“A question, Sennefer? Is it possible to equip the fortress tomb with rooms for possessions? I cannot go naked into the Afterlife. I will need food, furniture and clothing, replicas of the gods, jewellery for Nefertari and a host of items to sustain us for eternity. You did not see the treasures with which my father furnished his tomb but they were of enormous value. So far your plan seems not to have taken this requirement into account.”
“Sire, you touch on the first of many matters you must consider. Of course, I can build as many shrine chapels, storerooms, treasure stores and chariot rooms as you dictate but first I will unfold the rest of my campaign of deception.”
“I think I may have to take you with me to my grave if you continue this display of brilliance.” he said with the familiar smile upon his lips. “Come, Sobek’s brethren are full and we must nourish ourselves.” We settled at a table overflowing with fruits from the orchards that thrive in the warm air of the Delta. Bowls of grapes, melons, pomegranates and tamarinds sought space amongst the pitchers of juice and milk. He dismissed the servants and bade me continue.
“So far, I have described my thoughts on an armoured tomb. Now I came to the greatest deception of all. Quite apart from the difficulty of hiding your existing tomb as it was built to be seen and become a place of veneration after your death, I want it to be found and despoiled. I want it to be robbed and I assume the body therein will be desecrated when the tomb is pillaged.”
He rose from his chair, his face flushed. “Are you mad? What trickery do you now play on me?” He glared at me, his face contorted with anger. I remained seated, swallowed a grape and laughed.
“You mock me?” His anger turning to puzzlement as I continued to laugh.
“Oh Mighty Pharaoh. I have not seen you so angry since I informed you I had dropped and broken an image of you at Luxor in my first year as your architect. Sit, calm yourself. If you think I have taken leave of my senses when I have finished explaining the deception, you may to feed me to Sobek’s relatives yonder in the river.”
He settled down. “It is a rare man who can laugh at a king and live to remember it.” I sensed his pride was bruised. He angered infrequently and this display showed an uncommon loss of self control.
“Ramesses, I meant not to raise your ire. My words could have been better chosen as they gave offensive. Forgive me. Proffer the royal sandal and it shall be kissed.” He laughed, humour restored.
“You may continued but do try to remember, we are talking about my death.”
“I sound blunt in my discourse but we must consider the inconceivable. We have seen ruined monuments in parts of our country and observed the impermanence of the efforts of Man. Let us acknowledge your tomb will suffer indignities at some time in the future and then work in that knowledge. It is in this certainty I now labour in the fields of mendacity.”
“You said I must build your new tomb in the valley. At first, I thought I would have to discard the existing tomb, find another suitable site and begin anew. Being mindful you are not given to extravagance, it came to me use could be made of the existing tomb by enlarging it to accommodate the new crypt and then use it to hide any evidence of the new extension.”
The King interjected “Surely it will be impossible to hide thousands of tonnes of sand, stone, rooms and the burial chamber?”
“What better place to hide something where everybody can see it? Many artisans, labourers and their families will know a new extension is being made and we cannot hope to disguise the workings. However, the workmen will know the new section is impenetrable and it will be put about the additional sections are only to house a cenotaph and a few shrines and it will be largely unadorned.”
“What do you mean – unadorned? It is essential my resting place is inscribed with the necessary texts and images of my devotion to the gods. No, anything less is not acceptable. Without guidance from the Books of the Dead, I will not know how to navigate through the trials and dangers strewn on the path through the Underworld before my arrival at the throne of Osiris.”
“Ramesses, I took advice on the religious aspects of a royal sepulchre from Prince Khaemwaset. Whom amongst your children you wish to tell of this deception is your choice. The prince advised the inscriptions and decorations on the walls and pillars of the existing tomb meet all spiritual requirements and the sequence of rituals dictated are there for your ka to read and receive guidance. The Book of Gates, The Book of Hours and images from the Amduat are portrayed to direct your spirit from the moment of The Opening of Your Mouth till you greet Osiris on his throne.”
“You have learnt well. In the cold light of day, all you say is theologically accurate. My essence commences its passage to eternity through a dark world of gates and their keepers, caverns filled with misery, terror and snares to trip my feet. During the voyage, my spirit traverses hostile ground, it must walk through rivers of fires, fields of serpents and defeat demons set to thwart my attaining the chamber of judgement. Once I have reached the throne of the Lord of the Underworld and have been judged a virtuous ruler, then and only then, can I journey to the reunion with my heavenly family in the Western Lands and join Re on the solar barque.”
“I hope my own path will be less perilous. My concerns were two fold and Khaemwaset was able to satisfy my curiosity. The first question was who was reading these inscriptions or painted guides after you had departed the mortal word? He explained the trilogy of your essential character lives on after your death and constitutes the new spiritual entity that will read the texts.”
“My second question related to how close your spiritual being had to be to your body and the texts. Khaemwaset further instructed me that your spiritual entity remained at your side from the moment of your death, accompanied you on the passage to eternity and, once you had attained immortality, flew between the Afterlife and your physical remains so there was no real question of proximity. He quoted “So also the ba goes to the place it knows and strays not from its former path’. I believe I understood the prince correctly?”
