The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

Posted by admin_akashic on Mar 4th, 2022 in Stories

Eventually, there was no order since those who shouted the loudest said, “We need to keep order and discipline in the name of Aten. Let us collect all grain and share it between ourselves, and no one can plunder on his own, but we who are the strongest, will plunder together and share the loot with others.” Thus the loudest grouped together and beat with sticks those who tried to plunder on their own, and they plundered more than anyone before, killing everyone who resisted them — and they ate themselves full, dressed in royal linen and wore gold and silver about their necks and wrists. Amongst them were men whose nose and ears had been cut due to their shameful crimes, and they had marks from chains on their ankles and scars from sticks in their backs, but they took great pride in these marks and revealed their shame for everyone to see, saying, “We have suffered much for Aten’s sake, so haven’t we then earned some compensation?” And one could not say who had been sent to the mines and stone quarries as a horn and now returned amongst people as a cross. But no one dared to approach the golden house on the other side of the river since it was Pharaoh’s house, and Ay still carried Pharaoh’s crook and flail and protected Amun’s priests there.

So twice thirty days went by, and no longer than this did Aten’s kingdom on earth endure but fell apart since the black troops shipped from the land of Kush and the Sherdens hired by Ay encircled the city and closed all roads and closed also the river so that none might make his escape. The horns rose in revolt throughout the city and were furnished by the priests with arms from the vaults of Amun, and those who had no weapons hardened the ends of their sticks by fire, bound their pestles and rolling pins with copper and fashioned arrowheads from the jewels of their women. The horns rose in revolt, and with them rose all who desired good for Egypt, and also the gentle and patient and peaceful people rose in revolt, saying, “We want the old order to return for we are up to our ears with the new, and Aten has already plundered us enough.”

But I, Sinuhe, said to the people, “It may be that a lot of wrong has come to pass during these days and that wrong has trampled on right; and that many an innocent man has suffered for the guilty, but nevertheless, Amun is still the god of fear and darkness and rules men through their ignorance. Aten is the only god, for he dwells within us

593

and outside us, and there are no other gods. Fight for Aten, all you slaves and poor men, you porters and servants, for you have no more to lose, and should Amun win, you would indeed taste slavery and death. Fight for Pharaoh Akhenaten’s sake, for his like has never been born on earth, and the god speaks through his mouth, and never has there been such an opportunity to renew the world, and never will it be offered to you after him.”

But the slaves and porters laughed aloud at me and said, “Do not talk nonsense of Aten to us, Sinuhe, for all gods are alike and all Pharaohs are alike. Yet you are a good man, Sinuhe, although very simple, and you have bound our crushed arms and healed our cut knees without requiring gifts. Lay aside your club — since in any case you lack the strength to swing it — for you make a bad warrior, and the horns will slay you if they see the club in your hands, and we wish no ill to you. It matters little if we die, for we have soiled our hands with blood and lived well, sleeping beneath brilliant canopies and drinking from golden cups, though we don’t know if it was worth all the trouble. In any case, our feast is now at an end, and we mean to die with our weapons in our hands, since having tasted freedom and high living, we find slavery no longer to our liking. You heal our wounds and soothe our pain, if you want to, but do not run amongst us with a club in your hand, since that makes us laugh so bad that laughter bends us double from the waist, and spears drop from our hands, and we become an easy target to black men, Sherdens and Amun’s horns.”

Their talk made me ashamed so that I threw aside my club and went to bring the medicine chest from my house to The Crocodile’s Tail so that I could tend their wounds. For three days and three nights there was fighting in Thebes, and a countless many exchanged their cross for horn and joined the horns, and many more laid down their arms and hid in houses, in wine cellars, in granaries and in empty baskets in the harbour. But the slaves and porters of the harbour fought on, and most bravely fought those who had made the least noise, and next to them fought those whose noses and ears were cut since they knew they would be recognised anyway. Three days and three nights there was fighting in Thebes, and the slaves and porters set fire to houses and at night fought by the light of the flames — and also black men and Sherdens set

594