The Golden Falcon

by David C. Clark

  Ramesses had previously commissioned a considerable number of statues of himself from Aswan for despatch to monuments throughout the kingdom, so he took advantage of this visit to inspect the workings of the quarry. There was an obelisk to go to Pi-Ramess, two images of the king destined for Abydos and numerous statues that would ultimately grace the mortuary temple. The quarry also worked greywacke, another fine hard dark stone used in statuary. For the processional avenue at the Ramesseum, I had ordered a double row of recumbent sphinxes carved in this stone, each bearing the Pharaohs head wrapped in the nemes cloth.

  Pronouncing himself satisfied, he enquired when we proposed loading the colossus. When I said it was too late in the afternoon to commence, he consulted his sons and decided there was enough time for a hunting party and some sport. I politely declined his invitation to join the hunt as Nebamun and I had to organise matters in readiness for the next day’s adventure. With royal pleasure in mind, Ramesses and his entourage sped off into the desert wastes.

  The morning greeted us with serious news. The river’s flow had overnight increased and the first traces of muddy water had been sighted at the fortresses, offering proof the inundation had begun early. This could create potentially disastrous complications. When Prince Ramesses and his captains joined us at the quay, I could see a look of concern in their eyes. Nebamun and his foreman quickly assembled their gangs whilst the warships deployed smartly up river. The king, Khaemwaset and Merenptah arrived and I explained the situation to them, stating we needed to begin quickly to avert a possible catastrophe. Haulers harnessed up along their lines and I signalled to Nebamun to drag the statue onto the raft. The loading proved to be stimulating but fortunately uneventful.

  After the behemoth was lashed to the raft, rudders were erected, lines run out to the warships, which towed her from her berth into the river as I did not want to waste time employing hauling gangs. The warships took positions behind The Lady of Grace, which had began to drift downriver as soon as she slipped into the midstream current. As yet, there was no need for the oarsmen to slow her forward momentum but the increasing flow of the swelling river had taken hold of the raft, which already moved more quickly than her predecessor.

  The king needed no urging to board his barque where he noticed piles of tow ropes stacked on deck, a liberty I took in case we needed to augment the braking power of the warships. I joined Ramesses on deck as the fleet pulled away from the quay. Under sail and oar, we swiftly overtook the raft. On the warships, Prince Ramesses instructed his captains to lower oars and slow the vessel. The helmsmen on the rudders worked furiously to keep her mid stream as the swirling river was developing eddies that, if not countered, could cause her to veer off course and run aground or collide with the river bank. The two transports in the van struggled to keep ahead of the raft and still provide additional steerage.

  Prince Ramesses called across the water as we passed his ship. “I believe we will find this journey a little more exciting than the first. The river is running very strongly.” Imhotep, who was also on the king’s barque, paced the deck, muttering to himself and looking anxiously at the banks as they sped by. The king beckoned him to join us.

  “Master Imhotep, do we have a problem?”

  Forgetting himself, he replied “On pharaoh’s beard, we do. We are moving twice as fast this time and I become concerned about stopping this beast at Thebes. I spoke with Prince Ramesses before we left and it is hoped, having more warships will be sufficient to halt her. With your permission, Master, can I send a swift vessel ahead to see what other ships we can muster at Thebes? We may need more than we have assembled.”

  “By pharaoh’s beard, do as you need.” the king commanded with a smile. Imhotep reddened, remembering his casual oath. “Take Prince Merenptah’s barque. She sails like a dragonfly over water and his crew are well trained in the art of racing.”

  Ramesses signalled for Merenptah’s barque to come along aside and gave explicit orders to the captain to place himself at Imhotep’s disposal. The waterman jumped over the gunwales onto the prince’s vessel, which then leapt ahead under full sail. There was at least two days sailing before we arrived at Thebes, thus giving him time to commandeer more vessels.

