Horemheb’s chariots had ridden all the way to Kadesh, however without being able to conquer it. He boasted of his wealth and the great deals he had done in Syria, and he told me that he had bought an old palace in the nobles’ quarter and hired hundreds of labourers to rebuild it that it might be worthy of his affluence, since it was no more consistent with his dignity to keep a tavern in the harbour.
He said to me, “I have heard a lot of evil of you in Thebes, my lord Sinuhe, and they say that you have been stirring up the people against Horemheb and that judges and other eminent men are incensed against you because you have accused them of many injustices. I counsel you to be careful, since if you continue your dangerous talk, they will sentence you to the mines. It may also be that they will not dare to judge you, because you are in favour with Horemheb, but your house has already burned down once, and one dark night they might come again and kill you and burn your house if you continue with your talk and stir up the poor against the rich. Tell me what is the matter with you and what has set these ants running in your head that I may help you as a good servant should help his master.”
I bowed my head before him and told him all that I had thought and done and told him the trouble in my heart. He listened to me nodding his head so that his fat cheeks wobbled, and when I finished, he said, “I know well that you are a simple and mad man, my lord Sinuhe, but I thought your madness might have improved with the years. However, your madness seems to have grown worse, although with your own eyes you saw all the evil that happened in the name of Aten, and Aten destroyed even your own joy. Perhaps you were infected by Akhenaten’s disease in Akhetaten, but I believe this trouble of yours is because of your idleness and that because of this idleness, useless whims trouble you. It would be better if you started practicing your profession again and used your skill to examine the skulls of men and heal their ailments, for by healing one sick man, you do more good than with all your talk, which only does harm to yourself and to all whom you lead astray. But if you have no wish to practice your profession, you can always pass your time in some useful hobby, like idle wealthy men do. I think you might not be fit to hunt hippopotamuses, and perhaps the smell of cats does not please you, though you might get
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famous by breeding cats like Pepitamun. But perhaps you could collect old writings and make lists of them, or you could collect artefacts and jewellery that were carved and forged already during the time of the pyramids. You could collect Syrian instruments or black men’s idols which the soldiers returning from the Kush war are selling. Truly, Sinuhe, the world has countless ways for an idle man to pass time so that vain thoughts do not bother him, and women and wine are not the worst of these time-killing ways, and playing dice heals bad moods quickly though it is a dangerous diversion for a weak man like you, my lord Sinuhe, if I may say so. But for Amun’s sake, play dice, waste your gold on women, get drunk, do anything, but do not destroy yourself with vain talk — for I love you dearly, my lord Sinuhe, and I desire no harm to come to you.”
He said also, “Nothing in the world is perfect, and the crust of every loaf is burned, and every fruit has been bitten by a worm, and when a man has drunk wine, he must suffer a hangover. For this reason, there is no perfect justice, and every justice contains injustice, and even good deeds can have evil consequences, and the best motives may lead to the most deaths, as Akhenaten’s example taught you. But look at me, my lord Sinuhe, I am content with my short measure and grow fat in harmony with gods and men, and Pharaoh’s judges bow before me, and the people praise my name, while the dogs throw their waters on your shanks, Sinuhe. Calm down, Sinuhe, my lord, for it is not your fault that the world is as it is, and it is not your fault this has ever been so and ever will.”
I studied his corpulence and his wealth and greatly envied him for his peace of mind and said to him, “Be it as you say, Kaptah. I will calm down and start practicing my profession again — but tell me, is the name of Aten still remembered and do men still curse Aten, since you mentioned Aten though it is forbidden to say his name, and his name sends men to mines and head downward on the wall.”
Kaptah said, “Truly, Aten’s name was forgotten as quickly as the pillars of Akhetaten collapsed, the walls crumbled and the sand filled the floors of the houses. Yet I have seen some artists draw in the manner of Aten, and there are storytellers who tell dangerous tales, and one may see now and again the cross of Aten drawn in the sand of a square, and some have drawn the crosses of Aten upon the walls of public lavatories, so it may be that Aten is not quite dead yet.”
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