Muslak and I walked back to our ship. Muslak said we would go to the temple of Hathor tonight, as we did. "She's a helpful goddess," he told me, "and she may be able to help you. We're right here, and what's the use of not trying?"

I said, "None, of course."

"Right. Besides, I want to hire a singing girl, and that's where you get them."

I asked whether he meant to give a dinner for someone.

He laughed. "I want a wife for the voyage upriver. Now you're going to say I wouldn't take your wife when she wanted to go with you."

I said I recalled his telling the physician about it.

"It was the truth. It's one thing to take a singing girl upriver, something else to take a decent woman across the Great Sea. If one of my crew gets to my singing girl, it won't matter much. I'll punish him and that will be that. Besides, we won't sleep on the ship. I'll have her on shore in a room to myself."

Merchants were waiting to view the hides in our hold, portly, serious men with many rings and oiled skin. At Muslak's order, sailors carried up three and four hides of each kind. They were of fine quality. The merchants went down into the hold, chose others, and carried them up to view in the sunlight, which was then so bright as to be almost blinding. I helped, and these hides too were fine. Several made offers which merely amused Muslak.

He explained to them that he can get much a better price in the great cities to the south. The merchants here in Sais will offer only the lowest prices, thinking that he will wish to sell what he has and get another cargo quickly.

Some time after we ate, a soldier of Parsa arrived with a letter for Muslak. I studied this soldier, for it seems I have been a soldier of Great King's just as he is. He was of medium height, bearded, and appeared strong. He had a bowcase, a light ax with a long haft, and a dagger. He wore more clothing than most people do here.