I sat across from him. "Quite well, thank you. And yourself?"
"Busy. Really busy, what with this being the last year and all. I'm really excited though. Your father sent a recommendation for me to the Temple of Amun. I was told they currently don't have any openings for novices at the Great House, but..." He sighed.
"It's a good start."
"You're right. I guess I was looking forward to serving Pharaoh though. Your father said that he will try to pull some strings, so I still have hope. Asenath?"
"Yes?"
He came over and sat down beside me. "Is something wrong? You look disturbed."
I blinked. "Not at all. Sorry, I am just a bit tired. The pupils have been more energetic than usual lately. Especially Princess Hatshepsut. You would not believe how much energy her Highness has."
"No. I have known you for years. I know when something is troubling you."
"Khasekh, I'm fine. Really."
He looked at me sceptically. "Whatever it is, don't despair. Life will soon get better for us. Know that no matter what happens, I will be there for you. I will always be there for you."
All of a sudden he pressed his lips to mine.
I jerked back. "Khasekh."
He looked at me with eyes that frightened me. "Asenath. I love you. Join with me here, in the beauty of the garden."
He tried to wrap his arms around me. I pulled away. He tried again, but I stood up.
"Don't," I said. "If you try this again, I will call the guards."
"I'm sorry." He gave me a meek look. "But I can't help it. You are so beautiful and I want you."
I didn't say anything.
He rose. "I suppose I may have rushed things a bit. But anytime you are ready, come to me. I'll be waiting."
I looked away from him as he left without saying goodbye.
I was shaken after that. Troubled as I was though, I did not want to talk to anyone about this. I felt it was too ugly an incident to give voice to.
Fortunately Khasekh's studies kept him preoccupied. He did, however, send me gifts which he knew I would like—finely printed story scrolls, blue floral bouquets and cosmetic jars shaped like animals.
All these, I gave to the servants. I always treasured whatever Khasekh gave me, but I could not accept his gifts this time, knowing what purpose they served.
On his graduation day, I sent him a message lying I was sick. I included a courtesy present—a small cedar chest for storing documents or whatever he wished.
Later, Nafre informed me he was at the gate. I told her to tell him I was sleeping. She returned with a platter of delicacies.
He had saved some food for me from his graduation festivities. Sure enough, they were my favourites. They looked very tempting. But I told her that she and the other servants could have them.
Miraculously, after his graduation his courtship ceased. I had a feeling it was because of his new role. I imagined how delighted he would be, impressing the high priest and senior clergy.
One day I was reading the story of the two magical brothers, Anpu and Bata, to my pupils when a servant approached.
"Forgive me, my lady," she said. "The magician Khasekhemui wishes to see you."
I was baffled. Why was Khasekh at the Palace and how did he get to be here? As far as I knew only high-ranking members of the temple met with Pharaoh, and Khasekh was but a novice.
I glanced at my pupils. There were about twenty of them, seated on the ground and staring up at me with curious painted eyes.
I wanted to turn Khasekh away, but I knew how persistent he could be. If I got this over with right here, with my students and the Palace staff surrounding me, he would not try anything. He would not dare.
"Tell him we are having classes at the moment," I said. "However, he may return in half an hour when we have our break."
Later, just as we filed out into the garden, the servant reappeared. Before she could open her mouth, I said, "Let him in."
I could swear my chest was palpitating. I sat down to steady myself. I asked Nafre for water.
"Asenath."
I looked up. "Khasekh! Good heavens, look at you."
Despite myself, I could not help feeling impressed. My best friend looked every inch a junior magician. A long white robe with a silver tasselled sash flowed down his lanky body. The kohl streaks around his eyes were lined with fine gold strands. An ankh hung around his neck.
He grinned. "Impressive, aren't I? I won't keep you long."
I repressed a sharp sigh of relief.
"I would like to personally invite you to my debut in Pharaoh's court," he said.
"Pharaoh's court?" I was indeed impressed. "Why? I mean, how? What did you do to merit this?"
