‘With this symbol, the goddess transmits the magical fluid of life, which enables mothers to give birth and sailors to reach port safely. When it is held before the statue of Hathor, sadness and turmoil are dissipated. Harmful waves will break upon it.’
She placed the menat-necklace round Ahhotep’s neck.
‘It is thanks to you, Majesty, that the province of Dendera has been liberated. But how can Egypt be reborn while the temple at Abydos is still under the Hyksos threat?’
37
Kamose’s passionate speech had reassured the Egyptian soldiers. Apophis, he said, was a ‘weak-armed man whose empty heart boasted of false victories’. With such a pharaoh to lead them, the Thebans would never retreat. And when Queen Ahhotep joined forces with them, they would at last strike northwards.
There was another reason for hope: the new weapons with which the front-line troops were now equipped. Strengthened with bronze strips, the wooden shields would protect them much better from Hyksos arrows and spears. Their own spears, which now had longer, sharper bronze heads, would kill the enemy more easily, as would their sharper swords; and their new axes were easier to handle. The new helmets and breastplates, which were covered in bronze plates, would be invaluable in hand-to-hand fighting.
With this new equipment, the soldiers of Kamose and Ahhotep felt almost invulnerable. True, the fear inspired by the black-helmeted warriors was far from gone, but every man felt able to face them.
And yet, out of sight of his men, the young king’s expression was sombre.
The news is good, Majesty,’ announced Emheb. ‘Rascal has just brought a message saying that Queen Ahhotep has liberated the province of Dendera. She is heading for Abydos.’
‘Even if she manages to join us, she’ll bring no reinforcements. And if we don’t take action, the Hyksos will eventually crush us.’ What, he wondered, would Ahhotep have done in this situation? He was determined to prove himself worthy of her, and not merely be content to hold the ground that had been gained. He said, ‘Since we’re so short of volunteers, we must persuade the reluctant men to fight on our side.’
‘Are you thinking of the sailors, caravaneers or mercenaries the Hyksos employ in this region?’
‘We must win them over.’
‘These are men without faith or honour, Majesty.’
‘Then we had better give them some.’
The caravaneers unloaded the donkeys under the protection of mercenaries paid by the Hyksos. So close to the front, this kind of precaution was a necessary one. According to the latest rumours, a young pharaon wearing the White Crown had even reached Qis. True, there was talk of a forthcoming offensive which would inflict final defeat on the Thebans, but there was still a risk that the rebels would attack convoys of goods. Only the presence of Apophis’s armed men would deter them.
As usual, the animals were unloaded without incident.
Just as the Hyksos were leaving, Ahmes, son of Abana, let fly his first arrow, which killed their commander instantly. With his usual calm and precision, he decimated the enemy’s ranks, assisted by other elite archers.
Frozen to the spot beside their wares, the traders saw their protectors being massacred but dared not run away. And they were in no way reassured when they saw Kamose, wearing the dazzling White Crown.
‘You have been collaborating with Apophis,’ he declared, ‘and are therefore enemies of Egypt.’
The traders’ leader fell to his knees. ‘Majesty, we have been oppressed! Understand us and forgive us. Egypt reigns in our hearts.’
Kamose smiled. ‘I am happy to hear that. Luckily for you, the time has come for you to prove your allegiance.’
The man’s expression changed. ‘Majesty, we are peaceful men and—’
‘We are at war,’ the pharaoh reminded him, ‘and every man must choose sides. Either you stand on the side of the Hyksos, in which case you will be executed for treason, or you will fight with us.’
‘But, Majesty, we have no experience of fighting.’
‘My instructors will assign you tasks within your capabilities.’
Since there was no way out, the merchant tried to gain an important advantage for his fellow traders. ‘The trade-tax control-post at Khmun is choking the life out of us, Majesty. The officers are Asiatics and sand-travellers who steal vast quantities of goods. Are you planning to make changes?’
‘That tax-post exists only because of the occupation.’
