by Max Overton
"The Ribu connection is interesting," Neferronpet said. "Particularly when you take into account the fact that a certain man called Sethi was involved with the Ribu when they invaded a few years ago."
"Ah, you made the connection too? None of my advisors seems willing to point out that this Sethi was military advisor to my brother Messuwy."
"My lord. You cannot think Lord Messuwy would..." Besenmut's voice trailed off. "My apologies, my lord. I am a simple man. My mind is suited to the battlefield, rather than looking for traitors."
"And I have need of such simple men, Besenmut," Seti said. "But also of devious minds such as that of my loyal Tjaty Neferronpet. It does not surprise you that Messuwy might be involved in the death of my father?"
"It grieves me to say it, my lord, but no," Neferronpet said.
"Explain."
"Messuwy was sent south as a young man to become Deputy King's Son of Kush, whence he rose to become King's Son of Kush when the old viceroy died. He chose as his military adviser Sethi, son of Horire, and it is from this time that we can detect discontent in Messuwy's communications. It is my belief that this Sethi has fostered a desire for the throne in his master's mind, and seeks to bring that about through various ways." Neferronpet paused to collect his thoughts. "If you remember, my lord, Messuwy first sought to be named heir in your place, and when that did not work, it is believed his man Sethi entered into a traitorous alliance with the Ribu, hoping to remove the king and Heir together. Only your father and your mighty deeds saved Kemet then, but now we see another plot which again points at Sethi."
"But not Messuwy?" Seti asked. "I can believe the most evil things of this Sethi, but my brother is more misguided than evil, isn't he? He merely took bad advice?"
"It is possible, my lord," Neferronpet conceded, "but Messuwy should be questioned on this."
"I fully intend that he should give a full accounting of his actions and those of his adviser Sethi."
Footsteps sounded in the hallway outside the audience chamber, together with raised voices, and a few moments later, Commander Merenkhons re-entered and bowed low.
"Majesty, Lord Messuwy is nowhere to be found, and neither is the man Sethi."
"They have fled?"
"Proof of their guilt, my lord," Neferronpet said.
"I will not judge him unheard," Seti replied. "Scour the city for them."
"Majesty, I regret... that is to say... er, Troop Commander Amenhotep and some five hundred men have deserted their posts. It is thought they have sworn allegiance to...to Lord Messuwy."
"The rest are loyal?"
"Yes, Majesty."
"Besenmut, you will flood the city with your men. You will find Messuwy and Sethi and bring them before me. If any man of the Amun legion challenges you and does not swear instant allegiance to me, you will kill them. Is that understood?"
The Ptah Commander sprang to attention. "Yes, Son of Re, but..."
"But what?"
"You should go back on board the barge, Son of Re, and stay in the current. If there is treachery, you would be safer..."
"Safer? I will not run from Messuwy, even if he had a hundred legions behind him." Seti glared at Besenmut, and then softened his expression. "How would it look if the king fled at the first sign of trouble? Now, you have your orders, Commander Besenmut. Carry them out."
Seti waited until Besenmut had left and then turned to Merenkhons. "There is one rotten fruit left in Waset if the others have fled. Go to the Great Temple of Amun and arrest the Hem-netjer, Roma-Rui, and ask the Second Prophet Bakenkhons to attend on me at once."
"What do you intend, my lord?" Neferronpet asked as Merenkhons left, calling for his men.
"Roma-Rui all but openly opposed my father, and his loyalty is to this city and Messuwy. I intend to depose him and elevate Bakenkhons to his place."
"A dangerous course, my lord. Amun is powerful."
"More powerful than the King of Kemet?"
"Of course not, my lord, but what will you do with him? You cannot have him killed without risking the whole of Ta Shemau rising in rebellion."
Seti stared at his Tjaty. "They would not dare."
"Maybe, maybe not, but the Amun priesthood is powerful in the south. It would be a risk and, well...maybe it is one that should be carefully considered...my lord."
Seti's stare turned to a glare. "What would you have me do then?"
