Fall of the House of Ramesses, Book 3: Tausret

by Max Overton

  The first flush of dawn found him drifting close to the eastern shore, tired and stiff, but a little extra effort brought him staggering onto a muddy bank, dragging his waterproof bag behind him. No one was in sight, so after a few minutes spent shivering on the grass, he stumbled into the cover of a reed bed and collapsed.

  Hot sun woke him. He rolled over, groaning at the stiffness in his muscles and peered out over the riverside pasture. A few cattle were in sight, but nothing else, so he rose to his feet and stretched, wincing at the twinges of pain in his back.

  Getting old, he thought. His stomach gurgled. And hungry.

  He had carried no food with him so he grubbed up a few roots of rushes and reeds and chewed them while he searched for duck eggs. A nest provided a bit more sustenance, though the eggs were not new laid. Ament shrugged; it was not the first time he had dined on immature duckling. He broke the eggs one after another into his mouth, swallowing the more or less liquid contents quickly, crunching on the thin bones of the developed embryos. Washing his mouth out with river water, he spat and looked at the sun to estimate the time.

  Midmorning. I'd better get started.

  Ament picked up his bag and shouldered it, setting off across the fields toward the road which ran to the northeast and the city of Iunu. Three legions, including his beloved Set, waited there, and he was determined to lead them against the foe outside Men-nefer.

  Chapter 50

  Year 2 (7) Sitre Meryamun Tausret

  Ament arrived in Iunu five days later, tired and dusty, but would have taken much longer had he not been found by scouting light chariots of the Set legion. He showed his identifying insignia to the young charioteer in charge who had never actually seen his commanding officer close up, and ordered him to convey him swiftly to Commander Mose. This was done, and the chariot officer contrived to avoid the camps of the other legions, sweeping around the city to deliver him to the command tent near the river.

  Mose stared at the dishevelled man clutching a stinking goatskin bag suddenly deposited at his tent and then, as his gaze delved below the dirt and unshaven face, his eyes widened in shock. He dropped to his knees on the packed earth floor.

  "General Ament, by all the gods. What are you doing here? I'd heard that you were locked up in Men-nefer with the king."

  "So I was. I had to break out to find out what was keeping you. You were supposed to come to our aid months ago. Come on, get up and talk to me."

  Mose got to his feet. "Weren't able to, sir, though we all wanted to. We were under orders from General Iurudef not to move from Iunu."

  "I am senior to him, you realise?"

  "I know that, sir, but...well, he was on the spot and saying 'no' while you were out of touch. I didn't want to disobey orders, but I thought Iurudef must have more up-to-date orders. Was I wrong, sir?"

  "Yes and no," Ament said. "You were wrong to ignore my orders, but right to obey Iurudef in the absence of a specific command from me. However, that changes now." He opened the small waterproof bag and took out the scroll. "You can read this well enough, or should you get the army scribe to read it to you?"

  Mose glanced at it and grinned when he saw the common cursive symbols. "Well enough, I think, sir." He opened the scroll out and read it, muttering the words to himself as he did so.

  "You recognise the seal on it?"

  "Yes, sir. It's that of King Sitre Tausret."

  "And you see that she gives me total control of all matters civil and military?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "I can commandeer anybody or anything?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "And I have authority over any person in the kingdoms save the king herself?"

  Mose brought himself to attention and saluted the grimy figure before him. "Command me, sir," he said.

  Ament nodded. "A bath first, I think, and some decent food. Then I'll need a squad of your most trusted men..."

  "You can trust any of them, sir. We'd all die for you."

  "Let's hope it won't come to that, Mose. But I do need to confront Iurudef and the traitor Mentu. I don't know how they'll react."

  "Well, if it comes to a fight, your Sets will see you right, sir."

  Ament grinned, his teeth pale in his weather-beaten and dirty face. "Good man. Now, have your cooks prepare a light meal and point me toward the river, then we'll see what we'll see."

  The two Troops of the Set legion made a fine sight as they marched through the camp of the Sept legion, and the hubbub brought Sobek's soldiers out as well. Ament and Mose led their men to General Iurudef's command tent and halted them outside, ordering them to surround the site.

  "Offer up no violence," Ament ordered, "but also strike back if violence is offered to you. And men of Set," he added with a smile, "you are named for the god of warfare and destruction. I would take it amiss if your two Troops could not hold your own again the whole Sept and Sobek legions."

  The men cheered, beating their spear heads against their leather shields, and the noise brought Iurudef from his tent with Tjaty Mentu at his heels.

  "What is the meaning of this, Mose?" Iurudef demanded. "Why are your men...?" He caught sight of Ament and he frowned. "Commander Ament. By what right do you enter my camp unannounced?"

  "I'm announcing myself now, Iurudef," Ament replied, "and you will address me properly. I am General of all the Armies of Kemet, and I speak in the King's Name." He held out the scroll of his appointment. "Here is my authority."

  Iurudef took the scroll and read it carefully before passing it to Mentu.

  "It's a forgery," Mentu said.

  "I would not take any notice of a known traitor," Ament commented. "Mentu has been removed from his post and holds no office. You can see the King's seal on the document, and you know the powers it gives me. Disobey me at your peril."

