“You are a unique man, Sennefer and the gods have given you very unusual talents. I read my son’s letters after his death, something I never conceived I would be in a position to do. He was fulsome in his praise of your years of devotion to the restoration of the Memphite necropolis. Khaemwaset would have made a gifted ruler as he was endowed with aspects of character I lack and greater wisdom in many matters. I have lived too long. It is a terrible thing to bury the son who should have taken my place on the throne. My grief is only tempered by the knowledge his remains are inviolate and his soul now reposes with the Elect of Heaven.”
As we spoke, the last boulders and chips went down the shaft. The priests then shovelled rocks and sand over the mouth until the area was indistinguishable from its surrounds. We gathered and Bakenkhons led us in one final prayer, accompanied by the chanting of the priests. Just before we turned towards Memphis, Ramesses and Hori looked back, tears in their eyes, hopefully the last humans to look upon the grave of a truly great son of Egypt.
Chapter 33- THE FALCON AND THE IBIS
Egypt – 1209 BC
The king lived on, seemingly indestructible but the price he paid for his longevity was great. As his reign lengthened, so it was marked with more deaths.
After Khaemwaset’s passing, Neferure and I left Memphis and moved north to Pi-Ramess. Memories of Ipi still lingered in the house and I found myself recalling, with fondness, her pleasure in my coming home with unusual gifts, the joy received from the exquisite treasures given by Nefertari and Isetnofret and the care she took in living with items bought in Thebes and the Delta for our living quarters. Before her entombment, I packed many of the most cherished tokens of our life together, in cedar chests and placed them within her crypt but it proved too emotionally wrenching to remove every trace of her and nor did I wish this. There were still pieces in the house that brought back sweet memories and, if Neferure noticed these occasional moments of reflection, she tactfully made no mention of my tender recollections.
Happily, Hathor and Sobek granted to us several children and watching them grow into adulthood and develop their own lives has been a delight. Our sons have followed in my footsteps and my family is well respected throughout the land.
As the seasons passed, the gods continued to reap a melancholy harvest amongst the king’s children. By his eighty-ninth year, his twelve eldest sons had died and many younger sons and daughters had made their voyage into eternity. Only his great wife, Bintanath, survived from his eldest daughters and the Beautiful Valley held the tombs of Nebettawy, Meryetamun, Hentmire, Henttawy, Sutereray and his beloved Nefertari.
The loss of his elder sons grieved him deeply as these were the men who helped him consolidate his rule. Amunhirkopshef, Meryamun, Seti, Senpenre and Prehirwenemef had stood beside their father at the triumphal service after Qadesh. Ramesses, Admiral of the fleet he built with dedication, Mentuhirkopshef and Setemhiramun were at his side during the siege of Dapur, Nebenkharu served with excellence as governor of Nubia and Meryre and Horhiwonemef followed distinguished careers in pharaoh’s army. Khaemwaset’s death was the most grievous blow of all and Ramesses felt his loss more keenly than the rest. As the king aged, much of the burden of kingdom’s stewardship fell to Merenptah and his brother, Amenhotep, with Ramesses relinquishing administrative matters to his remaining eldest sons.
Being of a similar age, Ramesses and I slipped easily into the habits of old men. Some days, we fished on the river’s edge, made devotions together, discussed the vagaries of life or played senet in tree-shaded pavilions in the palace gardens. To pass the time and keep our minds sharp, he had taken to ordering copies of archives from the House of Life for despatch to Pi-Ramess, where we spent hours studying the chronicles of the past. One summer’s afternoon, fresh from the luncheon table we sat, reading together. Perhaps the food was too rich and he became dyspeptic. He looked up from a scroll, tapped me on my arm and said,
“I wish to talk about a matter taxing my mind.”
“Master, as always I am at your immediate service. Of what do you wish to talk?” He no longer admonished me when I showed less than reverence for his person, acknowledging long ago I was incorrigible and beyond redemption.
