Baqet was an Egyptian merchant who, along with several bandits, sold false religious icons in the market of Yamu. He and his accomplices' questionable trade was ended by the Medjay Bayek of Siwa in 48 BCE.
Biography[]
In 48 BCE, Baqet operated a stall selling religious objects, including cat mummies, in the open market of Yamu. His business was a fraudulent one, however; to lower the costs of production, he and a group of bandits manufactured fake mummies and sold them as though they were genuine. This was in part due to the village running out of dead cats to supply. His deception did not last long before outraged consumers from abroad began throwing fits at the local priests, such as Menehet, over the counterfeit mummies, sullying their reputation.[1]
Unfortunately for Baqet, the Medjay Bayek was visiting the town at the time and, being Menehet's friend, was keen on investigating the matter. Given the clamor around his stall, it was only a short while before Baqet was found out. When questioned by the Medjay, he deflected suspicion by claiming that he was forced to sell the lower quality items or else have his stall destroyed. Insisting that it was not safe for him to explain any further there, he invited Bayek to meet him in his hut near the edge of the village that night where he hoped to lure him into an ambush.[1]
Bayek arrived as expected that night, and after failing to stall him for a moment, Baqet signaled for his three accomplices to spring out and kill the Medjay. Much to his horror, Bayek slew all of them, compelling him to divulge the location where they produced the forgeries: a camp in a small grove in the dunes to the southeast.[1]
Personality and traits[]
A duplicitous trader who cared not for honest business, Baqet respected neither his customers nor the deities of his people, selling mockeries of religious icons which were meant to hold deep, spiritual meaning. He even exhibited a certain delight for his crime with his friends, ruthlessly taunting the Medjay Bayek for falling into his trap during the investigation. Mixed with this was an undertone of spite as he disdainfully blamed Bayek's seeming impending doom on the Medjay's insistence to "seek out evil". In this, Baqet seemed to acknowledge that his deeds were obviously villainous, thereby exposing his lack of concern for the morality of his actions. However, his tone entirely changed into one of fear and submission when his accomplices were slain, leaving him, a non-combatant, trembling; his behavior was motivated by little more than self-interest.[1]
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