Fall of the House of Ramesses, Book 3: Tausret

by Max Overton

  "You would have me favour Menmire Amenmesse's son over that of Userkheperure Seti?"

  "Favour them equally, Majesty. Siptah is a motherless boy--be a mother to him and help him be king. Seti-Merenptah is a baby--be a mother to him also, and raise him to be a future king."

  Tausret sighed. "I suppose I could try."

  "The gods will bless you. And if it will help you, change his given name from Ramesses-Siptah which was the gift of his father Menmire, and..."

  "I am not calling him Seti-Siptah."

  Nefertem smiled. "I was going to suggest that you strengthened his ties to the great Baenre Merenptah who was the grandfather of both boys, and call him Merenptah-Siptah. Then both boys will bear the name Merenptah and will be brothers."

  "Being brothers does not prevent enmity," Tausret observed.

  "Indeed, Majesty, but they are both children and amenable to instruction. Raise them to love their brother and they will."

  "This is what the gods want?"

  "Yes. The struggle in the heavens reflects what could happen on earth. Re overcame the shadow and Ma'at was restored, and so will the Ma'at of the kingdoms if Siptah can rule wisely and in peace. You, as Regent, influence the king."

  "Then I shall do what I can," Tausret said.

  ***

  Tausret cut short her travels and returned to Men-nefer, where she announced that henceforth the king would be known as Akhenre Setepenre Merenptah-Siptah. Eyebrows were raised at the studied insult to Amun inherent in the god's removal from the king's coronation name, but as the population of Men-nefer favoured the gods Re and Ptah, no objections were raised. Siptah accepted the change without comment, and Bay, after some cogitation, pronounced himself in favour, as if his approval was necessary for the change.

  "I will join with my king on this auspicious day and change my name also," he announced. "I am known to you all as Bay the Amorite, yet I was born in Kemet and feel myself to be fully Kemetu, even as I am uncle to Akhenre Siptah, Lord of the Two Lands. I will take for myself Kemetu names that reflect the god Re, but also Amun, for my parents served in Ta Shemau. Henceforth, I will be known as Ramesse Kha'amen-teru Bay--Re fashioned him, spirit of the god Amun, Bay."

  Bay's announcement caused a stir. A number of people objected to this Amorite taking holy Kemetu names, but others were uneasy about the man identifying himself with the spirit of Amun. It was one thing for a king to claim such close kinship with a god, but for a commoner--and a foreigner too--to do so, smacked of arrogance. These objections were voiced, but came to nothing when it was seen that the king supported his uncle's decision. Tausret said nothing then, but later she spoke to Ament in private.

  "I knew I should not have raised up Bay."

  "He takes much upon himself," Ament admitted, "but his position is exalted, and not just because you and Userkheperure raised him up. Like it or not, he is uncle to the king, so perhaps he feels it is his due."

  "He is a commoner and a foreigner and the post of Chancellor is as high as he could reasonably look. The king is his sister's child, not his, so he has no royal blood. Yet he takes on a name that would suit a king. What does that suggest to you?"

  "You think he aims that high?"

  "It has happened before. The commoner Ay was uncle to King Nebkheperure and when that young king died untimely, he grasped the throne for himself."

  Ament frowned. "Those were troubled times."

  "And these are not? How long will it be before Bay demands to be made regent alongside me?"

  "He can ask, but you don't have to agree."

  "Even if the king asks? He will, you know, and it will be hard to refuse him."

  Ament smiled. "I'm sure you'll find a way, Majesty."

  "Perhaps. You know what Nefertem told me? He said I had to act like a mother to the king, to put him in equal place to my own son."

  "You think Bay put him up to it?"

  "I had not thought so until this moment."

  "On the other hand it could cut Bay's feet out from under him."

  "How so?"

  "If you became a mother to him, it might lessen Siptah's dependence on Bay."

  "And what of my own son?"

  "Why should that change? He is still your natural son and must take precedence--in your heart, if not upon your lips and in your actions."

