[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
pouring of talent wasted on those mute idols . . . His next city would be built to the glory of the One God, in his own country, on holy ground. If Ramses was truly his soul mate, he would understand. Moses pounded on the edge of the balcony. The King of Egypt would never tolerate a minority revolt, never let a descendant of Akhenaton take over the throne. To believe otherwise was, at best, an impossible dream. Below, near one of the side entries to the palace, stood Ofir. May I speak to you? called the sorcerer. Come up. Ofir had learned to blend in wherever he went. At Pi- Ramses he could pass for an architect coming to offer Moses valuable advice. I m giving up, declared Moses. No use trying to argue. 330 Christian Jacq The sorcerer eyed him coolly. Has something happened to change your mind? I ve thought it over, that s all. It s a losing battle. I came to tell you that our ranks have been growing steadily. There are influential people who believe Lita should take the throne with the blessing of the One God. In that case, the Hebrews will be free. You mean to overthrow Ramses? Are you mad? Our convictions are firm. Do you think your sermons will sway the king? Who said we ll stop at sermons? Moses stared at Ofir as if he were meeting a stranger. You can t mean . . . Of course I can, Moses. You ve reached the same con- clusion I have, and that s what bothers you. Akhenaton was defeated and persecuted only because he refused to use force against his enemies. No fight can be won without blood- shed. Ramses will never accommodate us or anyone else. We ll have to fight him from within. And you will lead the Hebrews in their revolt. The dead will number in the hundreds, even thousands. Is carnage what you want? If you prepare your people, they ll win, with God on their side. I won t listen to another word. Be gone, Ofir. I can see you in Memphis as well as here. Don t count on it. There s no other way, and you know it. Don t try to ignore the voice inside you. We ll fight the good fight together, and God will triumph. fifty-five aia, the Syrian merchant, fingered his goatee. Business R was booming. The quality of his preserved meats and Asian vases attracted an ever-growing clientele among the upper classes of Memphis and Thebes. The creation of the new capital, Pi-Ramses, meant yet another market would open up. Raia had already secured a permit to set up shop in the heart of the commercial district and was training the sales force to deal with demanding customers. Increasing his inventory, he had ordered a hundred pre- cious vases, all new designs, from his Syrian sources. Each piece was unique and would be priced accordingly. Raia s personal opinion was that Egyptian craftsmen did better work, but the buying public s taste for the exotic (not to mention its rampant snobbery) was lining his pockets. Although the Hittites had ordered their agent to back Shaanar and oppose Ramses, after a single unsuccessful attempt on the king, Raia had given up trying. Pharaoh was too well protected and any further activity on the Syrian s part might lead the investigators to him. Over the last three years, Ramses had proved as strong a 332 Christian Jacq ruler as his father, with the added energy of youth. He was like a raging torrent, sweeping all obstacles out of his way. No one had the authority to oppose him, even if the number of building projects he had undertaken was sheer madness. The court and the people were at once enthralled and subjugated. Raia checked his shipment. Among the new pieces were two alabaster vases. He shut the storeroom door, then listened at it. Satisfied that he was alone, he stuck his hand inside the vase with the small red check mark under the rim and pulled out a pine tag inscribed with the vase s dimensions and origin. Raia knew the code by heart and easily worked out the message his contact in southern Syria had forwarded from the Hittites. Stunned, the secret agent destroyed the message and went running out of the shop. Superb, said Shaanar, admiring the blue swan-necked vase Raia had just unpacked for him. The price? Rather high, I m afraid, Your Highness. But it s one of a kind. Let s discuss it, shall we? Gripping the vase to his chest, Raia followed Ramses older brother to one of his villa s roofed terraces, where they could speak without fear of being overheard. If I m not mistaken, Raia, you re following emergency procedure. Correct. Ramses: The eternal temple 333 What s going on? Our friends have decided to take action. It was the news Shaanar had hoped for, but also dreaded. If he were Pharaoh, he would put Egyptian troops on high alert and shore up the border defenses. But Egypt s most dangerous enemy was offering him a way to get back at his brother. He would have to use this vital secret to his sole advantage. Could you be more specific, Raia? You look disturbed. Who wouldn t be? It s true, Your Highness. I m still in shock myself. This decision will change the face of relations between Egypt and the Hittites. More than that will change, Raia. The fate of the whole world hangs on it. You and I will be major players in the drama that unfolds. But I m only an agent. You ll be my contact with the Hittites. A good part of my strategy depends on the accuracy of the information you provide. You make it sound so important. Do you hope to stay in Egypt, once we win? I m at home here. You ll be rich, Raia, very rich. I never forget a favor. The merchant bowed. Your humble servant, Sir Prince. Do you have any details? Not yet. Shaanar took a few steps, leaned over the railing, and looked north. This is a great day, Raia. One day we ll tell ourselves it marked the beginning of the end of Ramses. 334 Christian Jacq Ahsha s Egyptian mistress was a marvel. Playful, inven- tive, insatiable, she had elicited new and subtle responses. A definite improvement over her pretty but boring predeces- sors, two Libyan girls and three Syrians. Ahsha demanded imagination in his lovemaking. That alone could release the unexpected melodies straining within the body. He was just getting around to sucking his lady love s sweet little toes when he heard his steward hammering at the door, despite strict orders. Outraged, Ahsha flung the door open without thinking to cover himself. Forgive me, sir. An urgent message from your office. Ahsha consulted the wooden tablet. It was brief: Report at once. At two in the morning, the streets of Memphis were deserted. Ahsha s horse quickly covered the distance between his residence and the State Department. Not stop- ping to make the customary offering to Thoth, Ahsha took the stairs four at a time and sped to his office. He found his secretary waiting. I thought I should let you know immediately. About what? A dispatch from one of our agents in northern Syria. If it s another false alarm, you ll be in trouble. The bottom of the papyrus scroll looked blank, but when [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |