by Max Overton
"Promised him what?"
"I took it to mean that even if the Ribu had marched deep into Ta Mehu they would not have conquered, because of something this Lord Sethi had promised. Not because they would be beaten by you, father."
"And who is this Lord Sethi?"
"I don't know. That is why you must question the Governor."
Merenptah sat in thought for a time and then asked his Chief Scribe if he knew who Lord Sethi might be.
"It is a common enough name, with all respect to you Prince Seti. I can think of Prince Sethi, who was the Lady Tausret's birth father; a Sethi who is a companion of the King's Son of Kush; another who is Controller of Sluice Gates in the Heq-at sepat; another who is..."
"Enough Anapepy, you merely multiply possibilities. Send for Amenakht."
The Governor arrived, looked surprised to see the royal children in attendance and knelt before the king.
"Arise, Amenakht. I need you to tell me something."
Amenakht glanced at Tausret. "Of course, Son of Re."
"My daughter tells me you disagreed over whether you should have engaged the enemy or not."
"Ah...a misunderstanding perhaps, Your Majesty. Of course there was no disagreement over the defence of Perire. If I gave that impression, then I humbly beg the Lady's forgiveness. I can only say that the worry over the fate of my city and its people made me misspeak."
"It was not a disagreement over the defence of Perire, Governor Amenakht," Tausret said, "But rather over whether I should have engaged the enemy in the first place. You said that Kemet was in no danger anyway, that Lord Sethi had promised it. I asked you then what you meant, but you evaded the question. Please answer it now."
Amenakht shrugged. "Who knows what was said? I cannot remember saying any such thing."
"Think very carefully, Governor Amenakht," Merenptah said. "If you lie to me, you will regret it."
"Son of Re, I would always tell you the truth..."
"So tell it to me now."
"In truth, Son of Re, I cannot remember the conversation. I do not doubt Lady Tausret's word, but I can only say I must have been thinking of something else."
"You see," Merenptah said quietly, as if the Governor had not spoken, "if someone promised you that Kemet would not be overrun by the enemy, he either knew something only the gods know, or else he had knowledge of an army capable of defeating it. As even I did not know whether my army would overcome or whether I would arrive in time, it must be another army he was talking about. This could be treason, Governor Amenakht. Do you know the penalty for treason?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Then tell me. If you have not conspired with Kemet's enemies, I will forgive you."
Amenakht licked his lips, his fingers fluttering against his sides and then he threw himself down and prostrated himself.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I did not know. I thought that it was done with your knowledge. I would never willingly act against you."
"Get up." When Amenakht did not move, Merenptah snapped, "Get up, Amenakht, and act like a man." He waited until the trembling Governor had risen to his knees and then strode over to him, looming over Amenakht with a stern expression. "Now tell me what you know. Everything."
Amenakht took several deep breaths and wiped his face with his hands in an effort to control his fear and apprehension. "Y...your M...maj...jesty..." His voice faltered and he tried again. "Your M...majesty, a man came to me a few months back with a tale of preparations the Ribu were making to invade Kemet. He said..."
"What man? Who was he that you should even grant him an audience?"
"He gave his name as Nu, servant of Lord Sethi, to the gatekeeper. He carried a seal that bore the name of Lord Sethi and...and when I asked who Lord Sethi was, he said he was the deputy to the King's Son of Kush..."
"He said that? Just the title or the name as well?"
"J...just the title, Son of Re."
"Do you know this Lord Sethi that you would accept his word that he is who he says he is?"
"No Your Majesty, but he would scarcely lie about such a weighty matter."
"Fool," Seti muttered. Merenptah gave him a warning look and continued.
"So, you grant this man Nu an audience on the basis of his being a servant of this Lord Sethi, whom you do not know but accept his word that he is deputy to the King's Son of Kush? What happened then?"
"He told me he was a spy and had just returned from the land of Tjehenu where he had seen the preparations being made for the invasion of Kemet by Merey, son of Dedy, of the Ribu."
