney into a case they had no grasp of.In case Carney really encountered any misfortune, the culprit was him.

Although the night was as cold as water, Pazar remained motionless.He waited patiently until dawn, knowing that Carney would never come back.He gritted his teeth and trembled all over, only hating himself for being so impetuous. At this time, a small boat crossed the water.Pazar stood up hastily, ran towards the river bank, and shouted excitedly: "Kani!" After Kearney landed, he tied the boat to a short stake and climbed slowly up the slope. "Why did you come back at this time?" Pazar asked anxiously. "Are you shaking?" Carney asked him back. "a little cold."

"The wind in spring can easily make people sick. Let's go inside." Carney sat on a log with his back against a pile of planks, and Pazar sat on top of the toolbox. "Where are the veterans?" "No leads." "Have you encountered any danger?" "Not at all. I searched for rare plants everywhere, and asked some old friends for news." Pazar couldn't help asking: "Where's Nefiri?" When he spoke, he could even feel his lips burning hot. "I haven't seen her, but I know where she lives." Setch's laboratory consists of three rooms, located in the basement of an attached barracks.Those who live in this camp are private soldiers assigned to earthworks.Everyone thought that Xie Qi's working place was in the palace, but in fact his real research work was carried out in this secret place.On the surface, it seems that there is no special security, but as soon as someone approaches the stairs leading to the underground room in the depths of the building, they will be immediately blocked and closely checked.

Xie Qi was recruited into the palace by the Royal Technical Department because of his excellent knowledge in the mechanics of materials.He started out as a copper maker, and continued to improve the processing process of raw copper, making better chisels for stonemasons. Due to his fruitful research results and his serious work attitude, his official position has been rising steadily.Finally, when he invented the extremely strong and durable tool, the "Wannian Temple" built by Ramses the Great in the area west of the Thebes River (this refers to Ramses II's Yin Temple "Ramesem"), built at the bottom The function of the Hexi area of ​​Bis is to allow the Pharaoh to rule in another life and still be able to rule for "ten thousand years"). When he cut countless perfect stones, his reputation spread to the king's ears.

At this time, Xie Qi called three main working partners, all of whom were mature and experienced in science. The basement was lit with non-smoking lights, and Xie Qi was slowly and carefully arranging the paper rolls on which he recorded the final calculation results. The three technicians waited patiently, but a little uneasy.Although Xie Qi usually doesn't talk much, it is not a good sign that he is so silent.It was not his usual style for him to order them so suddenly. The little chemist with a black mustache turned his back and asked, "Who is talking too much?" No one answered.

"Don't make me ask again." "What does the question mean?" one of them asked. "At the banquet, an important person mentioned alloys and new weapons." "Impossible! Others are talking nonsense." "Who was the talker at the time?" The three of them remained silent. "Without solid evidence, it is impossible for me to investigate. But even if the information circulating outside is not correct, I have lost confidence." "what do you mean……" "I mean you were fired." The village Nefiri chose was the poorest and most backward in the Thebes region.The village is located on the edge of the desert, very short of water, and there are abnormally many cases of skin diseases.However, Nefiri was neither sad nor discouraged. Although her freedom was bought with a bright future, she was lucky to be out of Nebamun's clutches.With the only resources at hand, she took care of these poor people. Although she lived alone in the country, she had no complaints.If a hospital ship was going to Memphis, she stopped by to see Teacher Blarney.Brigitte knew her personality, so he didn't bother to persuade her to change her mind.

The day after Nefiri arrived in the village, he treated the most important person in the area, a specialist in stuffing geese, Mao who had an arrhythmia after a long period of massage and repositioning of the spinal joints , finally made him recover. He was sitting on the ground, and on the low table beside him were a few small pieces of dough that had fallen out of the water container.He held a goose tightly by its neck, and the goose struggled, but the expert did not let go, and then, with fervent encouragement, slowly stuffed the ball of feed down the goose's throat.The crane feeding process must be more focused, because these beautiful birds often steal the feed balls.As for the foie gras he made, it is even more famous throughout the region.

After curing the first patient, Nefiri was immediately regarded as a god by the villagers and became a great hero of the village.Farmers would come to her for advice on how to combat natural enemies in their fields and orchards, mainly grasshoppers and crickets.However, the female doctor is more eager to deal with another scourge, flies and mosquitoes, because she thinks that all skin infections in the village, whether adults or children, should be caused by mosquitoes and flies.The reason why mosquitoes and flies breed here is because of a pool of stagnant water that has not been discharged for three years.Nefeli asked people to drain the water, asked the villagers to disinfect their homes, and if someone was bitten by a mosquito, she helped them apply oriole oil or other fresh oils.

Only one old man with heart failure bothered her a bit.If the situation continued to deteriorate, he had to be sent to the hospital in Thebes.If she had a few rare herbs on hand, she would have saved herself such trouble.One day, when she was nursing at the patient's bedside, a little boy came to her and told her that a stranger was asking about her. It's all here, Nabameng still doesn't let her go!What else would he accuse her of?To what extent should she be depressed?She is going to hide.If the villagers won't speak out, then the envoy of the Chief Physician will leave. Pazar felt that these people were lying, and even if they didn't speak, he could tell that they were no strangers to the name Nefiri.This village is very closed, and the houses are threatened by the desert, so the residents are always wary of outsiders. Looking around, most of the house doors are tightly closed.

