By next up, in this case, I meant I was behind and had already read part-way through Mirage (also known as Scroll of Saqqara) by Pauline Gedge.
Mirage focuses on Khaemweset, fourth son of Ramesses II, known as the Great. Khaemweset, in the novel, lives in Memphis, with his family. He is a physician, a magician, and according to history, possibly the first achaeologist. His passion is Egypt's past; Khaemweset, similar to many people, consider the past to be a simpler, better time, and Khaemweset, with privelege, power and wealth, pursues it. In addition to an interest in a time when Egypt was not full of foreign influence, Khaemweset very much desires the Scroll of Thoth, believed to confer upon the holder the power of life and death. He and his son (Hori) open burial sites, investigate them, restore them if they've been desecrated by thieves, and make the proper offerings to appease the ka of the inhabitants. In the mean-time, Khaemweset hopes that one of these tombs hold the scroll.
Khaemweset determines his horoscope, along with that of his family, and finds that he and his shy and plain daughter, Sheritra, are going to have a very bad afternoon. In fact, they will both have a very bad month. His steward comes to him with information that they have found a tomb with the seals still present, indicating no breach since the burial. Khaemweset, as well as others, have a bad feeling about this tomb, but decide to open it anyway.
Inside, they find gorgeous art on the walls depicting a prince and his wife, as well as their son. In all the images, there are gamboling baboons and, oddly, the royal family is always depicted standing in water. They walking in wavelets, or even standing in a bowl. This is remarked upon curiously. Many curious details are described, giving the interlopers an even more ominous feeling about the tomb. Finally, they find two funerary statues; the Prince's name is not present, there is some defect that has made the name unreadable. The sarcophagus of both individuals are open, unlike most burials. And most curiously, the boy depicted on the wall friezes is not present. Within the open sarcophagus, Khaemweset finds a scroll attached to the hand of the mummy. And takes it.
At this point, the real story of Mirage begins, replete with mystery, lust, betrayal, and wonderful story-telling. Unlike The Hippopotamus Marsh, the story is engrossing. The main character Khaemweset is approachable, relatable and interesting. He sees the people around him clearly, his wife, his daughter, his son, the courtiers, as well as his much storied father, Ramesses the Great. I particularly like him for his defense of his daughter. Sheritra is a plain, shy girl, constantly being criticized by her mother. She is described as though she would be pretty, if only she lacked the extremely large and hawkish ramessid nose. Khaemweset makes special time for her, and indeed, it is she who knows about his obesession for the woman he sees after uttering a spell from the scroll taken from the tomb.
Khaemweset's obsessive feelings toward Tbubui are compelling, mainly because the behavior he exhibits is so unlike his normal calm, contemplative demeanor. Not only that, I wonder what is going to happen with shy, sweet Sheritra and Tbubui's attractive young son. Given the disaster in both Khaemweset's and Sheritra's horoscope, it seems a given that this will not end well. Especially when you realize that Tbubui, her son and her brother avoid water at all costs.
I'm very interested to see how this ends.
If you're interested in the Khaemweset of real life, check out his wiki page: the first archaeologist.
Mirage focuses on Khaemweset, fourth son of Ramesses II, known as the Great. Khaemweset, in the novel, lives in Memphis, with his family. He is a physician, a magician, and according to history, possibly the first achaeologist. His passion is Egypt's past; Khaemweset, similar to many people, consider the past to be a simpler, better time, and Khaemweset, with privelege, power and wealth, pursues it. In addition to an interest in a time when Egypt was not full of foreign influence, Khaemweset very much desires the Scroll of Thoth, believed to confer upon the holder the power of life and death. He and his son (Hori) open burial sites, investigate them, restore them if they've been desecrated by thieves, and make the proper offerings to appease the ka of the inhabitants. In the mean-time, Khaemweset hopes that one of these tombs hold the scroll.
Khaemweset determines his horoscope, along with that of his family, and finds that he and his shy and plain daughter, Sheritra, are going to have a very bad afternoon. In fact, they will both have a very bad month. His steward comes to him with information that they have found a tomb with the seals still present, indicating no breach since the burial. Khaemweset, as well as others, have a bad feeling about this tomb, but decide to open it anyway.
Inside, they find gorgeous art on the walls depicting a prince and his wife, as well as their son. In all the images, there are gamboling baboons and, oddly, the royal family is always depicted standing in water. They walking in wavelets, or even standing in a bowl. This is remarked upon curiously. Many curious details are described, giving the interlopers an even more ominous feeling about the tomb. Finally, they find two funerary statues; the Prince's name is not present, there is some defect that has made the name unreadable. The sarcophagus of both individuals are open, unlike most burials. And most curiously, the boy depicted on the wall friezes is not present. Within the open sarcophagus, Khaemweset finds a scroll attached to the hand of the mummy. And takes it.
At this point, the real story of Mirage begins, replete with mystery, lust, betrayal, and wonderful story-telling. Unlike The Hippopotamus Marsh, the story is engrossing. The main character Khaemweset is approachable, relatable and interesting. He sees the people around him clearly, his wife, his daughter, his son, the courtiers, as well as his much storied father, Ramesses the Great. I particularly like him for his defense of his daughter. Sheritra is a plain, shy girl, constantly being criticized by her mother. She is described as though she would be pretty, if only she lacked the extremely large and hawkish ramessid nose. Khaemweset makes special time for her, and indeed, it is she who knows about his obesession for the woman he sees after uttering a spell from the scroll taken from the tomb.
Khaemweset's obsessive feelings toward Tbubui are compelling, mainly because the behavior he exhibits is so unlike his normal calm, contemplative demeanor. Not only that, I wonder what is going to happen with shy, sweet Sheritra and Tbubui's attractive young son. Given the disaster in both Khaemweset's and Sheritra's horoscope, it seems a given that this will not end well. Especially when you realize that Tbubui, her son and her brother avoid water at all costs.
I'm very interested to see how this ends.
If you're interested in the Khaemweset of real life, check out his wiki page: the first archaeologist.
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