"If you knew this, it was your duty to send word to your king so that he might counter the enemy. Why didn't you?"
"He said that Lord Sethi, acting for...for the King's Son of Kush, had devised a trap for the Ribu. They were to be allowed deep into Ta Mehu and there destroyed utterly. He told me, on Lord Sethi's instructions, Your Majesty, that I was to delay, that I was not to warn the king for several days for fear that spies would warn the Ribu of your preparations. He said that when the Ribu approached Perire, as they must, for this city is on the trade routes to the western oases, I was to withdraw into the city and not provoke them." Amenakht shrugged. "This is why I tried to dissuade Lady Tausret from taking action."
"You did not think it strange that you were told not to warn the king?"
"No Your Majesty. I assumed you must already know as the trap was being set by the King's Son of Kush. Who am I to question such an exalted person?"
"Who indeed?" Merenptah thought for a few moments and then said, "You may leave us, Amenakht."
The Governor rose to his feet unsteadily and hesitated. "Wh...what is your desire for me, Your Majesty?"
"For now, you have a city to govern. Do so, but hold yourself ready to answer my summons."
Merenptah watched the man leave, and then turned to his Chief Scribe. "Have him watched, Anapepy. He is not to leave the city, nor is he to communicate with anyone outside it. Should he attempt to do so, intercept the message and arrest him."
The scribe left and Merenptah turned to his children. "What do you think?" he asked.
"The man is a fool," Seti said. "He should be removed from office."
"I agree, but not just yet," Tausret said. "If this Lord Sethi is a real person, he might be watching the Governor now that the Ribu are defeated..."
"And if he is, what does it matter?"
"Just that if he suspects Amenakht has betrayed him, he may disappear, and then we may find it difficult to find out how deep this conspiracy goes."
"Deeper than this mysterious Lord Sethi?" Merenptah asked.
"Yes father. Amenakht was told that Lord Sethi was deputy to the King's Son of Kush, your own son. Now that might have been a lie to add weight to his own lies, but what if it was not? What if Messuwy is involved?"
"What, Messuwy? What could he hope to gain? He is my son and already one of the most powerful men in the kingdoms."
"But he is not heir," Seti said slowly, "despite being your eldest son."
"You know the reason," Merenptah said. "I made a promise to Usermaatre and Khaemwaset that the kingdom would pass through his daughter's line, not through Takhat's."
"And that knowledge has been eating at him."
"But to overthrow his own father and claim the throne? Such actions are god-cursed."
"I think he meant for the Ribu to do that," Tausret said. "If I had not delayed them here at Perire, they would have been between the rivers when you came upon them. The ground is soft there and unsuited for chariots. Without them, you might have been overwhelmed. I know you father, and you too Seti. You would have gone down into death rather than accept defeat. Then Messuwy would have been king."
Merenptah ruminated for a while, weighing his daughter's words. "Messuwy would have become king with an enemy lodged deep in the heart of Ta Mehu. I cannot believe he would accept that."
"Better half a kingdom than none at all," Tausret countered. "Besides, if he had called on the north
ern legions, together with those of Waset and Kush, he might have been able to draw the Ribu out and defeat them. He would be seen as the saviour of Kemet."
"You must act at once," Seti said. "These actions are rank treason. Arrest him and put him to death."
"On whose word, my son? That of Amenakht the fool, or on the unsubstantiated word of this Nu, who has since disappeared? I would hesitate to try any man on such flimsy evidence, and this is my son we are talking about."
"So you will just ignore it?" Seti said, anger growing in his voice. "Leave him free to try again? Maybe he will have more success next time."
Merenptah shook his head sadly. "Be calm, my son. Let all things be according to Law. I would rather err on the side of mercy than condemn a man without evidence."
"What evidence would you accept, father?" Tausret asked.
"An admission of guilt." Merenptah sighed. "I would forgive him, you know, for he would be my heir if I had not made that promise to Usermaatre. It has been hard for him."
