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Kheti’s hands were balled in fists upon his knees as he stared back at the captain.
“It is well, brother?” asked Rahotep softly.
Kheti appeared to have some difficulty in answering, and when he did, it was in a small voice.
“It is very well! Stand for the pride of the Land of the Bow before the Son of Re, that he may know we breed men in the south!”
Kamose was holding court in what must have once been the justice hall of Neferusi. The walls were blackened with smoke, the roof had been burned away so that they stood under the open sky, and there was the smell of burning and death warring with the incense given off from the line of braziers someone had assembled between the rows of pillars that now supported nothing.
The Pharaoh still wore the blue helmet, thus signifying that he gave audience as the leader of the army and not as the Son of Re, so his officers did not “kiss earth,” but saluted as they approached upon summons. Rahotep, at the head of his small force, waited for orders.
“The Lord Rahotep, Captain of Desert Scouts, together with his command.”
His heard Prince Ahmose’s call and marched forward, though by custom he did not raise his eyes to the man on the improvised throne.
“The Lord Rahotep, Commander of a Thousand!” That correction came in the usual hurried speech of the Pharaoh. He spoke as if he were harried by the passing of time, that there was so much to be done that he grudged each moment’s delay.
Rahotep went down on his knees. “Life! Health! Prosperity! May the Son of Re live forever! I am one unworthy of his notice! Let the Son of Re know that this one is less than the dust on his sandals, unused to the leading of a Thousand--”
“The Thousand shall be of your own raising and training, Commander! Six bowmen stand behind you now. We would see a full regiment of their like. We are told that countrymen of theirs have been enslaved within this city, men who threw off their bonds and fought with our army. Do you seek them out and make of them a weapon for our hand. This duty do we lay upon you here and now. Giving also this ‘gold of valor’ that all men shall know how well you have served Egypt this day--”
Someone had come up beside the captain, and he realized that he was to have the great honor of being handed his award by the Royal Son. He dared to glance up as the Prince Ahmose slid from his own upper arm a broad gold band supporting a dagger after the new fashion. At the same time one of the officers at the foot of the throne tossed an ornament to each of the archers.
The silver bracer clicked against the dagger as Rahotep advanced to put his lips to the Pharaoh’s sandal strap. To be whirled from a simple Scout captain to Commander of a Thousand was a dizzying experience--even if it still lay before him to bring those thousand men into line before lie had a regiment.
He came out of the hall to face the city eagerly. Had Huy, Icar, and Menon survived the battle? Perhaps they would aid him in seeking out the men he must have.
An officer saluted him--Methen!
“Lord--” the older man began, but Rahotep shook his head.
“Not ‘lord,’ Methen!” He dropped his hands on the other’s shoulders in a kinsman’s greeting. “Praise be to Re you, too, have seen the end of this fighting unmarked!” Then he stood back, planting his fists on his hips as he surveyed the city. “I do not know if I shall make a commander worthy of Pharaoh’s notice, but he has set me a task and I must be about it. I need archers for bows and bows for archers! Shall we go questing for them both?”
He went on into the murk of the city, Methen walking beside him, the Nubians at their parade tread trailing him as they had out of Kah-hi months earlier. Bis trotted soft-footed and unleashed to his right. Shadow Hawk he might be, he thought with some secret pride, but a shadow warrior he was not!
The End
Table of Contents
Shadow Hawk
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
Chapter 1: BORDER PATROL
Chapter 2: PHARAOH SUMMONS
Chapter 3: INTO THE JACKAL’S JAWS
Chapter 4: WHAT IS THEBES TO US?
Chapter 5: KAMOSE, COMMANDER OF CHARIOTS
Chapter 6: EYES AND EARS FOR PHARAOH
Chapter 7: “LION” HUNT
Chapter 8: PHARAOH’S GUARDSMEN
Chapter 9: THE JACKAL BARKS
Chapter 10: SLAVES OF ANUBIS
Chapter 11: PHARAOH DEPARTS TO THE HORIZON
Chapter 12: RE STRONG IN JUDGMENT
Chapter 13: UP THE FLAIL
Chapter 14: ICAR, THE SEAFARER
Chapter 15: NEBET OF NEFERUSI
Chapter 16: OVER THE WALLS
Chapter 17: A MATTER OF TRIBUTE
Chapter 18: BEAUTIFUL IN VICTORY

Ride Proud, Rebel!
