He reached the next cache that evening. But since there was only was only less than a quarter moon, he was fearful of loosing his way and wandering off into the desert, so he decided not to move on until morning.
By the evening of the next day, two more caches were behind him and he had fed the last handful of the fodder to the animal. Fortunately he wasn’t far behind, from the freshness of the dung left by the donkeys, he reckoned that he would catch up with them at the next cache. Despite the dim light from the barely quarter moon, he knew that if was to get in front of them, he no choice but to chance the desert and get by them tonight.
After filling his water skin, he mounted up and set off at a walking pace. It would take longer to catch up, but would conserve the strength of the animal and hopefully they wouldn’t wander too far off track at the slower pace. Six hour later with no sign of them - he had expected to have seen their camp fire by now - he was beginning to think that what feared most had happened and he was lost in the desert, when he almost blundered into their camp. Their fire must have died out and if one of the donkeys hadn’t let out a bray, he would have been on top of them in the next few minutes and the last thing he needed was a load of donkey men and squabbling merchants slowing him down.
He back tracked, circled wide around them and found the next cache by midmorning. A few jars water had been dug up and used but the store of fodder was intact and he suspected that couple of fast runners had been sent ahead to warn the authorities in Kemet of the defeat. The thought pleased him as he would have felt obliged to make his way to Memphis before returning to save his family. After feeding and watering the animal, he waited until the worst of the heat was passed, filled his water skin, slung a bundle of fodder over his back, just in case and set off for the next cache.
In less than two weeks the desert was behind him and he rested for a day in the fertile delta lands to allow the animal regain some of it’s strength and to beg a meal for himself from a peasant farmer and his wife. The couple didn’t have much, but they shared their evening meal that consisted of river fish, coarse bread and a handful of dates. To Kefu, who had eaten nothing but porridge for three weeks it tasted like a meal fit f or Ra himself and he had to force himself to eat slowly.
The next morning, he thanked his hosts and advised them to make their way to Memphis for protection. But the man shook his head and said they would hide in the reed beds until everything settled down. He couldn’t blame them, they didn’t own the land or the crops they grew. They were paid a small part of any crop by a rich owner to tend his land and provided that they managed to survive, would fare no worse under an Aamu landlord. He collected the animal from where it was grazing and waving them goodbye set off for Ma’adi.
He reached the village late in the afternoon of the same day to find the normally busy streets empty. He thought a first that someone had warned them of the coming of the Aamu and they had all fled. But then he glimpses of movements from the corners of his eyes and he realised that everyone was hiding. He called out to his neighbours as he passed by but none came out. It wasn’t until he reached his own house, dismounted and tied the animal to the acacia tree in the yard, that his wife timidly peeked out around the door.
‘What, will you not come out and greet your husband?’
She shook her head, her eyes firmly on the strange beast tied to he acacia tree.
‘In that case, wife I will come to you,’ said and stepped forward only to have the door slammed in his face. ‘Don’t be silly and let me in.’
‘ No, you are not Kefu, my husband is not a Magi who can ride a beast from the underworld.’
Kefu laughed, so that was why everyone was hiding, the thought because he rode the beast he was some kind of evil sorcerer. ‘Teu open the door,’ he chuckled. ‘It truly is me, Kefu your husband and I am no Magi. ‘
There was silence for a while, then the door opened, he was dragged inside and the door slammed shut to keep out the beast. He was about protest that the animal would do her no harm, but she was in his arms crying and laughing as she planted kisses all over his face. A few moment of this and then she pushed him back at arms length and cried, ‘Is it truly you Kefu?’
‘If it’s not, I’ll want to know why you are in the arms of another man?’
‘Oh, Kefu,’ she cried, then she was in his arms once more and he closed his eyes as they kissed passionately. The kiss went on and on and when they finally came up for breath, they were pushed apart by two giggling children. Stooping down he picked them up, one in each arm, and the giggles turned to screams of delight, as he spun them around and around. While played with the children, Teu cooked some food and when they had eaten, he asked his wife to get a jug of water and a dish. The children he told to get a bag of corn.
Outside he took the dish and the jug from his wife and his family looked on fearfully, as he walked over, put down the dish and filled it with water for the animal.
As the beast bent it’s head to drink, he spoke, ‘This animal, I don’t know what it is properly called, is the most gentle of creatures and has carried me for nearly three week across the great desert. So I want you to forget your fears and come and meet the animal that brought me home. Come, I promise you will come to no harm.’
As they moved closer the animal ceased drinking, looked around and snorted. Teu and Neffer shrieked and retreated. However, Aha, brave in his father presence, came ahead and to the horrified dismay of his mother, Kefu lifted him up and placed him on the animals back. See the boy smiling face Teu came over and with a little persuading nervously stroked the animals neck. Neffer with the bag of corn held tightly in her hand stayed where she was, but with a little more coaxing, she scurried over and hid behind her father’s legs. Kefu took the bag from his daughter, poured some corn into his hand and held it out. The animal lifted it’s head from the dish, whickered happily, ate the corn and nudged the bag for more. Kefu poured the rest of the corn into the now empty water dish and Neffer forgot her fear as watched the animal eat, and then happily consented to join her brother on it’s back.
When the corn was finished, Kefu, with his wife Teu walking alongside, led the beast slowly along the street. The children screamed with laughter at such fun and one by one the villagers came out of hiding until they were surrounded by a babbling crowd. After parading up and down and giving some of the other children rides, Kefu took pity on the patient animal and turned her loose to graze amongst the cattle that were looked after by the village.
