Lapis had been foreman to Prison Workers for the better part of a year. Every week, he took the Prisoners out to somewhere in Egypt, and directed their labor. There were guards to keep a count, and one or two who were quick with a whip to make sure they kept working their hardest.
The demand always overtook the physical ability of the workers. Lapis dreaded what that meant. It would happen one day. Someone would come to power and realize the power of a workforce that was easily replaced, but without ever being treated like people. Once that started, everyone would either face the whip, or be holding one.
Lapis wanted desperately to be away from the whole thing. His only real source of income was the bribes and kickbacks from people who needed him to accept or refuse a particular job. He’d found a hiding place and begun saving, learning the tricks of how to hide money. He knew it was dishonest, but the only other option was to take his chances.
Everyone does it. He reasoned with himself. He knew that for a fact. His worries about the money had driven him to try and improve things for the prisoners, getting them better food. Even so, he knew the current situation couldn’t last forever.
~/*\~
Lapis did a final headcount of the prisoners returning from the day’s hard labor, and returned to his office. It was small and had the same smell and roughness of the rest of the prison, but it was quiet, and private. One of the things he’d never had as a prisoner was privacy.
He had less than five minutes to enjoy it before there was a knock at his door. Muttering a private curse on whoever it was, Lapis called out for the intruder to come in.
Maat slipped in and shut the door behind him. “Sir, the Warden is asking questions.”
Lapis sighed. “We knew that was a possibility. Is he losing money, or is he just aware of things being different in his prison?”
“I think someone’s nudging him in that direction, actually.” Maat said, worried. “Lapis, I don’t really have much say in… well, anything, really. I handle the food for the prisoner work parties, and make deliveries. When your predecessor told me that money had to be saved on food, I stretched the supply out. You told me it was now fine to add the full rations, I was actually grateful. I don’t claim to be an excellent cook, but even I know bread tastes better without sawdust being used to fill out the dough…”
Lapis didn’t meet his gaze. He’d been taking kickbacks from people who needed workers. He justified it to himself by improving the prisoner’s food. The last foreman had been skimming the food rations for himself. The prisoners would have to work one way or another; and didn’t have any say in who for. Technically, the Warden got to decide, but he was drunk most of the time and didn’t care much either, leaving the choice up to Lapis.
“Is the Warden complaining?” Lapis asked.
“He’s… noticing. I don’t think he was part of the previous foreman’s… arrangement.” Maat admitted. “I used to send baskets of the surplus to this room, for your predecessor. There was usually a bottle of the harder beer included, and the Warden always took it for himself…”
“So the boss has noticed that he’s been a jug short for the last few weeks.” Lapis sighed. “Alright. Continue using the full food rations in their meals. But keep the beer aside, and deliver it to me. I’ll make sure the Warden gets it, and if there are questions, I’ll keep your name out of it.”
“Thank you, sir.” Maat said in relief, and he slipped out again.
After all, Lapis reasoned to himself. If the Warden happens to sober up a bit, he might notice I’m getting an income again. And if he replaces me with another Foreman, I go back in the cages, and the next guy will starve me along with the other prisoners.
Tired, Lapis rubbed his eyes, leaning back in his chair.
It’s just a little thing. He told himself, eyes drooping. Nobody will care. Nobody will even… notice… little…
He was asleep in his chair before the thought could finish.
The same dream took him almost immediately.
Joseph, still his prisoner, turned and grasped the other end of the whip Lapis held, and used it to pull himself upwards, with Lapis’ help, except the prisoner kept rising, far above Lapis, up into the sky. The whip was suddenly a long piece of fine linen, in resplendent royal purple, stretching from the ascendant prisoner’s hand to Lapis’ own.
Lapis knew this dream, and was about to be pulled along, when something caught his sandal. It was a small cloth bag, and Lapis could hear the coins sliding against each other. His grip slipped on the linen rope, just a little. Another cloth bag, just like the first one, suddenly appeared; hooked into his belt. His grip slipped again, weighed down by the little things…
Lapis woke up with a gulp of air.
~/*\~
It was still on his mind as the work day moved from morning to afternoon. Overseeing the Prison Workers wasn’t the most complicated of tasks, and it left his mind free to mull the imagery. The dream was intense, memorable. Lapis had dealt with nightmares before. Often, it would take a few days to shake the creeping feeling that a really bad dream could leave him with. But this wasn’t a nightmare. There was no feeling of forbidding, no sense of fear from it.
And yet he could remember every detail.
Of all things to have burned into my memory, why does it have to be a prisoner? Why couldn’t I have an intense dream like that about a beautiful woman, or a-
Lapis was derailed from his thoughts when one of the prisoners waved at him. Lapis ignored it. Prisoners often asked for things they had no right to. Lapis knew, because he had done the same, asking for time off, or more water. Half an hour later, Lapis noticed the prisoner trying to get his attention again, and sighed, waving him to come closer. “Better be good.”
“I have a message for you.” The prisoner said softly. “You’re in danger.”
Lapis blinked, then looked at him directly. “A message from who?”
“Joseph.”
Lapis felt his reality shift. Joseph had been in the back of his mind most of the morning, and he’d made a deliberate effort to avoid the man. “Danger. From who?”
“I dunno.” The prisoner admitted.
Lapis scowled. If Joseph was trying to speak so subtly, it meant he was worried about the other prisoners overhearing. Is that where the danger comes from? “Go back to work.” He told the man, who nodded and retreated.
Now I need a discreet, plausible reason why Joseph and I can speak privately.
~/*\~
“He owed me a favor. Delivering a message was an easier payback than he expected.” Joseph explained. “I couldn’t be seen coming to you with this, or my life would be worthless. Asim hates everyone on your side of the bars.”
“And you?”
“I remember how you used to be on our side of them not that long ago.” Joseph commented. “The Warden, on the other hand, is less inclined to let things go. He knows about the ‘bonuses’, and he’s decided it’s a plausible excuse.”
“Why would the Warden set me up?” Lapis demanded. “I’ve done nothing to him.”
“The Warden is as much a prisoner of this place as I am.” Joseph counseled. “He’s king of his particular hill, and he surely knows that nobody above his station is going to take it from him. He either gets out of here, or he gets replaced by you. You don’t want to stay where you are. He does. He’s frightened of your ambition, because to the outside world? The only visible member of the Prison is him.”
“So he knows if I wanted to get anywhere else, I’d have to go through him to get there.” Lapis shook his head. “If he’s that paranoid… Anyone who replaces me is going to have the same problem.”
“I don’t know if he wants you gone, or if he’s just looking for something he can control you with. Another scandal would put you back in chains.” Joseph warned. “Either way, you’re in danger.”