"You would rather he was heir instead of me?" Seti whispered.
"What? No. No, of course not, but I can see what he must think."
"He is unlikely to admit guilt," Tausret pressed, "so what other evidence would be sufficient? If he is guilty and you leave him in a position of power, he will try again."
The king thought for a while. "This Lord Sethi is the hub of this conspiracy wheel, around whom all things turn. It may be that he acted for Messuwy, or he acted alone, but either way he must be put to the question."
"If we can find him."
"Yes, if we can find him. I will order his arrest and then we shall see."
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Year 6 of Baenre Merenptah
The order went out to every sepat in the land that the man styling himself Lord Sethi was required to present himself before the king to answer charges. Months passed, and a number of nobles were found that went by the name of Sethi, particularly in the hierarchy of priests and officials in Per-Ramesses and other cities, offspring of Usermaatre and his many sons and daughters. They were questioned at length, and cleared of all knowledge of the conspiracy. The ripples of suspicion washed up and down the length of the Great River, and finally, the king's agents found the man they were looking for, Sethi, military adviser to Messuwy, King's Son of Kush. Sethi fled before he could be arrested, and this in itself was an admission of guilt. The king ordered Messuwy to Waset where he would be questioned concerning his missing military adviser.
Prince Seti was formally elevated to the position of Crown Prince and Heir at the victory speech Merenptah gave from the Window of Appearances in the Governor's Palace at Perire. The army acclaimed him, and celebrations gripped the streets of the city for a day and a night, beer and bread and beef flowing from the coffers of the city treasury into the mouths of soldiers and citizens alike. The announcement was not added to the king's triumphal inscription however, as nothing would be allowed to detract from the glory of the victory over the Ribu.
The king returned to Men-nefer and the legions took up their stations once more, now that peace had returned to Kemet. Celebrations gripped the population of Men-nefer as well, the announcement of the naming of Seti as Crown Prince being a reassurance that the royal family would continue. Merenptah was an old man, racked with pain and infirmity, and since the battle at Perire, had retired from public life as much as he could. Seti, and Tjaty Merysekhmet, conducted the affairs of the kingdoms, and Merenptah reserved only the high priesthood of Ptah for his personal pleasure.
* * *
The wedding of Crown Prince Seti and Lady Tausret was announced, and took place in a relatively quiet way. Ti-Ament and her Kaftor husband were invited to the feast and Ti-Ament explained the local customs.
"It was a little different with us, husband, if you remember. Traditionally, the bride is escorted by her father and family to the house of her husband, and coals from the hearth fire are transferred with her, but you didn't have a house and I was already living with you, so that couldn't happen."
"So Tausret lives with her father?" Zeben asked. "I thought he was dead."
"He is. King Baenre adopted her though, so he is her father now."
"But Prince Seti is his son, no? So how can the king take Tausret from his house to Seti who is also in his house? Your marriage customs are very confusing."
Ti-Ament smiled. "King Baenre is father to both bride and groom and they already live in the same palace, though in separate suites. The only real change that takes place is that they now share a suite and a bed."
"So why bother with a ceremony at all?"
"Because marriage is important for Kemetu and Tausret must be seen to be a true wife to Seti. She will become part of his household instead of her father's."
"Though they'll both still live in their father's palace?"
"Yes."
"You Kemetu are very strange. If this had been a marriage by a Kaftor priest there would have been blood sacrifices to the gods, much dancing and singing, everyone would get drunk and then, if it was a prince getting married, he would consummate the marriage in public."
"We have singing and dancing and drinking too," Ti-Ament said, "but the other thing...that's private between a man and woman."
"Not if you're a prince and you want to prove you actually put your son in your wife's belly."
"Well, I prefer the Kemetu way," Ti-Ament declared.
"Actually, so do I," Zeben agreed.
* * *
Merenptah viewed the marriage as a symbol of the continuance of the royal family and should be duly celebrated. He ordered a magnificent feast prepared for hundreds of nobles in the palace of Men-nefer, and opened the royal granaries and royal herds so that the common people of Kemet could feast also and praise the young couple.