  Sailing north, we passed villages whose residents offered their salutations to the king. The officials monitoring the Nilometres could determine, at the beginning of the swelling of the river, the probable extent of the flooding. Messengers travelled the realm, heralding the tidings that the inundation would be fair and the land would flourish anew. A wave of rejoicing followed the news down river for the people understood their king was again judged favourably by the gods. In another month, these settlements would be islands in a sea of water and movement restricted to punts and sailing vessels. Though livestock had to be driven to higher ground and hand fed and life grind to a halt for several months, the king’s subjects would rejoice in their watery isolation.

  Even though we shared a growing disquiet, there was little we could do as our destination still lay many leagues away. I passed restless hours in inner perturbation. Ramesses, sensing my disquiet, sought to distract my mind. He asked me to join him and Khaemwaset at dinner with the comment I must not overly concern myself with matters the gods would determine. I thought to remind him of his remark if the raft sped past Thebes! No doubt his pithy reply would be ‘What the gods give, they can also take away’ before despatching Nebamun, Imhotep and me to the nearest quarry in chains.

  During dinner, he raised the matter of the library. “My son is inviting the learned men of the kingdom to move to Thebes and many are eager to reside at the academy of learning so beloved by Queen Nefertari.”

  “That is commendable, Master.” Addressing myself to Khaemwaset I said “I met the official you have selected to preside over the wise men. He seems a delightful fellow.”

  “Yes, I had just the man we need serving at the temple in Memphis. Bakenkhons is scholarly by nature but he knows how to manage gifted men. He has been Second Apostle of Ptah for many years under my tutelage and if he can govern a gaggle of priests, he can certainly supervise scholars with diplomacy and grace.”

  Ramesses said “When we have finished the business of the second statue, I will consecrate the House of Life to Amun-Re in the names of Nefertari and Isetnofret. Our history is long and, whilst kings have caused great monuments to rise up in their names and those of the gods, none have sought to comprehensively record our history in anything other than inscriptions and widely dispersed temple archives. Khaemwaset has discovered very long periods of earlier eras without any apparent record, especially in times of instability when rulers careless of the truth may have sought to destroy chronicles. Many years ago Pharaoh Amenhotep III said ‘The strength of a person is in his intelligence’. He was only partially correct. The strength of a country is in its collective wisdom and this is known only through what is documented.” He paused in contemplation, idly watching the river banks passing by under the silvery moonlight. Occasionally, we saw villagers gathered around fires set against the background of the desert fastness, overlaid by the mantle of night.

  “Sennefer, I wish to broach another subject as your seem to have little of importance on your mind at the moment.”

  “Master, you know I am as free as the wind of cares. My table is devoid of papers, no plans clutter my office and I sit in sloth, only waiting in eager expectation of more taxing demands from my king.”

  “You see, Khaemwaset, how deeply my architect respects his monarch. If all my subjects showed such profound regard for their ruler, I would need a bodyguard of thousands. However, you must learn to work with this ill formed clay as he does clever things with stone and mortar.” He and I laughed together, confident in our easy familiarity. Khaemwaset, aware of his father’s regard, smiled broadly.

  “Perhaps I can find a cure for your sloth? One of my duties is to extend due respect to my royal ancestors by maintaining their graves and offering benefaction in their honour.
Although, in my opinion, many in the past were unworthy or weak rulers and some usurped the throne by stealth, force or invasion, all wore the crowns of the kingdom. Even when our land was split asunder into Upper and Lower Egypt and two men wore the crowns of a divided kingdom, they were all touched by the gods. I chose to believe some have felt the touch lightly or not at all, whilst a few accepted the heavy burden of kingship. You cannot travel our land and not see when divinity embraced a ruler and made him a noble king. From the time of the immortal King Menes, Egypt has witnessed the building of impressive tributes that bear the hallmark of rulers ennobled by our gods. I commissioned Khaemwaset to survey our history and prepare a true list of rulers and he now compiles what we hope is an accurate King List but, as he is an inquisitive fellow, he went further with his investigation. He asked for written reports from the priests in the vicinity of all royal burial grounds as to the location and condition of each royal grave. My son, tell Sennefer of your findings.”