~/*\~
The work detail went ahead on schedule. The current project was an obelisk, commemorating the great god, Amon-Ra. To put it in place meant digging a hole deep, and sliding the stone in, so that the top would straighten up. Sand and rock would be filled in around the base to hold it in place. The trick was to bury it just enough that the rest would stand tall, but deep enough that it would never shift again.
The craftsmen, and the artisans, and the architects were all in a meeting, making sure of their measurements, checking, and rechecking the calculations. From his observation point, one of the architects had a mounted frame to show the straight edge that was needed for the finished product. He would signal the workers, who had spent two days digging the foundation, and would soon be hauling the rock into place.
“Never enough men.” One of the acolytes commented to Lapis, observing the obelisk. “If we had a thousand more workers, we could raise a tribute to the gods that stood a thousand cubits higher. A million workers, we could turn all Egypt into a Palace that stood for eternity.”
“Mm. We couldn’t afford to support a workforce that size.” Lapis commented, but inwardly, he felt a chill. We don’t have to pay prison-slaves at all. He put that thought away. Where would we get a million slaves or more? We couldn’t afford that either.
With Joseph’s warning of the trap, Lapis could see it all around him. There were guards all over the place, casually standing around in any direction he might run. None of them were looking at him, the workers, or the Obelisk. Every citizen of Egypt who had business in that part of town was watching the work with half an eye, wondering if they could see the stone statue lifted upright. Such things didn’t happen every day, and were worth watching. But the guards were pointedly minding their own business.
Lapis took a shaky breath, but tried to hide his nerves. He was playing for his life, and he never would have noticed the trap closing around him.
As the afternoon sun rose, and the workers took a break, an artisan that Lapis didn’t recognize came over. “They’re checking the plans again. There’s a chance we may have to hold off on raising the obelisk until tomorrow.”
Lapis nodded, unconcerned. “Make very sure. If we place this thing wrong, it’ll be hard to correct. The obelisk could be permanently lopsided, or the stone could crack if it twists.”
“You’re in charge of the workers. You could have them lift the thing now.” The artisan pointed out.
Lapis kept his face even. “I could. But why would I take that chance?”
“Ohh, I’m quite sure they’re just playing it safe. A little too safe, really. I’d be grateful if you could convince them to raise the obelisk today. If they’re too scared, there’s nothing that they could do if you raised it anyway.”
Lapis smothered his first reaction. “Why take the risk?”
“That obelisk is blocking a fair section of this street. Including my own business. Every day that stone is there, I’m losing customers.” The artisan held out a cloth bag, and Lapis could hear the coins sliding together in it. “I would be very… grateful.”
“Why, how dare you?!” Lapis said loudly, ‘outraged’. “Bribery of a city official? That’s offensive to the gods, and to the law, and to me in every way!” He scanned around and noticed a guard who just ‘happened’ to be standing by. “Guard! Arrest this man at once! Bribery is a crime! A serious offense!”
The artisan looked stunned, jaw hanging open that the attempt didn’t work. “I-I-I was just-”
“Guards!” Lapis called again. “We have a criminal here! TAKE HIM AWAY!”
If he hadn’t been looking, he wouldn’t have noticed, but some of the guards were hiding their amusement. They’d been waiting to spring a trap, and the wrong man had been caught in it. There was nothing anyone could do except play it out.
The prisoners were trading cunning looks too, amused by the whole thing. The experienced prisoners knew Lapis from when he was one of them. They all knew. He realized. But only one of them said something.
“Joseph.” He called. “Come with me. I need a witness. We have to tell the artisans and the architects what happened. If they’re holding back because they’re worried about something, we need to be certain before we try to lift this thing, or it’s weeks of work wasted.”
It was a thin cover story, but Joseph had gone out of his way to save Lapis’ life. The other prisoners might not appreciate it.
~/*\~
Lapis took the Warden’s chariot and rode away from the others. Joseph stood beside him in the chariot as the horses pulled them. He didn’t have to say it. The young man already knew everything.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand.” Lapis said finally. “How did you know?”
Joseph shrugged. “I overheard them talking with the Warden. They don’t mind talking in front of us, because… well, I don’t think they really care what we hear. Free people make an effort not to see us when we’re standing right in front of them. Who’d listen to us anyway? You know how it is.” Joseph looked at him sideways. “In fact, if I had told the Warden something I’d overheard, he’d have ignored me. Why did you decide to trust me?”
Lapis stared at him for a long moment, feeling reality shift slightly. He lowered his voice. “I… had a dream once, the night before we met. I rarely remember my dreams, but this one was burned into my memory. You were in it.”
He’d been expecting a laugh, or even a pitying look, as though he’d admitted to foolishness or insanity. But Joseph took it in stride, as though it was to be expected, and explained everything.
“What a difference a dream makes, huh?” Joseph said kindly. “Believe me, I know.” He gestured. “Tell me about it? You never know. Maybe there’s something I can tell you about it in return.”
(Author’s Note: Dreams from God appear in many places in the Bible record, and they did not always come to followers of Jehovah. Multiple dreams were given to kings of foreign nations, the interpretations made by God’s prophets; and recorded in scripture. Joseph interpreted dreams from multiple Egyptians. There’s nothing to suggest that there were more dreams, not recorded in the Bible, but there’s nothing to say that there weren’t. Lapis is entirely my own invention, and so are his conversations with Joseph.)
“I will. Another time.” Lapis promised, feeling a shudder go through him. “If it wasn’t for you, I would be in chains again right now.”
~/*\~
The work continued, and the obelisk was raised. The prisoners worked into the night, packing in stones and sand and dirt. Stabilizing the foundation was a job that couldn’t wait until morning; so the work continued until after dark. Easier to work at night anyway.
“Foreman!” A voice called, and he turned to see a few camels arrive, carrying large baskets and clay pots. The ‘train’ was led by a single rider, the camels bound together. Maat, the rider, waved to him as he slid down to the ground. “We have brought the food for your workers.”
Lapis looked for Asim automatically, then paused. “Joseph.” He directed, loud and clear. “You will apportion the food.”
Every prisoner in earshot paused, every eye swiveling to Joseph. They were surprised. A few of them looked to Asim, who was not pleased with the change. Food was authority, as it was the only real currency the prisoners had beyond their labor.
Have I rewarded him, or painted a target on him? Lapis wondered. And yet, he was still certain it was the right thing to do.
Joseph spooned the first bowl silently, holding it out to Asim, with a half-bow of submission. The huge man couldn’t complain too much at the courtesy, and took it from him, heading off to eat. His gang looked from the pot to their leader awkwardly, realizing that once he’d been fed, Asim had left his people to fend for themselves. Joseph had noticed, and quickly spooned soup for them all, holding out a bowl in each hand. As the rest of the gang took their ration, Joseph spoke to each of them. Always a kind word, or a gentle smile. None of the derisive laughter or scorn that their bullying leader would have given them, just like every other day.
