Christian Jacq [Ramses 04] The Lady of Abu Simbel (pdf)

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filled with solid and liquid remedies, baskets for various
sizes of snakes, grinders, mortars and pestles, bronze razors,
224 Christian Jacq
small sacks of lead oxide and copper filings, pots of honey,
gourds . . . practically nothing was missing.
Humming an old Nubian tune, Lotus was folding kilts
and tunics, tucking them into wooden chests. In the rising
heat she was naked; her feline movements intrigued Setau.
The ships seem to be in good shape, he said as he
caught her by the waist.
Did you check them out thoroughly?
You know how thorough I am.
Go have another look at the masts. I need to finish the
packing.
It can wait.
I like things in their place.
Setau s loincloth fell to the cabin floor. Then wouldn t
you have a place for this?
Lotus yielded to her husband s logic, as well as his know-
ing hands.
You re taking advantage of me just when I m almost
home in Nubia.
What better way is there to celebrate than making
love?
As the convoy of ships continued southward, the crowds
grew thicker. A few bold urchins, using reeds for flotation,
began to follow the fleet as far as the channel. On everyone s
mind was the fact that the royal couple would offer the
people a banquet, and the beer would flow like water.
The vessels built for the journey to Nubia were real
floating palaces, both solid and comfortable. Equipped
with a single center mast and a huge sail attached with a
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 225
tangle of ropes, they had twin rudders, one each on the port
and starboard sides. The cabins were spacious and well
appointed, with strategic openings for ventilation.
Once past the cataract, the fleet picked up speed again.
Nefertari had been planning to invite Setau and Lotus
for a drink in her cabin, but the sighs and laughter behind
their door dissuaded her from knocking. Amused, the queen
leaned her elbows on the prow beside Fighter, who was
busily sniffing the Nubian air.
The Great Royal Wife thanked the gods for giving her so
much happiness, a feeling she must in turn shower on her
people. She had begun her career as a shy, quiet lute player,
destined to serve in obscurity. Now she led a prodigious
existence at Ramses side.
With each new dawn her love for him grew with the
serene power of a magic link that nothing and no one could
ever shatter. If Ramses had been a farmer or stoneworker,
Nefertari would have loved him just as ardently. But fate
had assigned them a special role, precluding selfish thoughts
of their personal feelings. They must constantly focus on
the civilization that was their legacy and that they must pass
intact to their own successors.
thirty-seven
n places it flowed straight, direct and proud. In others it
Icurved lazily, hugging a village that rang with childish
laughter. This was the Nile of the Deep South, majestic as
its celestial counterpart. Between parched hills and granite
islands, it created a slim band of greenery, studded with
dum palms. Cranes, ibises, flamingos, and pelicans hovered
above the royal fleet as it confronted the absolutes of blue
sky and desert.
When the king went ashore, the natives came to dance
around the royal tent. Ramses conferred with the tribal
chiefs. Setau and Lotus registered their complaints and
requests. Evenings were spent around the fire, in praise of
the great river, the inundation, and the name of Ramses the
Great, guardian of Egypt and of Nubia.
Nefertari became aware that the Pharaoh was a god in
the making; since the victory at Kadesh, the story of the
battle had been repeated throughout the land, even in the
most remote villages. Seeing Nefertari and Ramses in
person was considered a gift from the gods. Amon s spirit
had strengthened Ramses sword arm, it was said, and
Hathor projected her love through Nefertari.
The north wind died down, slowing their progress.
Ramses and Nefertari enjoyed the pace, spending most of
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 227
their time on the bridge in the shade of a parasol. Fighter
was back in his usual mellow mood, dozing nearby.
The golden sand and the purity of the desert seemed like
echoes from the other world. The closer the royal fleet drew
to Hathor s domain, a forgotten region where the goddess
fashioned a miraculous stone, the more Nefertari felt they
were on the brink of a major accomplishment, a link to the
origin of all things.
The nights were delicious.
In the royal couple s cabin stood Ramses favorite bed,
the mattress made of twisted skeins of hemp attached to
the mortise-and-tenon frame. Twin straps kept it flexible.
The frame was reinforced for strength. The bedstead was
decorated with papyrus flowers, bachelor s button, and
mandrake twining around the papyrus stalks and lotus blos-
soms that represented the north and the south of Egypt.
Even in his sleep, Pharaoh united the Two Lands.
The nights were delicious, for in the heat of the Nubian
summer Ramses love was as vast as the starry sky.
Thanks to the small fortune in silver Ofir had furnished,
Shaanar was able to hire about fifty Nubian fishermen,
eager to better their lot even if it meant taking part in a wild
and dangerous escapade. Most of them viewed the
Egyptian as a rich thrill seeker. If he wanted to support
their families for the next several years, who were they to
complain?
Shaanar disliked Nubia. He suffered in the heat,
sweating through the day. Yet even though he was forced to
drink huge amounts of water and eat bad food, he was
228 Christian Jacq
where he wanted to be. His latest strategy was sure to be the
end of Ramses.
This country, however hateful, would furnish him with a
cohort of ruthless killers that Ramses soldiers would be
unable to repel. The Nubians were difficult to discipline,
perhaps, but fearless in battle.
He settled down to wait for Ramses flagship.
The Viceroy of Nubia whiled away the days in his com-
fortable palace at Buhen near the Second Cataract. Several
fortresses in the vicinity kept him safe from any Nubian
aggression. In the past, tribal chiefs had rebelled, attempting
to invade Egypt; the government therefore decided to rein-
force the frontier with impressive strongholds whose regu-
larly rotated garrisons earned top pay.
Also known by the title Royal Son of Kush (after a
Nubian province), the viceroy had one overriding preoccu-
pation: the mining of gold and its transport to Thebes,
Memphis, and Pi-Ramses. Goldsmiths there worked the
precious metal, the flesh of the gods, on monumental
doors, temple walls, and statues; Pharaoh used it to under-
write his diplomatic relations with several countries, buying
their cooperation.
The viceroy s post was sought after, for although it
required long absences from the homeland, it meant the
chance to govern a huge stretch of territory with the sup-
port of an established military presence, including many
native soldiers among its ranks. The present viceroy, fearing
no unrest, was able to indulge his taste for fine food, music,
and poetry. His wife, after giving him four children, was
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 229
fiercely jealous, curtailing his enjoyment of Nubia s tanta-
lizing young women. A divorce would be too costly, since
his wife would be granted a generous settlement as well as
maintenance.
The viceroy loathed any threat to his tranquil existence.
Now this dispatch announcing the arrival of the royal
couple, not even specifying the purpose of their visit or
when they d arrive in Buhen! And another dispatch calling
for the arrest of Shaanar, Ramses older brother, long given
up for dead and drastically changed in appearance. The
viceroy hesitated to send a boat out to meet the monarch.
Since Pharaoh was in no danger on the river, it would make
more sense to concentrate on drawing up guest lists of the
welcoming banquets.
The commander of the Buhen fortress made his daily
report to the viceroy.
No trace of the suspect in the region, but there is one
strange thing.
I don t like things that are strange, Commander. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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