  “My position of Sem priest of the Temple of Ptah gives me some little authority to ensure that what I request is replied to quickly and honestly. Few are brave enough to hide the truth from a Sem priest.” His father’s smile played upon his lips. “Unhappily, I can report the final resting places of many of the minor rulers are lost to us. This is not surprising as the desert hides many secrets and records written on papyrus can decay, be lost or damaged with the passage of time and I suspect, some negligence by temple priests.”

  “However, the more disturbing news concerns the number of damaged regal tombs. Years of neglect, theft of building material and evidence of intentional destruction is clearly apparent in many places. I have consulted my father and we have commenced repairing royal graves in honour of those who repose therein, especially the rulers who bought glory to the kingdom in days long past. Damage to tombs fashioned in mud brick is particularly pronounced, though monuments built of stone have fared more favourably. My father wisely builds in stone as mud has no lasting durability.” He paused and took a sip of wine. We felt the pulse of the current under our feet and noted settlements slipping by all too quickly.

  “Several of the reports are of a still more disturbing nature. They tell of the robbery and pillage of royal tombs. There are tombs stripped of their contents and bodies defiled or destroyed. With some urgency, I have asked for more detailed reports from priests who have detected these acts of desecration. I have a particularly shocking report stating the tomb of King Sobkemsaf I, was not only robbed but the bodies of the king and his family burnt. I can scarcely credit this information to be true as Sobkemsaf ruled in Thebes only three hundred years ago. The wrath of Osiris will have visited the evil men who broke into the holy sepulchres of our royal families and he would have delighted in casting the desecrater’s souls to the Great Devourer.”

  I was indignant. “Who would do such a thing? What manner of man would break into a grave, anyone’s grave and destroy or steal the body of its occupant? For Osiris to throw such a person’s soul to the Eater of the Dead is just reward but what of the desecrated or stolen body?”

  Khaemwaset replied “Sennefer, whilst the loss or damage to a body is grievous, it is not fatal to the immortality of the soul. Countess Egyptians have died in our past and most could not afford the benefit of preservation or a secure tomb. At the dawn of our civilisation, most remains were buried in simple sand graves where desert jackals could have found and devoured them.Our gods acknowledge that not all men can protect their husks for all time. It is enough the name of a person or an image remains somewhere on the face of the earth so his soul can revisit what remains of his physical presence.”

  “There is an immensely different set of conditions concerning a king’s body. His existence is by decision of Amun and the Great Potter on whose wheel the king’s form is shaped. As Horus made manifest, his body is but a temporary shell for his sacred soul. As it was divinely ordained, the sanctified body must enjoy eternal protection after death. The king’s body is an ornament from heaven and whilst his spirit can visit his resting place, gaze upon his images and caress his name, it is imperative that a departed king’s body be preserved and remains inviolate.”

  Ramesses took up the conversation. “The situation is worse than we realised. When my son told me of the desecration of royal burials, I commanded the high priest to have the temple archives searched for any reference to this subject. Nebwenenef sent me the records of an investigation by Pharaoh Horemheb into the attempted robbery of the tomb of Tuthmosis IV. The robbers were apprehended, interrogated with some vigour and then impaled after admitting their guilt. Horemheb ordered a close investigation of all the royal tombs and found more. Thieves had also tried to break into the tombs of Tutankhamen and Amenhotep III. Fortunately, the bodies were not disturbed and the slight damage was repaired under his order.”

  Khaemwaset looked to his father, who nodded his head.

  “Amenhotep III’s son, Akhenaten, was tainted with evil and his mind twisted by mis-guided beliefs. Nevertheless he was, without doubt, the son of a pharaoh. Akhenaten’s lineage was pure and above reproach and upon his death, his remains deserved respect. Any punishment he warranted was the sole province of Osiris. I sent priests to the ruined city of Akhet-Aten to report the condition of his tomb. The tomb and sarcophagus are empty, the painted plaster defaced and a few fragments of the burial finery lay scattered on the floors. It is unclear if his mother and daughter, Princess Meryetaten, were entombed with him and there is no sign of the burial of his wife, Queen Nefertiti.”