Joseph understands natural authority. Lapis observed. I gave him power over the other prisoners, and he didn’t take advantage. They’ll remember Asim’s selfishness more than who was serving.
Lapis took the lesson to heart. He had a dominance fight of his own going on, and he’d just survived the first attack.
~/*\~
The Prisoners were back in their cage, slumping down for sleep. Lapis approached the Warden; giving him a report on the events of the day. “So, the work is done, despite the attempts to upset things. It ended up taking many hours longer than planned, but we got there.” He summed up. “Of course, I’m sure you already know all about it.”
Menefer glared at him lightly. “Mm.”
What would Joseph say? Lapis took a deep breath. “Sir, if I may… we’ve not really spoken of it, but I wanted to tell you how grateful I am to be here, working for you. I’m sorry it took me so long to say so, but… I very easily could have lived out my days as a prisoner.”
“It was the High Priest who gave you this second chance.”
“We both know you could have buried me at any point since. I don’t know why you picked today, but I suspect you were concerned about my… intentions. Please, sir; let me assure you that I am simply grateful to be a free man again.”
“For now.” The Warden warned. “What will you be a year from now? Don’t pretend we don’t both know what happened here. I don’t know who tipped you off, but I’m not letting you slip a knife in my back, Lapis.”
“Fine. The truth: I don’t want your job.” Lapis said seriously. “Nobody cares about prisoners. Nobody with any power looks past you when they think about the Prisoners at all. If I wanted your job, I’d have to know someone who could make it happen. And if I knew someone like that, I wouldn’t go after you. I’d want to be a scribe again. Something I’m trained to do. Or a job in the Temples would work, or a steward over someone’s household. Do you know anyone looking for that? Because if you did, it’d be a far easier way to get rid of me.”
Menefer considered him for a long moment, then scoffed. “Right.” His eyes returned to Joseph. Lapis followed his gaze. Joseph was feeding the old men himself, bringing them rations personally, so that they wouldn’t have to fight their way through the crowd.
~/*\~
“You cost me a man.”
Lapis spun. He’d returned to his little house, and found Montu waiting for him. “What?”
“That idiot, offering you the world’s most obvious bribe this morning? He was one of mine.” Montu said, uncoiling from a dark corner.
Lapis took a step back automatically, eyes scanning around the room. He’d dodged two ways his life could end in one day, was there to be a third attempt?
“No, no attack. The ‘trap’ was something I told him not to get involved in; and he ignored my orders. So he deserves what he gets now.” Montu assured him. “I’m not here for revenge. I’m here on business. I understand that you’ve assigned Joseph to distribute food to the Prisoners from now on. You will kindly relieve him of that task.”
“Why?” Lapis frowned. Even as he asked, the connection was made in his mind. “Oh! I remember the rations I ate as a prisoner had sawdust in the bread, and soup was watered down. It wasn’t because of the management, it was because someone in the Prison was giving you part of the rations in secret.”
“Not someone. Everyone.” Montu was placid. “Every prisoner who ever had access to the stores was looking for a way to trade with me. Even in times of deprivation, there are some vices men need more than food.” He scoffed a bit to himself. “It’s been this way for years now, but Joseph remains one of a very few prisoners who has yet to purchase anything from me. Put Asim back in charge of food distribution to the prisoners, please.”
Lapis considered that, and nodded. “At the end of the week. If I change things too often in that Prison, it unsettles things.”
Montu rose. “Thank you.” He said politely, and made for the door.
Lapis held up a hand. “Hold on. What’s in it for me?”
“You’re still a customer yourself. You want a discount?”
“I want to change my order.” Lapis countered. “You seem to know what’s going on before anyone else has a right to. I want to be informed, if there’s a way to get moved somewhere more… well, more than the prisons.”
Montu rolled his eyes. “You don’t ask for much, do you?”
“Only way out of the Pit, no matter what side of the bars you’re on? You have to know someone. But people who can make that kind of transfer? They try their best to pretend prisoners don’t exist. I need an ‘in’, and you’re my best chance of finding one. I know what I’m asking, and I promise to make it worth your while once I’m out of here.”
Montu sighed, looking pityingly at him. “You’re never getting out of here, Lapis.” He said gently. “You haven’t heard yet, but the High Priest of Ptah is dying. He has, at best, a few more days, according to the Healers. Pharaoh has already picked a successor in representing the Temples of Egypt. It’s the Priest’s nephew.”
“Good move.” Lapis admitted, even as he felt a spike. “The nephew is younger, and will be far less likely to push against Pharaoh; at least not for many years.”
“The Priest of Ptah was the one who demoted you so far.” Montu reminded him. “Once he dies, nobody will even remember you’re here.”
Lapis sank hard into a chair, knowing he was right. “There’s… there’s got to be a way.”
“Do as I’ve asked.” Montu said firmly. “I’ll see what I can do, but it may take a while.”
~/*\~
Lapis made sure Asim was put back in charge of food distribution for the prisoners at the end of the week, as promised. Joseph made no word of complaint.
Asim was quietly murdered in his sleep, later that night. Joseph had treated people far more fairly than Asim had, and nobody wanted things to go back to the way they were.
Lapis was surprised, but nobody in the prison seemed to know who did it, nor did the Warden care. Lapis noticed that when the food was delivered, everyone turned to Joseph, waiting for him to begin distribution of their meager rations again. Everyone, including Asim’s gang, were happy to see him return to the post.
Lapis felt a shudder. He knew that Joseph hadn’t done it. But something had shifted in the cells. There had been a struggle for power, and Joseph had won by not participating in it at all.
~/*\~ Ellis ~/*\~
It had been a whirlwind few months. Ellis had gotten the job. He was now a Site and Building Inspector. The review with the council had gone better than made sense. Jerrold had been right. None of the people asking questions were experts in any form of construction or contract work. The questions they asked were written for them, and Ellis had answered them easily. Jerrold was the only one who seemed to be sure what he was talking about.
If they aren’t trained, then they can’t give good judgment. They’re like Piper, typing the questions into a search engine, and copying the answers without understanding them. But the answers are what’s expected, so nobody calls them on it.
But he dutifully gave the correct answers, and a few months later, he was inspecting his first building site. The work wasn’t as complicated as he’d feared. Inspections were decided by the city, and by whatever the next stage of the construction was. When a site was ready to move forward with another phase, the inspections made sure they had done all the setup correctly.
He went to several sites with a more experienced Inspector, learning the ropes. But the city council wasn’t exactly handing out money to everyone, and there was enough work to have many more inspectors kept busy.
Ellis went on his first few solo inspections, and they were all pretty straightforward. Until finally, he was assigned to inspect the construction of a building run by a company name he recognized.
Darrel had several sites running across town. His son, Fulbert, was an independent contractor, who received a lot of contract work on his father’s sites. It was an open secret that Darrel sent work his son’s way. Ellis had never met the man in person; until he was assigned to check one of his contract jobs.
