Christian Jacq [Ramses 04] The Lady of Abu Simbel (pdf)

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Uri-Teshoop s mercy!
He halted his horsemen, savoring his triumph. Ahsha
had delivered on his promise. Once the new emperor was
rid of his ultimate enemy, however, the Egyptian ambas-
sador would have outlived his usefulness. Uri-Teshoop
would have him strangled. To think that Ahsha believed he
would ever want peace! So many years of waiting, so many
trials had led up to this moment. All power was his.
Have at them, Uri-Teshoop ordered his soldiers.
As they stretched their bowstrings, Uri-Teshoop felt a
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 269
surge of intense pleasure. The perfidious Hattusili, the arro-
gant Puduhepa, their bodies riddled with arrows, their
corpses burnt . . . what prospect could be more delicious?
But no arrow split the air.
Have at them! Uri-Teshoop shouted furiously.
The bows turned on him.
Betrayed . . . finally emperor, and he was being betrayed!
That was why Hattusili, his wife and daughter, stood there
so calmly.
Muwattali s brother came forward.
You re our prisoner, Uri-Teshoop. Surrender, and you ll
be allowed to stand trial.
With a cry of rage, Uri-Teshoop reared on his horse.
The archers recoiled in surprise. With the dash of a sea-
soned fighter, the son of the newly dead emperor broke
through the circle and shot off toward the capital.
Arrows whizzed past his ears, but not one hit him.
forty-four
ri-Teshoop rode through the Lion Gate and galloped
Utoward the palace, forcing his horse until its heart gave
out. It collapsed at the top of the citadel from which the
Emperor of Hatti would contemplate his kingdom.
270 Christian Jacq
The head of the imperial bodyguard came running.
What s going on, Your Majesty?
Where s the Egyptian?
In his rooms.
This time, Ahsha was not in the arms of some lovely
young blonde, but draped in a heavy mantle, dagger at his
side.
Uri-Teshoop unleashed his fury.
A booby trap, that s what it was! My own soldiers
turned against me!
You d better get away, advised Ahsha.
The Egyptian s words stunned Uri-Teshoop.
What do you mean, get away? My army will raze that
damned temple and massacre the rebels.
You have no more army.
No army? Uri-Teshoop repeated dumbly. What does
that mean?
Your generals respect the omens and the gods revela-
tions to Puduhepa. That s why they ve sworn allegiance to
Hattusili. You still have your private bodyguard and one or
two regiments that won t be able to hold out long. Within
hours, you ll be trapped inside your own palace, awaiting
Hattusili s triumphant arrival.
It can t be true, it s not possible.
You have to face reality, Uri-Teshoop. Bit by bit,
Hattusili has taken control of the empire.
I ll fight to the finish!
That would be suicidal. There s a better way.
Tell me!
You know all about the Hittite army, its fighting power,
armament, organization, weak points . . .
Of course I do, but what ?
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 271
If you leave immediately, I think I can get you out of
Hatti.
Where would I go?
To Egypt.
Uri-Teshoop looked stricken. You can t be serious,
Ahsha.
Where else would you be safe, beyond Hattusili s reach?
Of course, the right to asylum is negotiable. In exchange for
your life, you ll have to tell Ramses all you know about the
Hittite army.
You re asking me to become a traitor?
You be the judge.
Uri-Teshoop felt like killing Ahsha. The Egyptian had
clearly outmaneuvered him. But he was also offering the
only real possibility of survival without honor, naturally,
but survival all the same not to mention the chance to
harm Hattusili by revealing military secrets.
I accept.
It s the reasonable course.
Will you be escorting me, Ahsha?
No, I ll stay in Hattusa.
Isn t that risky?
My mission isn t finished. Have you forgotten about the
peace agreement?
As soon as the news of Uri-Teshoop s flight was made
public, his last few supporters rallied to Hattusili. The
king s brother was officially proclaimed the new emperor.
His first duty as a ruler was to pay homage to Muwattali,
272 Christian Jacq
whose corpse was burned on a gigantic pyre during a gran-
diose funeral ceremony, followed by a week of feasting.
At the banquet closing the rites of coronation, Ahsha
occupied a place of honor at Emperor Hattusili s left.
Permit me, Imperial Highness, to wish you a long and
peaceful reign.
No trace of Uri-Teshoop . . . you have eyes and ears
everywhere, Ahsha. Don t you have some idea where he s
gone?
None at all, Your Majesty. You ve probably heard the
last of him.
I d be surprised. Uri-Teshoop is a resentful and obsti-
nate man who ll never stop seeking revenge.
Provided he has the means to do so.
A warrior of his mettle never gives up.
I don t share your fears.
It s curious, Ahsha . . . I have the feeling you know more
than you re telling.
It s only a feeling, Your Majesty.
Couldn t you have helped Uri-Teshoop leave the
country?
The future certainly holds surprises, but I m not re-
sponsible for them. My only mission is persuding you to
enter into peace negotiations with Ramses.
You re playing a very dangerous game, Ahsha. Suppose
I change my mind and decide to wage war against Egypt?
You re too aware of the international situation to deny
the Assyrian threat and too concerned with your people s
welfare to risk it in a useless conflict.
Your analysis has merit, but why should I endorse your
viewpoint? Truth is of little use in governing. War would
have the advantage of stifling protest and uniting the
country.
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 273
You wouldn t care how many lives it cost?
That s unavoidable.
Not if you concentrate on building peace.
I admire your determination, Ahsha.
I love life, Your Majesty. War destroys too many joys.
You must not be happy with the world as it is.
In Egypt we have our own unique goddess, Ma at, who
requires everyone, even Pharaoh, to respect the law of the
universe and strive for justice on earth. It s a world I can live
in.
A pretty fable, Ahsha, but only a fable.
Make no mistake, Your Majesty; if you decide to attack
Egypt, you ll come up against Ma at. And if you were to
win, you d be destroying a civilization with no equal.
What would it matter, if Hatti rules the world?
Impossible, Your Majesty. It s already too late to stop
Assyria from becoming a great power. Only an alliance with
Egypt can safeguard your territory.
Unless I m mistaken, Ahsha, you re not my adviser, but
a foreign ambassador. You re bound to protect your own
interests.
That s only how it looks. Hatti may lack my country s
charms, but I ve grown fond of it here. I have no wish to see
your empire crumble.
Do you mean it?
I admit that a diplomat s sincerity is always in question
. . . but I beg you to believe me. Peace is our one true goal.
Will you swear it in the name of Ramses?
In an instant. When I speak, you hear his voice.
The two of you must be very close.
We are, Your Majesty.
Ramses is lucky, very lucky.
So all his enemies claim.
274 Christian Jacq
Every day for the last five years Kha had spent at least an
hour in the laboratory at the temple of Amon. He knew all
the texts by heart now. Over the years, he had come to learn
about astronomy, geometry, symbolism, and other sacred
sciences, discovering realms of thought and traveling the
pathways of knowledge.
Despite his young age, Kha would soon be initiated into
the temple s first mysteries. When Ramses court heard the
news, there was general amazement. The king s eldest son
was clearly destined for the highest religious calling.
Kha removed the amulet around his neck as well as his
magic wristband. Naked, eyes closed, he was led into a
temple crypt to meditate on the secrets of creation revealed
on the walls. Four male frogs and four female snakes formed
the primordial couples creating the world. Wavy lines repre- [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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