midday
His hours were spent in study , and the coming and going of Kenkenes crossed his consciousness as swiftly as the shadows wavered under his young palms . His son might work for hours near him on mysterious drawings , but so deep was the great artist in the writings of the old murkets that he did not think to ask him what he did . It might not have won his attention even had he seen the young man burn the sheets of papyrus thereafter , and grow restless and dissatisfied . He remarked , however , that Kenkenes was absent during the noon-meal , but when the sundown repast was served and the young man was in his place , Mentu had forgotten that he had not been there at midday . Kenkenes had visited his niche in the Arabian desert . On his way to the statue he came to the line of rocks where he had hidden himself to get Athor 's likeness , and looked down into the quarry opposite him . He was astonished to see at the ledge , just below , a great water-cart with three humped oxen attached .