‘So if you are victorious, it will be removed?’
‘If we are victorious, it will.’
A broad smile lit up the man’s face. ‘We are your loyal subjects, Majesty, and we shall fight to the best of our ability.’
When they saw the detachment commanded by Kamose coming towards them, the villagers fled in terror and hid in their adobe houses. Like many tiny villages to the east of Qis, this one was under the thumb of a mercenary called Large-Knees, assisted by twenty rough fellows; they imposed a reign of terror by applying every one of the Hyksos decrees. Every man had his vocation, and Large-Knees had never lived better than he had since he entered the emperor’s pay. He bled the population dry, enjoyed women who would otherwise have been out of his reach, and beat anyone who dared show him disrespect.
‘Sir,’ shouted one of his men, ‘we’re being attacked!’
Somewhat fuddled by beer, Large-Knees took several moments to realize that the incredible was happening. Of course, the front at Qis existed, and some people even spoke of the army of liberation’s determination. But he had never believed in it. And now here was a band of Thebans, daring to attack his domain!
Although sceptical about the Thebans’ ability to advance, Large-Knees had nevertheless foreseen this show of strength. If they thought they could make him submit, they were going to have a nasty surprise.
‘Have you done what is necessary?’
‘Have no fear, sir.’
Large-Knees got a shock when he emerged from his quarters. The attackers’ leader was an athletic young man, wearing a crown so white that it hurt the eyes to look at it.
‘Lay down your weapons,’ ordered Kamose. ‘My men outnumber yours, and you have no chance of winning.’
‘The King of Thebes is not wanted on my territory,’ retorted Large-Knees with a sneer.
‘You have betrayed Pharaoh by selling yourself to the Hyksos. Bow before me or you shall die.’
‘My only master is Apophis. If you don’t withdraw at once, you will be responsible for the deaths of all the children in this village. You see that barn over there? They have all been gathered in there, and my men won’t hesitate to cut their throats as soon as I give the order.’
‘What kind of person could commit such an atrocity?’
Large-Knees sniggered. ‘The Hyksos have schooled me well. You’re nothing but a weakling, because you still believe in the existence of Ma’at.’
‘Surrender—you still have time.’
‘Leave my land, or the children will be executed.’
‘Amon is my witness that not a single villager will die,’ declared Kamose, turning to Ahmes.
The archer’s arrow plunged into Large-Knees’ left eye, and he toppled backwards, dead.
Deprived of their leader and cowed by Kamose’s resolution, the mercenaries threw down their swords and bows. They had no wish to die.
‘The hostages are safe,’ said Large-Knees’ second-in-command.
To make amends for your deeds, there is only one thing you can do: obey me and swear to fight the Hyksos. If you break your word, the Soul-Eater will devour you in the afterlife.’
The soldiers took the oath. Only too happy to have emerged unscathed, they were not unhappy to place themselves under the command of a true leader.
‘You will go to the neighbouring village with a detachment of my men,’ Kamose ordered his new soldiers. ‘There, you will urge the leader of the local guards to do as you have done and join our ranks. Otherwise he will suffer the fate of a bandit who subjugated y
ou.’
38
Abydos lay north of Dendera and south of Qis, and was consecrated to Osiris, master of eternal life. Although the sacred city had no economic importance, it housed the stelae of those people ‘of just voice’ who had appeared successfully before the two courts of earth and heaven.
The queen and her soldiers had pitched camp a good distance from the temple, which was plunged in silence. There was no trace of a Hyksos presence in the surrounding area. After several raids, which had enabled them to liberate the villages between Dendera and Abydos, the Thebans were grateful for a few hours’ rest.
‘There’s no one left here,’ said Moustache. ‘As soon as my men have recovered their strength, shouldn’t we head for the front with all due speed?’
The Hyksos have replaced life with death,’ said Ahhotep. ‘At Abydos, Osiris transforms death into life, and we must first make sure that only radiant spirits reign there. Once Egypt is free, Abydos will once again become a magnificent, prosperous temple. The stelae of the just will be raised up again, and priests and priestesses will celebrate the cult and the mysteries of the god, as in days gone by.’
