Eve of the Pharaoh: Historical Adventure and Mystery

by R. M. Schultz

  Howling, people fell to their knees and recoiled in agony. The body desiccated before my eyes, the heart mummifying in my master’s hand. For a moment, awe-struck wonder transcended horror.

  “Do not make this your fate, people of Thebes,” Akhenaten said. “God placed Pharaoh above you. Do not ever doubt this!” Dropping the wrinkled heart onto the sand beside the corpse, he motioned to his guards. “Bring Nefertiti.”

  Suty reached behind a pillar and dragged out a struggling Nefertiti, following Akhenaten. My mind still reeled in disbelief of what had just occurred, but I limped after them. The Thebans were silent. But then a single angry shout was followed by another and another.

  After marching out of sight of the mob, Akhenaten and his soldiers broke into a run. I hobbled as fast as I could on my aching leg, the woeful cries behind us turning to anger and intensifying.

  Tense minutes crawled by as we raced along narrow streets between mud-brick houses. Falling farther and farther behind, I lost sight of the group. My heart thumped with panic and exertion. Which way was the river?

  The clamor of a pursuing horde echoed off the buildings behind me. Pushing my body as hard as it would go, pain radiated up my leg.

  Veering left where the soldiers had last turned revealed only another empty road. I glanced down all the side streets. Would the people of Thebes accept me as a wounded man? Or in their fury would they link me with Akhenaten?

  The hum of flowing water sounded to the west, calling to me between buildings. I hobbled on. Wind and heat blasted me as I emerged from the city’s edge, the Nile dead ahead. Dirt transformed into mud, pulling my feet deeper with each stride. Grunting in misery, the soft ground suctioned my afflicted limb like a giant leech. Was I in a terrible dream? The sensation of trudging through quicksand with an enraged mob in pursuit reminded me of nightmares. I faltered.

  I hadn’t crossed half of the flooded bank when the soldiers boarded our vessel. Figures wearing faces of rage and anguish poured from between the buildings at my back like hornets from a nest. Screams carried across the open space. Out of utter fear I waded faster.

  After Nefertiti climbed aboard, she glanced back. Reaching out a small hand, she motioned for me to hurry. I staggered through the mud of the early floods, but my body remained weak. The Thebans closed the gap between us as our boat disembarked, to sail away.

  I’d never make it. The Thebans would tear me limb from limb. They’d only know me as the servant of the madman who brutally murdered and devoured the soul of their high priest.

  How could I escape this? Akhenaten’s plan to sail to Elephantine crossed my mind, but what if that was only a cover for his business here? They would have to sail against the current to continue to Elephantine. With the approaching mob that would be risky. Mahu should want to sail north with the river, as fast as he could go, back to Memphis. But picturing the captain lowering the sail to face the wind, I imagined Akhenaten might object.

  I had to guess. The only chance I would have to get out of Thebes alive would be to angle across the shore and shallow water, to intercept their trajectory. Pivoting to my left, I was barely able to breathe as I anticipated the folding of the sail. Would Akhenaten choose north?

  The boat slid into deeper waters, the white sail billowing open with a gust of wind. They were continuing south, to Elephantine …

  Journal Translation

  I’D CORRECTLY ANTICIPATED AKHENATEN’S unpredictable commands. Splashing into the river, the barge was only a short length behind me but much farther out. The Thebans, after seeing the boat launch, turned and chased me.

  I struggled in a diagonal direction against the current. Thankfully, near shore the river’s pull remained feeble, but fear still strangled my heart. The possibility of unknown terrors waiting below scared me more than the mob. But hippopotami and crocodiles wouldn’t live within the waters so close to the city. People would have driven them out long ago.

  Reasoning eased my trepidation, my arms and legs stroking more easily through the water. Most of the Thebans stopped at the bank and shouted, but a few waded in. Our vessel approached, accelerating. Yelling, Mahu and Nefertiti motioned for me to swim farther into the belly of the Nile. I struggled with strokes, but swam slightly better than during my last attempt.