"You haven't heard?"
"Heard what?"
Khasekh looked at me incredulously. "By all the gods, Asenath, have you been living in the desert or something?"
"Perhaps. So why don't you just tell me?"
"Sweet mother of Horus, I can't believe this." He sighed loudly. "I feel really foolish telling you this. Pharaoh is apparently troubled by dreams. So far, no one has been able to interpret them. Not even my superiors. So you know what this means."
Dreams. This reminded me of Joseph. But I kept a straight face.
"Yes," I said. "Your chance at fame and glory."
He grinned. "I will be presenting next week. Come watch me, Asenath. Please? Support your best friend?"
Those last words filled me with reassurance. I hoped this meant Khasekh had abandoned his preposterous ideas of romance. Our friendship could still be saved.
"Yes. I'll go," I said.
"Wonderful. Thank you."
He was about to leave when he looked at me strangely. "You've really been out of touch, haven't you, Asenath?"
Later that day, I received a letter from my parents telling me that they would be coming for the very event Khasekh had just mentioned. I chuckled in disbelief. How strange that they, who were all the way in Heliopolis, knew of the news. Whereas I, who was in Thebes, hadn't had the faintest idea until then. I was probably, as Khasekh said, more "out of touch" than I thought.
My parents came the day before Khasekh's debut. The moment they arrived Father said, "Khasekh sure is off to a promising start, isn't he? I can already see Pharaoh glowing with wonder at his talent. He will make a fine magician. Not to mention a nice addition to the family, eh?"
He looked at me and wiggled his eyebrows.
If only he know how Khasekh acted when he wasn't around.
The following afternoon I went to the throne hall with my parents. It was more crowded than usual, emphasising the gravity of Pharaoh's situation.
We stood, waiting for the royal family to arrive. The apprentice magicians hovered near the throne. Khasekh saw us and waved.
"He'll make it," Father murmured as he returned his wave. "I can feel it."
Horns blared.
A herald intoned, "On your knees before the divine Pharaoh Aakheperkare Tuthmosis, Lord of the Two Lands, Living Horus, Son of Re, Beloved of the Two Ladies. And his noble consort Queen Ahmose, Great Royal Wife, Favourite Lady and God's Wife of Amun. May they live forever."
We knelt and touched our foreheads to the shining tiles. I heard the shuffling of the royal entourage as they made their way down the hall.
Pharaoh bade us rise.
I rose to see the king and queen seated on their golden winged thrones, glittering from head to foot. Pharaoh wore the tall red-and-white Double Crown which symbolised the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. The Queen had on the golden vulture headdress which covered half
her head and extended down to her shoulders. Beautiful, poised and intimidating, Pharaoh Tuthmosis and Queen Ahmose embodied the power of the greatest kingdom in the world.
Servants at sides of the thrones waved enormous ostrich fronds. A priest lit a bronze incense burner, emitting a bittersweet scent.
A courtier approached the king and held out a silk cushion that conta
ined the emblems of Pharaohnic power—the crook and the flail. Pharaoh took them and held them up, crossing his arms in the formal pose.
"The court is now in session," he said. "Magicians, come forward."
The apprentice magicians shuffled forward like a flock of nervous geese. They paused at the foot of the thrones' dais and bowed.
"Majesty," Khasekh said. "Today, we shall attempt to interpret the meaning of your dreams."
"All of you are recent graduates from the School of Life, are you not?" Tuthmosis asked.
"Yes, Majesty," they replied.
"Well then, let's see if what you've been taught can outsmart that of your elders," the king said in what sounded like sarcasm.
The apprentices bowed then began to work their magic. I watched for a while then lost interest. It seemed they were doing nothing more than fumbling around.
I was drifting around in some idle daydream when a shout yanked me out of my thoughts.
"Well?" Pharaoh said. "What does it mean?"
Khasekh was fidgeting. His back was to us, but I could nearly see his brows wrinkling, the way it did when he was nervous.