  Ramesses interjected “I know not what happened at Akhet-Aten. Many despised and hated Akhenaten, especially the priesthood whose power and influence he sought to destroy. There would have been those who desired the desecration of his body as they did the symbols of Aten. However, he was anointed as the king. Neither he nor his family merited the destruction of their bodies or damage to their graves. It is not a matter I wish to investigate too closely as I may detect the hand of Ay or Horemheb dirtied with sacrilege and no blemish must mar their reputations. I can trust you not to disclose this matter but this revelation does have relevance to my new request.”

  Whilst I am not deeply religious, I shrank from the possibility my body or that of my wife and our children would ever be touched after our deaths. To now learn there were people venal enough to disturb the grave and despoil the body of a king or queen was an abhorrent thought. Ramesses saw the distaste writ upon my face.

  “Sennefer, you realise we who rule and administer are high born and well educated. Unhappily, my people are, for the most, unlettered and care little for their religion and its great teachings. They labour in ignorance and scant knowledge of the wisdom of our deities. They hear the names and titles of the gods and may have some feeble concept of the Second Life. They use the name of the Great Devourer as a term of affectionate insult but have no awareness of his terrible reality. The multitudes will only know of their folly when their souls appear before Osiris and the Divine Scales. Ammut is ever hungry for the souls of non-believers, the irreligious and those who have harboured evil in their hearts.”

  “Surely, Ramesses, with all the monuments, temples, stellae and inscriptions you and your forebears have erected in the land, all men and women would understand their fate if they choose to stray from the path of righteousness?”

  “There are none as blind as those who will not see. Now I must consider more practical matters. The gods have given me fifty years and my days must be numbered. I desire you build me a tomb that can never be despoiled, a tomb only my spirit can enter after it is sealed, a fortress to eternally enfold my remains. You are wise in the ways of stone and mechanisms. Your heart is pure and you are both a faithful servant and sincere friend. I entrust this task, one greater than you have undertaken for me before, to you. Are you equal to this task as I can turn to no other?”

  They looked at me in expectation. “I must think on this. What men can make, others strive to defeat. I can give you no answer today
but, if the gods guide my hand, I may discern a way to accede to this request. As you spoke, I suspected for a moment you contemplated asking me to build something simple like a pyramid. If I am successful, this would be noblest way I by which I could repay your friendship.”

  “What, no pyramid? I am sure your skill will not fail you even if I desired such a monument. I have one further request and forgive me, Khaemwaset, for what I next say. I deeply respect and honour your mother, Isetnofret. She is a dutiful and loving wife but it was Nefertari who captured my heart during her life with me. When I die, I wish you to bring Nefertari’s body from her tomb and place it next to mine so we may lie together in eternity.”

  “Father, you have no need to apologise. I love my wife, Nefertiabet, as deeply as I believe you loved Nefertari. Isetnofret is a wonderful mother but Nefertari was possessed of an inner warmth and joy my mother does not have.”

  “Master, these are sentiments I have no right to hear. I shall retire.” I murmured.

  “No, Sennefer, I ask you stay as you are as dear to me as a brother. My friend and my wisest son, give me your pledge you will honour this request.” We both gave him our hand as a token of our pledge.

  “Forgive me, Ramesses, I must away as there is a slightly more urgent matter to attend to now, one increasingly looming over our shoulder. I must confer with Prince Ramesses about stopping this monster behind us. If it escapes us and sails off into the Great Sea, my friendship with you may be placed in jeopardy. We arrive in Thebes tomorrow morning so plans must be made. You will have noticed the river is gathering pace?”

  Ramesses smiled broadly and said in jest. “Have no fear, my friend. If we cannot stop the raft and it sails down to the Delta, I will ask you to build another temple there to surround my likeness.”