Ahhotep’s words made happiness seem more than an illusion. And her voice continued to awaken hope, even in those who thought they had lost it for ever.
Like the other soldiers, Way-Finder and Laughter forgot the war for a whole day. The donkey feasted on delicious thistles, while the dog sprawled in the shade of a sycamore tree and gnawed a bone.
Towards the middle of the following morning, the party approached the temple, which was partially hidden by wild grasses.
‘I could swear I hear someone mourning,’ said Moustache.
‘So can I,’ agreed the Afghan.
On the ancient processional road leading from the shrine to a little wood appeared ten priests, whose funereal chants related the murder of Osiris by his brother Set. They seemed profoundly moved by the drama they were re-enacting, and moved extremely slowly. At their head walked a tall fellow, his head covered by a hood, and the two who brought up the rear carried clubs to strike down the followers of Set, the enemies of Osiris.
So the ancient cults were still being celebrated, even if only in token fashion.
Just as Ahhotep was approaching the priests, Way-Finder charged forward and knocked over the man in the hood, who fell heavily.
Leaping angrily to his feet, he took a dagger from a pocket of his tunic and tried to plunge it into the donkey’s chest. But he had not bargained on Laughter, who leapt at the attacker and sank sharp teeth into his arm.
The priests armed with clubs ran at Ahhotep, intending to shatter her skull. The queen dodged the first blow, but she would not have escaped the second if the Afghan’s powerful hand had not first blocked the assailant’s wrist, then broken it. A second attacker could not escape Moustache, who head-butted him, smashing his nose.
‘They are Hyksos!’ declared one mourner, as he and the other true priests prostrated themselves at the queen’s feet. ‘They forced us to lay this ambush.’
Before trusting their words, the Thebans interrogated them at length. It emerged that they had indeed been taken hostage by three Hyksos, who were determined to kill the queen, even if they died in the attempt.
With tears in her eyes, Ahhotep wandered through the dirty, dilapidated temple; almost nothing remained of its ancient splendours. After meditating before the defaced scenes depicting the stages of Osiris’s resurrection, she ventured into the desert, where houses of eternity had been created, far from the cultivated lands. These simple, long, narrow brick-walled chambers bore witness to the crucial period when which Upper and Lower Egypt had formed a single country for the first time. The Hyksos barbarians had taken no interest in these modest tombs.
Although the place was not imbued with sadness, Ahhotep felt so alone that the force of her will was shaken. True, the Egyptians’ successes far exceeded even their wildest hopes. But was it possible to go further? On reflection, the wounds they had inflicted on the monster were only superficial. No doubt the emperor had allowed the queen to rush about like an insect, which would be easily crushed when the time came.
To go beyond Qis was a foolish dream. Beyond Qis began the true territory of the Hyksos, whose weapons were still far superior to those of the Egyptians. The tyrant would never allow Pharaoh Kamose to impinge upon his domain. But not to continue northwards, not to re-unify the Two Lands, meant losing the war and accepting once and for all an occupation which would only grow worse and worse.
Ahhotep halted before a tomb. On the offertory table before the entrance stood a small wine-jar, dedicated to Pharaoh Aha.
Aha’s name meant ‘the Fighter’, so this must be a message from the pharaons who had ruled at that time. She had to fight. There was no other way. She would fight to the death if necessary, and never give up the supreme goal: reunification.
When Ahhotep walked once again through the Temple of Osiris, all traces of doubt had disappeared. The spirit of the ancient kings had entered her, demanding that she look beyond the horizon of Thebes.
Under the watchful eyes of Moustache and the Afghan, a priest approached her and presented a request.
‘Majesty, our High Priest is still alive. He knows the incantations needed to celebrate the rites once again, and bring back life to the names of those judged righteous by Osiris. So that his wisdom is not lost, we have hidden him in a nearby village. Since you have liberated us from the Hyksos, will you bring him back here?’
