Saqqara: Clouded Brows
"Oh, this is unpleasant, MOST unpleasant!" Cursing profusely, the rotund balding man took another drink from his leather watersack and then petulantly hurled it to the ground. The unfortunate ex-archer assigned to carry Teti's gear rolled his eyes and stooped to retrieve the latest symbol of his leader's unhappiness. "Horus preserve us, if this is his mood on the day we leave town....." the thought trailed off as the soldier considered the possibilities - none of them good. Ahead, Teti waddled slowly forward, wiping sweat from his brow and casting a disapproving glance at another of his aides, an inattentive ex-spearman-and-now-parasol-carrier. Hardly standard military equipment, the sun-shade was just one more civilian element that encumbered the straggling band of skirmishers. As they continued their slow procession into the Western Desert, more than a few cast longing backward glances at the city vanishing in the shimmering heat behind them.
Following the defeat of the Libyans, the past several seasons had seen nothing but boom times for Saqqara. Although impoverished for generations, Teti's family had always been land-rich, and this had proven most fortuitous. In addition to several tracts of rocky, almost useless desert next to the village, they also owned the best land around the distant oasis to the west. As the construction boom ensued, the "useless desert" had become prime city real estate while the distant oasis soon became accessible by road. Together the rent and sale of these properties translated quickly into profits - vast profits. They were now the richest family in town, and as such quickly grabbed the most powerful and lucrative municipal and religious posts. It was painful now to recall, but at the height of his glory - basking in the warm attention of several beautiful wives and a small crowd of servants and sycophants - Teti suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a lecture from one of the Nomarch's Commanders.
Returning from Memphis and a place of honor in the glorious Dahshur Victory Parade, Unas was passing through Saqqara on his way to rejoin the 1st Skirmishers still recuperating in the newly conquered city to the south. But his visit to Teti was no courtesy call. The Memphis Nome had only two regiments of Skirmishers and more were urgently needed. Thus from the Nomarch's perspective, the primary duty of his governor in Saqqara was to train and deploy a new troop of soldiers as soon as possible. But Teti's reports on their progress had not been encouraging. A constant stream of messengers arrived in Memphis to announce one delay after another - they needed more wood for spears, or obsidian for blades, or food to feed the men. There was always one more reason why the men couldn't be ready, and the Nomarch had grown tired of these evasions. Before Unas departed the capital - arm still sore from the arrow wound but with belly and loins fully sated - there was a brief meeting with the Nomarch that involved quite a few heated words and angry fingers pointed in the direction of Saqqara.
Entering Teti's residence, Unas was amazed - and appalled - by the opulent displays of wealth that lay all around him. The air was permeated by the sweet smell of sandalwood while the halls were long and beautifully painted with adjoining rooms that were either luxurious bed chambers or storerooms packed with great storage jars full of grain and other fruits of the fields. Teti's men - even the servants - were sleek and fat as gorged rats while his wives (or whores, it was impossible to tell one from the other) cast proud, brazen looks at the Nomarch's emissary as he in turn appraised the audience chamber and all within it. For the first time, Unas relished the role he'd been given. "Let's get right to it, Teti. The Nomarch wants to know what happened to his army! As I walked through Saqqara today, there was bustle aplenty and here in this "palace" of yours I see more food, beer, gold, and women than even the Nomarch has in Memphis. But where are the troops?" Teti sputtered in shocked outrage, but his lies were cut short as Unas pulled forth a lion tail and waved it about for all to see. "Yes. You know what this means, don't you Teti? The Nomarch has granted me this talisman that I might act here in his stead. And that means you and I have only one task before us now - training those soldiers!
And so it was. Under the watchful eye of Unas the trainees practiced archery, sparred with spears, and marched and drilled until the aching weakness born of months of sloth had passed from their muscles. All the while Teti scurried about the city procuring every item Unas requested - sandals, cloaks, flint, obsidian, arrow feathers, waterskins - all the equipment needed to sustain a force in the field. Whenever funds ran short, Unas would only say "and yet the demand remains" - forcing Teti to dip into his own accounts (which - truth be told - were bulging with more than a little gold grafted from the Nomarch's troop subsidies). The self-satisfied expression that previously was almost tattooed on Teti's face had long since given way to one that flitted constantly between anger and deep unhappiness. This dark visage was still on display when at last Unas and Teti stood before the newly commissioned 3rd Skirmishers. But even as Unas spoke glowingly to the men of their successful training, welcoming them into the comradeship of armed service, it was apparent to all that the storm on Teti's brow had broken at last. Not that he shared Unas' pleasure in the successful accomplishment of their mission. No, for Teti it was the realization that soon this taskmaster would depart, taking the army with him and good riddance to them all!
So when Unas stopped speaking and clapped Teti on the shoulder, he was rewarded with a rare heartfelt gleaming grin - a rictus that began to fade as Teti realized the speech wasn't quite over. "Soldiers of the 3rd Skirmishers, you now stand ready - poised to begin your first mission. To the West of Saqqara lies a great, unexplored desert. Does it contain new subjects for the Nomarch? Riches for his coffers? Or naught but bandits, scorpions, and snakes? To you will come the answers! And leading you on this quest is a man known to all, appointed by the Nomarch himself, the former governor of Saqqara - Teti!" As a mixture of shock and disappointment filled the faces of Teti and his new command, the opposing end of the emotional spectrum was clearly visible in Unas' sly, spreading smile.