"Remove him by all means, my lord, for in Waset he will always be a focus of disaffection, but be circumspect. Invite him north to visit and report on the conditions of the Amun temples in Ta Mehu. Say that you wish to repair and rebuild the Houses of Amun and would value his assistance. I believe his sense of his own importance will encourage him to accept. Bakenkhons, who is Second Prophet anyway, can look after things in Waset in his absence."
"I will consider your words, Neferronpet."
A little later, Merenkhons returned with a squad of soldiers and Roma-Rui bound with ropes in their midst. Bakenkhons walked unhindered, but he looked troubled by the situation. The Amun Commander saluted and indicated his prisoner. "There was a bit of trouble, Son of Re, and a crowd threatened us on the way here. We had to break a few heads, but I don't think anyone died." A distant swelling roar intruded on the quietness of the audience chamber.
"You hear that?" Roma-Rui asked. "That is the sound of the people coming to free me. You have listened to bad advice, son of Baenre, if you think to remove the Chosen One of Amun."
Seti shook his head. "This is not what I wanted, Hem-netjer. I instructed you be invited here, not arrested. Merenkhons, you have made a grievous mistake. Release the Hem-netjer at once."
Merenkhons looked unhappy, but hurried to obey his king. When the ropes had fallen to the floor, and Roma-Rui had brushed down his robes, he turned to Seti with a look of disdain.
"I accept your apology, son of Baenre, for you are but a youth and have not yet had time to surround yourself with able counsellors."
"You forget yourself, Roma-Rui," Neferronpet said. "You are addressing not just a son of Baenre, but the Heir, and indeed, Son of Re."
"Not Son of Re," Roma-Rui snapped. "Seti is not king until I have placed the crowns on his head at the behest of Amun-Re. That will take place when the god decides."
"That is treason," Neferronpet exclaimed. "Seti is king by will of his father and the gods and does not need your permission."
"Peace!" Seti roared. In a calmer voice, he added. "All things will be done according to custom, Hem-netjer, and you may be sure that Amun-Re will take his rightful place in the kingdoms. In fact, Roma-Rui, that is what I wanted to talk to you about."
He approached the priest and put his arms about the older man, before leading him out onto the balcony. The seething crowd below roared at their appearance, the anger turning to joy as they saw the Heir's arm around their beloved Hem-netjer of Amun.
"Smile, Roma-Rui," Seti said quietly. "Wave to them. Let them see you support the House of Ramesses."
"The House of Ramesses is greater than any one man."
"So show your support for the whole if not the part. Or would you rather see the city, the kingdoms even, descend into strife and bloodshed?"
Roma-Rui hesitated a few moments longer, and then nodded, lifting his hand and waving to the crowd.
"I want you to do something more for me," Seti said, turning away from the balcony and drawing the older man inside once more. "And again, it will benefit everyone rather than just me. I need to know the state of the Amun temples. Are they being looked after? Do they need more gold to make them fitting abodes for the god?"
The priest looked at Seti, his forehead wrinkling in a frown. "The temples of Waset glorify the god most suitably, as do most of the lesser temples and shrines in Ta Shemau. We can always use gold though, if it is being offered."
"It is, Roma-Rui, it is. But you only mention the temples of the south. What of the north? Are they in good repair? Do they need gold also? Are there enough temples? Where shoul
d I build more?"
"I am not as conversant with the temples in the north," Roma-Rui admitted. "I get reports from the priests, of course, but in no great detail."
"That must be remedied. I need someone to tour the north, to visit every city and town and village in Ta Mehu, and determine the state of every temple to Amun. I need to know how much gold is needed to glorify Amun to the extent he deserves, and how many new temples must be built. Know that I intend Amun to be strong once more throughout the Two Kingdoms."
"That is most gratifying...Prince Seti. May I suggest Bakenkhons here? As Second Prophet of Amun he is qualified to make these investigations."
Bakenkhons bowed low at mention of his name.
Seti laughed, though not unkindly. "You would send a sheep where I need a lion. Bakenkhons is an able priest, I am sure, but he is in too much awe of me. He will tell me exactly what I want to hear rather than what I need to hear. He will fear my wrath and tell me I need spend only a little gold, and as a result, the god Amun will live in temples unworthy of his position. No, I need a fiercer man, one who is not afraid of me, who will stand up to me and demand the god's due."
