[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
since, and it will outlive us.
But didn t you make him build a temple to you at Abu
Simbel?
No, Iset. Pharaoh was the one who wanted to com-
memorate our union. Who but him would conceive of
something so grandiose?
Iset the Fair stood up and walked to the table where the
two goblets waited.
Loving Ramses is a great privilege, continued Nefer-
280 Christian Jacq
tari. I m all for him, and he s everything to me.
Iset nudged the table with her knee, upsetting the two
cups and spilling their contents onto the grass.
Excuse me, Majesty. Your words are so moving. Please
forget I ever said anything.
Emperor Hattusili had stripped the palace audience
chamber of its war trophies. The cold gray stone, too stark
for his taste, would be covered with gaily colored wall hang-
ings in geometric patterns.
Draped in an ample length of striped fabric, a silver cuff
at his left elbow and his hair tied back with a headband,
Hattusili wore a woolen cap that had belonged to his late
brother. Thrifty, little concerned with his appearance, he
planned to manage the imperial finances with a rigor hith-
erto unknown in Hatti.
The principal representatives of the merchant class filed
through the audience chamber, helping the emperor define
the country s economic priorities. Empress Puduhepa,
heading the religious contingent, also participated in the
discussions and lobbied for a large reduction in credits for
the army. Despite their newfound status, the merchants
found this shocking. Hatti was, after all, at war with Egypt.
Using his tried and true method, Hattusili held one-on-
one talks with traders as well as commanding officers,
briefing them on the need for a prolonged truce, while never
pronouncing the word peace. Puduhepa deployed the same
strategy in religious circles. The Egyptian ambassador
Ahsha was living proof of the improved relations between
the two powerful adversaries. Since Egypt now refrained
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 281
from attacking Hatti, shouldn t they take their own initia-
tives toward halting the conflict?
But then a thunderbolt struck, destroying this castle in
the air. Hattusili at once summoned Ahsha.
I must inform you of a recent decision I wish you to
communicate to Ramses.
A peace proposal, Your Majesty?
No, Ahsha. Confirmation of our intent to pursue the
hostilities.
The ambassador slumped. Why this sudden reversal?
I ve just learned that Uri-Teshoop has requested and
been granted political asylum in Egypt.
Why should that affect our agreement?
Because it was you, Ahsha, who helped him get out of
Hatti and seek refuge in your country.
Be that as it may . . .
I want Uri-Teshoop s head. The traitor must be tried
and executed. No peace negotiation can proceed until my
brother s murderer is returned to Hatti.
Since he s in exile in Pi-Ramses, what have you to fear
from him?
I want to see his body burned at the stake, here, in my
capital.
It s quite unlikely that Ramses would go back on his
word and extradite a man to whom he s granted his protec-
tion.
Leave immediately for Pi-Ramses, convince your king,
and bring me back Uri-Teshoop. Otherwise, my army will
invade Egypt and I ll capture the traitor myself.
forty-six
he sweltering month of May was harvest time, after the
Tstanding crops were counted. The reapers cut the
golden ears with their scythes, leaving the stubble. Staunch
donkeys transported the wheat to the threshing floor. The
work was hard, but there was no lack of bread, fruit, or cool
water. And no foreman would have dared deny the reapers
an afternoon rest.
It was at this time of year that Homer chose to stop
writing. When Ramses went to visit the old poet, for once
he did not find him smoking sage leaves in his snail-shell
pipe. Clad in a woolen tunic despite the heat wave, he lay on
a cot at the foot of his lemon tree, a pillow propped be-
neath his head.
Your Majesty . . . I d given up hope of seeing you.
What s going on here, Homer?
Old age is all. I m tired to the bone.
Why haven t you called for the palace doctors?
I m not ill, Your Majesty. Death is a natural part of life.
Hector, my black and white cat, has left me. I haven t the
heart to replace him.
You still have tales to tell.
I ve given the best of myself in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Now that it s time for the final passage, why should I resist?
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 283
We re going to take care of you, Homer.
How long have you been on the throne, Your Maj-
esty?
Fifteen years.
You aren t experienced enough to fool an old poet who s
seen so many men leave this world. Death has crept inside
me, chilling my blood, and no medicine can halt its prog-
ress. But we have more important matters to discuss. Your
ancestors have built a unique country; you must take good
care of it. What of the war with the Hittites?
Ahsha has fulfilled his mission. We hope to sign a treaty
that will put an end to the hostilities.
How sweet it is to leave this earth at peace, after writing
so much about war . . . as I had one of my heroes say, The
sunlight falls into the ocean, burrows into the fertile earth, and comes the
dark night, the shadowy night that the vanquished crave. Today I m the
one who s vanquished and heading for darkness.
I ll build you a magnificent house of eternity.