  "Thank you, Ament. Why is it that all manner of men are willing to give me advice, but only you get right to the heart of matters?"

  "Perhaps because I have known you longer than most."

  Tausret nodded. "Perhaps. So advise me, old friend. What do I do about Bay?"

  Ament grunted. "The safest course would be to remove him permanently, but you cannot do that if you mean to treat Siptah as your son. He is close to his uncle and you will be estranged if you do away with Bay without good cause. Failing that, you must hold him close so he finds it difficult to plot against you. Know what he is doing at all times. Subtly remove men who support him; insert trusted men into his household; create trusted companions for the king."

  "Is that all?"

  Ament's grin flashed chipped but still strong, white teeth. "I'll probably think of other things."

  "And what of this plea from Siptah that he be allowed to hunt lions and go to war?"

  "What parent does not want their son to grow up strong?"

  "Meaning?"

  "He is king, and a king must lead the army in times of war. The hunt is good preparation for war."

  "Hunting lions is dangerous."

  "Your concern as a mother is understandable, but you must allow your boy-child to grow up. He will be guarded, but..." Ament shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

  "But?"

  "As you say, hunting lions is dangerous. At least you have another son if the unthinkable should happen."

  Tausret paled. "I could never...no, that truly is unthinkable."

  "As I said, Majesty. Unthinkable."

  Chapter 11

  Setnakhte speaks:

  I am proud to be a son of Usermaatre Ramesses, arguably Kemet's greatest king, and though I am far removed from the succession, I am loyal to him and his successors unto death. The succession of the House of Ramesses is clear--Baenre Merenptah was the legitimate heir of Usermaatre, and Userkheperure Seti was the legitimate heir of Baenre. I never supported the pretender Messuwy and neither can I support his son Siptah, despite him sitting on the Double Throne. Seti-Merenptah may only be a baby, but he is the legitimate heir of Userkheperure Seti and rightful king.

  My own son Ramesses asked me why I allow Siptah to remain on the throne if he is illegitimate, insisting that as General of the South I have the military might at my disposal to remove Siptah and install Seti-Merenptah. I thought to disregard his question, but he is a grown man and a grandson of Usermaatre, so he has a right to know my thoughts.

  "It is like this," I said. "I swore an oath of allegiance to Usermaatre, to Baenre, and to Userkheperure in turn, and when Seti-Merenptah takes his place upon the throne of Kemet, I will swear allegiance to him also. Each king has been legitimate and is ordained by the gods to rule the Two Kingdoms. I opposed Messuwy, the man who made himself Menmire Amenmesse, as a pretender to the throne, and thus his son Siptah, now styled Akhenre, is also an imposter and no true king of Kemet."

  "But father," Ramesses said. "Why do you not oust Siptah from the throne and set the rightful heir in his place? You have the Southern Army at your disposal."

  "You would have me plunge Kemet back into civil war? And to what end? To put a baby on the throne?"

  "For the rightful king."

  "I would lose, and Siptah would be more secure than ever."

  "You would not lose, father. You are Kemet's best general."

  I smiled fondly to hear his praise, but disabused him of my capabilities. "Even the best general needs men to fight for him and I only have two southern legions to oppose at least five northern ones. I would lose, and all my efforts would come to naught."

  "There must b
e men in the north who feel as you...as we...do?"

  "Very likely, my son, but none prepared to risk all at this time."

  "So we do nothing?"

  "On the contrary, we trust in Queen Tausret. She is Queen Regent and mother of the true heir. She will not allow his birthright to be snatched from him by a pretender. Siptah will not reign forever, and as soon as Seti-Merenptah attains his majority, he will claim what is rightfully his. Then we will support him with the military might of the south. In the meantime, we strengthen our position and put spies in the north to report on those who support the pretender--Tjaty Hori and Chancellor Bay."