"Amenhotep, perhaps. As Third Prophet of Amun..."
"Another sheep. There is only one man fierce enough to stand up to me, Roma-Rui, and that is you. I want you to tell me what must be done in the north."
"I? I cannot leave Waset..."
"You have a Second and a Third, even a Fourth. They are able priests and I am sure you can leave Waset in their care for a little while, particularly if it means so much more wealth flowing to the temple coffers of Amun. Come, Roma-Rui, can you not see that Amun and all of Kemet will benefit?"
"I... I suppose I could..."
"Excellent. I will issue the orders immediately. We sail for Men-nefer in the morning."
Chapter 6
Messuwy speaks:
My brother has shown himself for the tyrant he is. Hard on the heels of the king's death, he came south with the Ptah legion and took the city of Waset, filling it with armed men. At once, he ordered my arrest, and that of my faithful lieutenant Sethi, and even dared to send men for the Hem-netjer of Amun, Roma-Rui. The god protected me then, for I was in the privy when the soldiers arrived, and when I emerged, found that the priest had been taken. I take this as a sign of the god's favour.
Sethi had already fled to a friend's estate outside Ta-senet, and there I joined him a day later. I was not without friends in Waset, having always been attracted to this ancient City of Amun and had taken pains to show myself supportive. Commoners hid me from the soldiers and fed me, fishermen smuggled me out on a small vessel and conveyed me upriver to the private estate where I could plan my future. I shall not name my friends, for there are spies everywhere and I would not have them suffer for their loyalty. Suffice it to say that I know who they are and they will be rewarded as soon as I achieve the throne.
Yes, that is my aim, for I am the eldest son of Baenre Merenptah and was once King's Son of Kush. That position must surely have been another sign from the gods, because a member of the royal family is paradoxically never given that eminent post. The King's Son of Kush, a position second only to that of the king, is non-hereditary and is always given to a commoner. Perhaps it is felt that a commoner will not be ambitious, or that a member of the royal family having such power within his grasp will reach out for the throne. Whatever the reason, and I can find no scholar or scribe who knows the truth of it, I was both King's Son of Kush and Eldest son of the King.
I mean to be king in my brother's place, though how I will achieve that is not known to me at present. I acted to remove the king, but because my planning was imperfect, did not gain the ultimate prize. I will not fail again.
Sethi met me at the gates of the estate outside Ta-senet and bowed low before me, hands outstretched, as befits a man of low status greeting his future king. The Lord of the estate was with him, I will give him the name of Mose for now, and he too greeted me, though with less ceremony.
"Welcome, Lord Messuwy," he said. "My home is your home, for as long as you need it."
"Thank you, Mose. How many know I am here?"
"Not many. My wife and children, of course, my overseers, and possibly some of the servants. Be assured they won't talk."
"Everyone talks," Sethi said. "Moreover, there are five hundred members of the Amun legion an hour upriver who will soon know of your presence. They followed me out of the city, deciding to follow you, my lord, rather than the pretender to the throne."
"Wonderful," I exclaimed. "They will form the nucleus of the new 'Loyal Amun' legion."
"Indeed, my lord. However, they are no match for the Ptah legion, and we are too close to Waset. If the pretender finds out you are here, he will send the legion after you."
"What to do then, Sethi? Can we defend this estate with five hundred men or would Ta-senet be safer? It has walls, after all."
"Neither, my lord," Sethi said. I thought Mose looked relieved. "You will only truly be safe in Kush. There we can build up your army until it is strong enough to retake the land of Kemet and place you on the Double Throne where you belong."
"What of Khaemter?" I asked. "He was once my friend, but Baenre raised him to become King's Son of Kush after me."
"He is still your friend, and while he may not support you openly yet, he knows you are the rightful king and will not move against you."
"Then Kush it will be." I sighed and looked around me at the estate buildings, at the orchards and gardens, green pastures with lowing cattle and fields of lettuce, onions and melons. "I will miss Kemet though."