No, Your Majesty . . . I ve stayed a Greek, and for my
people the afterlife brings only pain and oblivion. At my
age, it s too late to change my beliefs. Grim as it may seem
to you, it s what I m prepared for.
Our sages claim that the works of great writers will last
longer than the pyramids.
Homer smiled.
Would you grant me one last favor, Your Majesty? Take
my right hand, the one I wrote with . . . your strength will
help me to the other side.
And the poet peacefully breathed his last.
284 Christian Jacq
Homer lay beneath a small mound close to his lemon
tree. In his shroud were copies of the Iliad and Odyssey and
a papyrus with the tale of the battle of Kadesh. Only
Ramses, Nefertari, and Ahmeni, deeply affected, had
attended the burial.
When the monarch returned to his office, Serramanna
presented him with a report.
No trace of the sorcerer Ofir, Your Majesty. He s prob-
ably left the country.
Could he be hiding among the Hebrews?
If he s changed his appearance and gained their confi-
dence, why not?
What are your informers saying?
Since Moses has become the Hebrews acknowledged
leader, they ve stopped talking.
Then you don t know what the Hebrews are plotting?
Yes and no, Your Majesty.
Explain yourself, Serramanna.
It can only be a revolt led by Moses and the enemies of
Egypt.
Moses has requested a private audience with me.
Don t grant him one, Your Majesty!
What are you afraid of ?
That he may try something drastic.
Surely you exaggerate.
A revolutionary will stop at nothing.
Moses is my childhood friend.
Not any longer, Your Majesty.
The May sunlight streamed into Ramses office, lit by
three barred windows, one giving on the inner courtyard
where several chariots stood. The decor was stark: white
walls, a straight-backed armchair for the monarch and straw-
seated chairs for his visitors, a papyrus cabinet, and one
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 285
large table. Seti would have approved, and Ramses often
glanced at the statue of his father that was the room s only
ornament.
Enter Moses.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with flowing hair, a full beard,
and a weathered face, the Hebrew was in the prime of his
manhood.
Sit down, Moses.
I prefer to stand.
What do you want from me?
I spent a long time in the desert. It allowed me to
think.
And did you find wisdom?
I was schooled in the wisdom of the Egyptians, but
what is that in regard to the will of Yahweh?
Then you re still full of your wild notions.
More than ever, and now the majority of my people
agree with me. Soon they ll all follow me out of Egypt. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
since, and it will outlive us.
But didn t you make him build a temple to you at Abu
Simbel?
No, Iset. Pharaoh was the one who wanted to com-
memorate our union. Who but him would conceive of
something so grandiose?
Iset the Fair stood up and walked to the table where the
two goblets waited.
Loving Ramses is a great privilege, continued Nefer-
280 Christian Jacq
tari. I m all for him, and he s everything to me.
Iset nudged the table with her knee, upsetting the two
cups and spilling their contents onto the grass.
Excuse me, Majesty. Your words are so moving. Please
forget I ever said anything.
Emperor Hattusili had stripped the palace audience
chamber of its war trophies. The cold gray stone, too stark
for his taste, would be covered with gaily colored wall hang-
ings in geometric patterns.
Draped in an ample length of striped fabric, a silver cuff
at his left elbow and his hair tied back with a headband,
Hattusili wore a woolen cap that had belonged to his late
brother. Thrifty, little concerned with his appearance, he
planned to manage the imperial finances with a rigor hith-
erto unknown in Hatti.
The principal representatives of the merchant class filed
through the audience chamber, helping the emperor define
the country s economic priorities. Empress Puduhepa,
heading the religious contingent, also participated in the
discussions and lobbied for a large reduction in credits for
the army. Despite their newfound status, the merchants
found this shocking. Hatti was, after all, at war with Egypt.
Using his tried and true method, Hattusili held one-on-
one talks with traders as well as commanding officers,
briefing them on the need for a prolonged truce, while never
pronouncing the word peace. Puduhepa deployed the same
strategy in religious circles. The Egyptian ambassador
Ahsha was living proof of the improved relations between
the two powerful adversaries. Since Egypt now refrained
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 281
from attacking Hatti, shouldn t they take their own initia-
tives toward halting the conflict?
But then a thunderbolt struck, destroying this castle in
the air. Hattusili at once summoned Ahsha.
I must inform you of a recent decision I wish you to
communicate to Ramses.
A peace proposal, Your Majesty?
No, Ahsha. Confirmation of our intent to pursue the
hostilities.
The ambassador slumped. Why this sudden reversal?
I ve just learned that Uri-Teshoop has requested and
been granted political asylum in Egypt.
Why should that affect our agreement?
Because it was you, Ahsha, who helped him get out of
Hatti and seek refuge in your country.
Be that as it may . . .
