Pharaoh. Indeed, if you wed her, you win a legal right to the crown, Horemheb, and a better right than the husbands of Akhenaten’s daughters, for behind them is but the blood of the false Pharaoh. Indeed, you have worked this out very cunningly, Horemheb, but I cannot approve, or at least not yet, for then I should be in your hands entirely and lack all authority over you.”
But Horemheb cried and said, “Keep your dirty crowns, Ay. I desire her more than crowns, and I have desired her since the first time I beheld her beauty in the golden house. I desire to mingle my blood with that of the great Pharaoh so that future Kings of Egypt may be the fruit of my loins. You desire only the crown, Ay. Take the crown then and when you consider the time ripe, my spears shall support your throne — yet give me the princess, and I will only reign after you, however long you live, for I have time to wait, as you have said yourself.”
Ay rubbed his mouth with his hand and mused for a long time, and as he mused his face brightened, for he perceived he had a bait by which he could lead Horemheb in the ways that best pleased him. But as I sat on the floor listening to their talk, I marvelled at the human heart, which allowed these two to dispose of crowns while Pharaoh Akhenaten still lived and breathed in the next room. At length Ay said, “You have waited long for your princess and may well wait a little longer, for you first have to wage a bitter war, and war does not fit with wedding preparations. It will also take time to win the consent of the princess since she holds you in great contempt because you were born with dung between the toes. But I and I only have the means to incline her to you, and I swear to you, Horemheb, by all the gods of Egypt, that on the day when I set the red and white crown on my head, I will with my own hand break the jar between you both, and you will have your princess. Further than this I cannot bargain with you, for then I would deliver myself into your hands.”
Horemheb lacked patience to bargain further and said, “Be it so, and let us now bring this dirty story to a happy conclusion, and I do not think you will procrastinate too long since you so earnestly desire these crowns that are nothing but children’s playthings.” In his excitement, Horemheb had entirely forgotten me, and when he looked around, he caught sight of me and became greatly shocked, saying, “Sinuhe, are you still here? This is an evil day for you have heard things that are not fit for unworthy ears, and I fear I must kill you, although unwillingly, since you are my friend.”
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His words started tickling me as I reflected how unworthy were these two men, Ay and Horemheb, now dividing the crowns between them, while I, sitting on the floor, was perhaps the worthiest man of any and the only male heir of the great Pharaoh whose sacred blood ran in my veins. Therefore I could not contain my laughter but pressed my hand over my mouth and tittered shrilly like an old woman. Ay was greatly irritated by my laughter and said, “It is unseemly in you to laugh, Sinuhe, for these are grave matters, and it is not the time for laughter. We will not slay you, however, although you deserve it, but it was well that you heard what passed and are our witness. You can never speak of what you have heard here today, for we need you and will bind you to us — and we will bind you to us more firmly than any vows, since you surely must understand that it is high time for Pharaoh Akhenaten to die. I guess that you as his physician should open his skull this very day and see to it that your knife goes deep enough for him to die as is the good custom.”
But Horemheb said, “I will not involve my fingers in this, for my hands are already dirty enough from having touched Ay’s hands. Yet what Ay says is true. Pharaoh Akhenaten must die if Egypt is to be saved. There is no other way any more.”
I was still giggling my hands over my mouth, until I calmed down and said, “As a physician, I may not open his skull since there is insufficient reason, and I am bound by the code of my profession. But be easy, for as his friend I will mix him a good medicine. When he has drunk of it, he will sleep, never to waken again, and in this manner I will bind myself to you so that you will never need fear me saying a bad word about you.”
Having said this, I brought forth the coloured glass vessel Herihor had once given me and mixed its contents with wine in a golden cup, and its smell was not unpleasant. I took the cup in my hand, and all three of us entered Pharaoh Akhenaten’s room. He had removed the crowns from his head and laid aside the flail and the crook from his hands and was resting on his bed with a grey face and bloodshot eyes.
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