Egyptian - 06 - Pharaoh by Wilbur Smith

Author:Wilbur Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9780062276605
Published: 2017-05-29T23:00:00+00:00

We rode through the night and reached Luxor the following morning just as the dawn was breaking. The guards at the gates recognized us immediately and ushered us into the city with the utmost respect and ceremony. They formed an escort around Rameses, and led us to the golden palace of Luxor, where Weneg was already in conclave with the Interim Governing Committee, which was composed almost completely of those men that we had assembled in the Garden of Joy. Many of them wore bloody bandages like badges of honour, and seemed rejuvenated by their recent warlike endeavours.

They were overjoyed to welcome us to their midst. Their first official act was to unanimously ratify the ascension of Pharaoh Rameses I to the throne of Upper and Lower Egypt. Rameses formally accepted the honour and swore the royal oath from the throne. He then declared the Interim to be his final and fully legitimate Committee. He also announced that he had chosen Lord Taita to act as the First and Senior Minister of his new parliament.

While Rameses was occupied with these commonplace proceedings, his wife was engaged with the more significant aspects of our existence, such as requisitioning a fast ship to convey us down the Nile to a reunion with her family. To be fair to Serrena, her marriage to Rameses was a secret shared only by the three of us. Her state wedding could only be celebrated once certain other trivialities had been taken care of, such as the presence of her father’s royal allies to witness the proceedings. So it was wiser and more diplomatic that Serrena make no public or official appearances until those aims were achieved.

Late that same afternoon I placed my personal hieroglyphic on an official document appointing Weneg to act in my absence in the capacity of Senior First Minister. Then Rameses and I melted into the background, only to reappear a short time later in the dock area of the river harbour, where we unobtrusively boarded a twin-masted cutter named the Four Winds, which immediately cast off her moorings and headed out into the current, bearing away on a northerly heading towards Abu Naskos and the Middle Sea.

Serrena remained below deck in the master cabin until the lights of Luxor merged with the darkness behind us. Then she appeared on the deck as mysteriously and as beautifully as the evening star above her. She laughed with joy to see us both, kissed me on both my cheeks and then disappeared below deck again. Rameses went with her and I saw neither of them again until morning. There followed three of the happiest and most peaceful days I can remember as the Four Winds ran north for Abu Naskos with the current driving her on apace.

On the third night I woke a little before midnight. I knew that we should arrive at our destination early the next morning. So for me further sleep was no longer possible. I went to sit in the bows and wait for the dawn.

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