  I fought with all my might. The boat neared, but I was too far away. The bow and Akhenaten passed, then the hull, and the stern. Reaching out, I was still twenty feet away. The crew made no motion to drop the sail or turn around. Mahu ducked into the shallow hull while Nefertiti’s arm movements encouraged me to swim faster. Waves lapped against me. My body and spirit sank in disbelief that they wouldn’t slow down to catch me.

  Reappearing, Mahu flung a rope. The line flew through the air and landed only feet from me. A couple quick strokes and I grabbed hold. My exhausted body wouldn’t allow me to haul myself in, so I tied the end of the line around my chest. Mahu reeled me in and reached out with an open hand. Falling onto the wooden hull, I gasped as my body shook and my head floated in a rush of fog. Nefertiti hugged me even though I was dripping wet and emotionally and physically broken. Her warmth made it all worth it. A flicker of hope ignited in my heart.

  “Thank you,” was all I could mutter, bracing myself on all fours.

  “You were forged with the will of a lion,” Mahu said, “even if you were given the body of a rodent.” Slapping me on the shoulder, he knocked me back to the hull where I rested.

  Akhenaten sat with his back to us. I wrinkled my upper lip in resentment. What had been his intentions in Thebes? Perhaps he desired to instill fear but didn’t bring enough men. Or perhaps he yearned to fuel Theban anger to gain the support of his father. Then he could return with an army. Would starting a war between Upper and Lower Egypt benefit him, or was he just mad?

  Days and nights blurred amidst the howl of wind and water. Mahu navigated during the day, and I took over for short periods in the dark when he and Akhenaten slept. Croc remained at my side, and after several more days I walked the length of the boat without too much pain in my leg.

  “Elephantine!” Akhenaten said, pointing ahead.

  A mysterious island appeared within the morning fog, and wonder filled my mind. The Nile parted around protruding earth, as if the isle would never succumb to even her powers. The howling wind died.

  Gliding closer, the acres within the river grew. The stone base of the island reared from the waters, appearing like majestic elephants. Atop their backs buildings towered over the land. One structure soared above the rest, a watchtower. Sailing past, we turned around after reaching the far side of the isle.

  The five remaining soldiers took up oars as Mahu guided us toward the rock base. As the barge settled against stone, a constituent of spear-toting guards appeared. They stood motionless within a man-made passageway in the rock.

  Akhenaten didn’t acknowledge the Elephantinians, but spoke. “I am Akhenaten, son of Amenhotep III, Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt. I request access to your island, to speak with your high priest, and to stand upon the watchtower.”

  The local guards saluted with outward palms—the sign of adoration—and the tallest among them spoke. “The men and women of Elephantine are ever faithful to the god-king. We and the Aswanians defend Amenhotep’s southern lands from the barbarian hordes of Nubia, the Dark Ones, and the Shadows. We do not ask for aid in this service unless dire need arises, and under Pharaoh we’ve grown strong. We will assist with all you seek.”

  Akhenaten ordered his soldiers ashore. Following, I slipped in surprise when I splashed into ankle deep water in the doorway. The natives led us deep into a flooded tunnel where the Aten’s light disappeared, replaced by the flicker of oil lamps. Layers of horizontal lines were carved into the walls, a measuring device for the water level. The life-giving inundation was underway. But how did the river rise if no rain had fallen?

  Continuing upward through a narrow staircase, the Elephantinians’ footfalls echoed throughout the tunnels. Emerging through
the subterranean level of a small island town, the wind howled in my ears and whipped around buildings. An old man with a shaven head and deeply wrinkled face stared from the roof of an adjacent mud-brick house. He sat unmoving, unblinking. I glanced away, unnerved. Egyptians typically used their roofs as balconies, but something wasn’t right with him. Stabbing pain climbed up my leg as I glanced back … he was gone.

  The guards marched down the rock streets without a word. Anticipation of something awful happening restricted my breathing, but the pain in my leg receded. Why were we here?

  A great wall and watchtower blotted out the southern sky, rising beyond a stone temple. This temple was also covered with a roof, appearing dark inside. Before the situation in Thebes I’d never seen a temple not open to the light of the Aten. Why would someone worship God without basking in his rays?

  Steep stairs circled the tower, and we climbed into the sky. Stepping up to the highest level, we overlooked the world. I gasped in awe as I gazed upon indescribable beauty—beauty like Nefertiti’s.