He grumbled. “Merenptah is a solid man but lacks the strategic finesse of Khaemwaset. His greatest strength, his military skills, will stand the kingdom in good stead against the Sea People and Libu, who become more restive by the year. I do not know how much longer the Hittites can resist the hostile pressures they face from these aggressive parasites. I advised Merenptah to attack and destroy some portion of their alliance before it becomes too powerful but he tells me he prefers to wait and watch, not, in my opinion, the sign of a dynamic ruler.”
“Possibly, Great Lion of the Desert, he does not want a repetition of the difficulties you experienced at Qadesh. The Sea People are principally a maritime power and our naval commanders don’t know, as yet, where their main battle fleets are based so Merenptah strengthens our naval forces and trains more soldiers. Let the trouble come to us, if it must. It is my observation that sailors do not make good soldiers and the Delta’s fortifications are immense. Now that we receive shipments of iron weapons from the Hittites, our infantry is much better equipped than they were when you impetuously sallied forth into Canaan as a young warrior-king.”
“I curse the infirmity age brings. My teeth give me endless trouble, my back is bent and my body aches. If it was not for these irritants, I would gird my loins again and show my son how to smite Asiatic heads.”
“You become petulant in your old age. You have many capable children left to defend the kingdom. Was it not last week the vizier and treasurer spoke of the stability and wealth of your realm. You have built strong and deep.”
“Sennefer, let me give you a short lesson in governing a kingdom. You are a brilliant architect, possibly the best this country has seen but there is more to the strength of a country than just its buildings. Yes, our fortifications are admirable, our army and navy well equipped and trained, we have been at peace for over sixty years, the granaries burst with seed and my treasury rooms are stacked high with gold and electrum bars. But what has made this so?” He looked at me keenly, not really expecting an answer to this rhetorical question. One thing I had learnt about Ramesses was that, when he wanted to expostulate, the listener should remain mute and, though he was an aged lion, his claws had not been drawn and he could unsheathe them when annoyed or frustrated.
“One thing and only one thing, me! You have spent half your lifetime researching our past and you possess a profound intellect. The House of Life is a tribute to you and Khaemwaset and, if Nefertari were still alive, she might kiss your leathery face by way of thanks. Over the past decade, we have read almost every scroll and document stored in those dusty rooms and what do you learn from these piles of dry papyrus? Surely you have read about the Akkadians, Amorites, Sumerians, Assyrians,Cretans, Babylonians and their King, Hammurabi? You know of the Hittites but do you study the information coming in from my agents to the north of Hatti? From whence come these Sea People, why do they ally against the Hittites and lust after our wealth?”
“My kingdom, Egypt, has enjoyed a civilisation for over1,700 years and, as far as I can detect, there has never been a nation like ours in the great world around us. Yet during the centuries, other kingdoms have risen, matured and then fallen like over-ripe fruit from a tree. Mighty warriors have built these kingdoms, just as Kamose and Ahmose rose up from obscurity to re-build the realm after the Hyksos invaders. We only need to look at the role Horemheb took in recent history to observe the singular importance of one great man.” He paused to ensure he held my attention.
“When last I consulted the King List I counted over one hundred and ninety men and a few women who have claimed to be a ruler. I ask you, how many of those rulers can you name, let alone declare great? Most were ephemeral, many were fools, the majority sat on the throne as though it was a bed and a few, so few you could not fil
l the room in which we sit, were men who aspired to greatness and achieved it. The royal mantle has fallen on many shoulders but the spark igniting the passion to rule majestically has been given to only this handful. The gods have looked at Egypt, their creation, and infused the few chosen or determined enough to seize an opportunity presented.”
“I, a living god, was delivered to make our land the most magnificent country the world has known and this I have achieved. The burning desire to succeed, to build in honour of the gods and then successfully rule a kingdom is a unique gift. I dared to believe they had honoured Khaemwaset with the same aptitude but he was taken prematurely and I know not why my parents have so forsaken me. Now I live in hope Merenptah has been granted this same inspired gift but doubts gnaw at my soul.”
