Sitehuti and Nefer-Dejou-Bastet are drafted to take part in the census leading up to Pharaoh Ramesses II's second Heb Sed, the festival to celebrate the Pharaoh's second thirty years on the throne. This would be quite an honor if there wasn't an ulterior motive behind the appointment: someone is stealing goods earmarked for the festival and Sitehuti and Neffi have to find out who's behind the thefts.

The only thing Sitehuti of Western Thebes ever wanted was to complete scribal school and slide comfortably into the mid-levels of Egyptian bureaucracy. All that goes into the river the day he is adopted by Nefer-Djenou-Bastet, a highly opinionated sacred cat. From that point on, the young scribe's life is turned upside down. Everyone sees him as special; favored by the gods. Naturally, that makes him the perfect person to investigate a plot against the Great House of Ramesses II. Suddenly, Sitehuti is up to his neck in political intrigue, conspiracy and murder that takes him right into private heart of the royal palace. He's been bestowed a great honor. Now all he has to do is survive it.