  A chill wind tore at my hair and kilt, threatening to blow me off. Land spread as far as I could see, cut by the snaking blue ribbon of the Nile. My gaze followed the river south toward its origin, but the waters didn’t have a beginning or end. Where did it all come from? Farmlands didn’t stretch beyond the border of Elephantine. But this wasn’t the end of the world; so much more fertile earth lay beyond. I realized what a juvenile crocodile must feel when thrust into the endless river, forced to fight for survival. But I also needed to undertake the search for my own meaning, in a vast world.

  Black spots dotted a green plain far to the south, wavering across the landscape. A herd of roaming animals? Cattle, donkeys, horses, sheep, or pigs, like we had back home? After what I’d seen on this trip I’d keep an open mind.

  Darker figures appeared at the edge of the grassland, enshrouded in fog. Stopping, the herd lifted small heads and scanned the brush behind them. The new arrivals crept closer. Breaking into a dead run, the herd streaked across the plain. But the predator’s hunched forms, running on two legs, moved with greater speed. A life-and-death chase on the earth below, me a spectator in the heavens. I shuddered. Was this how the Aten saw us?

  Multiple animals toppled over, fading into a gray mist that crawled back toward the tree line. The remainder of the herd raced on.

  I yelled and pointed, turning to the others. But only Nefertiti and two Elephantinian watchmen remained.

  “They went to visit the high priest,” Nefertiti said over the gale and giggled. “You were distracted.”

  “How could I not be?” I asked, motioning at the panorama as my stomach sank. What would transpire between Akhenaten and the high priest of Elephantine? My hands trembled with anxiety, thoughts of having to flee from angry locals filling my mind. But I looked north over Nefertiti’s shoulder. I couldn’t see the city of Thebes, only the unchanging landscape pierced by the river.

  Stepping close, Nefertiti whispered in my ear, “The view’s amazing, but I think Akhenaten wanted to come up here to see if we’re being followed.”

  Journal Translation

  “THIS WAS ONCE THE SOUTHERN border of the world,” an Elephantinian watchman said without turning, his voice old and hoarse. “I’ve watched from these walls for over forty inundations. The land to the fourth cataract is claimed by Amenhotep III, but it is largely uninhabited.”

  I studied the unending scenery. “Did you see the animals taken down by a fog?”

  The guard turned, one shaven eyebrow arching onto his wrinkled forehead. “The lands beyond are ours, but they still run wild. You’ll see strange things if you look long enough. People whisper about the return of the Dark Ones and The Shadows, humanoids living amongst the chaos. Monsters from children’s stories. If they exist, they haven’t challenged our lands, but whispers say their strength and numbers are growing—”

  A dark fog rolled through my mind. Faces bound with white linen emerged over black cloaks. Glowing green mist wisped away. I stumbled to the edge of the precipice. Nefertiti yanked me back. “What’re you doing?” she asked.

  Lunging to safety, I shook with dread. That was the second time the images had appeared. Had I seen them before? In nightmares? “What are the Dark Ones?” I asked.

  “I’ve never seen one,” the watchman said. “They’re only children’s tales, but Nubians speak of humanoid creatures wielding great magic. Supposedly they rose against Egypt millennia ago and sent us spiraling into darkness. Not until the god-king who could command the sphinx came were they wiped out. If any of that is real it is ancient history.”

  I could no longer see the herd. “Who could command a sphinx? They’re statues.”

  “Legends, boy,” he said. “But we still mold sphinx from stone, to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies. The days of the old kings and their power are gone. People once said, ‘He who could command the sphinx ruled Egypt.’ But no one has done so for eons.”

  My forehead wrinkled in confusion. Looking west and then east, the vast desert stretched to the horizons. Not far down the east bank sat a town flanked by a towering mountain of rock.

  “That is Aswan,” the Elephantinian said. “It was once our southern frontier and a wealthy trade city along the routes to Nubia and to the east. The roads have grown cold and stale.”

  “The mountain is impressive,” I said.

