"Fine gentlemen of Rome, this is an unexpected and welcome visitation!" the exceedingly polite Egyptian priest declared while his features expressed contradictory sentiments. His feigned conviviality was confirmed by his loose night tunic, smudged kohl around his eyes, and crumpled appearance indicating he had been disturbed in his sleep.
"On behalf of the high priest of Amun, Pachrates of Memphis, I apologize for our inability to offer you proper neighborliness at this late hour," Kenamun said. His manner was not inviting.
"Why so, Priest? We are here on Caesar's business," Clarus demanded.
"My lord Senator, Priest Pachrates resides tonight at the Temple of Amun beyond this camp. He and his acolytes are preparing for the ceremonies ordained by Great Caesar at dawn today. Only I and a visiting elder of our cult, with our attendants, remain here at our tents within the Imperial camp."
Kenamun, the priestly mortician embalmer, regaled his visitors with low bows and elaborate eastern genuflections while a temple guard hovered nearby marshalling an assegai spear held ready for action.
"Dawn today? Is it already approaching the new day?" Suetonius asked.
"Yes, Senator. Dawn is in five hours," the priest responded.
"We are here, Egyptian, to enquire further into the death of the young Favorite whose remains you have been preparing for Caesar's rites. We have new questions to ask you. It is official State business," Clarus added as Strabon waved the scroll of authority again. Surisca stood quietly in the background observing the priest's manner.
"These tents are closed, Senator. We completed our duties long ago, and our holy figurine of the deity is resting in his shrine. We dare not disturb Amun's sleep, Senator. It is a great sacrilege," Kenamun offered as a reason to terminate the visit.
"Enough Egyptian! Fulfill the law of hospitality and bring us refreshments. We haven't eaten or taken drink in hours, and we won't disturb your god, I promise you," the senator snapped.
Kenamun took the hint and waved smartly at a servant priest to attend to the matters.
"That's for four of us including the woman, Egyptian!" Clarus shouted after the disappearing servant in case.
"We've come to ask questions of your master Pachrates. But if he's elsewhere, then you will have to suffice," Suetonius explained.
"I cannot speak for my master Pachrates, sirs. I can only speak for myself, and I am not worthy of your attention," Kenamun responded, genuflecting in humility.
"You will have to do, priest, and we will be speedy. But we'll record your words, priest, for our documents. You are to reply to our questions with precision. Do you understand? This is legal testimony, and we possess the force of law."
"Why me?" the priest protested in increasing alarm.
"We are still pursuing information about the fate of your client, the cadaver of Antinous of Bithynia, just as we were at the embalming pavilion with you yesterday. But we have new questions now."
"I know no more than you've already heard," the priest whined.
"Begin, scribe," Suetonius instructed Strabon. "Priest, state your name, title, and duties. We will record your words."
Kenamun responded grudgingly.
"Me? My name? By Amun, I am Kenamun, a senior priest of the cult of Amun, the Old Religion of this land. I serve at Memphis at the great temple of Amun. I am a specialist in the arts of preparing the dead for their journey to The Land of the Dead. My master is Priest Pachrates of Memphis."
"Where were you on the day and the night of Antinous's death?"
"If you mean the night before the discovery of his body, I was at the Temple's enclosure outside this camp preparing rites for The Festival of Isis. The Isia is an important celebration in the liturgical year of our cult."
"You have witnesses?"
"An entire congregation of priests, including Priest Pachrates himself. You are free to ask."
Suetonius decided to take a risk and confront Kenamun with a provocation.
"We have been told by witnesses you may be the priest who sailed your temple's felucca vessel on the River Nile on the day of the discovery of the youth's body? Was it you? And why were you upon the River so early? Explain yourself, Egyptian."
"Our felucca? What felucca? We do not possess a working riverboat at this time, sirs."
"Your boat with the Eye of Horus at the prow in your temple colors? We have been told it lies moored at an inlet close by your temple?"
"My lords, the felucca you speak of is not in sailing condition. It is our only riverboat. It was damaged a month ago in a collision with another vessel. It lies docked in a slipway awaiting repairs by a boat-builder. To travel the river we must hire other vessels or the services of local fishermen for our river transport."
Suetonius and Clarus were disconcerted by this claim as servants arrived with simple foods and drink.
"We have been told by one of your own workmen that this is so. He told our investigators a great deal about your master Pachrates. In fact, he is the very workman who recently disappeared from your confraternity. We're must warn you, he's dead. He lost his life during an excess of questioning, so we've been told," Clarus explained. "We will pay blood money to your Temple, as is the custom here."
The priest was visibly surprised.
"Workman? What workman? We have lost no workman. We head count our confraternity at each sunset ceremony, and there is no one missing. Are you sure you speak of us, my lords, and not some other fellowship?"
"You say you possess a single boat which cannot sail, and you have lost no workman since yesterday?" Suetonius searched.
"That is so," Kenamun said, evidently mystified by the queries.
Suetonius and Clarus were similarly puzzled. Centurion Urbicus's reports conveyed a reliable sense of authority..
"Who has given you this information? It is mistaken," Kenamun added.
Suetonius moved right on.
"Well then, instead, explain to us what you know about the Bithynian's death or have heard as gossip?"
"I know nothing other than what has been displayed by his corpse, which I have prepared for exhibition, as you know."
"So, does his corpse tell you anything we should know?"
"I am a mortician. I have seen many corpses in my time. I notice things. But I do not necessarily understand what it is that I have observed."
"What have you observed in regard to Antinous?"
"Well, for one, the youth is said to have died by drowning. His lungs had been drained clear of river water, which is to be expected of his finders. But it does not explain why his veins contained almost no blood. They too seemed similarly drained."
The group of four were wide eyed in interest.
"In my view, the youth died of severe bleeding some time well before he drowned. The lad had a deep incision in his left wrist, cut in a way to promote bleeding. We packed it with wax to hide from view when his body is displayed, as you yourselves detected. Unless he slashed his own wrist while in the river, I cannot see how after being bled into unconsciousness he could find his way to the river's banks unaided?"
"Why couldn't he have slashed his wrist before falling into the river?" Clarus asked. "As a suicide might."
"Well," Kenamun proposed, "I am told he was left-handed. Surely such a suicide would slash his right wrist, not his left? But even so, the blood loss would have been very great."
"Are you aware, priest, that there have been rumors circulating that your master Pachrates is involved in a conspiracy to sacrifice the youth to the river? To impress Caesar. And if so, you too are implicated," the Special Inspector charged threateningly.
Kenamun now grew frightened.
"That is not possible, sirs! Neither my master nor I would engage in such a crime. Where did you get such an idea? Such a crime would undo all the work we of the Old Religion have labored upon to establish Caesar's confidence in us. The risk and its price would be far too high! We would not dare such a felony."