The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

Posted by admin_akashic on Mar 4th, 2022 in Stories

sniff the wind to learn what the wind will bring. He set his hopes on Egypt, but if Egypt is indeed too poor to send him enough gold to hire strong men from barbaric countries and build chariots, I do not know what will come of it. My master will ever prove a good friend to a powerful and wealthy Egypt, and this alliance would guarantee world peace, since both Egypt and Babylon are rich enough and have no need to wage war and only desire to keep everything as it is for the sake of their wealth. But friendship with weak and poor Egypt is of no meaning to my master but only a burden — and I may say that my master was severely shocked and terrified when Egypt in its weakness yielded Syria. One’s own mouth is closer than the mouth of a sack, and Babylon must consider Babylon. Although I love Egypt dearly and wish Egypt nothing but good, the interest of my country is more important to me than the interest of Egypt, and I would not be surprised if I soon had to travel away from here and return to Babylon, though it would be a great pity.” Thus he spoke, and no sane person would have denied the wisdom of his words. This way, King Burnaburiash stopped sending toys and colourful eggs to his three-year-old consort in Akhetaten even if she was Pharaoh’s daughter and sacred blood flowed in her veins.

A Hittite deputation, amongst which were many distinguished chiefs, arrived at Akhetaten. They said that they had come to confirm the traditional friendship between Egypt and the land of Hatti and at the same time to acquaint themselves both with the customs of Egypt of which they had heard much that was good and with the Egyptian army from whose arms and discipline they believed they might learn a great deal of useful things. Their behaviour was cordial and correct, and they brought great presents to the court nobles. Among the gifts they offered to young Tut, the consort of Ankhesenaten and Pharaoh’s son-in-law, was a knife of blue metal, keener and stronger than all other knives, so that the boy was greatly pleased and did not know how to best serve them. I was the only other in Akhetaten in possession of such a blade which was once given to me by a Hittite harbour master after I had cured him — as I have related — and I counselled Tut to have his covered in gold and silver in the Syrian manner like I had in Zemar. Thus it became a shining decoration, and Tut was so greatly delighted with it that he said he would have it with him in his tomb. He was a delicate and sickly boy who thought of death more often than do most children of his age.

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These Hittite chiefs were indeed agreeable and cultured men, and the images of winged suns and double axes sparkled in their chest plates and capes. Their large and gallant noses, resolute chins and their untamed eyes — that were like those of wild animals — entranced the women of the court who, like all women, loved everything new. So they made many friends in Akhetaten, and from morning till night and from night till morning they were brilliantly entertained in the palaces of the distinguished men until they were exhausted and complained smilingly that their heads would break. And smiling they said:

“We know that many dreadful things are told of our land by the invention of envious neighbours. We are therefore delighted to be able to appear before you in person so that you may see for yourselves that we are a cultured nation and that many of us can read and write. We also do not eat raw meat and do not drink children’s blood, as is told of us, but we know how to eat both in the Syrian and Egyptian manner. We are also peaceful men and do not seek war but give you all kinds of gifts and want nothing in return except knowledge that might be useful to us in our endeavours to educate and instruct our people to yet higher learning and civilisation. Especially the way your Sherdens use weapons is very interesting to us, and we also admire your slender and golden chariots which our heavy and clumsy chariots are no match to, having no decorations at all. And do not believe the nonsense that is talked about us by the fugitives from Mitanni, for it is just bitterness that speaks through their mouths because in their cowardice they abandoned their country and all their own. We can assure you that no evil would have befallen them if they had remained, and we still advise them to return to their land and live in peace with us, and we have no hard feelings about their nonsense for we can understand their bitterness. But you must also understand that the land of Hatti is cramped, and we have many children, for our great King Suppiluliuma takes great delight in children. Therefore we need space for our offspring and new grazing grounds for our cattle, and there was space for us in Mitanni — for the Mitannian women only give birth to one or at most two children. And further, we could not endure to see the oppressions and wrongs that

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