Fall of the House of Ramesses, Book 3: Tausret

by Max Overton

  "Only quietly? What if they will not listen to reason?"

  "No more than that, Ament. I would know what each man thinks, whether he will remain loyal to me or cast his lot with Bay. When you know, carry word to General Setnakhte, so that he knows the loyalty of men in the south, then come back and tell me."

  "If that is what you want, my lady. Who are these men that Bay chooses?"

  "Hori, son of Kama is chief amongst them. He replaces Setuy as King's Son of Kush. Our own Tjaty Hori of the North is to replace Paraemheb who will retire. Another Hori as Hem-netjer of Amun in Waset, and Minmose as High Priest of Amun on the Western Bank. There are other names on the list I will give you. You can study them at your leisure. As for the army officers, Bay has no real jurisdiction over them, though the king, of course, can make such changes as he will. Do not approach them yourself, but tell Setnakhte. If he wants them removed, he will find the means."

  "You trust Setnakhte that much?" Ament asked.

  "He hates the memory of Menmire Amenmesse and through him, his son Akhenre Siptah," I said simply. "He was utterly loyal to Userkheperure Seti, and now to Seti-Merenptah. I trust him almost as much as I trust you, old friend."

  Chapter 25

  Year 4 of Akhenre Siptah

  Night still held the palace of Men-nefer firmly in its dark grip as the servants stirred from their slumbers, yawned, stretched and scratched, stumbling off to the middens to relieve the pressure on bladders and bowels and then to the kitchens for a bite of day-old bread before they started their duties. They shivered in the chill morning air and looked to the east where the more hopeful ones among them declared they could see the first paling of the stars.

  It was not just the servants who awoke long before dawn. The rising of the sun god was not something that could be left to chance. Unless suitably propitiated and cajoled, the god might choose to remain below the horizon and deprive Kemet of light and heat. The king, as High Priest of every god, shouldered the responsibility for this monumental daily task. Of course, Kemet had thousands of priests and the priests of Re could perform the ceremonies in the hundreds of temples scattered through the Two Lands, but it was accepted that the king would conduct the rites where possible.

  On a typical morning, the king went through a long and thorough cleansing upon awakening. His body was purged of unwholesome substances and washed with clean river water. Perfumes and makeup followed, and pristine linens draped his young body before he was led out to an open place with an uninterrupted view of the eastern horizon. He poured a lustration of pure water, lifting up his high-pitched voice in praise of Re, stumbling over the phrases and being corrected by the local High Priest. With help, he worked his way through the rites, and waited with arms uplifted for the first rays of the sun to stab over the low hills to the east. So far, despite many faults in the performance, the sun god had seen fit to hearken to his son-on-earth and bless Kemet with his life-giving rays. It remained to be seen whether this would always be the case.

  Akhenre Siptah was, however, not up to the task at present. He was still only a child and struggled to remember the correct phrases and the actions needed at each phase of the ceremony. The priests of Re, experienced in the ways of the god, interceded when necessary, their selfless actions ensuring the blessings of the god. And so it went with the other gods of the Kemetu pantheon. Other ceremonies may not have been quite so necessary, but the Ma'at of Kemet depended on the daily recitation of the rites of every god, and the offering up of the appropriate sacrifices.

  Tausret helped where she could, but she had her own duties as God's Wife of Amun each day. She had been consecrated in this holy office as a young girl, and it was her duty to serve the god on a daily basis. The rites could be observed at any of Amun's temples, though the Great Temple in Waset was the one where she could most feel the physical presence of the god. Amun's temples were dark, even in the daytime, and the inner sanctuary where the god resided was windowless. Lit only by flickering oil lamps, the shadows moved in the sanctuary and the great golden statue of the god appeared to nod and follow her movements with sightless eyes.

