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Over the years, Hefat had developed close relationships
with the vizier, the cabinet members, and the provincial gov-
ernors. His ability to flatter his superiors had helped him
rise through the ranks. It also compensated for the fact that
he had been an early admirer of Shaanar, the Pharaoh s
older brother Shaanar, a traitor to his country, but a mas-
terful and fascinating politician.
Luckily, Hefat had never publicly supported Shaanar
before the prince met his tragic end.
Now in his prime at fifty, married and the father of two,
Hefat appeared to be at the height of his career, main-
taining tight control over the inner workings of his depart-
ment. Who could have guessed that he was the last
important member of a network that Shaanar had created
to pave his way to the throne?
Hefat s past alliance remained a distant memory until he
330 Christian Jacq
encountered the Phoenician merchant Narish. Assessing the
foreigner s considerable wealth, Hefat came to realize that a
man of his own intelligence, in his privileged position,
might also become quite rich.
Dining with the Phoenician had opened Hefat s eyes.
Ramses was heading into his seventies; he would soon leave
the government in the hands of conventional men, inca-
pable of bold initiatives. His eldest son, Kha, was a mystic,
removed from the daily business of the administration.
Merenptah obeyed his father blindly and would be at a loss
once Ramses was gone. Ahmeni, an aging scribe, would cer-
tainly be shunted aside.
Upon careful reflection, the country s power structure
was far shakier than it appeared. Despite increasingly fre-
quent recourse to magical sed-feasts and the care of his
chief physician, Neferet, Ramses was declining.
Perhaps the time had come at last to strike a decisive
blow and make Shaanar s vision a reality.
Merenptah was showing the ambassador from Hatti into
the great audience chamber at the Pi-Ramses palace. Usu-
ally the diplomat came with an entourage, bearing gifts; this
time he was alone. He bowed at the sight of Ramses.
 Your Majesty, I bring sad news. Your brother the
Emperor of Hatti has passed away.
From the battle of Kadesh to Hattusili s arrival in Egypt,
a variety of scenes flashed through the Pharaoh s mind. The
man had been a redoubtable adversary before his gradual
conversion into a loyal ally. Together, he and Ramses had
built a better world.
Ramses: UNDER THE WESTERN ACACIA 331
 Has his successor been designated?
 Yes, Your Majesty.
 Will he honor the peace treaty?
Merenptah swallowed hard.
 Our late emperor s decisions extend to his successors,
replied the ambassador.  Not a single clause of the treaty
will be called into question.
 Please extend my condolences and kind remembrance
to Empress Puduhepa.
 Alas, Your Majesty, the empress was also ill, and her
husband s death hastened her demise.
 Then assure the new Emperor of Hatti of my friend-
ship and goodwill. He can rely on Egypt.
As soon as the ambassador left, Ramses spoke to his son.
 Contact our informers immediately and have them pre-
pare a detailed report on the situation in Hatti. Tell them
we need it right away.
Hefat entertained the Phoenician Narish at his plush Pi-
Ramses villa. He introduced his wife and two children, with
comments about their excellent education and the fine
future in store for them. After a pleasant luncheon, during
which a great deal of small talk was exchanged, the chief of
the Hydrology Department and the foreign trader drifted
off to a wooden gazebo with finely detailed columns.
 Your invitation is an honor, said Narish.  Forgive me
for being blunt, but why did you ask me here? I m a busi-
nessman, you re an engineer . . . we have nothing in
common, as far as I can see.
 I ve heard that you disagree with Ramses trade policies.
332 Christian Jacq
 His ridiculous views on slavery have hurt us, certainly;
but Egypt will come to realize how isolated his position
leaves her and just how untenable it is.
 That could take years . . . and you and I would like to
grow richer here and now.
The Phoenician was intrigued.
 I don t see where you re leading, Hefat.
 Today, Ramses is the unquestioned ruler. That wasn t
always the case. His absolute power conceals a serious weak-
ness: his age. Not to mention that his two potential succes-
sors, Kha and Merenptah, are equally inept.
 I don t deal in politics, especially not Egypt s.
 But you believe that profit is all-powerful, don t you?
 It s the future of humanity, I agree.
 Let s make the future happen! We may be coming from
different directions, but you and I both want to challenge
Ramses. He s no longer an effective leader. But that isn t
crucial; the important point is that we can profit financially
from the decline of centralized power.
 What kind of deal are you talking about?
 At the very least, tripling Phoenicia s wealth and that s
a conservative estimate. Needless to say, the man respon-
sible for this happy state of affairs will be a hero. That man
is you, Narish.
 And you, Hefat?
 At the outset, I d prefer to be a silent partner.
 What s your plan?
 Before I unveil it, I need to be sure of your silence.
The trader smiled.  My dear Hefat, a man s word is law
only here in Egypt. If you want to do business abroad,
you ll have to leave your old-fashioned notions behind.
The chief hydrologist was reluctant to commit himself.
If the Phoenician betrayed him, he d end his days in prison.
Ramses: UNDER THE WESTERN ACACIA 333
 All right, Narish. I ll explain everything.
As Hefat outlined his idea, the Phoenician wondered
how one of Pharaoh s subjects could have come up with
such a bold scheme. But he, Narish, would be running no
risk at all, and the Egyptian was right: if it worked, they
could both make a fortune, and Ramses reign would col-
lapse.
Merenptah could not get the Libyan incident out of his
mind. He was commander-in-chief, in charge of national
security, yet he d been unable to anticipate Malfi s moves.
Without Ramses clairvoyance and prompt action, the
Libyans would have invaded the Delta, sacked the capital,
and killed thousands of Egyptians.
Learning from the experience, Merenptah had personally
inspected the forts along the Libyan border, instituting [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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