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pain became sharper。 I felt something move in here； and then the pain seemed to move to my back； and there was this lump。' He reached over his shoulder with one hand to touch the swelling； and groaned again。
Before going further； Taita administered a draught of the Red She…penn； the sleeping flower。 It was a draught that would have knocked a baby elephant off its feet； but though Apepi's eyes crossed and his voice was slurred he was still lucid。 Taita palpated the swelling again； and the king groaned but made no other protest。
'There is some foreign object lodged deep in your flesh； my lord；' he stated at last。
'This es as no great surprise to me； Warlock。 Evil men； most of them Egyptians； have been sticking foreign objects into my flesh since I last sucked on my wet…nurse's paps。'
'I would have thought it was an arrowhead or a blade； but there is no entry wound；' Taita mused。
'Use your eyes； fellow。 I am covered with them。' The king's hairy carcass was indeed laced and blotched with old battle scars。
'I am going to cut for it；' Taita warned him。
Apepi snarled； 'Do it； Warlock； and stop yapping about it。'
While Taita selected a bronze scalpel from his chest； Apepi picked up his thick leather belt from the floor and doubled a length of it。 He bit down on it； and posed himself to the knife。
'e here！' Taita called to the guards at the door。 'e and hold the king。'
'Get out； you idiots！' Apepi countermanded the order。 'I need no man to hold me still。'
Taita stood over him； calculated the angle and depth of the cut； then made one swift； deep incision。 Apepi let out a muffled bellow from between clamped teeth； but did not move。 Taita stood back as a fountain of dark blood and thick yellow pus erupted from the wound。 A gut…wrenching stench filled the chamber。 Taita laid aside the scalpel and ran his forefinger deep into the opening。 Blood bubbled up around it but he felt something hard and sharp in the bottom of the incision。 He picked up the ivory forceps that he had placed ready to hand； and probed the opening until he felt the tip strike something solid。
Apepi had stopped yelling； and he lay without movement； except the involuntary shuddering of his back muscles。 He breathed with loud porcine snuffles through his nose。 At the third attempt Taita gripped the object with the jaws of the forceps； and tugged at it until he felt it give and start to rise towards the surface。 It came out…the last inch with a rush of pus and detritus…and Taita held it up so that the light from the window fell upon it。
'An arrowhead；' he announced； 'and it's been in there for a long time。 I am amazed it did not mortify years ago。'
Apepi spat out the belt and sat up； chuckling shakily。 'By the hairy testicles of Seueth； I recognize that pretty little bauble。 One of your ruffians shot that into me at Abnub ten years ago。 At the time； my surgeons said it lay so close to my heart that they could not reach it； so they left it in and I have been gestating it ever since。'
He took the triangle of shaped flint from Taita's bloody fingers and beamed at it with proprietary pride。 'I feel like a mother with her firstborn。 I will have it made into a charm to wear around my neck on a gold chain。 You can weave a spell over it。 That should ward off any other missiles。 What do you think； Warlock？'
'I am sure it will prove highly efficacious； my lord。' Taita filled his mouth with hot wine and honey from the bowl he had prepared and used a hollow brass tube to syringe out the pus and blood； squirting it deep into the wound。
'What a waste of good wine；' Apepi said； lifted the bowl with both hands and drained the remainder of the contents to the dregs。 He hurled it against the far wall and belched。 'Now； as a reward for your services； I have an amusing tale for you； Warlock； that harks back to our last conversation on the tower top at Bubasti。'
'I am listening with fixed attention to your lordship's every word。' Taita bent over him and began to bandage the open wound with linen strips； murmuring the incantation for the binding up of wounds as he did so：
'I bind thee up； thing of Seth。
I stop thy red mouth； thing of great evil。'
Apepi interrupted harshly； Trok has offered a lakh of gold as a bride price for Mintaka。'
Taita's hands stopped moving。 He stood with the bandage wound half around Apepi's barrel chest。 'What did you answer him； Majesty？'
He was so distressed that the royal title slipped out before he could check himself。 This was a dangerous and unforeseen development。 'I told him the bride…price was five lakhs。' Apepi grinned。 The dog is so hot for my little bitch that his prong is standing up between his eyes and blinding him； but despite the booty he has stolen from me over the years； even he can never find five lakhs。' He belched again。 'Do not worry； Warlock； Mintaka is too valuable to waste on someone like Trok； when I can use her to chain your little pharaoh into my realm。'
He stood up and lifted one thickly muscled arm； trying to peer under it at his bandaged back； like an old rooster with its head under its wing。 'You have made me into a mummy before my time；' he laughed； 'but it's a neat job。 Go and tell your regent that I am ready to risk another whiff of his perfume； and I will meet him in the conference chamber again in an hour's time。'
* * *
Naja was mollified by Taita's success； and the message from Apepi。 Any inkling he might have had of Taita's disloyalty was expunged。 'I have that old rogue Apepi at the brink；' Naja gloated。 'He is about to make even more concessions than he realizes； which is why I was so angry when he broke off the conference and went to his couch。' He was so delighted with himself that he could not remain seated。 He jumped up and paced the stone floor。 'How is he； Magus？ Did you give him any potion that might cloud his mind？'
'I sent a dose down his gullet that would have stunned a bull buffalo；' Taita assured him。 Naja crossed to his cosmetics chest and sprinkled perfume from a green glass vial into the cup of his hand and stroked it down the back of his neck。 'Well； I shall take full advantage。' He started towards the door； then looked back over his shoulder。 'e with me；' he ordered。 'I might have use of your powers before I am done with Apepi。'
Binding Apepi to the treaty was not the easy task that Naja had suggested it would be。 He showed no ill effect from either his wound or from the medication； and he was still ranting； shouting and banging his clenched fist on the table long after the watchman on the temple walls had called the midnight hour。 No promise Naja offered seemed enough for him； and at last even Taita was exhausted by his intransigence。 Naja adjourned the conference and； to the crowing of the roosters in the courtyard； staggered off to bed。
The next day； when they met again at noon； Apepi was no more amenable to reason； and if anything the negotiations were even more stormy。 Taita used his best influences to calm him； but Apepi allowed himself to be wooed only very slowly。 So it was only on the fifth day that the scribes could begin to write down the terms of the treaty on the clay tablets in both the hieratic script and in hieroglyphics； translated into Hyksosian and Egyptian。 They laboured late into the night。
Up to this time Naja had excluded Pharaoh Nefer Seti from the conclave。 He had kept him occupied with trivial tasks； lessons with his tutors； and practice at arms； meetings with ambassadors and delegations of merchants and priests； all of whom sought concessions or donations。 In the end Nefer had rebelled so Naja sent him out hawking and hunting with Apepi's younger sons。 These outings were not the most ｜； amiable of events； and the first day had ended in a loud dispute over the ｜ bag； which had almost led to an exchange of blows。
On the second day； at Taita's suggestion； Princess Mintaka joined the hawking party to act as peace…maker between the two factions。 Even her older brother