“You know that the Cuckoo’s Gang has eyes all over Egypt. That includes our confederates on the easternmost branch of the Nile, in Pelusium. Those agents report alarming news. An army is about to march across the Delta. When I say an army, I don’t mean an exploratory party or a small detachment, such as we’ve seen and dealt with before. I mean a true army-a disciplined, well-armed force of thousands of war-hardened soldiers who are determined to destroy or conquer everything in their path-including the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
“Whose army is this?” a man shouted. “Why are they coming here?”
“The men of this army serve Soter, the brother of King Ptolemy, who until now has been in exile. The purpose of this army is to sweep across Egypt, throw the king off his throne, and install Soter in his place. On their way to Alexandria, they will eradicate all resistance and deal with any other problems they encounter. Banditry is one of those problems. The new king wants to boast that he put an end to lawlessness in the Delta. That means the eradication of the Cuckoo’s Nest and the execution of every man here.”
“What can we do?” someone shouted.
“We can fight them!” said another. There were scattered cheers.
“Or perhaps … perhaps we can join them?” said another, a bit timidly. Jeers and catcalls followed.
Artemon raised his hands. “We are hopelessly outnumbered. To fight means certain death-death by the sword if you’re lucky, death by crucifixion or hanging if you’re not. Fighting is not the answer. Nor could we join this army, even if we wished to do so. Soter has vowed to take no outlaws into his ranks. He doesn’t want his claim on the throne to be sullied by enlisting the likes of us.”
“Soter was already king once. Egypt deserves a new king!” someone shouted. Many others grunted agreement and nodded. Were they thinking of Artemon?
“What are we to do?” said one of the men. “Are we to flee, and abandon the Cuckoo’s Nest?”
“That’s exactly what we must do,” said Artemon.
“But where can we go? How are we to get there?”
“I have a plan-not a hurried, makeshift scheme, but a plan that’s been a long time in the making. Months ago, I saw this invasion coming-”
“Metrodora foresaw it, you mean!” said one of the men.
Artemon cracked a smile. “Perhaps. The important thing isn’t who foresaw the danger or how, but that it was foreseen, and that preparations have been made for all of us to survive. We’re not alone, we lucky few who live here as free men in the Cuckoo’s Nest. We’re not without resources. We’re not without friends. The Cuckoo’s Gang is more than the Cuckoo’s Nest. The Cuckoo’s Gang is a net thrown across the whole of Egypt, and beyond-a net large enough and strong enough to catch every man here and hold him safe. Never have we faced a greater threat, but if you agree to follow me, to carry out my orders, to obey without question, then every man here has a good chance to survive-and not merely survive, but to come out of this predicament richer than ever! We shall turn disaster to our advantage. We shall laugh in the face of misfortune. But for that to happen, you must trust me. Every one of you must put your trust in me, completely and without reservation.”
“Of course we trust you!” shouted Menkhep. “There’s never been a leader to match you. We’ll do whatever you tell us to do, Artemon. Won’t we? What do you say, men?” Menkhep turned about and pumped his hands in the air to rally the others. There was a flurry of foot stamping, clapping, and cheering.
I cleared my throat. For better or worse, I was now a member of the gang and had as much right to speak as the others. “What happens next, Artemon?” I shouted, but my words were lost in the din. As the commotion subsided, I shouted the question again, louder, so that my voice rang in the air.
Artemon searched the crowd to see who was asking. He saw me and gave me a nod. “Today we make preparations to abandon the Cuckoo’s Nest, forever. Tomorrow, we’ll depart in the long boats, and never look back.”
As the others absorbed this in silence, I thought of Bethesda. What were Artemon’s plans for her? “What happens after that?” I shouted. “We leave in the long boats, and then what? Where do we go? What happens when we get there?”
Artemon smiled. “It seems that our newest member is also the most eager to press me with questions. I’ve asked you all to trust me, but Pecunius can’t stifle his Roman curiosity.”
The men around me laughed. I could see they were caught up in a rush of excitement. Everything in their world was about to change. With Artemon to lead them, they were ready to take a desperate leap into the future.
“Call me nosy, but I’d still like to know where we’re going,” I said. “Why can’t you tell us more, Artemon?”
From his place atop the dais, he looked down at me. “Why must I be secretive? Because among us there may yet be spies, men who would betray us to our enemies. You Romans are such famed strategists, Pecunius, surely you understand the need for secrecy, especially at such a juncture.”
This statement prompted grunts and nods of agreement.
“For now, I can tell you this much,” said Artemon. “We’ll travel downriver to the inlet where we scavenged the shipwreck. A ship will meet us there-a large ship, big enough to accommodate every man here and all the treasure we can bring. There’ll be a crew of sailors and rowers already on board, men who’ve taken the same pledge that all of you have taken.”
“We’re sailing away on the open sea?” I said. “Leaving Egypt?” Where would such a journey take me? What did it mean for Bethesda?
“Too many questions, Pecunius!” said Artemon. “That’s all I can tell you for now. What do you say, men of the Cuckoo’s Gang? Are you with me? Will you follow me? If any man here opposes the idea, now is the time to-”
Whatever else he might have said was drowned out by a roar of acclamations. The rootless, restless men around me were ready to follow Artemon anywhere.
For the rest of the day, the men of the Cuckoo’s Gang were consumed with the work of dismantling their stronghold and sorting through their valuables, deciding what to take and what to leave behind. As much booty as possible was stowed in sacks and trunks and loaded onto the long boats. The excess was stored in crates and buried underground, to be retrieved at some future date. Artemon himself oversaw much of this work. The men were constantly pressing him for guidance.
At the first opportunity, I stole away and headed for the hut of Ismene and Bethesda. I took Djet with me, thinking he might serve as a lookout.
A vague plan had begun to form in my mind. The next day, the entire Cuckoo’s Gang would head north, toward the coast. What if Bethesda and I headed in the opposite direction, upriver? With a ship ready to depart and an invading army on its way, surely no one from Artemon’s gang would bother to pursue us. It seemed that our chance to escape had arrived at last.
But when I caught my first glimpse of the hut through a break in the foliage, I stifled a groan. Artemon had set not one man to guard it, but several. Watching from the bushes, I counted at least four. Amid the sudden uproar and excitement generated by his announcement, it seemed that Artemon was taking no chances that some harm might befall his beloved.
Almost certainly this meant that he planned to take Bethesda with him, and also that the hut would be guarded every moment until it was time to depart. My heart sank.
“You despair, Roman,” said a low voice. I peered into the tangle of vines and leaves and suddenly perceived Ismene, standing only a few feet away. Djet gasped in surprise. The witch had approached without a sound. Or had she been there all along?
“What will become of us, Ismene?” I whispered.
“Us? If you mean the men of the Cuckoo’s Gang-”
“You know what I mean!” I strained to keep my voice low. “Bethesda and me. Where is Artemon taking us? What will he do with her?”
“For now, she’s as safe as she ever was. She’s like a jewel that Artemon keeps in a box. No harm will come to her.”