~/*\~
Ellis’ stress was spiking before he even got to the site. In the middle of the busiest commercial street in town, one of four lanes was roped off for the construction site, and the traffic was backing up.
Ellis eventually found a parking spot and made his way to the shop; mid-redesign. It was way more intensive than a standard remodeling job; since they were changing it from a regular shop into a restaurant. The sidewalk out front was completely sealed off behind scaffolding. Ellis flashed his lanyard to get in, and was handed a hardhat, which clashed somewhat with his outfit.
When Ellis was still a site worker, the whole place knew in thirty seconds when an Inspector arrived. Nothing had changed. The scrawl of power tools drowned out even the traffic.
Fulbert gave a big welcoming smile when Ellis arrived at the site. “Morning. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I hear good things.”
Ellis gestured back at the street. “This whole site is a Road Rage Incident waiting to happen.”
“I know it.” Fulbert agreed grimly. “It’s a thankless business we’ve chosen. My people have been putting up with it for weeks. Naturally, everyone going past is obliged to lean on their car horns and shout a few obscenities. You know people. They’re all so certain that abuse is the missing ingredient in making us all go faster.”
Ellis chuckled as he brought out his clipboard, and his trusty red pen. “Well, let’s see about getting you back to work, and this street opened up again.”
~/*\~
The inspection was fairly routine, until they got to the safety systems.
“The hydraulic pressure in your fire suppression system is… substandard.” Ellis warned. “The pressure won’t reach the furthest sprinklers with anything like the needed pressure.”
“It’s a low hazard building.” Fulbert objected.
“With a floor area of 1,800 square feet.” Ellis reminded him. “The minimum design area for a low hazard building is 1,500. Your water tank is below, instead of on the roof, so gravity is against you, and your water pressure has to be augmented by a pump. The one you have won’t get you the minimum ‘gallons per second’. You need more hydraulic pressure.”
“Oh, please. This is a multi-level commercial building in the middle of town. You think an extra hundred feet makes the difference? And even so, that narrow a difference means maybe three sprinklers will run slower than the rest. What difference does it make?”
“Depends on where in the building the fire breaks out.” Ellis shot back bitingly. “You sure you want to bet people’s safety on the idea that fire is sure to be obliging?”
“I’ve seen the plans for this place once everyone’s moved in. There’ll be plenty of safety features and fire extinguishers.” Fulbert scorned. “Replacing that pump is going to be a huge expense that only makes a marginal bit of difference.”
“Margins are where the important parts happen. You knew the pressure was too low. You bought that pump because it was cheaper.” Ellis said seriously. Stay strong.
Fulbert realized he wasn’t going to forget about it. “Look.” He lowered his voice. “Obviously, the place has to be up to code. Obviously, I’m going to take care of the hydraulics. But we can’t move forward with the rest of this until you greenlight the next phase.”
“Greenlighting you means the building gets finished.” Ellis countered, appreciating his more reasonable tone. “We both know that fixing hydraulics later is going to be a lot more expensive and more difficult.”
“So what? It’s not your money. That’s the client’s problem.” Fulbert reminded him. “I looked it up, and I can get a stronger hydraulic system in here; but it’ll have to be delivered. Not the sort of thing you want at the last minute. We either hold up the whole site for two weeks, or we fix it after.” He gave Ellis a serious look. “I will fix it after. But the truth is, I either charge the client for the replacement, or I charge the client for a replacement, and two weeks of my crew sitting around. If I send them on to other sites, we both know it’ll take twice as long to get them back.”
Ellis licked his lips. “I can’t greenlight you until it’s done.”
“It’ll be done.” Fulbert swore, one hand raised as though swearing an oath in court. “But I can’t make it happen until the part gets here. All the red flags in the world won’t make it arrive faster.” He gestured around the edges of the site. “Every hour, I’ve got noise complaints from the neighbors. I've got total strangers yelling for my crews to keep it down; or get the trucks out of the way; like there’s anywhere else for them to go. Half my crew are putting in for overtime just trying to find a space to park. I can’t have this site held up for another two or three weeks, just to get moving again.”
Ellis sighed. “I get you’re in a tough spot, but I can’t greenlight you until it’s done right.”
“It is done right. You want perfect.” Fulbert said, almost sounding kind. “It’s your job, after all; but it’s never perfect in real life. Every inspector I’ve spoken to understands that.”
Is that a reminder that I’m new at this, or of the fact that his father got me hired? Ellis wondered. “Look, let me make some calls. Maybe there’s a part in the area that you can buy off another site?”
Fulbert grinned. “If you could find one, that would solve everything.”
~/*\~
Ellis grit his teeth, as he went back to his car. Maybe he could find the part, maybe he’d have to call Jerrold and get a full inspection team on the site at once to go over everything with a fine-tooth comb.
But when he got back to his car, he found an envelope sitting in the driver’s seat. Unmarked, and surprisingly heavy. Ellis didn’t want to touch it, but he could see one or two of the workers looking in his direction. He couldn’t stand there staring into his own car for long, so he picked up the envelope, just to sit down.
He didn’t open it for a long minute. It could be a trick. He warned himself. I’ve only been working solo for a short time. Maybe someone noticed how easily I got this job, and decided to test me?
Setting the envelope aside, unopened; he pulled out his phone and called Jerrold. “Boss, there’s a small matter at the Darrel site.”
“In the main street?” Jerrold jumped in. “Yeah, I meant to warn you about that. His honor the Mayor has been getting calls all day from every shop in that strip. They’re all going crazy demanding he get the construction finished faster. Apparently the noise and disruption to street parking is costing them all their life savings. You should heard them whining about it. Like they think a jackhammer can run silent if they vote for someone else next time.”
“The mayor giving you trouble?”
“He wants it over. His majority is only three hundred votes, and the main strip gets over a thousand people an hour. Give me good news, and tell me I can assure him it’ll be over within two weeks. Remember, it’s an election year. He wants to be able to walk around the popular new shops on camera.”
Ellis nearly swallowed his tongue. “There is a… potential holdup…”
“Don’t tell me that.” Jerrold sighed. “Is it something that can be fixed when the election is over, and the Mayor doesn’t want me fired?”
“I-I guess so.” Ellis admitted. If we’re lucky…
“Thank god.” Jerrold sighed, pleased. “Good work, Ellis. Get on back to the barn; I’ll get your next site lined up.”
And Jerrold disconnected, as though all his worries were over.
Ellis hesitated, and picked up the envelope; more out of curiosity than any real greed. After all, the choice had been made, and not by him; right? If the Mayor wanted the site cleaned up immediately, then it was out of his hands, surely? The Mayor would get his votes, Jerrold would keep his job, and Fulbert would get the problem fixed; and pass that cost on to his client.