I was forced to cloak my questions under the guise of my ignorance of the layout of royal tombs. He asked me why I had not put these questions to the high priest in Karnak and why was I asking these questions after completing your tomb, Queen Nefertari’s and so many of your children. Possibly, the prince perceived my intent but his innate graciousness covered a possibly embarrassing situation.
“Master, I ask your forgiveness. To stifle further enquiry, I told your son I was contemplating writing a book on tomb architecture to be lodged in the House of Life. I doubt if he believed my story as I find it very difficult to be economic with the truth.”
“You lied to a high priest? I see my putting you in a position to deceive has caused you spiritual heartache. For this I am sorry. If I chose to disclose the matter to Khaemwaset, I am sure he will forgive this small deception. Perhaps Osiris may ask me about my recollections of the Battle of Qadesh and seek to clarify the difference between what is recorded from one end of the kingdom to the other and the realities as they presented themselves on the field of battle. Few are the men who have not bent the truth for the greater good. Please continue, as I am now completely intrigued with your plans.”
“It is a long story. Like an onion, many layers make the whole. I am satisfied you can have one set of decorated corridors and chambers next to another tomb devoid of the guides to the Second Life. Perhaps it is unorthodox and a source of concern to a high priest. The prince also mentioned the decoration of entire tombs with lavish texts, images and rich ornamentation, is a recent phenomena and his research indicates the burial chambers of the pyramid builders may lack any religious inscriptions. Now I suffer no disquiet about the barrenness of the new tomb’s walls, the rest is nothing more than the application of practical techniques.”
“I can build as many rooms as you require behind the burial chamber to house the possessions you deem necessary. The funerary goods you have begun to assemble are already stored under gu
ard at the Ramesseum and you may care to make a list of what should be placed in the second tomb with the residue being put into the first tomb. There is one question I did not put to Khaemwaset which you may answer? As usual it is one of my irreverent questions.”
“Ask away. You have offended most of the gods by now but, for reasons I cannot determine, you live unscathed.”
“Ramesses, once you have passed into eternity you are no longer in a corporeal form. What remains is your immutable spirit in a form I ill understand but I comprehend that it has no tangible form. Is this correct?”
“It is not known in what form my soul will take in the Afterlife but what Khaemwaset said is received truth. What is your question?”
“Let me ask it with a preamble. Your life is a testament to your devotion and the service you have given to your subjects. You have built more monuments to the deities than any previous ruler and your reign has been blessed with peace and prosperity. Your palaces are filled with rich treasures. To be frank, you are a very impressive king, possibly the most impressive ruler the kingdom has witnessed in our long history.”
He broke in “This is a very long story. I assume you have a question somewhere in all this fulsome praise – all of which is richly deserved.”
“Such modesty is always refreshing. Please follow my logic for a moment. When your coffins are taken to the tomb, those who are witness to your entombment see, for fleeting moments, the richness of the goods you store in your resting place. Then the tomb is sealed and the contents are never seen again. Those who attend your entombment have already, during your life, been awed by your wealth. After your entombment, your spirit will join the divinities. Your mortal remains must be preserved for eternity and the ba bird will carry your spirit between the heavens and the crypt.”
“You become garrulous like an old man, Sennefer. We both know this part of the story.”
“Patience, my Noble Lord, as all will be made clear. Unless I am wrong, nothing contained in your tomb accompanies you to the heavens, you have no need to impress the gods and I am sure your soul needs not to sit on gilded thrones and wear expensive personal adornments. My question. Why do you need to have anything with you in the tomb? To my way of thinking, storing beautiful and expensive possessions near your body is an open invitation to thieves.”
Ramesses pondered for a moment. “You raise an interesting question. Your point is logical and, on reflection, your remark about the richness of the tomb being an invitation to thieves is an acute observation. My ba comes to visit my body and not to inspect my earthly possessions and, if our teachings are correct, I spend eternity manning an oar on Amun-Re’s solar barque. At the moment, I have no ready answer other than to say it has been a tradition for centuries. However, I think what you allude to is part of your deception? If my publicly acknowledged tomb is broken into, the contents stolen, the tomb stripped and left despoiled and ransacked, it is possible nobody would think there is anything else left to find. Is this the way of your thinking?”
“The thought had occurred to me.”
“I will ask Khaemwaset as there will be a good theological reason somewhere in the temple archives. Now, let us continue exploring the extent of your new found capacity to deceive.”
I laughed “You wound me deeply with these unkind words, O Merciful and Charitable Ruler.” I proceeded to tell Ramesses of the remaining steps leading to the successful culmination of our deception. When I finished several hours later, he sat quietly for a while looking at the rough drawings I had made. After a few moments of reflection, he took the sheets of papyrus, tore them to shreds and threw the pieces into the river where they floated away.
“You are sure this can be done?”
“Yes, Master, this can be done”.
“How long will it take?”
“The first stage will take three to four inundations. The final stages, which take place after your entombment, but a few weeks.”