  My son Ramesses is a good man, but lacks experience in war. He served as my aide during the years of 'brotherly conflict' and should have gained much knowledge in military matters had it not been for his health. Early on, he succumbed to a fever which laid him low, and by the time he recovered, the main fighting was over. I will have to rectify his lack of experience, for if I am to use him to the full, he must know how to command men. Perhaps I will send him on a punitive expedition into Kush--those men are ever in need of a firm hand. Ramesses is already a Troop Commander within Amun, and I intend to raise him further to command the Amun Legion. I need men I can trust in the top positions.

  Tjaty Paraemheb feels as I do, and together we can turn Ta Shemau into a bastion of support for the heir. There will have to be changes made. Samut of Amun must go to make way for Ramesses, but I have never liked having that traitor in such a position. A man who betrays one master will betray another. Panhesy of Mut might have to go too--he supports Siptah--but then again, he is a good commander and I think I can win him round. I intend to start raising other legions, from Kush and hopefully elsewhere. Kushites are fierce fighters but unruly and I infinitely prefer disciplined men I can trust.

  Then there is the court at Men-nefer. I must get good men into positions of trust within the palace; men that I can rely on to spy on Bay and his supporters and report back to me. Waset is ten to fifteen days from Men-nefer, and I cannot rely on the slow spread of gossip or even the official royal messengers to give me the news. I want my own sources reporting to me swiftly and I shall set up a small fleet of fast boats to ply the waters between North and South.

  Siptah is king for now. I have to accept this unpalatable truth as Queen Tausret desires it so. She has her reasons for not putting her son forward at this time, and I must obey, but it will not always be thus. One day, Prince Seti-Merenptah will rise up and claim the throne for his own and I intend to be there with my Army of the South, ready to aid him in his struggle for the throne.

  There is one other thing I should mention. News filtered down to me of a wonder in the heavens. Peasants who live and work north of Waset reported seeing the sun devoured by a monster and then regurgitated, the sun apparently continuing on its course unharmed. Arrant nonsense, I thought, and then an official came from the court, saying that the sun had fought a great battle but that the Son of Re had come to his heavenly father's assistance and overcome the Enemy. Well, it did not seem any more believable, so I enquired of the priests, but they were not very helpful. They muttered about the gods' ways being obscure, and unknowable by men, and then one young man, a priest of Nut, told me of his studies.

  It seems that he, and a few other priests had, over the course of several lifetimes, studied the body of the goddess, counting the stars that are strewn across her body, noting their position relative to one another, their brightness and colour. Especially note was made of the 'wanderers'--those stars without a fixed position in the heavens but which still follow fixed paths. Other moveable stars are those that fall from the heavens and the occasional one that creeps like a snail relative to its neighbours. I asked to see one of these 'snails' and had it pointed out to me. I could detect no motion, but the priest told me if I came back in twenty years I might just discern its movement. What a waste of time their lives must be if that is all they do.

  Then he told me of the full moon becoming blood red at times, and that this phenomenon can be predicted. He did not say how, and offered no evidence, but he also said that some within his sect also say it is possible to predict when the sun will be attacked and eaten. I had to laugh, because this is nonsense. If it was possible to predict an attack, then the sun god would surely be at pains to avoid his enemy. I came away feeling as if my head was full of wool, my thoughts fuzzy and confused, and thanked the gods that they made me a military man rather than a priest. Whatever the reason for the attack on the sun, there has been no lasting damage done. As for what it means--well, I can guess. The sun god hid his face from Siptah, showing his displeasure at the boy being made king. That we are not all now dwelling in darkness only shows the love Re has for Kemet. The god has shown his displeasure and is now prepared to wait until men remove the offence.

  I think he will not have long to wait.

  Chapter 12

  Year 2 of Akhenre Siptah

  The palace echoed with Siptah's cries of excitement when Bay brought him the regent's permission to go hunting. He only calmed down when it was pointed out that permission had not been given to hunt lions in the desert, but only 'those animals that are to be found in the cultivated land beside the Great River.'

  "That means wildfowl, gazelles, and maybe a feral bull if there are any," Bay explained.

  "What about a crocodile?"

  "It would be better to leave them alone. They are hard to kill unless an arrow strikes them in the right place."