Just as they did for years when I was Darrel’s accountant. He reminded himself. None of the Inspectors stopped any of this going on before I came along.
He opened the envelope. He wasn’t surprised to see what was inside, but was a little surprised by how much of it there was. Is it really worth this much to him, for a choice that isn’t really mine?
Ellis heard a horn honk, unrelated to him, but he was suddenly reminded that he was in the middle of a busy street, and he put the envelope in his pocket, out of sight.
~/*\~
A week later he knew he’d made a mistake. Fulbert knew that he had taken the envelope. If he hadn’t, it would have been reported on the spot. Having the envelope of money disappear without a word was as clear a signal of approval as Ellis could send.
He hadn’t intended to take the bribe, but Ellis had let Jerrold make the decision for him, and he had kept the money; which was pretty much the same thing. And more importantly, it was what Fulbert had been watching for. When Ellis went to the next site (which Fulbert had no connection to), there had been another envelope waiting for him.
I’ve become a ‘business expense’ for site managers all over town. Ellis realized.
Intellectually, he knew that this was part of the reason his transfer to the city planner’s office had been fast tracked. Jerrold and Darrel likely expected him to be ‘reasonable’ about this sort of thing. Certainly none of the Site Managers that offered him ‘bonuses’ were complaining. Most sites didn’t make the offer. Most sites didn’t need to.
He didn’t always say yes. His conscience couldn’t let him look the other way on anything serious. Safety matters were sacrosanct. Building foundations were the same. Word quickly got around that there were some things that this particular Inspector could not be moved on.
Which means they’ll find other ways to get around me on those matters. Ellis thought darkly, but he put those thoughts away.
~/*\~ Lapis ~/*\~
Things in the prison were improving.
The general health of the prisoners was improving, as Joseph was not skimming from the food rations given to the prisoners for himself. With the quality of their food improved, the diseases were fewer, and the efficiency of the work parties was being remarked on favorably by those who employed Prison Labor. With Asim gone, there was even less violence.
Montu couldn’t complain about the loss of Asim. Most of his deals were clandestine, and he had to let sources of income go fairly often. Montu peddled various vices to people; and so he never really ran out of customers. His promise to watch out for an opportunity for Lapis to prove his worth to someone of importance seemed less and less likely.
Lapis was the foreman. He had an element of control over the work parties, but he could tell when they were looking to Joseph for instructions. Joseph was at ease around Lapis, and the two of them worked together when work was needed.
Lapis was pleased to see things going well. The Warden was not. Lapis could see the paranoia growing in his superior every day.
~/*\~
“I need to have him killed.” The Warden said with certainty.
“He’s the best worker we’ve got.” Lapis protested.
“He’s plotting something.”
“You thought the same thing about me once.” Lapis reminded him.
“I’m still not sure I was wrong about you.” Menefer scoffed. “But that’s not important right now. Lapis, I never told you how I got this job, but the last time there was a ‘natural leader’ in the Pit, he organized an uprising. The Guards were sent in to put it down.”
“I don’t remember that.” Lapis blinked.
“Of course not. Nobody cared, except for people involved. Including the man in my job. He was their first target. They practically ate him once they got control of the prison.” His face was stone. “I won’t let it happen to me.”
“I’ve known Joseph for a while. He’s not a violent man.” Lapis offered. “I’ve noticed there are two kinds of leadership. There’s the kind that looks outward, eager to spread his influence. The other kind looks inward, using his authority to improve things within his influence already. Joseph strikes me as the second kind. You’re right: He’s become the prison’s natural alpha. But he hasn’t attempted escape. He’s has authority enough to distribute food. He hasn’t shown favoritism. Even the old men get fed the same as he himself takes.”
“That’s my point.” Menefer snarled. “And you’re wrong. He is a violent man.”
Lapis blinked. “What do you mean?”
“He was your cellmate. Did you never wonder what he was being punished for?” Menefer challenged. “He was sentenced for assaulting the wife of his master. He tried to rape her.”
Lapis blinked. Then stared. Then blinked again. It was oddly difficult to put Joseph together with violent crime in his head. Lapis had been around prisoners for more than a year now. He knew that people didn’t always show their sins on their sleeve. He knew from experience that prisoners were locked up at the whim of the wealthy and powerful; and Joseph was a slave, which made that doubly true. The notion that he’d actually deserved life imprisonment was something Lapis had spent little time on.
“I want him gone.” The Warden summed up. “It keeps the prisoners quiet, when you remind them that they only live because we decide to let them.”
“Joseph is liked by the prisoners.” Lapis heard himself say. “You kill him just because you can, and they may decide to riot anyway.” He stood up. “Let me investigate. There might be another way.”
~/*\~
Lapis had gone through the records. Joseph had been sentenced by the Chief of the Guard. Lapis had met Potiphar once or twice while a scribe in the Royal Court. He wasn’t a man to cross. So Lapis didn’t approach him. His wife was out when Lapis approached Potiphar’s household. After all, there was no good reason to question a woman about something so… terrible in her life.
Instead, he went to the servants. Having been a Prisoner himself, Lapis had learned from experience that slaves and servants saw everything, though they were invisible, and disposable.
Khons was the steward over all of Potiphar’s household now. A slave, he was still in authority over the rest of the household, managing Potiphar’s affairs. He was hardly an attractive man, with numerous scars on his face, and a few teeth missing. Nonetheless, his eyes were intelligent, if not particularly happy.
“Good morning, sir.” Lapis said politely, knowing he couldn’t just come out and ask. “I represent Menefer, a man of considerable wealth in the City of On.” The lie came easily. “He had business with your master, Potiphar, some years ago. Apparently, Potiphar assigned one of your slaves to help him with a personal matter at the time. My lord wishes to settle a debt he has with that slave.”
“His name?”
Lapis licked his lips. “Joseph.”
Khons’ face changed instantly, and he looked over his shoulder. “I’m sorry, that boy no longer serves here, and he hasn’t for some time.”
“I would be grateful if you could assist me in finding him.” Lapis said innocently. “I do hope there’s nothing wrong.”
“It’s time for you to leave. We expect the master’s wife home soon. She would not be happy to hear his name mentioned. You have to leave now.”
“I understand.” Lapis said quietly, lowering his voice. “My lord is counting on my discretion in this matter, and I know that your time is not your own. Nonetheless, I am in dire need of aid.” Lapis raised a hand to his throat subtly, drawing Khons’ attention. “After all, we both know what the intentions of our lords are worth, don’t we?”
Neither man wore a collar, but they both knew what it meant to be at the mercy of more powerful men.
“Joseph was… thrown in jail by my master.” Khons said softly. “I cannot say more.”