The king did not greet his guests personally, that task being performed by the Tjaty and the senior palace woman, Lady Nebettawy. They ritually embraced each man and woman, draped wreaths of flowers about their necks and had cones of perfumed wax tied to their wigs. The guests entered the feasting hall and bowed before the king and the wedded couple, before taking their places at one of scores of small tables. Servants were everywhere, carrying jugs of wine, beer, water and milk, bearing plates of smoking beef, goat and pork, ducks and geese swimming in hot fat, fish of all sorts baked in spicy sauces, and great loaves of bread, hot and golden-crusted, straight from the palace ovens. Vegetables of every sort were mounded high in serving dishes, lettuce and lentils, chickpeas and cucumbers, onions and radishes. If people wished something sweeter, there was fruit in abundance, grapes, pomegranates, dates and figs, and honey in the comb that people could chew and spit out the wax onto the tiled floor.
While people ate and drank, musicians played lively tunes and scantily-clad girls danced and tumbled, reminding everyone that this was a wedding and exciting the imaginations of the guests. The heat grew in the great hall, and the perfumed wax cones atop everyone's wigs melted, running down over their heads and trickling down into their garments, lending a strong aroma of lotus and incense to the odours of the food.
The king retired for the night, exhausted and still hungry as he had been able to eat only a little soft food. A physician prescribed some noxious fluids to take his mind off his toothache and swollen joints, and at length he dropped into a fitful sleep. Seti and Tausret presided over the rest of the feast, toasting each other and imagining what it would be like to be king and queen over the Two Lands.
Three days later, the king sailed for Waset, and his meeting with his son Messuwy. Seti and Tausret wanted to go as well, but Merenptah refused.
"I want to see him alone. A quiet talk without accusations and recriminations."
"Don't trust him, father," Seti warned. "And take plenty of guards. I wouldn't put it past him to try to kill you if he gets the chance."
"Enough, Seti. This is my son and your brother we're talking about. I have summoned him to Waset and I will hear what he has to say."
"Then let me come. As you say, we are brothers, and should talk together."
"No. Seeing you, he will be reminded that the succession has passed him by. Besides, I mean for you to rule in my place while I am gone. It will be good experience for you."
Seti bowed to the king's will. "May you live for a thousand years, father."
Merenptah laughed and then winced, holding his side. "Another ten or so, maybe. Usermaatre lived to be ninety, so why not me? Now, pay attention to your wife while I'm gone. She has a good mind and has shown herself capable of reasoned decision. Don't think of her only as the future mother of your children."
"Yes, father."
Merenptah, who had been feeling as if his rock tomb in Ta-sekhet-ma'at, the Great Field, had been calling him the last few months, gratefully laid down his remaining burdens of state and rested on the barge 'Wisdom of Ptah' for the slow journey upriver to Waset. His personal physicians went with him, for his health was failing, and he took a strong royal guard under the command of Iymeru, the co-defender of Perire. During the voyage of some ten days, he confided in the Troop Commander.
"I don't know who to trust anymore, Iymeru. I would have sworn that the Waset legion was loyal, and its commander Setnakhte, but I know the Hem-netjer of Amun, Roma-Rui has no love for me, and if my son really was plotting against me, they all might be tainted."
"You do know, Son of Re, that my few men cannot possibly defend you against a legion?"
"I know, and I pray it does not come to that. I think a small show of force will be enough to forestall action. It is one thing to fight an enemy, and another to oppose an anointed king. Messuwy will back down."
Iymeru was not sure about that and decided to take what precautions he could. Among his men were two archers from his own village, brothers, who bore him personal loyalty on top of that owing a superior officer. He took them apart and spoke to them in a low voice.
"I am going to assign you to the king's intimate guard. You will carry daggers hidden inside your tunics and remain close to his person at all times. If the king is threatened by any man, you will take his life without hesitation."