  "It seems you have risen high very quickly, Ament," Iurudef said. "One wonders what talents brought you such exalted office."

  Mentu sniggered and one of the junior officers on Iurudef's staff made a crude gesture.

  Ament controlled his temper with difficulty. "Believe what you will, but obey me. You are ordered to strike camp and march the legions down to Men-nefer, where you..."

  "No."

  Ament stared at Iurudef in silence for a long minute. "You refuse?"

  "Under the circumstances, I must."

  "Despite the king's direct order, through me?"

  "Perhaps Lady Tausret..."

  "You will address the king properly," Ament snapped.

  Iurudef inclined his head. "Perhaps she is unaware of the situation. Setnakhte invests the city of Men-nefer with five battle hardened legions and all I have is one experienced and two auxiliary legions. It would be fool-hardy to risk them against such odds."

  "You refuse to come to the aid of the king?"

  Iurudef shrugged. "She is safe enough as long as she stays inside the city."

  "Then, General Iurudef, you are relieved of your command. You will place yourself under arrest and hold yourself ready to answer the king's summons to answer a charge of disobedience and treason."

  "You do not have the authority or the power, Ament. Go back to your woman and enjoy what time remains to you." Iurudef took the scroll from Mentu, crumpled it and threw it to the ground.

  "Commander Mose," Ament said. "Arrest Iurudef and put him in chains. If he resists, cut him down."

  "Sir?"

  "That is a direct order."

  Mose saluted, signalled to four of his men and stepped close to Iurudef. "You will accompany me, sir."

  Iurudef twisted away. "Ankhu, Djutep, to me," he yelled. "Kill these men!"

  "Cut him down, Mose."

  Mose drew his sword. "Please, General..."

  Iurudef seized a dagger and slashed at Mose, all the while yelling to the Sobek and Sept legions to come to his aid. Mose knocked the dagger aside and slashed at Iurudef, forcing him backward. Mentu scurried out of the way, and from all around came angry voices and shouted orders
from the officers of the auxiliary legions.

  "End it," Ament growled, and pushed Mose to one side. He stabbed at Iurudef, forcing him back, and then as the former General thrust back, knocked the blade aside and plunged his bronze sword into Iurudef's chest. The man groaned, dropped his dagger and sank to his knees. Ament pulled the blade out and pushed Iurudef's body over with his foot. Then he turned to where the auxiliary legions were massing and shouted aloud.

  "Sept legion! Sobek legion! Attention! Officers to the front, now!"

  The shouting died away and the Commanders and Troop Leaders pushed through to face Ament with drawn weapons.

  "Ankhu of Sobek, Djutep of Sept," Ament said, loud enough to be heard by several ranks of soldiers. "You know who I am. I bear here..." he picked up the crumpled scroll and smoothed it out. "...direct orders from King Sitre Tausret to bring your three legions down to Men-nefer to raise the siege on the city by the rebel Setnakhte. I have been made General of all the Armies of Kemet and as such, command your obedience. This man..." he pointed at Iurudef's body, "...refused to obey and paid the price of his disobedience. What will you do?" He walked up to each officer and looked him in the eyes until they dropped their gaze. "Djutep? Ankhu?"

  Ankhu held out his hand. "May I see the orders, sir." He perused them at length and then nodded. "Looks to be in order, sir." He saluted. "Sobek legion stands ready to obey."

  "And you, Djutep?"

  "I don't read so well, sir. I'll take Ankhu's word for it. Sept legion ready for your orders, sir."

  "Good. Prepare your men. We march at daybreak tomorrow for Men-nefer."

  Ankhu and Djutep saluted and drew their men away, shouting orders to their junior officers. Mose told his Troops to make ready and then turned back to Ament.

  "What about Tjaty...ex-Tjaty Mentu, sir? Do you want me to find him and arrest him?"

  Ament shook his head. "Leave him for now. There is little he can do."

  ***

  The three legions marched after dawn prayers the next day, though not all in the same direction. Set and Sobek made their way south toward Men-nefer, while Sept was given the task of finding a multitude of boats with which to cross the river. They could have waited in Iunu for the boats, but enforced inactivity was not good for morale, and it would not hurt to be further south when the boats caught up. All the supply wagons were left behind with orders to follow on at their own pace as Ament was determined to make good time.

  They were close to the point where the Great River split in two before making its run to the sea, and almost within sight of the capital city when the small fleet of boats commandeered by the Sept legion caught up with the marching legions. They put ashore, while the legions set up camp and the commanders came to Ament's camp to learn of his plans.

  "We must cross to the western bank before the enemy knows we are near," Ament said. "It would be an impossible task to cross in the face of hostilities, so it is my intention to ferry the legions across to the 'land between the waters', and march them across to the next part of the river. In the meantime, our fleet of boats will sail to the split and come down the western arm ready to ferry us across again."

  "We don't have many boats, sir," said Djutep of Sept. "It was all we could find but only enough for five hundred men at most. I had to send most of my legion south by road."

  "Well, unless we can build more boats, it'll have to do."