“I know all about that.” Lapis returned, his voice even lower. “But I mentioned that my lord asked me to exercise discretion above all else?” Lapis opened his other hand, his palm filled with gold coins. He’d taken so many bribes over his career, that he knew how to offer one. “Perhaps later, when you can be sure your master and his wife are not at home?”
Khons licked his lips at the sight of the money. “Not here.” He whispered. “Tonight. Tell nobody.”
~/*\~
They agreed on a location that Lapis suggested, and met privately that night. The place was public, but more of an intersection in the city. Nobody lingered there, on their way to other places at that time of night.
“Joseph is something we don’t talk about.” Khons explained. “He was once the Steward over Potiphar’s household, as I am now. But when the… unpleasantness happened, Joseph was immediately thrown into Prison. The master ordered that he never be spoken of again. Not even to his wife.”
“Well, I can’t ask you to disobey the Chief of the Guard.” Lapis said agreeably. “Say, you look thirsty.” He reached into his satchel, and took out a sealed amphora of strong liquor, harder than the usual wine or beer. He broke the seal, and poured a generous helping into one cup, a smaller amount in the other. He slid the larger drink over to his guest. “Join me? My treat, since I’ve inconvenienced you tonight.”
Khons’ eyes were fixed on the cup. “Well, maybe just one.”
Lapis took smaller sips, hiding how little he was drinking. “Well, Potiphar was surely glad that you were there to take over as steward. I’m sure you’ve done a far better job than any disobedient slave.”
“I wish.” Khons groused. “I was Potiphar’s falconer.” He gestured at his scars. “I wasn’t trained to manage a household in any way. My master picked me to replace him because of these scars.”
“Well, that doesn’t make sense.” Lapis grinned, as though it was a funny joke.
“I know.” Khons sighed and held out his cup. “It’s so frustrating to be compared to a seventeen year old boy, and come in second place.”
Lapis frowned. “Well, that sounds like a story.”
“I told you, I’m forbidden to talk about it.”
“Of course. I would never ask you to.” Lapis said instantly, pouring more into his cup. Another two or three drinks passed, and Lapis brought the conversation around again as he poured the last of the drink into his own cup. “Oop. Amphora’s all empty. Look, it’s not right that I get one more, and you don’t. I owe you another round. Honor demands it.”
“That’s nice of you.” Khons was just buzzed enough that he wasn’t counting. “There’s a place to get some drinks right over there.”
Lapis already knew about the place. It was why he’d chosen this spot. “Lead the way. I’m buyin’.”
Khons did so, weaving just a little. “What were we talking about?”
“About how Joseph was arrested.”
“Yeah, we felt bad about that, but there was nothing we could do.” Khons admitted. “He was a good guy. And he really knew his stuff. I mean, no master goes to too much expense to keep slaves comfortable, but Joseph found a way. As stewards went, he was the best one the household ever had. Didn’t even take advantage like he could have. But once the-” He caught himself. “Well, I shouldn’t talk about that.”
“Of course not.” Lapis agreed immediately, as they went inside and found a table. “Drinks over here, please!”
~/*\~
With another amphora drained between them, and the majority of it going to Khons’ cup, Lapis waited for the right moment. “Must be hard, having a story worth telling, and orders not to talk about it.”
“Ohh, we talked about it. Every servant in the household knew what was going on.” Khons scoffed, slurring his words a bit. “I think even Potiphar knew.” He slugged back his cup. “It wasn’t interssstin’, it was scandalous… Having a trusted man accused of tryin’ to lay with the bosses’ wife. The minute she started shoutin’, there was nothing anyone could do about it.”
Sensing the truth, Lapis carefully knocked the amphora over. It slipped from its place and smashed on the floor. “Oh! Clumsy me!” Lapis apologized profusely to the owner, and immediately offered to buy two more amphoras, to make up for the loss. “Unfortunately, I have a long ride ahead of me; and I’d rather go before sunrise. Sun may be a god-incarnate, but it’s so much easier to travel by night.” He explained to Khons. “Help me get rid of these, before I go? My lord does not approve of such things, even when my tasks are done.”
“I know w-what you m-mean.” Khons agreed, pouring himself another generous helping. “For people of power and wealth, they’re all so fragile, aren’t they? Mustn’t have a scandal, mustn’t make the family look bad…”
“Oh?” Lapis pressed. “Is that what you meant, about Potiphar?”
“Well, what was he going to say? That the Chief of the Guard couldn’t keep his own slaves in line? He was meant to be in charge of soldiers.”
“True, but if I had a wife, and a slave attacked her, reputation be damned. I’d burn him alive.” Lapis scorned, making himself sound a lot drunker than he was.
“Ahh, Jos’ff didn’t do nothing.” Khons scorned. “Sure’not as much as he could have, the way she chased him around.”
“She chased him?” Lapis repeated.
“For weeks.” Khons slurred.
Lapis fought to stay calm. “Every man who ever forced a woman says the same thing.”
“I know, but iss tru’. Joseph was the manager of all o’us, and he made sure he was never alone in a room wit’ her; the way she tried to get her hooks in. We all liked the kid, so we agreed. She’s notorious, that woman. Joseph wasn’t her first victim, and wouldn’t have been the last, if… (Hic). We all knew. It was gonna come out, the way he ran from her, so she started screamin’, and there was nothing we could do. What were we gonna say?” He sank deeper into his chair, waving at his scars again. “You know how it feels? To have the sol’ reason for your job b-bein’ that you’re too hideous for the boss’ wife to want you?”
(Author's Note: Khons, Lapis, and this conversation are all my own invention. Scripture makes it clear that Potiphar’s wife was the aggressor, and that Joseph refused her repeatedly. But more than that, it does not say. Perhaps Joseph was her only attempt at taking a lover, perhaps he was merely the latest one. She did have power over a whole household of slaves, after all. This part is my own invention, so that Lapis can find out Joseph is innocent. I make this clear, because it makes serious suppositions about Potiphar’s wife, and suggests that Potiphar himself knew everything, and still punished Joseph; knowing he was innocent. Her reasons for pursuing Joseph are unwritten; only the lengths she went to in attempting to seduce him, and her actions once she failed.)
Floored, Lapis tried not to jump up and scream. “Disgustin’. Some people can never tell the difference between having money and having class.” He glanced around. “You know what you need? A drink.”
“A DRINK!” Khons agreed with a roar… before he fell out of his chair, unconscious.
~/*\~
Lapis was at his post, bright and early the next morning, eager to tell the Warden everything he’d found out.
“You’re saying he’s innocent.” The Warden was stunned. “I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true.” Lapis insisted. “It’ll be hard to prove, but everyone who was privy to the facts knows it, and-”
“No, I mean I don’t believe you.” Menefer interrupted. “I thought you were trying to find a solution.”
