Is there such safety in this house?
Something has happened to Yahmose and Sobek."
"That is true - Sobek died - and Yahmose nearly died..."
"Henet!" Esa leaned forward.
"Why did you smile when you said that?"
"I?
Smile?"
Henet was taken aback.
"You are dreaming, Esa!
Is it likely I should smile - at such a moment - talking of such a terrible thing?"
"It is true that I am nearly blind," said Esa. "But I am not quite blind.
Sometimes, by a trick of light, by a screwing up of the eyelids, I see very well.
It can happen that if anyone is talking to a person they know cannot see well, they are careless. They permit themselves an expression of face that on other occasions they would not allow.
So I ask you again: Why do you smile with such secret satisfaction?"
"What you say is outrageous - quite outrageous!"
"Now you are frightened."
"And who would not be with the things going on in this house?" cried Henet shrilly.
"We're all afraid, I'm sure, with evil spirits returning from the dead to torment us!
But I know what it is - you've been listening to Hori.
What did he say about me?"
"What does Hori know about you, Henet?"
"Nothing - nothing at all. You'd better ask what do I know about him?"
Esa's eyes grew sharp.
"Well, what do you know?" Henet tossed her head.
"Ah, you all despise poor Henet!
You think she's ugly and stupid.
But I know what's going on!
There are a lot of things I know - indeed, there's not much I don't know of what goes on in this house.
I may be stupid, but I can count how many beans are planted to a row.
Maybe I see more than clever people like Hori do.
When Hori meets me anywhere he has a trick of looking as though I didn't exist, as though he saw something behind me, something that isn't there.
He'd better look at me, that's what I say!
He may think me negligible and stupid - but it's not always the clever ones who know everything.
Satipy thought she was clever, and where is she now, I should like to know?"
Henet paused triumphantly - then a qualm seemed to pass over her, and she visibly cringed a little, glancing nervously at Esa.
But Esa seemed lost in some train of thought of her own.
She had a shocked, almost frightened look of bewilderment on her face.
She said slowly and musingly: "Satipy..."
Henet said in her old whining tone: "I'm sorry, Esa, I'm sure, for losing my temper.
Really, I don't know what came over me.
I didn't mean anything of what I've been saying..."
Looking up, Esa cut her short.
"Go away, Henet.
Whether you meant what you said or did not mean what you said does not really matter.
But you have uttered one phrase which has awakened new thoughts in my mind... Go, Henet, and I warn you. Be careful of your words and actions.
We want no more deaths in this house.
I hope you understand."
II
Everything is fear -
Renisenb had found those words rising to her lips automatically during the consultation by the lake.