  "I am skilled with the bow," Siptah boasted. "Every creature shall feel my wrath."

  "I look forward to viewing my king's prowess."

  Bay organised the hunt, calling on the royal huntsmen to scour the river lands for suitable game and to prepare short expeditions lasting no more than a day or two to give the young king a taste of hunting without inconveniencing him. Hunting did not interest Bay, and he was not looking forward to the heat and dust that was an almost inevitable part of outdoor pursuits, and certainly had no intention of foregoing a comfortable bed every night.

  Three days later, Overseer of the Hunt Senefer reported to the king as he sat in an open room looking out over the palace gardens. The day had been hot, but the evening breezes off the river cooled the room enough for roasted meats and fresh-baked bread hot from the ovens to be palatable. Senefer entered the room and dropped to his knees, extending his arms toward the seated boy.

  "Son of Re, I have found gazelle for the hunt."

  Siptah picked up a slice of beef and bit off a piece, chewing it as he looked at the huntsman. "Only gazelle? Can't you find anything more manly for me to hunt?"

  Senefer licked his lips and cleared his throat. "I...er, what did you want to hunt, Son of Re?"

  "Lion. Failing that, perhaps crocodiles or wild bulls."

  "I know where there are ostriches..."

  "I have no interest in birds," Siptah interrupted. "Find me something worth hunting, or find yourself another king to serve, for you will no longer please me."

  Senefer broke out in a sweat, despite the cool breeze off the river. "I can find you a bull, Son of Re. Perhaps a day from here, or two."

  "That will do for now, but I also want a lion, so have your men search for one."

  "I hear and I obey." Senefer got to his feet and bowed, before exiting the room. Outside, he hurried in search of his assistants, ordering them to bring him the latest information of the wild bull north of the city and to find him a lion.

  His principal assistant Menka frowned. "Wild bull? There isn't one. Only that one that was injured and escaped near the village of Benetu. Is that the one you mean, or..."

  "That's the one," Senefer said. "By all the gods, do you expect me to send our crippled king against a proper wild bull? I'd have him pit his skill against a cow if I thought he wouldn't spot the difference."

  The Overseer of the Hunt issued his orders, bringing together the equipment necessary for the hunt, including luxurious tented accommodation for the king, lesser t
ents for the necessary servants, food and wine, cooks, grooms and personal attendants. All of this was packed into ox-drawn wagons, while huntsmen brought hounds on leashes and a small detachment of soldiers came along to guard the royal person. Siptah himself rode in a light hunting chariot pulled by a single stallion, while Bay rode in a heavier two-horse chariot, as did the commander of the guard.

  All this took some time to organise, so it was late the next morning when the expedition finally set out from Men-nefer. Their route lay north, bordering the river for half a day before turning westward. Close to the life-giving river, the pastures were luxurious, the sweet grass being cropped by herds of the royal cattle with young boys no older than the king to tend them. They stood and stared in amazement as the procession wound its way past, and their charges barely lifted their heads from cropping the grass. Verdant fields lined the river also, the rich dark earth supporting a variety of plants, and peasants worked bent-backed, clad only in a short kilt, hoeing and weeding the crops or letting in more water from irrigation ditches. The farmers ceased their work as the king passed by, kneeling in the dust with heads bowed.

  The land dried out as they moved further from the river, and the red sandy soil of Deshret showed through the black river silt. Only an exceptional flood brought silt this far from the river, and the water soaked away quickly, so the vegetation became sparse. Fewer people travelled the road out there and the hard-packed soil became obscured by wind-blown sand. Soon, the chariots and wagons were trundling over a broken surface as the hunting expedition skirted the cultivated lands.

  Siptah became impatient with the slow progress dictated by the supply wagons and marching men, and urged the chariots onward. Bay stayed with the wagons, content to go over a sheaf of accounts that required his attention, but commanded Senefer to keep up with the king.

  "I hardly need tell you that the king believes he is capable of more than his stricken body allows. Take the captain of the guard with you and keep the king safe from harm. Let no ill befall him or you will suffer for it."