  “Holy,” he replied. “Granite stone with a grandeur unmatched anywhere in the world. Many of the great monuments and temples of Egypt were carved from the mountain itself.” He nodded to the southeast. “The mud-brick walls marked the edge of the world at the first cataract, before Egypt’s influence extended—”

  “What’s a cataract?” I asked.

  Pointing a gnarled finger toward the blue ribbon, he said, “Man cannot sail around those granite outcroppings teaming with rapids. The wall and the natural cataract protect the organized world from the chaos beyond.” He paused. “That and a crocodile breeding program we borrowed from the northerners and their Walls-of-Snefru—”

  “What?” Nefertiti said, holding a hand to her mouth.

  “We infested the moats,” he said. “No one has breached it in centuries. Would you try?”

  Nefertiti’s face turned ashen. Images of creatures lurking in crocodile-plagued waters summoned jitters and constricted my throat.

  Massive clouds rolled in, a gust bending my body under its force. Huddling over Nefertiti, I gazed up at the purple peaks floating against a blue sky.

  “Sorcery is at work,” the watchman said, his knuckles blanching upon his spear’s shaft.

  “Why do you say that?” I yelled over the incoming squall.

  “The thunderheads ride a ghostly wind out of the west.” He pointed with his weapon. “Days grow darker in the south yet rain seldom falls here, even during the inundation. But we’ll feel this wrath.”

  The clouds sailed across the sky with the speed of a cheetah, putting my nerves on edge. I wasn’t sure how I felt about magic after seeing the display in the streets of Memphis—those arrows encircling Akhenaten, the magician with the white cat, the lady referring to him as the son of Hapu—

  Slipping her hand into mine, Nefertiti braced against the wind and stared into the tempest. Excitement and fascination sparked as I, too, stood against the storm. She kissed my cheek, bringing a burgeoning smile of elation to my lips. My body tingled with excitement, and I turned to gaze upon my love with more wonder and awe than when gazing across the open world. I studied her dark eyes, deep green makeup, lustrous hair, high cheekbones, demure nose, shapely chin, and full lips. She smiled but didn’t turn her head, allowing me to indulge in her beauty. For a moment I was king of the world.

  Cold water pelted my bare shoulders, snapping me back into reality. Streams from the sky assailed the watchtower just as Akhenaten, his soldiers, and a group of Elephantinians stepped upon the landing. Nefertiti jerked her hand from mine.

  “Are any boats trailing us from the
north?” Akhenaten asked.

  “No, son of the god-king,” the watchman answered.

  Leaning into the wind and rain, Suty and Mahu peered in all directions. Akhenaten was subtle, but leaned on his walking stick as he carved symbols into the air and whispered under the racket of the downpour. He motioned, as if turning pages of papyrus in the wind. “Time to return to Memphis,” he said. “We will pass Thebes under the cover of night.” The rain pounded harder. My master led us away, the descent accentuating his awkward gait.

  I released a long sigh of relief. Surviving several weeks on a perilous adventure across the world, I’d experienced more than most servants. It was time to return home.

  Proceeding through the small town, people celebrated the great inundation by dancing in the rain. But when we passed they stopped. Following the stairwell and tunnel, we stepped back into the flooded basement of the island. The hash marks confirmed the water had already risen.

  Waiting for my turn to board, an eerie sensation overcame me followed by images of the past. I couldn’t help but glance back, half expecting a mob of angry Elephantinians to be chasing us. But no men stampeded. Only a small group watched from the cellar. The old man from the rooftop balcony was there, his stark face sending chills along my spine.

  I stepped aboard, giving one last glance over my shoulder. Whispering amongst themselves, the Elephantinians pointed but showed no hostility. The old man remained silent, unblinking. He resembled the watchtower guard. Impossible. He couldn’t have arrived already.

  The torrential downpour soaked through my kilt as I sat near the stern. Shoving away from the island, we angled into the belly of the Nile. Mahu steered as the raging river lifted and propelled us. Red-tinged waters swelled and exploded over the banks, pushing rocks the size of boats while uprooting shrubs and trees. The power of the current summoned feelings of vulnerability and insignificance. Did all this water come from precipitation emptying into the Nile? We sped downriver, although we now rode into the howling wind.