From this day forward the thought of my origin weighed upon my spirit, and my heart sank because I was a stranger in all four quarters of the world. I had a strong desire to question the astrologers, but as I did not know the precise hour of my birth, it was useless to ask since they could not have enlightened me. Nevertheless, at the priests’ request, they sought out the tablets relating to the year and the day of my coming down the river, for the priests were also curious. But all the astrologers could say was that if I had been born at such and such a time of day I must have been of royal blood and destined to rule over a nation of many people. This knowledge was no comfort to me, for, when I thought of the past, I remembered only the crime I had committed and the shame I had brought upon myself in Thebes. It might be that the stars had cursed me from the very day of my birth and sent me in the reed boat to drive Senmut and Kipa to an untimely death and to rob them of the contentment of their old age and even of their tomb. And at this I shuddered, for if once the stars had accursed me, I could not avoid my destiny but should continue to bring ruin and suffering upon those who held me dear. The future oppressed me, and I feared it, and I perceived that everything that had happened to me was designed to make me turn my heart from my fellows and live alone, for only solitude could save me from bringing curse upon others.
5
It remains for me to tell of the Day of the False King, for, when the young corn had begun to sprout and the fierce chill of the nights had given way to warmth, the priests went forth out of the city to bring their god from his tomb and to cry that he had risen again, upon which the city of Babylon was transformed into a jumping and raging fair ground; and crowds poured along the streets in their festival dresses, and mobs plundered the shops making more commotion and uproar than the soldiers had after the great inspection. Women and many girls went to all temples of Ishtar to collect silver for their dowries and, whoever chose, might rejoice with them — and that was not regarded shameful, but everyone enjoyed and rejoiced, each according to his strength and willingness. The last day of the festival was the Day of the False King.
217
I was by now familiar with many customs in Babylon, yet I was astonished to see the King’s bodyguards before dawn on that day crowding drunkenly into Ishtar’s House of Joy, breaking open the doors and striking everyone they met with the shafts of their spears as they shouted at the tops of their voices, “Where is our King hiding? Bring our King forth speedily, for the sun is about to rise, and the King must dispense justice to his people.”
The din was beyond description, and lamps were lighted, and the inn servants ran about the passages in a fright, while Kaptah, believing that riots had broken out in the city, hid beneath my bed, but I went to meet the soldiers, naked under my woollen robe, having just risen from sleep, and asked them, “What is it you want, and beware not to insult me, for I am Sinuhe, the Egyptian, the Son of the Wild Ass, whose name you have certainly heard.” They shouted and said, “If you are Sinuhe, then you are he whom we seek!” They tore off my cloak so that I stood naked, and they were surprised and pointed me out to each other for they had never before seen a circumcised man. Then they said to one another, “Can we let this man walk free for he is a danger to our women, he who loves whatever is new and strange.” They also said, “Truly we have not seen a stranger man since we saw the one with curly hair and black skin who came from the islands of the warm sea and had pierced his thing with a bone stick and a clapper to please women.”
But when they had mocked me enough, they released me and said, “Waste no more of our time but deliver to us your servant, for we must bring him to the palace with all speed, today being the Day of the False King, and this is the King’s will that we hasten to the palace with that man.” When Kaptah heard this, he was so terrified that he began to tremble and shake the whole bed so that they found him and, dragging him forth with jubilation, made deep obeisance before him. And they said to one another, “This is a day of great rejoicing, for at last we have found our King who had hidden himself and disappeared from our sight — but now our eyes are gladdened by him, and we hope he will reward our fidelity with many gifts.”
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