Servant of Maat

Egypt 2074BC

General Hossam stood before his king, Metuhotep.

“I’ve no choice,” said Metuhotep, “all evidence points to your treachery.”

Past Metuhotep’s shoulder, Hossam saw Klemet smirking.

“In acknowledgment of your service and rank, you’ll receive full burial rites.”

Klemet’s face fell.

The execution was supposed to be swift, a knife to the heart, but Klemet was vindictive; the executioner well-bribed. Hossam died slowly, in pain.

British Museum 2019AD

“A new mummy,” squeaked Rae. She ran a hand over the casket’s hieroglyphs then peered at them.

“That’s odd.”

“What?” asked Gus.

“This hieroglyphic sequence… looks wrong.”

Gus grunted, “You spend too much time on this stuff.”

Rae gazed at the hieroglyphs, frowning.

“Beloved traitor?” she said, “something about debts to Maat – goddess of justice.”

“I know who Maat is, Rae.”

“I’ve seen this before… early Middle Kingdom… that’s it! Those tablets, from last year. Back in a sec!”

She raced out.

“Rae! We’ve gotta…”

Minutes later, Rae returned carrying two clay tablets.

“Here,” she said, “these talk about a beloved traitor, eternally cursed.”

She broke into a sibilant, guttural language, tracing her finger down each tablet.

“Uh...Rae, maybe you should stop,” said Gus, as cool wind swept the room.

But she kept reading until there was a sudden, violent crack. The lid of the sarcophagus scraped aside. An emaciated figure, clad in decaying strands of cloth, rose up.

“Hssss… four thousand yearssss… I awake to this babbling.”

“Right,” said Rae, pushing aside Gus’s panicked grasping, “and how do you know English? –Oh stop it, Gus!”

“I heard it in my ssslumber…”

“Ok. Umm, why are you awake now?”

“Vengeance. Klemet is beyond me... for now. So I will bring justice to all traitors and oathbreakersss.”

Rae’s mouth quirked, “Ok, sounds fair.”

“Yesss… I will-”

“Can I come?”