"Oh, this is unpleasant, MOST unpleasant!" Cursing profusely, the rotund balding man took another drink from his leather watersack and then petulantly hurled it to the ground. The unfortunate ex-archer assigned to carry Teti's gear rolled his eyes and stooped to retrieve the latest symbol of his leader's unhappiness. "Horus preserve us, if this is his mood on the day we leave town....." the thought trailed off as the soldier considered the possibilities - none of them good. Ahead, Teti waddled slowly forward, wiping sweat from his brow and casting a disapproving glance at another of his aides, an inattentive ex-spearman-and-now-parasol-carrier. Hardly standard military equipment, the sun-shade was just one more civilian element that encumbered the straggling band of skirmishers. As they continued their slow procession into the Western Desert, more than a few cast longing backward glances at the city vanishing in the shimmering heat behind them.
Following the defeat of the Libyans, the past several seasons had seen nothing but boom times for Saqqara. Although impoverished for generations, Teti's family had always been land-rich, and this had proven most fortuitous. In addition to several tracts of rocky, almost useless desert next to the village, they also owned the best land around the distant oasis to the west. As the construction boom ensued, the "useless desert" had become prime city real estate while the distant oasis soon became accessible by road. Together the rent and sale of these properties translated quickly into profits - vast profits. They were now the richest family in town, and as such quickly grabbed the most powerful and lucrative municipal and religious posts. It was painful now to recall, but at the height of his glory - basking in the warm attention of several beautiful wives and a small crowd of servants and sycophants - Teti suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a lecture from one of the Nomarch's Commanders.
Returning from Memphis and a place of honor in the glorious Dahshur Victory Parade, Unas was passing through Saqqara on his way to rejoin the 1st Skirmishers still recuperating in the newly conquered city to the south. But his visit to Teti was no courtesy call. The Memphis Nome had only two regiments of Skirmishers and more were urgently needed. Thus from the Nomarch's perspective, the primary duty of his governor in Saqqara was to train and deploy a new troop of soldiers as soon as possible. But Teti's reports on their progress had not been encouraging. A constant stream of messengers arrived in Memphis to announce one delay after another - they needed more wood for spears, or obsidian for blades, or food to feed the men. There was always one more reason why the men couldn't be ready, and the Nomarch had grown tired of these evasions. Before Unas departed the capital - arm still sore from the arrow wound but with belly and loins fully sated - there was a brief meeting with the Nomarch that involved quite a few heated words and angry fingers pointed in the direction of Saqqara.
Entering Teti's residence, Unas was amazed - and appalled - by the opulent displays of wealth that lay all around him. The air was permeated by the sweet smell of sandalwood while the halls were long and beautifully painted with adjoining rooms that were either luxurious bed chambers or storerooms packed with great storage jars full of grain and other fruits of the fields. Teti's men - even the servants - were sleek and fat as gorged rats while his wives (or whores, it was impossible to tell one from the other) cast proud, brazen looks at the Nomarch's emissary as he in turn appraised the audience chamber and all within it. For the first time, Unas relished the role he'd been given. "Let's get right to it, Teti. The Nomarch wants to know what happened to his army! As I walked through Saqqara today, there was bustle aplenty and here in this "palace" of yours I see more food, beer, gold, and women than even the Nomarch has in Memphis. But where are the troops?" Teti sputtered in shocked outrage, but his lies were cut short as Unas pulled forth a lion tail and waved it about for all to see. "Yes. You know what this means, don't you Teti? The Nomarch has granted me this talisman that I might act here in his stead. And that means you and I have only one task before us now - training those soldiers!
And so it was. Under the watchful eye of Unas the trainees practiced archery, sparred with spears, and marched and drilled until the aching weakness born of months of sloth had passed from their muscles. All the while Teti scurried about the city procuring every item Unas requested - sandals, cloaks, flint, obsidian, arrow feathers, waterskins - all the equipment needed to sustain a force in the field. Whenever funds ran short, Unas would only say "and yet the demand remains" - forcing Teti to dip into his own accounts (which - truth be told - were bulging with more than a little gold grafted from the Nomarch's troop subsidies). The self-satisfied expression that previously was almost tattooed on Teti's face had long since given way to one that flitted constantly between anger and deep unhappiness. This dark visage was still on display when at last Unas and Teti stood before the newly commissioned 3rd Skirmishers. But even as Unas spoke glowingly to the men of their successful training, welcoming them into the comradeship of armed service, it was apparent to all that the storm on Teti's brow had broken at last. Not that he shared Unas' pleasure in the successful accomplishment of their mission. No, for Teti it was the realization that soon this taskmaster would depart, taking the army with him and good riddance to them all!
So when Unas stopped speaking and clapped Teti on the shoulder, he was rewarded with a rare heartfelt gleaming grin - a rictus that began to fade as Teti realized the speech wasn't quite over. "Soldiers of the 3rd Skirmishers, you now stand ready - poised to begin your first mission. To the West of Saqqara lies a great, unexplored desert. Does it contain new subjects for the Nomarch? Riches for his coffers? Or naught but bandits, scorpions, and snakes? To you will come the answers! And leading you on this quest is a man known to all, appointed by the Nomarch himself, the former governor of Saqqara - Teti!" As a mixture of shock and disappointment filled the faces of Teti and his new command, the opposing end of the emotional spectrum was clearly visible in Unas' sly, spreading smile.
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