My spear is thirsty, and its name is Throat Slitter.”
“Not blood,” the heir to the throne said. “Blood is an abomination before Aten. There is nothing more terrible than flowing blood.”
Even though I had seen the prince close his eyes tightly when Ptahor performed the trepanning, I did not know yet that he was one of the people who became sick in the sight of blood and lost their consciousness.
“Blood purifies the people and makes them strong,” said Horemheb. “Blood makes the gods fat and contented. As long as there is war, so long must blood flow.”
“There will never be war again”, declared the heir to the throne.
“The lad’s daft,” Horemheb laughed. “War there has always been and always will be, for the nations must test each other’s worth if they are to survive.”
“All peoples are his children, all languages and all skin colours, the Black Land and the Red Land,” said the prince and gazed straight into the sun. “I shall raise temples to him in every land, and to the princes of those lands I shall send the symbol of life, for I have seen him, of him was I born, and to him I shall return.”
“He is mad,” said Horemheb to me, shaking his head in compassion. ”I can see he needs a doctor.”
“His god just appeared to him,” I said sternly to warn Horemheb, because I already liked him. “The holy sickness invoked him to see the god, and who are we to judge what the god said to him. Each has his own god.”
“I believe in my spear and in my falcon,” said Horemheb.
The prince raised his hand in greeting to the sun, and his face was once more passionate and beautiful as if he were looking into another world than we. We let him finish his prayer and then began to lead him toward the city, and he made no resistance. The seizure had ravaged his limbs so that he staggered and moaned as he went. At last, we carried him between us, and the falcon flew ahead.
83
When we came to the edge of cultivation where the irrigation ditches reach to, we saw a royal carrying chair awaiting us. The slaves had lain down upon the ground, and out of the chair stepped a large priest whose head was shaven and whose face was grimly beautiful in its darkness. I stretched forth my hands at knee level before him, for I took him to be the priest of Ra-Horakhty, of whom Ptahor had spoken. But he did not heed me. He threw himself prostrate before the prince and hailed him as King. So I knew that Pharaoh Amenhotep III was dead. The slaves then hastened to tend the new Pharaoh. His limbs were washed, massaged and anointed, he was robed in royal linen, and upon his head was lain the royal headdress.
Meanwhile, Ay spoke to me. “Did he meet his god, Sinuhe?” he asked.
“He met his god,” I said. “But I watched over him that no evil might befall. How do you know my name?”
He smiled to me and said, “It is for me to know all that goes on in the palace, until my time has come. I know your name and that you are a physician. That is why I could entrust him to your care. You are also one of Amun’s priests and have sworn him your oath.” He stressed his words, and there was menace in his tone, but I threw out my hands asking, “What signifies an oath to Amun?”
“You are right,” he said, “and have nothing of which to repent. Be aware then that he becomes restless when the god approaches him. Nothing can hold him then, and he does not allow the guards to escort him. You were safe all through the night and no danger threatened you, and a chair was waiting for him, as you can see. What about this spearman?” He pointed to Horemheb, who was standing apart, testing the spear point on his hand, with the falcon perched upon his shoulder. “It were better perhaps that he should die, for Pharaohs’ secrets are shared by few.”
“He covered Pharaoh with his cloak when it was cold,” I said. “He is ready to wield his spear against Pharaoh’s enemies. I believe he will be more useful to you alive than dead, priest Ay.” Then Ay threw a gold ring from his arm toward him, saying carelessly, “You may call upon me some time at the golden house, spearman.”
But Horemheb let the gold ring fall in the sand at his feet and looked defiantly at Ay. “I take my orders only from Pharaoh, and if I am not mistaken, Pharaoh is he who bears the royal headdress. The falcon led me to him, and that is sign enough.”
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