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would have informed me.
Unless Ahmeni threw him in jail to keep him quiet.
Unlikely, said Setau. Look, this is all just speculation.
When we get back to Pi-Ramses, we ll set things straight.
That makes sense, agreed Ahsha.
I don t like this wind, Setau added. It s not what you
usually see in summer. An ill wind, as if the year might die
in its prime. Watch out, Ramses. I tell you, it s not a good
sign.
A rapid strike is our best guarantee of success. No wind
will slow us down.
Strung along the northwestern border of Egypt, the forts
that made up the king s great wall communicated with each
other by signals and sent regular reports back to court. In
peacetime, their role was to regulate immigration. Now that
they had been put on alert, archers and scouts scanned the
horizon from atop their walls. Centuries earlier, Sesostris I had
built the line of fortifications to stop the Bedouins from
raiding livestock and to check any attempt at invasion.
Whoever crosses this border becomes the son of Pharaoh, proclaimed a
marker in front of each fully manned and well-supplied gar-
rison. The forts were also home to customs officers who col-
lected duties on goods crossing into Egypt.
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 77
The Wall of the King, built up over the centuries, kept the
people feeling safe. It was a proven system for preventing sur-
prise attacks and barring invading hordes from the rich lands
of the Delta.
Ramses army marched serenely onward. The veterans were
reminded of the routine inspection tours that each pharaoh
carried out from time to time, displaying Egypt s military
might.
When the battlements of the first fortress came into sight,
bristling with archers, the mood grew a bit more subdued. But
the huge doors parted to let Ramses pass, and his chariot had
barely braked before a portly figure rushed forward, followed
by a servant holding a parasol.
Glory to you, O Majesty! Your presence is a gift from the
gods.
Ahsha had given Ramses a detailed report on the governor
general of the Wall of the King. A rich landowner, graduate of
the royal academy in Memphis, and father of four, he loved
good food and hated the military mind-set. He was eager for
his prestigious though boring appointment to come to an end
so that he could return to Pi-Ramses and an upper-level gov-
ernment post. The governor general had no army training and
dreaded the sight of blood, but his accounts were flawless and
there was no denying that under his leadership the garrisons
were well supplied with food.
The king stepped down from his chariot and patted his
two horses. They whinnied softly.
I ve ordered a banquet, Your Majesty. You ll have all the
comforts of home here. Your bedchamber may not be quite as
comfortable, but I hope you ll like it and find it restful.
I m not here to rest. We have an insurrection on our
hands!
78 Christian Jacq
Of course, Your Majesty. But you ll deal with that in a
matter of days.
How can you be so sure?
The reports from our sites in Canaan are promising.
There s so much infighting among the rebels that the move-
ment is falling apart.
Have our positions been attacked?
Far from it, Your Majesty. Here s the latest dispatch; it
arrived this morning by carrier pigeon.
Ramses scanned the document, written without undue
haste. It did indeed appear that bringing Canaan back into the
fold would be fairly straightforward.
See that my horses are well cared for, the monarch
ordered.
Clean stalls and special forage, promised the governor.
Where is the map room?
Right this way, Your Majesty.
Determined not to waste a second of the king s time, the
governor walked much faster than usual. At this rate, he d soon
slim down. His servant even had trouble keeping him in the
shade.
Ramses called for Ahsha, Setau, and his generals.
Starting tomorrow, he announced, tracing the route on
the map spread out on a low table, we head due north,
passing west of Jerusalem, along the coast, until we encounter
the first rebel position and subdue Canaan. Then we stop at
Megiddo until I decide to advance.
The generals murmured their agreement. Ahsha remained
silent.
Setau left the room, looked at the sky, and returned to
Ramses side.
What s the matter?
I ve told you. There s something wrong with the wind.
Fourteen
he pace was lively, the discipline somewhat relaxed.
TEntering Canaan, long controlled by Egypt and paying
tribute to the pharaoh, the army had no sense of straying into
foreign territory, no sense of danger. Perhaps it was only a
local incident, and Ramses had taken it too seriously.
Egypt was responding with such a show of force that the
rebels would soon be on their knees, begging the king s mercy.
It would be one more peacekeeping mission, unmarked by
deaths or serious injuries.
On the march, the soldiers noted that one small outpost
had been destroyed. Its staff of three had kept track of herd
migrations. No one paid much attention.
Setau continued to brood. Driving his chariot single-
handed, bareheaded in the blazing sun, he hardly spoke to
Lotus, though every lucky soldier who passed her by made
sure to take a good look.
The sea breeze was a godsend, the road was level, the water
bearers came by at regular intervals. You had to be in shape,
you had to walk for hours, but even so, it wasn t such a bad life,
80 Christian Jacq
nothing like the scribes claimed, but then they were quick to
sneer at other occupations.
To his master s right loped Ramses lion. No one tried to
approach him, but everyone was cheered by his presence. He
was a walking symbol of the Pharaoh s supernatural strength.
With Serramanna gone, the lion was Ramses best protection.
The first fortress in Canaan came into view. It was an
impressive structure with tall, sloping brick walls, thick para-
pets, sturdy ramparts, watchtowers, and crenellations.
Who s in charge here? Ramses inquired of Ahsha.
An experienced commander, born in Jericho but raised in
Egypt, who underwent extensive training and served several
tours of duty in Palestine before his appointment here. I ve
met him. A good man, highly professional.
Wasn t he the one who sent the initial dispatches alerting
us to a revolt in Canaan?
Yes, Your Majesty. This fortress is a strategic information-
gathering point for the region.
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