Rasses rembered that his first dream of ruling Egypt ca when he was thirteen years old.
At that ti, this ambition was about as intense as a child's desire for a toy—there was no fundantal difference in nature. But as he gradually grew older, he ca to understand the true aning of ruling a nation.
Thus, he abandoned what he then considered a wildly unrealistic idea, believing the throne should rightfully belong to his older brother, Nebchasetnebet.
In Rasses's past view, his elder brother Nebchasetnebet was calm but not lacking vigor, fully inheriting their father's wisdom.
Nebchasetnebet was well-versed in the kingdom's rules and clearly aware of the threat posed by the Asiatic peoples to the north.
He had more than once advised their father and the ministers that Egypt should strengthen ties with the north. He openly criticized Akhenaten's abandonnt of the traditional treaty with Mitanni, which led to the Mitanni kingdom's fall.
Nebchasetnebet insisted Egypt should support the restoration of Mitanni and renew the alliance.
Rasses agreed with this wholeheartedly, although he felt restoring Mitanni was not strictly necessary. Still, he never doubted that the Hittites were the only formidable enemy capable of threatening Egypt.
Thus, to him, such a wise older brother had no reason to lose the right of succession to the throne.
But fate was absurd.
Seti I and Queen Tuya ultimately chose the second son to bear this great and arduous task, and Rasses was forced to beco an enemy of the brother he had once admired—especially after Nebchasetnebet's eldest son died young because of this rivalry.
For the two brothers, Rasses's coronation was not an end but a beginning.
Before the final victory was decided, they each needed to secure stronger allies than the other.
In this, Nebchasetnebet seed to have the upper hand.
Though not Pharaoh, he influenced many high officials and temple priests—far more than the Pharaoh himself.
Now Rasses also had many trustworthy allies: his strict but unwaveringly loyal mother Tuya, his beautiful and intelligent wife Nefertari, and several childhood friends—though
Hebrew, now the royal architect Moses who built his new city; the Egyptian diplomat Aya; the confidential secretary Ani; and Setawu, the sorcerer who lived closely with snakes and drew power from them.
But the ally Rasses most desired was the visitor today.
If successful, this alliance would grant him the strongest power, making his authority unshakable and surpassing any Pharaoh before him.
It might also allow him to fulfill the heavy responsibilities entrusted by his parents—and even exceed his father's achievents.
The God-slayer was by his side—but not as a show of force. To Rasses, this creature was a partner he could completely trust, closer than any brother.
Rasses entered the mansion with his wife and friends.
This was the place he had once lived with Nefertari, and recalling those happy tis, he felt sowhat sentintal.
Then he saw Hachiman Hikigaya resting in the pavilion.
At first, Rasses didn't quite understand why the visitor appeared as an Asiatic, but now he accepted it.
After all, this person had sheltered the Hyksos and their kin—Moses was a descendant of those people.
During the Hyksos rule in Egypt, they trusted their Asiatic brothers from the north.
The Hebrews had entered Egypt during that ti, and the Egyptians did not hold the Hebrews responsible for the grudge against the Hyksos.
Rasses signaled the maid who was about to kneel to step aside, took the wine jar from her hands, and entered the pavilion first.
"Lord Hikigaya," he tried to sound cheerful because the visitor seed unwilling to reveal his true identity.
But his friendly greeting didn't work well—the figure in the pavilion had a twisted expression.
"I just want to ask—who exactly is 'Hikigaya'?" The Asiatic god-like visitor looked at the Pharaoh with a grievance. "Before, when you gave the house, you called 'Bikigua.' Is my na really that hard to rember?"
Rasses's cheerful expression froze.
Huh? Did I get it wrong again? That was... 'Bikigua'?
Yikes! Great God, why do you have such a weird and hard-to-pronounce na?! You're a god of Egypt!
Rasses sighed deeply inside, then pretended nothing had happened and cheerfully asked, "Ah, Lord Seth, what did you just say to ?"
Hmm, better pretend for now and later deliberately say the correct na.
So wise of !
Rasses thought happily, then skillfully began introducing his beloved wife and friends to Hachiman.
During this, his guards spread throughout the garden and brought new stools for Rasses's companions.
In Rasses's plan, the next step was to win favor all at once.
But surprises are always around, and today was especially eventful.
Rasses first introduced his wife, then his diplomat, confidential secretary, and sorcerer. When he finally introduced his architect, Hachiman's attention was caught.
"Moses? You're a Hebrew?"
Hachiman, who had been yawning and lying down, suddenly perked up when he heard the na "Moses."
He sprang up from the bed, staring straight at the burly Hebrew called Moses.
The na Moses was held in far higher esteem in later generations than Rasses II, and the two were incomparable.
He was the compiler of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible's Old Testant, wrote the Ten Commandnts for God, and was the founder of the Hebrews' exclusive worship of God, abandoning the old gods.
He was both prophet and king; under his leadership, the Hebrews transford from a loose clan alliance into a unified, spiritually coherent erging power.
After his death, his appointed successor brought blood and fire to Canaan and generated countless stories.
He was the beginning of everything.
His worshippers initially were Hebrews, but as God's faith spread, it transcended nations, ethnicities, religions, and ti—its geographical reach and temporal duration unmatched in history.
Such a legendary figure—could he really be this scruffy, unkempt, bearded man before him?
As the Pharaoh's friend, companion, and ally, Moses had already received the "insider info" from Rasses—that the Asiatic before him was not Asiatic, nor even human.
The great reaction to his na scared Moses half to death.
Though not hiding it with malice, to Egyptians who experienced the Aten reforms, this secret was extrely sensitive.
If revealed, even Rasses might not be able to keep him in the palace and might have to punish him severely. Such a fate would endanger Moses's people.
"You are Moses? A Hebrew?" Hachiman asked again.
"Yes, my lord." Moses bowed his head. If the man before him was truly a great and all-knowing being, as Rasses said, deception was impossible.
So he would take things as they ca.
User Comments
0 comments from readers