Moustache frowned. ‘It looks like a trap, Majesty.’
‘ trap?’ protested the priest. ‘What do you mean? We wish only to bring our High Priest back to his home.’
‘It looks more and more like a trap.’
‘We shall go to the village,’ decided Ahhotep.
‘Majesty, at least take one precaution,’ advised the Afghan. ‘Make this priest walk in front of us and serve as a shield.’
The village nestled on a mound overlooking a canal. The Hyksos guard-post, which lay below, had posed no problem for Moustache, who had needed only two men to destroy it.
A handful of small children ran up, shouting for joy. A little boy jumped into the queen’s arms and kissed her on both cheeks. Anxious mothers joined them, watched suspiciously by Moustache. Then the men dared to emerge from their houses, raising their hands high to show that they were unarmed.
‘Is our High Priest still here?’ asked the priest anxiously.
‘He is, and he’s safe and well,’ replied the village headman.
Despite his advanced age, the High Priest was a vigorous man. Overcome with emotion, he bowed before the queen. ‘I cannot believe it, Majesty! Is Abydos truly free?’
‘You may return to the temple. Erect a stele in honour of Pharaoh Seqen, who is of just voice, and ensure that it is glorified each day.’
‘It shall be done, Majesty. Forgive my curiosity, but have you decided to establish the border at Qis or to reconquer the North?’
‘Egypt will survive only if she is reunified.’
‘You speak words of gold, Majesty! But to have any hope of success, you must know the contents of the Jar of Predictions, which reveals good and evil days. Without that list, you will make mistakes and suffer heavy losses.’
‘Where is the jar?’
‘At Khmun.’
39
As labourers unloaded the boxes sent from Asia, guards surrounded the port of Avaris. Khamudi had ordered that no one was to go near the boat, and that its cargo must be brought immediately to the palace.
As soon as it arrived, the High Treasurer abandoned his work to gaze upon the many ceramic vases. Admittedly they were rather vulgar, but their contents were priceless. As soon as he was alone in the huge cellar, he opened one of them.
It contained opium, which would be sold at a very high price to senior Hyksos officers and citizens of Avaris and the Delta cities. With the emperor’s agreement, Khamudi had embarked upon the development of this new trade, which pr
omised to be exceptionally profitable. While trying it out on some of his own entourage, he had found that users quickly became addicted to the drug and demanded more of it. Since it was the state’s responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of those it administered, it should also derive the maximum benefits, the major part of which would go—quite rightly—to swell the emperor’s fortune.
There was another, not inconsiderable benefit: many people would become dependent upon the supplies provided by Khamudi, and prices would therefore continue to rise. In a few months, the drug would have swamped all the provinces of the empire, and he would reap colossal profits. But he must first ensure that the opium was of high quality.
Taking with him a pretty, slender red vase, he returned to his house, where he found Yima having her body waxed.
‘Back already, my darling?’ she said.
‘I have a nice surprise for you.’
‘As soon as my servant has finished, I—’
‘Send her away.’
Afraid of being beaten, the servant-girl hurried away.
Khamudi lit an incense-burner and heated some small balls of opium. ‘You are going to sample this for me, my sweet.’
‘What is it?’
‘delicacy.’
Yima enjoyed the gift. To judge from her reaction, which was of excitement punctuated with moments of apathy, Khamudi’s customers were sure to be delighted.
Minos added a touch of pale blue to the pillar in the audience chamber at the palace, one of the details of the great wall-painting he was working at with meticulous care. He was a perfectionist, and painted the same figure several times before he was satisfied with it.
When a hand caressed his shoulder, he laid down his brush slowly. ‘Windswept? You must let me work.’
‘You’ve spent hours wearing yourself out, trying to make this dreary room more agreeable. It’s time to enjoy yourself, don’t you think?’
War of the Crowns Page 17