  "Would it be worth risking a single crossing nearer the city?" Ankhu of Sobek asked. "It would be quicker."

  "And more likely to be discovered," Mose observed. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be the lead legion if the enemy find us out. Five against one isn't my kind of odds."

  "Five against three is still risky," Ankhu said. "Perhaps there's something else we could do?"

  "It'll be five against four," Ament said. "The Khent-abt will break out of the city and help us once battle is joined." He looked around at his commanders, wishing he had more experienced legions. His Set legion was the only one of four that was truly battle hardened. "Don't forget that we have one other thing in our favour. Sitre Tausret is the true, consecrated King of Kemet, while Setnakhte is but a rebel. The gods themselves will be fighting for us."

  The commanders looked more cheerful and nodded sagely. Ament gave them all specific instructions and then sent them off, though one order did not please Mose. He snorted when Ament told him and then shrugged as if to say he expected nothing less.

  "The Set legion will be first across the river, Mose--both times. There is no other legion I would trust more to guard our landing should we be discovered."

  ***

  The first crossing of the eastern arm of the river took place without major mishap, though three boats sank or came apart, spilling their passengers. Most struggled ashore though. Once the three legions were across, the rest of the Sept legion having caught up by the end, they set off across the grassy pastures while the crews of the fishing boats and ferries sailed south to the split between the river arms and thence down the western arm.

  The second crossing took longer as the river was wider and the banks lower and more marshy. As before, the Set legion went first, and Mose was among the first to set foot on the western shore. Ament would like to have been there, but he had to learn that as commanding General he had to leave the individual legions to their commanders. Thus Ament stayed behind and oversaw the embarkation of the auxiliary legions.

  Shouting attracted his attention, and he looked to the west. Soldiers of Set were scrambling to form ranks, facing inland, and it was a few moments before Ament could see what the matter was. Beyond the landing stage, on the higher, drier ground, chariots were approaching. There were at least twenty, and Ament cursed, knowing they had been discovered at the most critical moment. He called to Ankhu and Djutep to hurry with their men and leapt aboard a small fishing boat, casting off the mooring rope and poling out into the current. Anxious minutes followed as Ament watched the chariots--more than forty now--sweep down on the rough ranks of soldiers. Arrows rose and fell in the blue sky of morning and men started dying.

  More Set soldiers hurried ashore and junior officers pushed them into the line, stiffening the ranks that were being driven back under the chariot assault. Ament splashed ashore and ran to where Mose was conducting the defence.

  "Fall back toward the river," Ament commanded.

  "But sir, we'll be spread thinly without back up."

  "And the chariot wheels will get stuck in the mud. Fall the men back and prepare to charge again."

  Mose did as instructed and ordered his men retreat toward the muddy river bank, spreading out as they did so. The charioteers, sensing victory, drove after them, their own tightly knit formation breaking apart as they did so. Then horses' hooves slipped and wheels become mired. The chariots slowed and faltered and with a roar, the Set soldiers turned and wrought havoc, slaughtering the floundering horses, pulling the men from the chariots and hacking them to death. It was none too soon, as the soldiers from the same legion as the chariots came into view, running toward the battle.

  "They're from the Mut legion," Ament said. "But are they here because they knew we were coming or is this just coincidence? They might have been foraging."

  Mose shrugged and started shouting orders, pulling men away from where they were mopping up the last of the chariots, and countering the new threat. The Sept legion was now landing and hurried to join the fight, overwhelming the disorganised Mut legion and routing them. Sept started to pursue the enemy, but Ament called them back.

  "We can't hope to catch them all and anyway, they've probably reported our presence already. Concentrate on getting the rest of our men across."

  There were a few prisoners, and Ament interviewed the most senior officer among them--a Troop Commander. He learned that the Mut legion had not been foraging for food but had been looking for them.

  "You knew we were coming? To this spot? How?"

  "Well, not exactly here, sir, but somewhere. Th
e Mut legion were assigned this section of shore."

  "But how did you know we were coming at all?"

  The officer was a little bit reluctant to say, but when Ament pointed out that it hardly mattered now, that Mut had already made contact and were likely even now reporting their presence, he relented.

  "It was Tjaty Mentu, sir. There was quite a to-do when he turned up in camp saying you'd killed General Iurudef--begging your pardon, sir, but that's what he said. Anyway, the Tjaty said you'd be coming to Men-nefer and we should be ready for you."

  The prisoner was led away, and Ament conferred with his commanders. "We've lost the element of surprise, but that was always going to be a chancy thing. The important thing is to press on to Men-nefer as quickly as possible."

  "We should have killed Mentu when we had the chance," Mose said.

  "True, but there's nothing we can do about it now."

  "We're still going to be three legions against five, sir," Ankhu pointed out. "Not that I'm complaining, sir, but er...just saying."

  "A little less than five now," Ament said. "Mut won't be so keen to meet us again."

  Ament took his legions south toward Men-nefer, and three days later the gleaming white walls of the beautiful city came in sight, its pristine splendour marred by the tents of the legions encamped around it.

  "What now, sir?" Mose asked.

  "Draw up a defensive line, with earthworks. We're not going to attack them, but if they attack us I want us to have the advantage."