  Dressed in sheer linen that clung to her body, Tausret moved with the priests of Amun through the temple each morning. Acolytes bore the burdens of the god's needs--food, drink and clothing. In the outer sanctuary, the priests called out to awaken the god, and Tausret sang a song of welcome to her divine husband. The acolytes spread pristine linen on the floor and set out dishes of every food that might entice a god's appetite--beef, lamb, duck and goose, roasted and braised with herbs, vegetables in profusion, fresh baked fragrant bread, sweet tarts and cakes flavoured with herbs and honey, ripe dates and figs, and pots of freshly brewed beer and the richest wines.

  Nobody but the God's Wife and the highest priests could view the body of the god when first he awakened, so the acolytes and junior priests withdrew now, chanting praises as they went. When they had departed, the priests opened the wooden doors that led to the inner sanctuary and lifted their oil lamps high, shedding a buttery glow over the linen-clad golden statue of the god. Poles were inserted into the base of the statue and the priests heaved on these, lifting the god aloft and staggering with it into the outer sanctuary. Here they reverently stripped the linens from the body of the god and washed it down with pure blessed river water before drying it with linen cloths.

  Tausret moved close to the statue of her divine husband and took hold of the giant extended phallus, stroking it and guiding the god toward a metaphysical ejaculation. The seed of the god created the world anew each day, and without this symbolic act, the life force within Kemet would wither and die. When the sexual act was over, Tausret herself washed and dried the god's member, and then the priests dressed the statue in fresh linen clothes that had never been worn. The old clothes were collected together and taken out to be burnt lest they be used for any lesser purpose.

  Then the god broke his fast. One by one, the priests lifted plates of food or pots of drink, wafting the aromas beneath the golden nose of Amun. The god did not move or visibly partake of the offering, but the priests understood that just as the vital seed of Amun had been spread through the land by the symbolic sex act of the God's Wife, so too was the vital essence of the food and drink taken up and used by his golden body. When every dish had been presented, they were gathered together and taken back to the priests' quarters where they would later partake of the god's leavings. The god himself was returned to the inner sanctuary to dream away the day and night before being aroused again in the eternal cycle of life.

  Tausret broke her fast upon her return to the palace each morning. She stripped off her special dress and wig and washed herself thoroughly as if she had once more committed a sexual act, and then once dressed in fresh linens, ate a simple meal before taking up her duties as Regent. In the absence of Ament, who had recently departed for the south on a delicate mission, she had few people she felt she could confide in. Tjaty Montu, newly raised to the office after Hori's departure for the south, was one of these. Montu was a friend of Hori, and had been well schooled in the intricacies of Ta Mehu politics.

  "Chancellor Bay is making sweeping changes to the priest and scribe lists of Ta Mehu, Great Lady."

  Tausret nodded. "I have seen them."

  "You are not concerned?"

  "Should I be?"

  "Great Lady, the man is gathering power to himself with both hands. He is uncle to the king, Chancellor and Treasurer, and has taken upon himself such titles as 'head of the bodyguard of the Great King' and 'he who establishes the king upon the throne of his father'. It is too much, Majesty."

  "Truly he is an Irsu, a self-made man," Tausret said with a half-smile.

  "You must act to curtail him, Majesty, before he grasps the title of Regent and...and more."

  "He cannot be regent, Montu. You know that. Nor can he strive for greater powers. He has reached his limit."

  "The king could grant him more."

  "Not while I am regent."
>
  "In another three years...maybe even two...he will be old enough to rule as king without a regent. What will happen then?"

  "He will never be sole ruler. The agreement was that he would be king only until Seti-Merenptah was able to ascend the throne."

  "And if he begets an heir? A son of his loins? What then?"

  Tausret smiled. "Is that likely? He starts to show an interest in the palace girls, I know, but none of them are of sufficient status to be mother of a future king. Let him seek pleasure where he will, and if a child occurs...well, even a temporary king should have children. It changes nothing."

  "If Siptah begets an heir, Bay will not be content to let him be put aside in a few years' time. If nothing else, he would lose all his own status and wealth."

