by Max Overton
"Better for him had he died at the hands of Tausret," Ament snarled when he heard who it was. "I will have no mercy this time."
Tausret had dissuaded Meryre from his previous rebellion, but the man had apparently not learned his lesson. He would not have another chance. Ament thrust deep into Meryre's lands and surprised his ragged army of peasants while they slept. Many were slaughtered, more fled, and Meryre was hauled in chains before Ament.
"Why, Meryre?" Ament asked. "Tausret granted you your life and freedom before. Why spurn that gift now?"
"I am descended from Usermaatre like her," the noble replied proudly, "but unlike her, I am male and can legitimately rule as king. I offered to take her as wife and sit beside her on the throne, but she did not even deign to reply."
"How do you wish to die?"
Meryre went pale. "You cannot kill me. I am a noble and of the line of Usermaatre. You must send me to Men-nefer where I can stand before Lady Tausret. She knows my worth and I am sure will now reconsider my offer."
"You mean King Sitre Tausret."
Meryre shrugged. "I will discuss such matters only with your betters."
"You will have no opportunity to talk to anyone else. I have full powers in this matter. I would have granted you a clean death had I taken you in rebellion the first time," Ament said. "No mercy will be shown you this time." He beckoned Commander Ramose forward. "Impale this man."
Meryre was dragged out screaming and before his shrieks of agony had died away, the Khent-abt legion was on the move once more, seeking out the second rebel in the western sepats.
***
Amenmose son of Siamun was not hard to find. He was an elderly man who had relied too much on his ancestry and not enough on his talents. Fifty years of managing an estate had convinced him that running the Northern Kingdom could not be much harder, so when the opportunity presented itself, had raised five hundred retainers and mercenaries and declared himself the rightful king of Ta Mehu. It was his belief that the people of Kemet and even the legions would declare for him.
He marched his little army south toward Men-nefer, imagining that the disaffected peasants on the farms he encountered along the way would flock to his banner. They did not, so he halted his march at one of the better estates on his route, and sent out messengers to proclaim his new status and offer rewards for all who followed him. Two days later, one of the messengers arrived back with urgent news and was shown through to the chamber that Amenmose used as his throne room. The would-be king sat on an ebony and copper inlay chair, with Sa-Nekhamun his estate Chamberlain standing beside him, and received the messenger into his presence.
"My lord, I bring news..."
"Kneel when you address your king, and call him Son of Re," Sa-Nekhamun said sharply.
The messenger bowed and then dropped to his knees on the hard earthen floor of the room. "Son of Re, I bring news of Meryre, son of Meryatum, who rose in rebellion against the lady king Sitre..."
"Yes, I shall have to deal with that upstart," Amenmose mused. "But after I have got rid of that Tausret woman. Go on, man. What was your news?"
"Son of Re, Meryre is dead."
"Ah, excellent news, Majesty," Sa-Nekhamun said. "How did he die?"
"My lord, he was executed by impalement on the orders of General Ament three days ago and...Son of Re, General Ament and the Khent-abt legion are but half a day behind me. Their intention is to capture you too."
"What?" Amenmose lurched to his feet and stared wildly around the room. "Prepare for battle, Sa-Nekhamun. The enemy is upon us."
Sa-Nekhamun dismissed the messenger and dared lay hands on his king, demanding his attention. "It is too late for that, Lord Amenmose..."
"I am King Amenmose. Don't forget it."
Sa-Nekhamun shook his head. "You have declared yourself so, but you are not yet king and now I fear you never will be. Your hope lay in the common people rising for you, but they have not. And now General Ament is knocking on your door."
"I have men..."
"Four hundred farm workers and a hundred mercenaries, Lord Amenmose. Ament has a full legion of trained soldiers. They won't even notice your men."
"So what do I do?"
"Your choices are limited, Lord Ramose. You can attempt battle and be annihilated; you can surrender; or you can kill yourself."
Amenmose sat down again, sweating. "If...if I surrendered..."
"Then I imagine Ament will deal with you as he has dealt with Meryre. Impalement is not a pleasant death."
