CHAPTER 5
Taita and Jian were just heading onto the track after listening to Pharaoh's speech, their light chariot waiting for them, when rough arms grabbed them both from behind and dragged them away. A hand clamped over Taita's mouth. He struggled, fought, kicked, punched, bit anything of his attackers that he could find. They were pulled roughly right into the track, their hands now bound to cries of shock and dismay from the crowd. A knife was held across Taita throat and he stood still as stone, breathing heavily but desperately trying to keep his throat from touching the knife. His father was still standing on the balcony from which he had delivered his speech to any whom could hear him, and he was now staring, deep in shock, at his son, and the rebels who now held him. Behind his back, Nefer signalled to one of his top archers and personal guard before paying full attention to the rebels.
"Release my son! What will it take for you to release my son?" Pharaoh made his voice sound very falsely confident as he addressed the rebels.
"We want you!" screeched the rebel. "Surrender yourself to the noble cause of the Deity! He is ready nearby, and will destroy Thebes if you do not do as we say!" The Pharaoh looked visibly shocked, and Taita blanched as he watched his father raise his hands slowly over his head, and start to descend some steps down the stands, which were utterly silent. The crowds couldn't believe it: Pharaoh was just giving himself up? Taita stared at his father, looking past the exterior deep into his eyes. And then he saw it. A small gleam of triumph as he drew closer, though his mouth and face gave no hint of this to the rebels. He stopped a few metres from the rebels.
"Release my son and the boy, and I will surrender myself immediately. You can see I am unarmed, and my archers on the roof are standing down." The rebels glanced up at the roof to see the archers with their bows over their heads. This was all the distraction Nefer's archer needed. From behind the banked turn, behind the rebels, he leaned out and fired off two quick shots, one into each of the rebels. The one holding Jian was struck in the neck, while the one holding Taita was caught in the middle of his back. The way he collapsed, struggling for breath, suggested a punctured lung. Nefer and Taita embraced, to wild cheering from the crowd, with Nefer looking down on the rebel with an intense disliking behind Taita's back.
"Are you all right Taita?" Nefer asked anxiously. Taita nodded mutely and glanced at Jian who, once again, had that grin on his face.
"Let's race!" he said, now chuckling merrily to himself. Taita smiled at the irrepressible friend he had known for two years now, and they went to their chariot to start the race.
*
Taita and Jian had not been drawn against Brutus in their semi-final, and many in the audience were happily predicting a Brutus and Skireset (his partner) versus Taita and Jian finale.
The crowd was now anticipating the semi-finals, renowned for their frantic one lap all-out-action classics. Many a Taita Trials event had been remembered more for their semi-finals then for their finals. Taita and Jian had been drawn second from the inside this time, and Meren had fitted something quite unusual to their wheels, spikes. No one else had thought of converting this military idea to the racecourse, but Meren had now given Taita and Jian a distinct advantage.
The race started with a bang, with the new wheels going to immediate effect, shredding those of the chariot just outside Taita and Jian. That chariot barely left the start line. The other three tore neck and neck towards the corner, all three daring the others to brake first. As they rounded the corner, several things happened at once. The chariot outside Taita's started to turn inwards. The wheels got stuck on the chariot inside Taita's, and Dove and Kran both got spooked into acceleration after the blue chariot (inside them) headed towards them round the corner. Taita's chariot lurched forwards, as behind them the blue chariot almost clipped Jian's back plate. It screeched just past, and hurtled into the red chariot on the outside. The crash that ensued, in full view of the audience, was to be remembered for years to come.
The horses from the blue chariot leapt upwards and over the red, but the chariot itself was too heavy to follow suit. It careered straight into the red, knocking the weapons handler on the back plate flying from the back. The back half of the red chariot tore with a sickening sound, as the horses in front of it bucked wildly to a halt, throwing the red charioteer over the horses, where he landed with an odd crunch. Taita and Jian's chariot roared around the corner to the happy yells of the crowd, as Taita and Jian rounded the last few bends to victory in the first of the two semi-finals. The ensuing victory of Brutus built up huge anticipation to the evening's closing event; the final of the Taita Trials.