"All right," he said. "So your Majesty has said there were seven healthy cows, yes? And seven sickly cows? So all in all, those would be fourteen cows. Anyway, it appears the sickly cows are quite hungry and desperate to eat whatever they can get. But this is rather unusual, because in real life cows do not eat meat. They eat grass. Strange indeed."
"Get out!" Pharaoh yelled. "All of you, get out! I am through with you, magicians. The court is finished."
He leaned toward the Queen and said something to her. She rose and disappeared behind the thrones with the royal entourage, leaving her husband alone.
I felt very bad for Khasekh. I knew how much this meant to him. As I began to file out with the audience, I wondered how I could cheer him up. Maybe I could invite him over to dinner to talk.
"Lady Asenath."
A familiar elongated face appeared—the cupbearer.
He rushed up to me. "Pardon me, my lady. But with all due respect, may I request a word with you? It is about," he lowered his voice. "Joseph."
I nearly shot up to the ceiling. "J-Joseph? The Hebrew? In the prison?"
"Yes."
I pulled him out of the crowd. "What is it?"
"My lady." He motioned for me to lower my voice.
"What is it?" I repeated softly.
"Some time ago, you asked about Joseph. Alas, I could not tell you anything at the time because I had forgotten about him. I don't know why. I simply forgot. However, the events of late have triggered my memory."
"How could you forget him? I heard he was even put in charge of you."
"My lady, please. Shhh." He quickly glanced at Pharaoh, who was now bent forward with his head in his hands.
The cupbearer said, "Yes, the baker and I were under Joseph's tutelage. He was a remarkable man. Not only did he treat us well, he even did extraordinary things for us." He leaned closer. "He interpreted our dreams."
My eyes widened. "What happened?"
"Alas, my lady, I must cut a long story short. But basically, for many nights, the baker and I were troubled by dreams. Joseph said our dreams meant that I would live and the baker would die."
I gasped. "And he was right."
"Yes. So now, I would like to humbly ask my lady's opinion—do you think it would be proper to inform Pharaoh about him?"
I nearly burst into sparks.
"I know I made a promise," the cupbearer went on. "But with all due respect to His Majesty, he has been awfully foul-tempered lately, what with these dreams and all. I am not sure how he would take to having a slave, a prisoner even, interpret his dreams―"
"But you should. None of the magicians were successful so you might as well. Just tell Pharaoh everything, what happened within the prison."
"So you think this would be acceptable?"
On an ordinary day I probably would have slapped or strangled the fool. But now there was no time to lose.
"Yes," I said. "And like you said, you made a promise."
"Asenath," Father called.
I began to move away. "I have to go. But do it. Now."
"Very well. You know, I was actually going to look for you, so it's fortunate that today―"
"Just go. And good luck. And may the God of Joseph be with you."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I endured the most difficult wait of my life. The hours plodded by like an animal stuck in a mud pit.
But at last the following afternoon arrived. As I entered the throne hall, I could nearly hear the suspense roaring.
After Pharaoh called the court to session, I caught sight of a group of apprentices hovering by the thrones' dais―the newest novices perhaps. My spirits sank.
The cupbearer had lied. Perhaps he had lied about everything. Well, this time I would corner the fool myself. Never mind that I could be penalised for affronting a member of the Palace staff.
"Bring in the Canaanite prisoner," Pharaoh said.
The doors swung open.
And there he was.
He was beautiful, more beautiful than I remembered him to be. He looked tall and dignified, standing alone in the cavern created by the doorway. He had been cleaned and shaved so that his skin gleamed. His wavy reddish-brown hair flowed with luminous golden streaks. A ray of light delineated his lean, athletically muscled torso.
The gasps of the women swept throughout the hall. Even Queen Ahmose's normally sombre face broke into a smile. The female courtiers around the thrones wore similar expressions. The fan bearers ceased swaying their fronds until a sharp look from the Queen returned them to their places.