Lapis blinked, confused. “You were worried he was planning something violent, and I’ve shown you that he’s not violent-”
“So what?” Menefer didn’t hesitate. “He’s a prisoner, and the entire prison does what he wants them to. How long until he realizes what he can do with that? Especially if the Law has wronged him already? Or worse, what if one of his supporters decides to ‘help’, and starts something on his behalf without telling him?”
“He shouldn’t be in here at all, sir.” Lapis argued. “He’s innocent of the charge against him, and-”
“So what?” Menefer said again. “He was thrown in here at the order of Potiphar, who is Chief of the Guard. A man with authority over plenty of armed and trained fighters, with more money and power than both of us together will ever see. You think we should go to Potiphar and say that his wife was so eager to be unfaithful that she tried to force herself on a slave? How is that going to do anything but get us both killed?”
Lapis nearly swallowed his tongue. It was true. Telling Potiphar that he was wrong to lock up Joseph wasn’t going to make a difference to anyone. Especially if he knew already. And nobody else with the authority would care.
“I gave you a chance to find a solution to the problem, and you spent it on this?” Menefer scorned. “You, of all people, think that the facts matter? Remind me again, what were you charged with? What matters is power. A prisoner has some, at my expense. What have you found that can keep him in his place?”
Lapis hesitated. “Nothing that you’ll be reassured by.”
Menefer sighed, actually looking sympathetic. “All you did was convince yourself that he was an honest, virtuous man. So what? It is what it is.”
Lapis had no answer to that. “We’re a prison. Is there really no room for reality? Is there really no place for justice in those cells?”
“When the last Warden was lynched, I asked the Priest the same thing, when he said there was no money to embalm him for the next world. The Priests tell me that justice belongs to the gods, even when the body is destroyed.”
The Priests are the ones who put me in those cells for something I didn’t do. Lapis thought. I sympathize with Joseph more than all the gods of Egypt combined. Oh, what a terrible thing to think.
“Go home.” The Warden told him. “And don’t come in tomorrow. Take the day off; come back fresh the day after.”
Lapis had a sudden premonition. “You’re going to do it tomorrow, aren’t you? Joseph won’t see another sunset.”
The Warden actually looked a little sorry for him. “Go home, Lapis.”
~/*\~
“Alms for a desperate soul, milord?” A small Boy asked pitifully as Lapis walked home slowly.
Lapis barely registered him. Nobody liked to think about the filthy beggars, reduced to pleading for food. He threw a few coins his way without looking, and the Beggar reached out from his seat to collect them.
“You look like a man who needs to relax.” A much grander voice called. Lapis blinked and looked to the opposite side of the street. A Merchant waved him over to a cart full of wares, eager to make a sale. He wore a purple robe, and fine belt of golden silk. If he’d had armor, he’d be dressed in the sort of thing a wealthy Chieftain might wear. “Ordinarily I’d tempt you with pretty, valuable things, sir. But you're a man walking like he’s carrying the world on his shoulders.” He reached into a compartment and pulled out a cloth bag. “Opium poppies. Bred to be stronger than what the priests use in worship, or what the healers use to grant sleep to the troubled.”
“I am troubled.” Lapis mumbled in agreement, and bought the poppies from the Robed Merchant. He looked back at The Boy across the narrow street, with nothing but some rags, a bowl, and a broken stringed instrument slung over his arm. Lapis went over to him, dropping more coins, as well as a small handful of poppies into his begging bowl. “Here. I hope it gets you through the night.”
“Thank you, sir.” The Boy whispered as Lapis trudged off. The moment he was gone, The Boy sent a look of venom across to the Robed Merchant. “Leave him alone.”
“Why? What’s he to you?”
“I meant Joseph.”
“I had nothing to do with the execution order.” The Merchant grinned. “That’s the point your side has never understood about humans. They don’t need much of a push to do what they want.” He waved at the Boy. “I like this look for you. Pitiful, low, and ignored. Appropriate.”
“I wasn’t ignored.” The Boy held up his bowl to make the point.
The Robed Merchant ignored that. “Your God made a mistake, showing Joseph what was ahead. His own brothers couldn’t tolerate a future where they were lesser than him.” He scoffed. “Your ‘chosen people’ will sell their own brothers for a bowl of stew. These people will sell their hearts for a jug of wine.”
“The mistake your side always makes is assuming all humans are as selfish as you are.” The Boy countered. “Joseph didn’t trade his integrity for anything.”
“And look where it got him.” The Merchant scorned. “He’s a teenager. Enslaved. In a cage. Alone. What can you hope to do with one lone boy at the end of his life?”
“Everything that was promised, and more.” The Boy said with certainty, and both men vanished into thin air, unobserved by the city around them.
~/*\~
Lapis crushed half a dozen poppies and tossed them into his oil lamp, letting the fumes take him away.
Why did I ever think that the truth mattered? Lapis asked himself in disbelief. How did I, of all people, come to think that the facts were relevant?
Maybe you just wanted to believe Joseph was a good man, seeing as he’s saved your life once already.
Lapis lay back, head spinning, lethargy seeping in. He’s probably dead already… was his last coherent thought.
~/*\~
Lapis woke up as a hand slapped across his face. “Wake up!”
Lapis gasped in shock, feeling like seconds had passed. The sun was bright outside; and his house was full of men.
Royal Guards.
~/*\~
The lingering fog from the night before faded as Lapis was escorted by the guards. There were only a few people in Egypt who could order the Royal Guard about, and only one that had any kind of connection to Lapis.
Sure enough, they put him on the back of a chariot, with two guards, each of them keeping a hand locked on his shoulders, just in case; and drove him swiftly to Potiphar’s house.
~/*\~
The guards escorted him in. He’d been at the front doorstep just a day before. He glanced around for the steward, but couldn’t see him.
The guards all but threw him to the floor, in front of Potiphar himself. Lapis shivered as he stood, slowly, brushing himself off. He hadn’t shaved, and was still wearing the previous day’s clothes. He felt terribly disheveled in front of one of the more powerful people in Egypt.
Potiphar glared at him. “Well. He said finally. “I already know you are not the servant of a wealthy man from another city; or whatever lies you told my servant the other day.” Potiphar told him. “Asking about Joseph? It didn’t take much to verify that the boy was still in prison. And it was even easier to identify who you actually worked for, Lapis.”
Lapis said nothing. I’m dead. I’m dead. Any second now.
“It was a clever tactic.” Potiphar graveled. “Pouring strong drink into my servant to loosen his tongue. If he’d stayed upright long enough for a few more, he might not have remembered how much he told you.”
Lapis swallowed.
“My wife is of the opinion that your Warden is attempting to create a scandal about our household.” Potiphar graveled. “Is this true?”
No, sir; of course not. The answer was obvious, and Lapis didn’t hesitate. “Is there anything scandalous at work in your house, my lord?”
