Paneb the ardent - Christian Jacq

In a mysterious village in the desert on the West Bank of the Thebes, lives a small group of craftsmen whose task is to excavate and decorate the splendid tombs of the pharaohs. Its name is The Place of Truth. Meanwhile, at Pi-Ramses, the capital, one ruler follows another in quick succession - after Ramses the Great came Merenptah; and now his successor Seti II is in open conflict with his own son Amenmes, who craves power. Despite this political unrest, the Place of Truth, under the leadership and protection of Nefer and his wife Ubekhet - the 'Wise Woman' - should remain a place of peace and harmony.
But panic has gripped the inhabitants and the situation is going from bad to worse in the face of mounting catastrophe. Drinking water is poisoned, food is contaminated, and there have been several attempts by evildoers to scale the walls of the Place of Truth, which have been thwarted thanks to the courage of Paneb the Ardent. With every day bringing a new danger, the very existence of the Place of Truth seems threatened. And as the first rumblings of rebellion echo throughout Egypt, there seems to be no reason why Mehy, Chief Finance Minister of Thebes and newly appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces, should not finally seize the Stone of Light and, with the assistance of a traitor whom no one has been able to identify, obtain the power which he has craved for so long...