My long dead soul leapt up and danced. There was no more room for the desolation which had been my constant companion throughout the years.
"Come forth, Hebrew," Pharaoh Tuthmosis said.
Joseph approached and prostrated at the foot of the dais. "Life, health and prosperity to you, your Majesties. May you live forever."
"Arise," Pharaoh said. "I was told you have a gift for interpreting dreams. Where do your powers come from?"
"I have none, Majesty," Joseph said. "The power comes from my God. I am merely His mouthpiece."
I silently prayed to his God, asking him to be with my dear one in this very crucial time.
Pharaoh peered closely at Joseph. "You are a Hebrew, are you not? A descendant of the man Abraham who once sojourned here in Egypt?"
"Yes, Majesty."
"Abraham lied to my predecessor that his wife was his sister, did he not?"
"Yes, Majesty."
The king's face hardened. "In my court such dishonesty will not be tolerated. Your ancestor may have gotten away with it. But if you deceive me, dire consequences will befall you. Do you understand this, slave?"
"I understand, Majesty."
"Very well." Tuthmosis leaned forward. "I have had a series of recurring dreams. In the first dream, I am standing by the Nile, watching seven healthy cows grazing along the banks. Suddenly, seven sickly cows come out of the river and eat the healthy ones up. Then I wake up."
Pharaoh paused. His face darkened. "In the second dream, I see seven healthy heads of grain growing on a single stalk. Then seven sickly heads sprout up and swallow the healthy heads. Again, the dream ends. Might I add that the two dreams always occur in this order."
Joseph bowed his head and closed his eyes.
The throne hall was now very quiet. Not even a faint breath could be heard.
Joseph lifted his head. "These two dreams are one and the same. The seven healthy cows and seven healthy heads of grain mean that for seven years, the harvest will flourish like never before. But after that, there will be a famine of seven years, as symbolised by the sickly cows and heads of grain. The famine will be so severe that the seven years of plenty will be forgotten. Also, Majesty, the dream has come in two forms because this will be happening soon."
Concerned murmuring broke out a
mong the audience. A famine was no light matter. I grew worried for Joseph, knowing how Pharaoh punished bearers of bad news.
"Silence!" a herald said. "Pharaoh speaks."
"Is there nothing that can be done?" Tuthmosis' voice was steady, but his face betrayed his emotions.
"There is, Majesty," Joseph said. "If I may suggest?"
"Speak."
"During the years of plenty, have commissioners gather one-fifth of the harvest from every nome and store it away. Then when the years of famine come this will be distributed back to the people."
Pharaoh slowly nodded. "Ah. I see. It seems a good plan. But it is such a weighty responsibility."
"It is, Majesty. Therefore, you must appoint someone for this task. He must be someone wise and discerning, someone who you are confident will ensure Egypt's survival."
Pharaoh's gloomy face broke into a smile. "Of course. Of course."
He leapt up from his throne.
Those in the royal inner circles, including the priests and magicians, stood up straighter.
Pharaoh descended the dais. "Out of all the interpretations I have heard, Joseph's is the one that has made the most sense. Especially as it was the only interpretation."
He paused in his steps to glare at the magicians. Their heads bowed in unison.
He continued, "Furthermore, he has been quick and adept to suggest a solution. No doubt none of you idiots would have been able to come up with something like that either."
The king stopped in front of Joseph. "I do not know anything about your God, but I have no doubt you are greatly favoured by him. I need not say more. Who could be better for the role than you, Joseph?"
The gasps and cries nearly lifted the roof off the hall.
I thought I was dreaming. But no. This miracle was just as real as the air I breathed.
Thank you, God of Joseph. Thank you.
"Lord Potiphar!" Pharaoh called.
Potiphar stepped forward. "Yes, Majesty?"
"What say you of your king's decision?"
Potiphar glanced at Joseph. The two men exchanged companionable smiles.
"There could not have been a better one made, your Majesty," Potiphar said.
"And you, my Queen?" Pharaoh asked.
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