  "He cannot rise further, for he is a commoner and a son of servants. Already he is higher than he should be."

  "But he fixes his gaze on the highest position, Great Lady."

  "King? He cannot be king, for a king is trained to that position from childhood. A king must be a son of a king, an intermediate between the gods and men, High Priest of Every God. Bay is not a priest--he cannot be a priest--and thus he cannot be a king. Even he knows this."

  "He talks to his supporters of Kheperkheperure-Irimaat Ay, the commoner uncle of Nebkheperure Tutankhamen, who became king after him."

  "Ay was a commoner, but he was also a priest of Amun, and later of the Aten," Tausret said. "Bay is a fool if he reads any more into that relationship."

  "Whether or not he makes the connection is unimportant, Great Lady. It is his supporters that will raise him up if the opportunity arises. He is dangerous, Majesty, and you should curb him now, before it is too late."

  "Your concern is noted, Tjaty Montu, but I will not act while Siptah needs his uncle. The boy is more controllable if he believes himself to be in a strong position. I am aware of the threat Bay poses and I have hedged him about with loyal men. I do not believe he is capable of real harm."

  "May that be the will of the gods," Montu said fervently. "But what about my position? Some men say that Bay could become Tjaty in my place...or even Tjaty of the combined kingdoms."

  "That will never happen. A Tjaty is more than just a mere palace official and overseer of the wealth of the kingdoms. He must stand in for the king and conduct affairs of state as well as sitting in judgment. Bay does not have that training."

  "The king himself has voiced the thought that Bay should be Tjaty, Majesty."

  "Then that is a sign--if one was needed--that he is unready for true rulership. He still needs a regent to rule for him and make the important decisions." Tausret smiled. "It is fortunate that I am willing to continue that onerous task."

  ***

  Not everything in the life of Tausret was an onerous task, of course, as she had the leisure to spend time on pleasurable pursuits. Although some thirty-seven years of age, a time of life when most women in Kemet were already stooped and experiencing joint pain, hair greying and lines steadily conquering the face, teeth rotting in the mouth, and looking with some longing at the peace of the tomb, Tausret still thought of herself as young. A good diet and active life, coupled with a natural vitality that had enabled members of her family to reach a ripe old age, had conspired to keep her bright-eyed and energetic. She still had her monthly courses and had not ruled out the possibility of a future marriage or at least an entertaining liaison with a suitable partner, so she took care of her appearance.

  Tausret had her ladies prepare fresh unguents and creams daily, and cosmetics were ground and mixed regularly. Every morning, after returning from her duties as God's Wife of Amun, she bathed and donned clean clothing, and then sat for over an hour as her ladies applied astringent creams to tighten the skin, kohl around the eyes to increase her beauty and offer her magical protection. She knew that the almond-shaped eye resembled the hawk's eye of Heru miraculously restored after his battle with the god Set. Merely reproducing the shape of the god's restored eye offered its wearer the same protection. It was a matter of record that people wearing kohl around their eyes were protected from the glare of the noonday sun and, when eye diseases struck the commoners during the months of the inundation, the ladies of the court were much less likely to suffer from these afflictions. What else could it be but the protection of Heru?

  Tausret had inherited the red hair that was a feature of the House of Ramesses, and though she kept it trimmed short and wore black wigs on every formal occasion, the rays of the sun had a much greater effect on her skin than on most Kemetu. Consequently, she spent as much time as possible indoors, frequenting the cool shadows of palace and temple, and when she had to travel on official business, made much use of awnings and sun-shades. Her skin remained lighter in colour than most other palace women, and her beauty remained when others were losing theirs.