Amenmose swallowed, looking pale. "I could offer him gold."
Sa-Nekhamun laughed. "My Lord, he stands high in the regard of Lady Tausret. I imagine he has more gold than he knows what to do with."
Amenmose got to his feet again. "Then I must flee."
"Where to, my Lord?"
"I...I don't know. The Amorites perhaps? The Retenu? The Ribu?"
"No Kemetu ally would give you refuge, and no enemy would take you in unless you could offer them a huge bribe. What then would sustain you? No, my lord, your only options are to fight, to surrender, or to die." Sa-Nekhamun smiled, seeing the terror on the face of the man who had been his lord for over thirty years. "In fact, you have even less choice, my Lord, for death awaits you no matter what course you choose. You can only choose the manner of your death."
"I...I could not face Meryre's fate."
"Then your choice narrows further, my Lord. If you surrender to Ament he will likely impale you, and your body will be thrown on the midden heap. You will not live in the afterlife. Take up arms against him and you may die in battle by axe, spear or arrow or be captured and impaled. Again, your body will probably not be preserved." Sa-Nekhamun led his master to the chair once more and knelt before him. "My Lord, the choice before you is not one of life or death but whether you will live in the afterlife or not. Write a letter to Ament saying you were misled by false advisers and that you are loyal to Sitre Tausret..."
"And he will let me live?" Amenmose quavered.
"No, my Lord, but if he finds the letter on your dead body, he will likely not exact further retribution. Your family will be allowed to keep your estates and property and will be able to bury you properly. Thus you will live on in the Field of Reeds."
"I...I must think on this..."
"You have no time, Lord Amenmose. Ament is close by and any delay may result in your capture and humiliation."
"Then how?" Amenmose licked his lips. "Must I...must I plunge a dagger into my throat? I don't think I...I could."
"I have poison," Sa-Nekhamun admitted. "I had thought to take it myself should your venture fail but...your need is greater than mine."
Amenmose clasped Sa-Nekhamun's hands in his own and looked at him with tear-moistened eyes. "You would do that for me? May the gods bless you in the afterlife, my faithful servant."
Sa-Nekhamun sent for paper and ink and using his own skills as a scribe, set out the necessary phrases, putting the blame for the abortive rebellion on unnamed advisers. He included assurances that Amenmose's loyalty should not be questioned and that he had acted for what he thought was the benefit of Kemet. Amenmose added his seal, and Sa-Nekhamun passed over a tiny pottery phial with a tightly tied bark stopper.
Amenmose looked at the phial in his hand and licked his dry lips. "Will it hurt?" he whispered.
"I am told it is swift and relatively painless, my Lord, though I have never seen it in action."
Amenmose untied the stopper and removed it. A faint acrid smell assailed their nostrils. "Should we both drink from it? I do not like to think of you left to face Ament alone."
"Alas, my Lord, there is only a single dose. Drink and escape Ament's wrath. I will tend to your body and take my chances with the enemy. And if he should exact vengeance on me I will count it an honour to have served you."
"You are indeed a faithful servant, Sa-Nekhamun. I am minded to offer you a reward for your long years of service now that you can no longer attend upon my needs. My estate
s, of course, are left to my wife and children, but I have a small chest of gold, some jewels, an ingot or two of copper which I brought with me. It contains nearly a hundred deben of fine gold..."
"You are indeed generous, my Lord."
"...and I want you to deliver this and the jewels to my wife when I am dead, but you may keep the copper for yourself as a reward. Will you do that last thing for me?"
Sa-Nekhamun bowed deeply so his master could not see the expression on his face. "I am your faithful servant as always, Lord Amenmose."
Amenmose took a deep breath and let it out in a trembling rush. His hand shook as he held the phial of poison. "I am afraid," he murmured.
"Death is nothing to be afraid of, my Lord, for we live with it all our lives, preparing for it. A few moments and you face an eternity of comfort and luxury in the Field of Reeds."