"It will not be for long, my lord. Six months...a year...two at the most."
And so we set out for Kush after taking refreshment and rest at the estate of Mose. Sethi and I moved quietly and discreetly to where the 'Loyal Amuns' were camped and spent a day there organising the men. I elevated Troop Commander Amenhotep to the rank of Legion Commander and he raised men he could trust from the rank and file to be officers under him. Sethi sent out spies to keep an eye on Waset and the movements of the Ptah legion, but they returned almost at once with the news that Seti and the legion had sailed for Men-nefer with Roma-Rui.
"As a hostage?" I asked.
"No, Great One. It seemed as if he went willingly."
I dismissed the spy and turned to Sethi. "Has he deserted my cause?"
"I think not. He has ever hated the House of Ramesses for spurning Amun and Amun's City..."
"Not something I will do when I am king."
"Quite. As I was saying, I don't know why he has gone north with the pretender, but I will lay odds it is to his, and our, advantage. What it does mean though, in the short term, is that we cannot look to Waset as a place of safety. With Roma-Rui gone, Neferronpet rules, assisted by Second Prophet Bakenkhons and Legion Commander Merenkhons."
"Will they come after us?"
"I doubt it."
With that, we marched south for Kush. Or at least, my legion marched while I sailed upriver, keeping pace with their slow progress along the western shore. It has been many years since I lived in the north, in the flat and fertile lands where the Great River splits into branches leading down to the Salt Sea. It is a pleasant land, I admit, but my home is in the south now. The river narrows and the cliffs loom closer. Fields and orchards crowd in upon the life-giving waters and the heat and light from the god Re are fiercer. I think the harsher climate produces a hardier people, and I will need an army of such hardy people if I am ever to wrest the kingdoms from the hand of my younger brother.
And so we came to the island of Abu on the northern border of Kush. Its rounded grey rocks so reminiscent of the great beast Abu that bears great tusks of ivory, greeted me as if a traveller returning home. There is a fort on Abu, though, and a garrison of Kushite soldiers under a Kemetu governor, and I was unsure of my welcome here. My five hundred men would probably prevail if it came to a fight, but I would rather not test the issue.
Governor
Tarkahe sent out a boat when mine appeared, bearing an envoy and an order to land on the island and present myself. Sethi confronted the envoy on my behalf, though the envoy looked uncertainly at Sethi and me standing side by side.
"My lord Messuwy is King's Son of Kush," Sethi said. "Your commander insults him by ordering him into his presence as if he was a common man."
The envoy stared at Sethi with a half-smile on his face. "I understood Khaemter was now King's Son of Kush."
"Lord Messuwy is Son of the King's Body and rightful ruler of the Two Kingdoms."
"King Baenre has ascended to Re? We had not heard anything more than rumours."
"He has, this month past."
"Prince Seti is Heir, is he not?"
"That is a matter of dispute. By right of birth, Messuwy is true heir and will shortly take up his throne."
"Yet here he is fleeing to Kush from Kemet."
"We flee from no man," Sethi said hotly. "We come south only to gather an army with which to defeat the usurper. Governor Tarkahe would do well to remember who the rightful king in these southern lands is."
The envoy opened the pouch at his belt and took out two sealed letters. He look at first one then the other, and put one back in his pouch. "Governor Tarkahe bade me give you one of these letters depending on your response to his summons. This is now the one I must deliver into your hands." He held out the letter to me, and when I made no move to take it, to Sethi.
Sethi took it, broke the seal and read it.
"What does it say?" I asked.
"Governor Tarkahe to Lord Messuwy," Sethi read. "I cannot prevent your passage south, nor would I desire to. I will await your return and place the garrison of Abu, two hundred men, at your disposal when you do. May the gods speed you on your path, one that will surely lead you to your rightful place on the Double Throne of Kemet."
"What does the other letter say?" I asked the envoy.
The envoy bowed low to me, and then turned and climbed back down to his small vessel. Soon, it was scudding back to the island of Abu, and Sethi gave the signal for us to resume our voyage.