Taita and Jian were just heading onto the track after listening to Pharaoh's speech, their light chariot waiting for them, when rough arms grabbed them both from behind and dragged them away. A hand clamped over Taita's mouth. He struggled, fought, kicked, punched, bit anything of his attackers that he could find. They were pulled roughly right into the track, their hands now bound to cries of shock and dismay from the crowd. A knife was held across Taita throat and he stood still as stone, breathing heavily but desperately trying to keep his throat from touching the knife. His father was still standing on the balcony from which he had delivered his speech to any whom could hear him, and he was now staring, deep in shock, at his son, and the rebels who now held him. Behind his back, Nefer signalled to one of his top archers and personal guard before paying full attention to the rebels.
"Release my son! What will it take for you to release my son?" Pharaoh made his voice sound very falsely confident as he addressed the rebels.
"We want you!" screeched the rebel. "Surrender yourself to the noble cause of the Deity! He is ready nearby, and will destroy Thebes if you do not do as we say!" The Pharaoh looked visibly shocked, and Taita blanched as he watched his father raise his hands slowly over his head, and start to descend some steps down the stands, which were utterly silent. The crowds couldn't believe it: Pharaoh was just giving himself up? Taita stared at his father, looking past the exterior deep into his eyes. And then he saw it. A small gleam of triumph as he drew closer, though his mouth and face gave no hint of this to the rebels. He stopped a few metres from the rebels.
"Release my son and the boy, and I will surrender myself immediately. You can see I am unarmed, and my archers on the roof are standing down." The rebels glanced up at the roof to see the archers with their bows over their heads. This was all the distraction Nefer's archer needed. From behind the banked turn, behind the rebels, he leaned out and fired off two quick shots, one into each of the rebels. The one holding Jian was struck in the neck, while the one holding Taita was caught in the middle of his back. The way he collapsed, struggling for breath, suggested a punctured lung. Nefer and Taita embraced, to wild cheering from the crowd, with Nefer looking down on the rebel with an intense disliking behind Taita's back.
"Are you all right Taita?" Nefer asked anxiously. Taita nodded mutely and glanced at Jian who, once again, had that grin on his face.
"Let's race!" he said, now chuckling merrily to himself. Taita smiled at the irrepressible friend he had known for two years now, and they went to their chariot to start the race.
*
Taita and Jian had not been drawn against Brutus in their semi-final, and many in the audience were happily predicting a Brutus and Skireset (his partner) versus Taita and Jian finale.
The crowd was now anticipating the semi-finals, renowned for their frantic one lap all-out-action classics. Many a Taita Trials event had been remembered more for their semi-finals then for their finals. Taita and Jian had been drawn second from the inside this time, and Meren had fitted something quite unusual to their wheels, spikes. No one else had thought of converting this military idea to the racecourse, but Meren had now given Taita and Jian a distinct advantage.
The race started with a bang, with the new wheels going to immediate effect, shredding those of the chariot just outside Taita and Jian. That chariot barely left the start line. The other three tore neck and neck towards the corner, all three daring the others to brake first. As they rounded the corner, several things happened at once. The chariot outside Taita's started to turn inwards. The wheels got stuck on the chariot inside Taita's, and Dove and Kran both got spooked into acceleration after the blue chariot (inside them) headed towards them round the corner. Taita's chariot lurched forwards, as behind them the blue chariot almost clipped Jian's back plate. It screeched just past, and hurtled into the red chariot on the outside. The crash that ensued, in full view of the audience, was to be remembered for years to come.
The horses from the blue chariot leapt upwards and over the red, but the chariot itself was too heavy to follow suit. It careered straight into the red, knocking the weapons handler on the back plate flying from the back. The back half of the red chariot tore with a sickening sound, as the horses in front of it bucked wildly to a halt, throwing the red charioteer over the horses, where he landed with an odd crunch. Taita and Jian's chariot roared around the corner to the happy yells of the crowd, as Taita and Jian rounded the last few bends to victory in the first of the two semi-finals. The ensuing victory of Brutus built up huge anticipation to the evening's closing event; the final of the Taita Trials.