"That is true. I have been a kind and generous man all my life, tending my vineyards, raising a family and providing for them, honouring the gods. There is no reason why my heart should weigh more than the Feather of Truth. The gods will welcome me to the afterlife as a worthy grandson of Usermaatre Ramesses."
Amenmose hesitated a moment longer and then tossed the contents of the phial into his mouth and swallowed convulsively. He stood for a moment, grimacing at the taste and the effect it was having on his body and then ventured a tentative smile.
"It has only a slightly bitter taste and there is no pain..."
His features twisted and he clutched his belly. "Ah, perhaps there is a bit. Should I sit or lie down, Sa-Nekhamun?"
"You will lie down for eternity soon enough. I would enjoy standing while you can."
Amenmose frowned, and sat down on his erstwhile throne. "Your tone is somewhat discourteous. I do not...ah!" He doubled over and clawed at his throat. "It...it burns," he rasped. "Bring me water to soothe my throat."
"Fetch it yourself," Sa-Nekhamun said. "I do not serve a dead man."
"What? You dare..." Amenmose cried out as agony bit deep into his gut and he slid off the chair and onto the ground. "Oh, gods...it hurts...you s...said it would...not."
Sa-Nekhamun stood and looked down at his master curled at his feet. "Perhaps I did not know, or perhaps I lied." He shrugged. "I have repaid your overwhelming generosity over the years, my Lord Amenmose."
Sweat broke out on the face of the dying man as he stared up at his servant. "I have...always...been good...to you..."
"I have been all but a slave these past twenty years, so poor that I have no wife or children. And now, having risked my life on your last foolhardy venture, you think to reward me with a pittance of copper." Sa-Nekhamun squatted beside Amenmose. "No more. I will take your gold as my reward and flee this place before Ament gets here. He will find your body and seek no one else."
"May the...the gods curse...y...you, but at...at least...I shall live...in eternity."
Sa-Nekhamun got to his feet and smiled. "Maybe, if Ament feels generous toward a known rebel."
"The...letter..."
Amenmose uttered a final groan and lapsed into unconsciousness. His sphincter gave way releasing a foetid stink into the room and Sa-Nekhamun stepped back with a look of distaste on his face. He picked up the letter pleading Amenmose's case and took it with him as he left the room.
***
Half a day later, Ament and the Khent-abt legion marched into the estate, by which time Amenmose's retainers and mercenaries had scattered. Ament entered the main chamber of the estate and stood over the body of the rebel. He nudged it with his foot.
"He has taken poison, I see. An admission of guilt if one was needed." Ament turned to the army scribe. "Let it be recorded that the rebel Amenmose son of Siamun sought to escape justice by taking his own life. As a punishment, his estates are to be confiscated."
"And the body, General Ament? Shall I tell the family to collect it for burial?"
"He does not deserve a burial. Have his corpse thrown in the river to feed the crocodiles."
Chapter 46
Year 2 (7) Sitre Meryamun Tausret
Coincidentally, on the day that Ament stood over the dead body of Amenmose, Setnakhte became aware that his pursuit had dwindled to only two legions. He turned at once and launched his own assault, halting the Re legion in its tracks and hurling the Shu legion back in disarray. The Kushites kept Re pinned down in one of the desert forts, while Amun and Mut broke free, racing north as fast as they could. They overwhelmed Shu and captured several hundred including their commander, Natsefamen. Though he expected death at the hands of the southern General, Natsefamen stood with his men and refused to bow down to his conqueror. Instead of immediately killing him, however, the Shu legion commander was brought before Setnakhte and Ramesses.
"Commander Natsefamen, you fought well but now it is time to lay down your arms. Bow your head to me and I will spare you and your men."
"Why would you do that, General Setnakhte?"
"I am not a barbarian who kills for pleasure, nor a fanatic who desires the death of all who oppose him. I seek only what is good for Kemet and is right in the eyes of the gods."
"And what is that, General?"
"To end this civil war and restore the Ma'at of Kemet."
"It seems to me that the easiest way to do that is for you to bow your head to the king and return to your duties in Waset."
