I cannot understand this lassitude - this unaccountable weakness."
Ipy smiled scornfully. "Yahmose was always a weakling," he said.
"That is not so," said Hori mildly.
"His health has always been good."
Ipy said assertively: "Health depends upon the spirit of a man.
Yahmose never had any spirit.
He was afraid, even, to give orders."
"That is not so lately," said Imhotep.
"Yahmose has shown himself to be full of authority in these last months.
I have been surprised.
But this weakness in the limbs worries me.
Mersu assured me that once the effects of the poison had worn off, recovery should be swift."
Hori moved some of the papyrus aside.
"There are other poisons," he said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Imhotep wheeled round.
Hori spoke in a gentle, speculative voice. "There are poisons known which do not act at once, with violence.
They are insidious.
A little taken every day accumulates in the system. Only after long months of weakness, does death come... There is a knowledge of such things among women - they use them sometimes to remove a husband and to make it seem as though his death were natural."
Imhotep grew pale.
"Do you suggest that - that - that - is what is the matter with Yahmose?"
"I am suggesting that it is a possibility.
Though his food is now tasted by a slave before he gets it, such a precaution means nothing, since the amount in any one dish on any one day would cause no ill effect."
"Folly," cried Ipy loudly.
"Absolute folly!
I do nor believe there are such poisons.
I have never heard of them."
Hori raised his eyes.
"You are very young, Ipy.
There are still things you do not know."
Imhotep exclaimed, "But what can we do!
We have appealed to Ashayet.
We have sent offerings to the Temple - not that I have ever had much belief in temples.
It is women who are credulous about such things.
What more can be done?"
Hori said thoughtfully: "Let Yahmose's food be prepared by one trustworthy slave, and let that slave be watched all the time."
"But that means - that here in this house -"
"Rubbish," shouted Ipy.
"Absolute rubbish."
Hori raised his eyebrows.
"Let it be tried," he said.
"We shall soon see if it is rubbish."
Ipy went angrily out of the room.
Hori stared thoughtfully after him with a perplexed frown on his face.
IV
Ipy went out of the house in such a rage that he almost knocked over Henet.
"Get out of my way, Henet.
You are always creeping about and getting in the way."
"How rough you are, Ipy.
You have bruised my arm."
"A good thing.