The People of the Crater
Rebel Spurs
The Gifts of Asti
Space Service
Perilous Dreams
Plague Ship
Voodoo Planet
Star Born
The Zero Stone
Knave of Dreams
Five Senses Box Set
The Time Traders
Catfantastic II
Star Hunter
The Defiant Agents
Key Out of Time
Space Police
The Monster's Legacy
Imperial Lady (Central Asia Series Book 1)
All Cats Are Gray
Storm Over Warlock
Warlock
Firehand
Echoes In Time # with Sherwood Smith
Ciara's Song
The Sioux Spaceman
Firehand # with Pauline M. Griffin
The Forerunner Factor
The Jargoon Pard (Witch World Series (High Hallack Cycle))
Trey of Swords (Witch World (Estcarp Series))
Children of the Gates
Atlantis Endgame
Red Hart Magic
Steel Magic
Beast Master's Circus
Iron Butterflies
At Swords' Points
The Iron Breed
A Crown Disowned
Moon Called
Ralestone Luck
Tales From High Hallack, Volume 3
FORERUNNER FORAY
High Sorcery
Stand to Horse
Flight of Vengeance (Witch World: The Turning)
Gods and Androids
Derelict For Trade
Ice and Shadow
Wraiths of Time
Quag Keep
The Scent Of Magic
Mark of the Cat and Year of the Rat
Storms of Victory (Witch World: The Turning)
Catseye
The Defiant Agents tt-3
The Opal-Eyed Fan
Sword Is Drawn
ORDEAL IN OTHERWHERE
Tales From High Hallack, Volume 1
Wheel of Stars
On Wings of Magic
Ware Hawk
The Key of the Keplian
Ride Proud-Rebel
Sea Siege
Lost Lands of Witch World
Horn Crown (Witch World: High Hallack Series)
Three Against the Witch World ww-3
Wizards’ Worlds
Secret of the Stars
Yankee Privateer
Scent of Magic
Beast Master's Planet: Omnibus of Beast Master and Lord of Thunder
The White Jade Fox
Silver May Tarnish
Beast Master's Quest
Knight Or Knave
Sargasso of Space (Solar Queen Series)
The Warding of Witch World
Uncharted Stars
Ten Mile Treasure
The Game of Stars and Comets
On Wings of Magic (Witch World: The Turning)
Tales From High Hallack, Volume 2
The Gate of the Cat (Witch World: Estcarp Series)
Andre Norton - Shadow Hawk
Merlin's Mirror
Serpent's Tooth
Sword in Sheath
Ride Proud, Rebel! dr-1
The Magestone
The Works of Andre Norton (12 books)
Andre Norton: The Essential Collection
The Stars Are Ours! a-1
Moon Mirror
Warlock of the Witch World ww-4
Garan the Eternal
The Andre Norton Megapack
Dare to Go A-Hunting ft-4
The X Factor
Web of the Witch World ww-2
The Knight of the Red Beard-The Cycle of Oak, Yew, Ash and Rowan 5
Star Rangers
Witch World ww-1
Daybreak—2250 A.D.
Moonsinger
Redline the Stars sq-5
Star Soldiers
Empire Of The Eagle
The Hands of Lyr (Five Senses Series Book 1)
Android at Arms
Lore of Witch World (Witch World Collection of Stories) (Witch World Series)
Trey of Swords ww-6
Gryphon in Glory (Witch World (High Hallack Series))
Octagon Magic
Dragon Magic
Three Hands for Scorpio
The Prince Commands
The Beast Master bm-1
Shadow Hawk
Wizard's Worlds: A Short Story Collection (Witch World)
Murdoc Jern #2 - Uncharted Stars
Crystal Gryphon
Galactic Derelict tt-2
Dragon Mage
Spell of the Witch World (Witch World Series)
Velvet Shadows
Rebel Spurs dr-2
Space Pioneers
To The King A Daughter
At Swords' Point
Snow Shadow
Lavender-Green Magic
Scarface
Elveblood hc-2
Fur Magic
Postmarked the Stars sq-4
A Taste of Magic
Flight in Yiktor ft-3
Golden Trillium
Murders for Sale
Time Traders tw-1
Sargasso of Space sq-1
Murdoc Jern #1 - The Zero Stone
Sorceress Of The Witch World ww-5
Time Traders II
Magic in Ithkar 3
Key Out of Time ttt-4
Magic in Ithkar
Voodoo Planet vp-1