I want Uri-Teshoop s head. The traitor must be tried
and executed. No peace negotiation can proceed until my
brother s murderer is returned to Hatti.
Since he s in exile in Pi-Ramses, what have you to fear
from him?
I want to see his body burned at the stake, here, in my
capital.
It s quite unlikely that Ramses would go back on his
word and extradite a man to whom he s granted his protec-
tion.
Leave immediately for Pi-Ramses, convince your king,
and bring me back Uri-Teshoop. Otherwise, my army will
invade Egypt and I ll capture the traitor myself.
forty-six
he sweltering month of May was harvest time, after the
Tstanding crops were counted. The reapers cut the
golden ears with their scythes, leaving the stubble. Staunch
donkeys transported the wheat to the threshing floor. The
work was hard, but there was no lack of bread, fruit, or cool
water. And no foreman would have dared deny the reapers
an afternoon rest.
It was at this time of year that Homer chose to stop
writing. When Ramses went to visit the old poet, for once
he did not find him smoking sage leaves in his snail-shell
pipe. Clad in a woolen tunic despite the heat wave, he lay on
a cot at the foot of his lemon tree, a pillow propped be-
neath his head.
Your Majesty . . . I d given up hope of seeing you.
What s going on here, Homer?
Old age is all. I m tired to the bone.
Why haven t you called for the palace doctors?
I m not ill, Your Majesty. Death is a natural part of life.
Hector, my black and white cat, has left me. I haven t the
heart to replace him.
You still have tales to tell.
I ve given the best of myself in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Now that it s time for the final passage, why should I resist?
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 283
We re going to take care of you, Homer.
How long have you been on the throne, Your Maj-
esty?
Fifteen years.
You aren t experienced enough to fool an old poet who s
seen so many men leave this world. Death has crept inside
me, chilling my blood, and no medicine can halt its prog-
ress. But we have more important matters to discuss. Your
ancestors have built a unique country; you must take good
care of it. What of the war with the Hittites?
Ahsha has fulfilled his mission. We hope to sign a treaty
that will put an end to the hostilities.
How sweet it is to leave this earth at peace, after writing
so much about war . . . as I had one of my heroes say, The
sunlight falls into the ocean, burrows into the fertile earth, and comes the
dark night, the shadowy night that the vanquished crave. Today I m the
one who s vanquished and heading for darkness.
I ll build you a magnificent house of eternity.
No, Your Majesty . . . I ve stayed a Greek, and for my
people the afterlife brings only pain and oblivion. At my
age, it s too late to change my beliefs. Grim as it may seem
to you, it s what I m prepared for.
Our sages claim that the works of great writers will last
longer than the pyramids.
Homer smiled.
Would you grant me one last favor, Your Majesty? Take
my right hand, the one I wrote with . . . your strength will
help me to the other side.
And the poet peacefully breathed his last.
284 Christian Jacq
Homer lay beneath a small mound close to his lemon
tree. In his shroud were copies of the Iliad and Odyssey and
a papyrus with the tale of the battle of Kadesh. Only
Ramses, Nefertari, and Ahmeni, deeply affected, had
attended the burial.
When the monarch returned to his office, Serramanna
presented him with a report.
No trace of the sorcerer Ofir, Your Majesty. He s prob-
ably left the country.
Could he be hiding among the Hebrews?
If he s changed his appearance and gained their confi-
dence, why not?
What are your informers saying?
Since Moses has become the Hebrews acknowledged
leader, they ve stopped talking.
Then you don t know what the Hebrews are plotting?
Yes and no, Your Majesty.
Explain yourself, Serramanna.
It can only be a revolt led by Moses and the enemies of
Egypt.
Moses has requested a private audience with me.
Don t grant him one, Your Majesty!
What are you afraid of ?
That he may try something drastic.
Surely you exaggerate.
A revolutionary will stop at nothing.
Moses is my childhood friend.
Not any longer, Your Majesty.
The May sunlight streamed into Ramses office, lit by
three barred windows, one giving on the inner courtyard
where several chariots stood. The decor was stark: white
walls, a straight-backed armchair for the monarch and straw-
seated chairs for his visitors, a papyrus cabinet, and one
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 285
large table. Seti would have approved, and Ramses often
glanced at the statue of his father that was the room s only
ornament.
Enter Moses.
Tall, broad-shouldered, with flowing hair, a full beard,
and a weathered face, the Hebrew was in the prime of his
manhood.
Sit down, Moses.
I prefer to stand.
What do you want from me?
I spent a long time in the desert. It allowed me to
think.
And did you find wisdom?
I was schooled in the wisdom of the Egyptians, but
what is that in regard to the will of Yahweh?
Then you re still full of your wild notions.
More than ever, and now the majority of my people
agree with me. Soon they ll all follow me out of Egypt. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]