Egypt

‘Keep quiet. And sit down!’ he hissed. He was furious with me now. He stood right in front of me, whispering urgently.

‘I asked you to listen to me without comment. The proposal is radical, but it has many advantages.’

‘Such as?’ I demanded.

He was no longer comfortable in the little cabin, unable to be sure we were not overheard. And so we paced along the deck, in the evening light, arguing.

‘Firstly, it’ll completely wrong-foot Horemheb. He could never anticipate this move. Next, it will solve the vexed question of the succession. There is quite simply no one else in the kingdom for the Queen to marry. This way she will have a husband we can control, and she will beget sons,’ he insisted.

‘But they will be the half-sons of our enemies!’ I said.

‘And that is the stroke of genius! With this marriage, the war between Egypt and the Hittites will be brought to a spectacular end, in a peace that is entirely to our advantage. It has gone on far too long. It is pointless, unnecessary and extremely expensive. It is domestically unpopular, and it no longer brings us any appreciable international gains. In short, we are wasting time and resources on an outdated conflict that should now swiftly be brought to a conclusion. A negotiated settlement is in both sides’ interest. Indeed, the war is only benefiting the enemies of international stability-’ he argued, his eyes bright with determination, his finger raised in affirmation.

‘Such as who?’ I interrupted.

He shook his head, apparently frustrated at my stupidity.

‘I don’t have time to explain all this to you, you just have to do as you are commanded,’ he said.

‘If you are commanding me to be part of something, you owe it to me to explain the full reasons for risking my life.’

He stared at me.

‘Very well. But listen, and think. The kingdoms and the city-states of the Levant, with their warlords, their petty tyrants and their disastrous polities, are a cause of great international instability. This, as the pre-eminent empire of the world, we cannot and will not tolerate. Peaceful relations with the Hittites are not only economically advantageous to both sides, but also-and this is the consequence I trust you will particularly appreciate-will mean the army no longer has a defined enemy.’

I gazed back at him.

‘So you think Horemheb could not continue to claim the army’s vast powers and financial necessities if there was no conflict to justify them?’ I said.

‘Yes! At last you begin to understand. It will remove his main purpose, and therefore deeply undermine his personal power and authority. Conflict defines nations. Enemies justify armies. Wars glorify generals. Without his great enemy to give him purpose and meaning, he will be significantly diminished. He will have to come to terms with us. He will not be able to oppose the Queen.’

Nakht stood there, in the late sunlight, his face like a clever schoolboy’s, his smooth features a picture of delight at the audacity of the plan. I had to admit, it was extraordinary. It also seemed to me incredibly risky. But somehow Nakht had taken an idea that sounded preposterous, and turned it into what looked like brilliant politics. He gazed at me expectantly.

‘If this was a round of senet, I’d say you were going to get knocked off the board very soon, and into the jaws of a crocodile,’ I said quietly.

He scowled, irritated and disappointed.

‘Your gaming metaphor is crude. But if you insist on using it, yes, we are gambling everything on a last throw of the sticks. And to be frank: what other option do we have?’

‘You could fight an open battle for the succession against Horemheb here, in Egypt. In Thebes,’ I suggested.

‘It will not work. Horemheb commands the two corps of Upper and Lower Egypt: that is, the Ta, Ra, Seth and Amun divisions, each of five thousand troops. The division leaders of the first three are loyal to him. Let’s speculate: Horemheb is from the delta, the Seth division are from his home, owe him the most loyalty, and would have the most to gain from supporting him. Say he ordered them back from the war in the north. One division alone would probably be sufficient to take control of Thebes. Memphis he already controls. And if he were able to command one or two divisions more to attack Thebes, what would become of us all?’

I shook my head, and walked away, up towards the prow of the boat, trying to absorb what I was hearing. I saw we were close to the city.

‘If you think things are bad now, under Horemheb’s rule there would be summary executions, curfews and the wholesale massacre of the palace hierarchy and the priesthood! The Queen and her supporters would be executed. He would simply commandeer everyone’s riches for himself, and if the priesthood opposed him they would be decimated. Blood would run in the gutters. It would be the end of everything,’ he said, as if to persuade me further.

‘Now you sound like Hor,’ I said.

‘Hor was right.’

We confronted each other in silence. We were both angry and alarmed.

‘Even if your plan works, even if the Hittite King agrees to this proposal, and to a peace plan, and even if Horemheb does not launch a coup, I still have a question-why are you telling me all of this? Why am I being invited into the great secret?’ I said.

Nakht looked quickly around, to confirm no one could hear us, took me by the arm, and spoke into my ear.

‘I have been honoured with the supreme responsibility of leading the diplomatic mission to the Hittite capital to negotiate the marriage agreement. It will be a secret mission. We will travel incognito. It is essential Horemheb has no intelligence about us, or our whereabouts. We will travel as merchants on the Way of Horus, as quickly as possible. We will charter a commercial ship from Ugarit to the southern coast of the Hittite lands. Once we arrive in the Hittite capital of Hattusa, I will negotiate the terms of the peace treaty, and of the marriage. If we are successful, we will then bear the responsibility of bringing the Hittite Prince safely back to Egypt. We will be accompanied by Simut, and a retinue of elite palace guards, who have all been carefully vetted for loyalty.’

‘And still I do not know what this has to do with me,’ I said.

‘The Queen orders you to join this mission as my personal bodyguard. Simut and his guards will ensure the safety of the royal letters and the gifts of gold we will carry to the Hittite King, and they will manage the security of the mission in general. But you will be responsible for my personal safety. Let’s be clear: if necessary you will be required to give your life for mine. I should add this is not my idea. The Queen insists. And perhaps she is right, for only I can undertake the negotiations. In addition, however, the personal safety of the Hittite Prince will also be your responsibility on the return journey.’

My heart pounded. I couldn’t think how to respond.

‘You have put me in a position where I cannot say no,’ I said.

Nakht’s face hardened.

‘Not I, but the Queen. But I know you very well, my friend. I can see in your eyes that you are excited. I see something of the sparkle, the gleam of adventure, which has been missing for too long. Do not deny it. You relish excitement. You need mystery. You thrive on it. It is your meat and drink. And if I may be so personal,’ he paused, ‘you might also value the very substantial reward that will be yours, in addition to the gold she has already given you, if we are successful.’

I gazed out at the Great River’s panorama without seeing anything. He was right. I was excited. After these years of frustration and humiliation, and of domestic tedium, the prospect of such a journey, of such high responsibility, and of adventure in other lands, was like cool, clear water to a man lost in the desert.

‘I cannot simply leave my family. You know that. What would happen to them if…?’ I said.

‘If we do not return? I have considered that. If we succeed, I have been authorized to offer you the role of Chief of the Thebes Medjay.’

I felt my heart skip a beat.

‘Nebamun is Chief of the Thebes Medjay,’ I replied, as coolly as I could manage.