  Her great love was jewellery, and she often entertained skilled craftsmen who would display their latest offerings. Tausret eschewed the use of the plated gold so loved by men, who wore thick and heavy rings, armbands and pectorals of the precious metal, but she loved precious and semi-precious stones set in delicate frameworks of gold or silver wire, both in the form of necklaces or as small pieces pinned to clothing or braided into a wig. Some jewellery was just ornamentation, but certain pieces served another function--a magical one--by calling down the protection of the gods or warding off demons. Scarabs carved from turquoise or malachite were her favourites, and they were always inscribed with a protective prayer or ward.

  Hundreds of people lived within the palace and Tausret rarely had the luxury of being alone. Whether in her bedchamber at night, attending to the needs of nature, at mealtimes, or just strolling within the palace gardens, there were always people on hand from a myriad court officials of one sort or another, to servants, to other members of the royal family. There were fewer of these family members in recent times. Usermaatre Ramesses had wives and concubines at every turn, and there were always royal children underfoot. Baenre Merenptah had fewer, and Userkheperure Seti had only two wives and now only one surviving child, so the rooms of the palace were much more sparsely populated.

  Because Tausret had grown up in palaces, she hardly noticed the swarms of people, and it was accepted behaviour that servants were ignored. So it was that there were very few secrets within the palace and though, if she had been asked, Tausret would have said that she was unattended when talking to Tjaty Montu, her words had been carried to both the king and his Chancellor before the day was out.

  Chapter 26

  Year 4 of Akhenre Siptah

  It was this same ubiquitous presence of servants that plagued Chancellor Bay. The words of Queen Tausret angered him. He was careful not to express his thoughts but instead considered the implications carefully. Then he went in search of the young king, and found him enjoying a game of Senet with the son of one of the palace Chamberlains. As usual, servants hovered around the periphery of the room, busying themselves with sundry duties or awaiting instructions.

  "Son of Re," Bay said. "I would have words with you."

  "As you wish," Siptah replied offhandedly. "Would you believe I am winning again?"

  "Given your skill in the game, Majesty, nothing would surprise me." Bay looked at the son of the Chamberlain and winked. The boy blushed and looked away.

  "What did you want to say, Uncle?"

  Bay hesitated, wondering how to prise the king away from his playmate. "I thought you might like to go hunting. I can arrange it."

  Siptah looked up from the game, one of the pegs in his hand. "Hunting what?"

  "Gazelles...or ostrich. There are some wild asses east of here, I hear."

  The king scowled. "I was hoping you were going to say lion. I've hunted gazelle and ostrich before and they're boring." He made his move on the Senet board, but was obviously distracted as the move weakened his position considerably.

  His opponent frowned, perhaps wondering how he could lose the game without making it too obvious.
He reached out to a peg, hesitated, and then drew back.

  Bay lowered his voice and squatted beside Siptah. "Majesty, it is important that you give no sign that may attract the attention of your servants, but I have other news for you."

  Siptah stared at the Senet board, visibly angry at the move he had just made. "What news?" he muttered.

  "Majesty," Bay whispered. "They are not wild asses east of here but a lion."

  "Lion!" Siptah exclaimed. "You have found me a lion? Then of course let us go hunting. Immediately."

  Bay put a finger to his lips and then said loudly, for the benefit of the listening servants, "Of course not a lion, Majesty. You know the Regent would not allow that. Perhaps I expressed myself clumsily when I said the other word. I meant to say only that there are wild asses to be hunted and that this might make up in some small way for the animal you are not allowed to hunt." He winked at the king, hoping that he would understand what he was saying.

  "There isn't a lion?" Siptah frowned and suddenly his face cleared. "Oh, yes, I see. Well..." he continued loudly, "let us go and hunt these wild asses immediately." He scrambled to his feet, knocking over the Senet board and his playmate bowed and backed away from the royal presence, his relief at not having to try to lose the game apparent on his face.

  "When do we leave?" Siptah demanded.

  "I will have to inform the Regent and put together an expedition, but as it will be a quick trip into the wilderness, we could probably depart the day after tomorrow."

  "I will go and start practicing with my bow at once then."