“And in your heart, Ramesses, do you see this talent?”
“To be honest, despite demonstrating much ability, I have yet to see the bond with Horus manifest itself as he seems not divinely inspired or he conceals the inspiration well. My deeper concerns lie with his children, his heir, Prince Seti and his brothers, Khaemwaset and Merenptah, as I perceive no spark, no sign of strength, no great devotion to the gods and this troubles me deeply. I am almost ashamed they bear the same names as the best of my own.” Deep within my soul, I was anguished at the king’s terrible despair and sought to find words to bring him comfort.
“They honour you in their choice of names. They are as yet young and you must allow them time to mature.”
“I fear you are wrong, Sennefer. Seti is now older than I was when I ascended the throne and he has married Tawosret, an odious, grasping woman, who is not fit to walk in an embalmer’s shadow, let alone at the side of a future ruler. Have seeds already been sown that will grow into weeds to choke the throne with their rankness?”
“Only the gods can answer your question. I may not fully understand the attributes required to rule a kingdom, although you obviously possess these skills. What can never be questioned is the significance of your rule and achievements. If you were to die at this moment, none will ever doubt your greatness, what you have built, not only in buildings and monuments to the gods but a kingdom that has enjoyed a time of peace and prosperity without parallel. Surely this is as much as you can hope for. You cannot live forever. One day soon, we must both be called to meet Osiris and be judged on what we have achieved. Be content, Ramesses, your path has been wide and long and is festooned at every step with the garlands of your glory.”
The familiar smile returned. “You have grown wise in your old age. Perhaps you are right and I overly concern myself with matters I can no longer control. When I was a young and lusty king, I beheld magnificent visions of the future, my mind was filled with building great monuments, of battles to be waged and how I would engender a powerful dynasty but now, as I hobble around in this dried up old frame, I am frustrated because I cannot foresee how Egypt’s future will enfold. Of one matter, however, I am sure. It is my belief that you will outlive me, as the gods wish you to see my remains safely locked away in that cold basalt pile awaiting me in the Theban Hills.”
“As long as you die soon.” I jested. “Getting out of bed is now a task almost equal to raising another colossus in your honour and this body grows wearier with each passing day. But I have a serious question, the asking of which must reflect on my fear of your majesty but I am long intrigued by a small and trifling matter.”
“Take care, even if the quaver in your voice comes not from fear but from infirmity. I believe I am still the pharaoh, am I not? Your question?”
“If you are a living god, why are you afflicted by such trouble with your teeth?”
He laughed heartily. “I live in eternal hope that Thoth notes your perpetual impiety. You will soon have an opportunity of asking Osiris your question in person, ancient builder. Come, we have talked too long, my mouth hurts and I must see if there are any fish left in the river for us to catch before Re’s barque sinks too low on the horizon.”
Five days later he lay dead, his great heart still and his earthly concerns extinguished at his last breath. Queen Bintanath came to my quarters to break the much dreaded but long expected news. She and Neferure, both now elderly ladies, held each other tightly and wept freely. I sat motionless, unwilling to accept that he was really gone, finally severing the bond of seventy years of intimate friendship. Recovering, I uttered my first thought. “May I see him?” I asked of Bintanath.
“Of course. Sennefer, you were his greatest friend. I will take you both to where he lies.”
As we moved through the palace to the king’s apartment, all those attached to the royal household, wept. The air chilled and the sky darkened ominously, though it was still early morning. We entered the chamber where he lay as though asleep upon his pallet but the spark of life had fled his body. What was left was a mere shrunken husk, the once tanned skin waxen yellow, his red hair dull and lifeless. I crossed to the bed, touched his still warm face and closed his sightless eyes with my fingers. Moving his arms with gentle care, I crossed them over his chest and took the royal insignia from the table beside him, placed the flail in his left hand and the crook in his right. Then, satisfied he gave the appearance of a king lying in state, I prostrated myself before him, shuddering with grief until Bintanath bade me rise. Neferure leant down and kissed her father’s lips in farewell.