Potiphar glared, and Lapis tried not to faint. What did I say? He demanded of himself. Did that come out of my mouth? Who said that? I couldn’t have said something that stupid, could I? In the distance, he heard a stringed instrument playing lightly, and a beggar calling for alms. The moment seemed to hang for half a heartbeat.
“I threw my dangerous, rebellious slave in prison, and replaced him in a day.” Potiphar said plainly, giving him the official story; his tone suggesting that it was absolute fact. “For Joseph, what happened that day was the end of his future. For me, it was forgotten before he reached the cage door. He’s not my problem anymore.”
Then why am I here? Lapis wondered, and it suddenly hit him. He hadn’t needed to investigate. Potiphar already knew Joseph was innocent. He knew everything. He’d disappeared the slave, to avoid the embarrassment. A slave was easier to discard than his wife.
“So why did Menefer investigate any of this, years later?” Potiphar pressed.
Lapis felt his heart race with sudden hope. He thinks I was investigating under orders! He doesn’t know that Joseph was an inch away from being killed, just because he was a better man than his Warden! He doesn’t know that I was trying to save him!
Aloud, he made sure to give nothing away. “You’d have to ask him, sir. I wasn’t told why, only what to ask about.”
“You’ve had Joseph in your prison for some time now.” Potiphar observed. “I don’t know what he told you, or what your inquiries might have turned up, but I assure you-”
“I’m sure that I didn’t find anything that would be a surprise to you, my lord.” Lapis said immediately. He thinks it’s a blackmail scheme, Lapis thought. Aloud, he had no options. “I’m sure I couldn’t speak against my superior, sir. I’m not privy to his thoughts on many topics.”
“No, nor should you be.” The powerful man admitted. It wouldn’t be unusual for a servant to be given orders they didn’t understand. Masters were under no obligation to explain themselves.
“I will say that my lord the Warden has a particular dislike of any man convicted of such a crime.” Lapis offered. “And it isn’t as though all rapists don’t use the same defense-”
Potiphar waved that off. “Who’s second in command at that Prison?”
“I-I am, sir.” Lapis admitted, knowing instantly where this was going.
“Mm. Well, congratulations on your promotion, Warden.” Potiphar summed up. “Menefer has been transferred to the Guard. We’re sending a detachment to Canaan. Nothing serious, just carrying the standards of our gods; reminding the fringes that we’re here. But it’ll take them a year or two to make the full journey around all the cities.” He waved a hand, sending Lapis away. “I’m sure you can handle things in his absence.”
It’s a bribe, and a warning at the same time. Lapis thought. I found out the truth about Joseph, and he just demonstrated that he could have me removed easily. Or, I could keep my mouth shut, and enjoy the promotion.
“I am deeply grateful for the honor, my trusted lord.” Lapis said immediately.
Potiphar grinned, back in control of his universe. “Go away now.”
“Yessir.” Lapis jumped up, and the guards made way for him as he headed for the door.
That fast. Lapis thought in awe. The hand of power is swift and mercurial.
~/*\~
Lapis moved his things from his small quarters near the prison to the Warden’s larger rooms. Unlike Lapis’ quarters, there was some money spent here on furnishings. Nothing lavish, but there was an emphasis for comfort. The Warden’s dwelling was also his office, so it had to be luxurious enough to take meetings. It meant Lapis was permanently tied to the Prison, but he was far more comfortable about it.
Montu was right about that much. Comfort is how we survive.
Menefer had left personal effects. He hadn’t even had the chance to come back for them. He’d been removed from his life instantly. Lapis had taken over his life before his cot was cold.
But as much as Lapis had just seen his life improve, he wasn’t even a little bit pleased. The last Warden had been so easily replaced. Lapis would be the same.
It isn’t about you. The thought came to him from nowhere.
But once it occurred to him, he couldn’t shake it. It was true. The Warden had no interest in investigating Joseph’s past. That had been Lapis’ idea. The Warden wanted him killed, because it was the fastest and easiest solution to a potential problem. And now he was out of the picture, just like that. He’d barely been involved, but Joseph’s life had just been saved.
~/*\~
The guards brought Joseph to Lapis’ office. The Warden’s office. Lapis dismissed them. If the young man was surprised to see Lapis had been promoted, it didn’t show.
“How did you do it?” Lapis asked, mostly speaking to himself. “Because I don’t know how it worked, I just know that your life was saved yesterday, just like it was with Asim, and both times, you won by doing nothing at all. How?”
“Not I.” Joseph said simply. “You’re right. I took no special action. Prophecy from Jehovah is like a river. It can turn one way or another; it can be diverted away from the easy path, but it always gets to the sea. All the gods of Egypt can’t oppose that.”
Lapis bit his lip. “The alternative is this: You’re a good man, who was discarded by someone more powerful than you, for something that wasn’t your fault. You continued to be a good man here, so the other prisoners decided they didn’t want to be exploited at every mealtime by other, more brutal men. And what happened to Menefer was just dumb luck.”
“You really believe that?”
“If your God was able to overrule all of mine, then it stands to reason you never would have been a slave, let alone a prisoner.” Lapis said seriously. “I just don’t see the ‘greater good’ in being in Prison.”
“Nor do I.” Joseph admitted.
“The last Warden wanted you killed, because he became convinced that you would eventually plot against him. Even if you failed, you could have caused enough chaos and destruction to have him removed in disgrace.” Lapis summed up. “I’m the Warden now. Should I expect to be removed too?”
“What are you worried about, if it was all dumb luck?” Joseph grinned.
Lapis sighed. “I’ve decided not to name a replacement for myself as Foreman and Administrator. I’ve decided to make that a Prisoner position. Everyone in the cells likes your leadership already, so hopefully this will be a good placement. Remember, the only thing expected of us here, on either side of the bars, is to let the world not notice us, ever again. If you think your God can turn that into something glorious, then you’re wrong. My job is to make sure we stay invisible.”
“Prison workers have built half of Memphis at this point.”
“And nobody likes to think about where you sleep at night, so you don’t tell them.” Lapis told Joseph. “I’m giving you this job because you’re the best choice, and the other prisoners have already killed each other once to keep you in charge. If you use this authority to try and seize power anywhere else, I’ll have to punish you as a Warden should.”
Joseph nodded. “I understand, sir. I know what ‘acting with integrity’ means for a prisoner, and a slave. I will not be deceitful with you. One thing my time in Egypt has taught me, it’s patience.”
Lapis took a breath. “You acted properly in service to Potiphar. I’m sorry your master didn’t do the same in return. If I can trust you, you can trust me.”
Joseph bowed, and returned to his cell.
Lapis felt a shudder run through him. Egyptians looked for signs and portents of the gods in everything they did. If he’d had half the luck of Joseph, Lapis would see it as a blessing from the gods. His Jehovah was likely doing the same.
Including me, promoting him just now.
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