"I would gladly bow my head to the king if there was a legitimate one. The House of Ramesses fell with the death of Prince Seti-Merenptah. The woman who now sits upon the throne has no right to it."
"And you do?"
"More right than Lady Tausret. I am from the loins of Usermaatre, and I have a grown heir already, here in my son Ramesses. The line that Usermaatre chose to succeed him has been broken and it is time to place another family over the Two Kingdoms--my family. I will destroy this woman who pretends to be king and mean to be king in her place. Join me, Natsefamen, and restore peace to our tired land."
Natsefamen sighed and closed his eyes, praying to the gods for guidance. Whether or not they answered he never spoke of it, but bowed low before Setnakhte and hailed him as king.
The Shu legion was strengthened and stiffened with loyal officers drawn from Amun and Mut, and Setnakhte resumed his northward march, now at the head of three legions. A fourth and fifth joined him half a month later when the Kushites caught up with him. They brought Ahhotep, newly appointed Commander of Re, captive with them, and most of the Re legion now marched under the banner of Setnakhte. Ahhotep followed the example of Natsefamen and bowed to Setnakhte. The General put other officers over the remnants of Re, and reached the plains to the east of Men-nefer at the head of an army almost as large as the northern one.
***
Tausret immediately dispatched messengers to the northern borders while Ament, who had returned to Men-nefer with the Khent-abt legion, set about preparing the city for a siege. He withdrew every boat from the river, determined to deny Setnakhte any means of crossing the river, and then had his troops scouring the neighbouring countryside for food, bringing it into the city and storing it. Other soldiers rounded up gangs of masons and unskilled labourers to go over every cubit of the city walls and make repairs as necessary.
"The city is prepared," Ament reported. "At least as much as it can be. We have the Khent-abt legion for defence and the palace guards, but most of all we have the city walls. They will keep out an army--for a while, anyway."
"Ah, the shining white walls of Men-nefer," Tausret said with a smile. "I do not want to see the city suffer, Ament. We must march out and face the enemy."
"That would not be a good idea, my Lady. Setnakhte has five legions under his command now, while we have only one. Wait until Iurudef arrives with the northern legions and then we can make plans."
"How is it that the king of Kemet must sit inside city walls while my enemies go where they please? What has happened, Ament?"
Ament regarded the worn woman on her throne with compassion. "It was not always so, my Lad
y, but the civil war that ripped the Kingdoms apart in the reign of your husband Userkheperure has left its scars on the people. They thought that the days of your regency heralded a time of healing and peace, but now they see renewed warfare staring them in the face. You are weighed against Setnakhte and I fear many see him as the hope for the future."
"I have ruled well this past year, haven't I? And when I ruled Kemet as regent? Why should people choose Setnakhte who has never ruled and has done nothing for the common people? At least when some chose the side of Menmire Amenmesse against my husband, they were choosing another king. Setnakhte's supporters have no such excuse."
"Some see him as king already--people in the south. Others see him as the likely victor in any civil war, so reason that supporting him now will shorten that war."
"And you Ament? What do you think?"
Ament pondered Tausret's question and his answer before speaking. "You know that I will follow you to the death, my Lady."
"I know, Ament, and I love and honour you for it, but I meant the war against General Setnakhte. Is it a war that I can win?"
"Ah, Lady, that depends on circumstances outside your control. A month ago, I would have said it was possible but today, if you look across the river, you can see the banners of the two legions I left to contain the enemy. Blame me for their loss, if you will, but the commanders of those legions are either dead or have changed their allegiance."
"I do not blame you, my friend," Tausret said. "There was little you could do but leave them to put down rebellion in Ta Mehu. We must do what we can with what we have left."
"That is little enough," Ament said. "Setnakhte has five legions; we have five on the border and one here, but with that we must defend against Kemet's external enemies as well as her internal ones."
"So you think it is hopeless? I refuse to admit there is nothing we can do."
"Not hopeless, my Lady, but everything depends on the loyalty of the remaining army commanders. If they stay loyal we may yet defeat Setnakhte; if they change sides..." Ament shrugged and left the thought unexpressed.