He was annoyed and wanted to leave, when he suddenly saw a woman walking towards a small hill covered with stones. He yelled excitedly, "Nefeli!" Surprised and skeptical when Nefiri heard someone calling her, she turned around to find out.She recognized Pazar and turned back. "Judge Pazar... what are you doing here?" "I want to talk to you." Her eyes were full of bright sunlight.These days in the country had tanned her skin.Pazar wanted to express his feelings, to convey his feelings for her, but he couldn't. "Let's go to the top of this hill," Nefiri suggested. Not to mention the top of this mountain, even to the end of the sky, to the depths of the sea, to hell, he will follow her. To be able to walk side by side with her, beside her, and listen to her voice, this is already the happiness that makes Pazar ecstatic. "Blarney told me everything. Do you want to sue Nebamun?" "It's useless to sue. There are too many doctors whose future depends on him for promotion, and they will definitely go to him." Nefili said resignedly. "I can sue them for perjury." "There are too many people, and Nabamon will try to stop you." Although the weather in spring was quite mild, Pazar was shivering and couldn't help sneezing. "Have you caught a cold?" Nefiri asked concerned. "I was out last night and I was waiting for Carney," Pazar told her honestly. "The vegetable farmer?" "He was the one who found you. He now lives in Thebes and has his own garden. You're in luck, Nefiri, because he also planted some herbs, and will grow some rare varieties in the future." "You mean to open a laboratory here?" Nefiri couldn't believe it. "Why not? Your common sense in medicine is more than sufficient. Not only can you treat critically ill patients, but you can also rebuild your reputation." Pazar excitedly sketched out a bright future, but Nefiri just said casually: "I don't want to fight this war at all. I am very satisfied with my current life." "Don't waste your talent. It's for the sick." Pazar sneezed again. "So you're the first to warm? Rhinitis can break bones, shatter skulls, and drain brains. I can't let you suffer such disasters." She showed a kind smile without any sarcasm, which made Pazar feel comfortable physically and mentally. "Would you like to accept Carney's help?" "He has always been very stubborn. What's the use of my objection to what he decides? Let's get down to business first. A cold is very serious. First pour some palm tree sap into the nostrils. If it doesn't work, use another Mother's milk and aromatic gums." But Pazar's cold symptoms not only did not ease, but worsened.Nefiri took him back to his residence, which was in the village, and the furnishings inside were quite simple. As Pazar started coughing, she gave him realgar, a natural sulphide containing arsenic, commonly known as "the heart-blowing drug." "Let's try to stop the germs from spreading. You sit on that mat and don't move." Her commanding voice was as gentle as her eyes.Pazar secretly hoped that the cold symptoms would last as long as possible, so that he could stay in this hut forever. Nefeli mixed realgar, resin and leaves with antiseptic properties, pounded them together, heated them and boiled them into a paste, then spread them on a stone she had placed in front of Pazar beforehand, and then poured it upside down on the stone A bowl with a hole in the bottom. "Hold this reed," she said to the patient, "put it in through the hole, and breathe, sometimes through the mouth, sometimes through the nose. This smoke therapy will make you feel better." Even if it didn't work, Pazar wouldn't mind, but this time it really worked.The nasal congestion is less severe and breathing is much easier. "Don't you tremble anymore?" "I feel a little tired." "In the past few days, I suggest that you eat more hearty food, or even better, eat more red meat, and pour a little fresh oil on top of the food. It is of course better to rest and rest." "I have to give up," Pazar said despondently. "Why did you come to Bis?" Nefiri was still curious. He really wanted to shout, "Because of you, Nefiri, it's all because of you!" But the words still stuck in his throat. Pazar was sure that Nefiri had sensed his love, and besides waiting patiently for her to give him a chance to confess, he really didn't dare to destroy the original calm with such crazy passion that might make her disgusted. "It may be a murder, or it may be more than that." After speaking, Pazar suddenly felt that Nefiri seemed disturbed by this tragedy that had nothing to do with her. He couldn't help hesitating, even he himself didn't know the truth about this matter, did he have the right to drag her into the water? "Nefeli, I absolutely trust you, but I don't want to bother you with my personal problems." "Aren't you supposed to keep it a secret?" "Until I draw conclusions, yes." "Murder...is this your conclusion?" Nefiri's voice trembled. "That's what's on my mind." "There hasn't been a murder in years!" sighed Nefiri. "Five retired soldiers responsible for guarding the Great Sphinx fell to their deaths during a routine inspection. Accidental death: That's what the official military records say.But one of them survived, and later hid in a small village in Hexi as a baker.I originally wanted to ask him, but I didn't expect that he was really dead this time. Another surprise.The Chief of Police followed me as if I was guilty of investigating the case.I'm completely lost, Nefiri.Forget it, don't take what I say to heart. "Pazar briefly explained the whole story in one breath, but he was worried that it became Nefiri's burden. "Do you want to give up?" "I have always had a passion for truth and justice. To give up would be self-destructive." "Is there anything I can do to help?" Fiery sparks appeared in Pazar's eyes again. "I would be more courageous if we could talk now and then." "The cold may cause some sequelae. It is best to pay close attention to it, so it is necessary to come back for a follow-up visit."