“What if you die between now and the time the tomb is finished?”
“Whilst I hope that does not happen, I will, with your permission, bring my son Rekhmire into our confidence as he has the skills to complete my work. You need to bring a member of your family into our little venture as you may die before we are finished, though I see no problem in moving your mortal remains into the original crypt until the new work is completed.”
“I thought on this matter last night. Strangely, I had to ask myself which of my children would I entrust with this responsibility and it was no easy matter as many of my eldest sons have already departed this life. I sought divine guidance at the shrine of Amun early this morning before we met. Amun came to my assistance when I beseeched him at Qadesh and he did not fail me today. I have sent messengers to Khaemwaset and Merenptah requesting they urgently attend us.”
He rose from the table and bade me accompany him. We left the courtyard in silence and walked through the gate leading to the river’s edge. His guard remained at a discreet distance behind us. The river in the Delta moves slowly and it was thick and muddy with the richness of the annual flooding. Great clumps of papyrus lined its banks and the occasional fish leapt from the water. Herons and ibises stood motionless in the shallow water watching for their prey. Sailors on the warships saw the king and snapped to attention as we passed by the fleet and he waved a salute. We approached two large crocodiles sunning themselves and the guardsmen drew near us, spears at the ready. The king motioned the guards back and as we passed the crocodiles, their reptilian heads lifted towards us, yellow eyes glinting in the sunlight. The king said something I did not catch and the beasts lowered their heads again.
“What did you say?”
“A king must have his secrets. Sobek and his brood are known to me.” he smiled. “My friend, you know you can ask of me anything now. My treasury is open to you and whatever you may wish, I shall grant. I doubt if any man has served his king as well as you now serve me.”
I was embarrassed by his remarks. “I am a contented man. My needs are few and you have already blessed me with wealth even Ipi cannot diminish. Just don’t ask me to build you a pyramid.” We laughed together.
“There is nothing I can give you?”
“Nothing, Ramesses. If the Second Life is what it is claimed to be, then perhaps we can go fishing together in the Primeval Waters and join in a lion hunt as the mood takes us. It is my fondest wish we be allowed to spend some part of our lives in eternity in proximity to each other.”
“That would be my wish as well, my old friend. I look forward to your attempts to deny the gods when you are amongst them. Have no fear for I shall defend your lack of reverence robustly. You are a man of great heart, Thoth knows of your deeds and when Osiris weighs your soul, you will not be found wanting.”
We reached the end of a spit of land jutting out into the muddy waters. A group of children sat upon the bank with their fishing lines in the water and a small pile of fish lay on the shore marking their success. When they saw the king, they started to rise but he told them to enjoy the day and their fishing. Squatting down beside them, he spoke with them as a father to his children and they laughed at his jokes. The eldest child offered him the biggest fish in the catch which he refused, telling them they must enjoy the bounty the river god, Hapi, offered them in return for their efforts. He stood and said we should return to the palace lest our wives see another chance to escape into the markets.
“Today, I have commandeered a warship and plan a meal on the shores of the Great Sea for our families and, if time permits, we will go fishing together. There are fish in those waters big enough to eat a lion and catching one of the monsters tests the skills of our greatest fishermen. I have a mind one day to journey across the Sea and see for myself how the people of those distant lands live. Now that would be an adventure.”
Walking back towards the palace, the sun shone warmly on our backs and the day was good.
Chapter 31 - A DOOR CLOSES AND ANOTHER OPENS
Egypt – 1
244 BC
Ramesses arranged a meeting with Khaemwaset and Merenptah. Although they were dismayed by the idea of building an impregnable and largely bare tomb for their father, Khaemwaset less so, for he admitted he had determined the real intent of my questions. Merenptah was disgusted. Half way through explaining my thoughts on tomb robbers, he exclaimed,
“Sennefer, surely you are wrong. Who would dare to enter a royal grave, let alone break into the most sacred rooms, steal the contents and desecrate the sanctity of the body. That is a thought beyond comprehension. Do we have such bestial people in this land?”
Khaemwaset was more sanguine. “My brother, we have uncovered documents from the time of Horemheb in which he commands the restoration of the tomb of Tuthmosis IV, damaged in a robbery. To be frank, there are so many royal graves unaccounted for in the distant past, it is not known if thieves found some of those graves and caused similar blasphemies as Sennefer now discusses. Trusted priests, under the supervision of Bakenkhons, are searching through all the old records to see if they can find any reference to this nefarious activity earlier in our history. He tells me there are oblique references in the archives because we suspect it was such a sensitive subject, few written records were made. Reading the report of Horemheb’s examination indicates the thieves were exceptionally stupid fellows since they were apprehended trying to exchange furniture bearing the royal cartouche for beer. More intelligent robbers would only sell materials such as smelted gold or smuggle out items that could be sold in lands over which we have no control.”
“Still there is nothing really to prove your contention, is there? One incident in hundreds of years cannot be taken as proof of systematic and evil activities, in even a small percentage of our people.”
The Golden Falcon Page 45
