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II
Yahmose was awaiting his father with Kameni in attendance. Hori, Yah-
mose explained, was superintending the work of the embalmers and un-
dertakers who were busy with the last stages of the funeral preparations.
It had taken Imhotep some weeks to journey home after receiving the
news of Nofret’s death, and the funeral preparations were now almost
completed. The body had received its long soaking in the brine bath, had
been restored to some semblance of its normal appearance, had been
oiled and rubbed with salts, and duly wrapped in its bandages and depos-
ited in its coffin.
Yahmose explained that he had appointed a small funeral chamber near
the rock tomb designed later to hold the body of Imhotep himself. He went
into the details of what he had ordered and Imhotep expressed his ap-
proval.
‘You have done well, Yahmose,’ he said kindly. ‘You seem to have shown
very good judgement and to have kept your head well.’
Yahmose coloured a little at this unexpected praise.
‘Ipi and Montu are, of course, expensive embalmers,’ went on Imhotep.
‘These canopic jars, for instance, seem to me unduly costly. There is really
no need for such extravagance. Some of their charges seem to me much
too high. That is the worst of these embalmers who have been employed
by the Governor’s family. They think they can charge any fantastic prices
they like. It would have come much cheaper to go to somebody less well
known.’
‘In your absence,’ said Yahmose, ‘I had to decide on these matters–and I
was anxious that all honour should be paid to a concubine for whom you
had so great a regard.’
Imhotep nodded and patted Yahmose’s shoulder.
‘It was a fault on the right side, my son. You are, I know, usually most
prudent in money matters. I appreciate that in this matter, any unneces-
sary expense was incurred in order to please me. All the same, I am not
made of money, and a concubine is–er ahem!–only a concubine. We will
cancel, I think, the more expensive of the amulets–and let me see, there
are one or two other ways of cutting down the fees…Just read out the
items of the estimate, Kameni.’
Kameni rustled the papyrus.
Yahmose breathed a sigh of relief.
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