Just before we made to leave the man I loved as a brother, the sound of beating wings filled the room and there arose from the bed the spectre of a mighty falcon. It hovered over the body, then took flight out over the terrace and upwards towards the sun. Heavy black clouds had raced up from the west and blackened the firmament; lightning bolts flashed across the sky and peals of thunder tore asunder the dawn silence. We looked up into the turbulent sky, seeking to follow the falcon’s path as it rose higher till it was lost from sight. The pale orb of the sun, flickering like a torch starved of fuel, shone dimly through the roiling clouds. Bintanath and Neferure joined me on the terrace, fearful and trembling.
“Fear not, the Pharaoh journeys to his true home.” I said to calm them. Behind the clouds, the sun began to blaze, creating a corona that drove the clouds away before its spreading rays. The lightning and thunder abated and the wind-swept bowl of the sky regained a brilliant clear blue. “Look, he has boarded the solar barque and sits before Amun-Re.”
The chill lifted from the palace and we stood on the terrace, bathed in the intensifying warmth of the solar disc. Still looking skywards, we stood transfixed as a golden falcon flew towards us, filling our vision and we heard again the rush of beating wings. Alighting and shimmering within a radiant aura, the bird’s gilded talons hooked onto the balustrade and the falcon spread wide its bejewelled wings. The feathered head turned towards us, its eyes studied us closely, and then the giant wings swept forward and enfolded us for a moment before releasing their embrace. The plumed head inclined forward, its brazen beak dipping in salute and then the bird took flight, soaring ever higher until it vanished into the rays of the sun. We stood motionless, overcome with awe and emotion, until the spell was broken by a hammering on the door.
“Enter” commanded the queen. The high priests from the Temples of Seth, Amun, Re and Ptah, garbed in the robes of death, entered and prostrated themselves before the king’s body. They rose and offered condolences. The priest from the Temple of Seth said “With your permission, Queen Bintanath, we come to claim the body as the process of preserving his mortal shell must commence immediately.”
“A moment”. She and Neferure moved to his body, kissed his forehead and hands and stood back. “You have my permission and I entrust him to you. Treat his remains with reverence as his ba now watches over us.”
The priest clapped his hands and eight Sem priests entered with a golden bier mounted on their shoulders. They went to the bed, placed the bier on the ground and reverently lifted the body onto the carriage, covering it with a white linen shroud. Silently, they lifted the grim burden to their shoulders, and
led by the temple priests, departed the chamber.
Tidings of the king’s passing circulated through the city and spread throughout the land. The kingdom mourned. For most, Ramesses was the only ruler they had known and, in their hearts, all felt an enormous sense of loss. Merenptah, who had been at the fortress at Saite, immediately returned to Pi-Ramess and swiftly took matters into his hands. He ordered one month of mourning and every temple was instructed to offer daily prayers to the dead king until the funeral ceremonies were complete. Later in the day, messengers streamed out across the land to announce a new king had taken up the reins of power. Wisely, another series of commands put the armed forces on full alert lest our enemies seek to take advantage of the realm’s distress. Merenptah summonsed me to his quarters soon after his arrival and, after expressing my sorrow at his loss, he thanked me.
“Lord Sennefer, the moment has finally come to complete your last and most noble work. Some ninety days must pass before my father’s body is ready for the voyage to Thebes. As soon as we have assembled his funerary goods here, I would ask you travel there with the treasure ships. Upon your arrival, please give this letter to the Royal Guard commander, whom you can safely take into your confidence. It is an instruction to convey the funerary goods from the treasure ships to the tomb in the Great Place. He will arrange a detachment of Guard officers to replace the temple guards in the valley until the entombment ritual is complete for both ceremonies. You will also have at your disposal a band of highly trusted officers from the Guard here to assist you with your other tasks. They are men loyal to my father.”
The Golden Falcon Page 53