Christian Jacq [Ramses 01] The Son of Light (pdf)

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forgot his position and refused the privileges of rank. He set
him to the thousand and one tasks that make up a sailor s life.
Ramses didn t balk, but swabbed the deck and rowed with the
best of them. Sailing north required a thorough knowledge
of river currents and a stout-hearted crew. Feeling the boat
glide over the water, working with the water to achieve the
best possible speed, was an intense pleasure.
The expedition s return was cause for celebration.
Spectators crammed the banks of Memphis s main harbor,
tellingly named Safe Journey. As soon as their feet
touched the pier, the sailors were greeted with garlands of
flowers and cups of cool beer. There was ceremonial
dancing in their honor, praises sung to their courage and the
goodness of the river that guided them.
Graceful hands slipped a garland of blue flowers around
Ramses neck. Will this be sufficient reward for a prince?
asked Iset the Fair mischievously.
Ramses made no attempt to escape. You must be furious,
he told her. He took her in his arms; she pretended to resist.
I m just supposed to forget that you left without any
notice?
I had no choice.
Surely you could have found some way to let me know.
Pharaoh said jump; I jumped.
You mean . . .
My father took me with him to Gebel el-Silsila. Believe
me, it was no exile.
Iset the Fair snuggled closer. Sailing for days and days . . .
how you must have talked!
It was no pleasure cruise. I worked as a scribe, a stone-
cutter, and a sailor.
80 Christian Jacq
Why did he want you to go?
Only he knows the reason.
I saw your brother. He told me you were finished,
headed for a second-rate government post in the south.
My brother thinks everything is second-rate, except for
himself.
But you ve come back now, and I m yours.
You have the looks and brains to be a queen.
Shaanar still wants me to marry him.
What s stopping you? You re not very likely to get a
better offer.
I have a better lover. I can t live without you now.
The future . . .
I m only interested in the present. My parents are in the
country, the house is empty . . . doesn t that sound more
inviting than a reed hut?
He shared Iset s longing, but was it love? Ramses found
no answer. For now the physical passion was enough, the
intoxicating sensation of their bodies merging, swirling sub-
limely into one. Iset s caresses aroused him again and again.
It was so hard to leave her, naked and languid, her arms
pulling him back when he tried to slip away!
For the first time, Iset the Fair had mentioned marriage.
Ramses bridled; as much as he enjoyed her company, he was
not prepared for anything more permanent. They might be
young, but they were of marriageable age. There could be no
objection to their union. Still, Ramses did not feel it was time.
Confident that she would win him over, Iset did not protest.
The more she got to know her prince, the more she believed
Ramses: The Son of Light 81
in him. She listened to instinct rather than reason. Anyone
with so much love to give was an irreplaceable treasure.
Ramses made his way to the center of town, near the
palace complex. Ahmeni must be expecting him any mo-
ment, eager to report on his case.
An armed policeman guarded the entrance to Ramses
residence.
What s going on?
Are you Prince Ramses?
Yes, I am.
Your secretary has met with an accident. Police matter,
I m afraid.
Ramses ran straight to his friend s bedside.
Ahmeni lay still, his head bandaged, a nurse attending
him. Quiet, she ordered Ramses. He s sleeping. She ush-
ered the prince out of the room.
What happened to him?
He was left for dead in a garbage dump on the north
side of town.
Will he live?
The doctors think so.
Has he said anything?
A few words, nothing that made any sense. The
painkillers make him very drowsy.
82 Christian Jacq
Ramses went to see the assistant chief of police, who
was busy inspecting the southern precincts. The official
deeply regretted he was unable to furnish any information.
An investigation at the crime scene turned up no witnesses.
Intensive questioning had not resulted in a single lead. Just
like Ramses missing charioteer, the attacker had disap-
peared, perhaps even fled the country.
He got home just in time to see Ahmeni regain con-
sciousness. His bandaged face lit up at the sight of his friend.
You re back! I knew you d come back! His voice was
shaky, but clear.
How do you feel?
I found it, Ramses, I found it!
Too bad you almost lost your life in the process.
I ve got a good hard head, though, see?
Who hit you?
Most likely the guard in the place where I found the
counterfeit ink cakes.
So you really did solve your mystery.
Ahmeni s face glowed with pride.
Tell me how to get there, said Ramses.
It s dangerous. Take the police with you.
Don t worry, and rest now. The sooner you re back on
your feet, the sooner we ll work on the case together.
Following Ahmeni s directions, Ramses easily found the
factory in question. Three hours past sunrise, and not a soul
inside. Intrigued, the prince had a look around the neigh-
borhood, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The
small ink factory appeared to be abandoned.
Ramses: The Son of Light 83
To make sure, Ramses stayed around until evening. There
was plenty of activity in the neighborhood, but no one left
or entered the scene of the crime.
He questioned a water bearer serving the nearby shops.
Do you know that building?
They make ink there.
Why is it closed?
No one s shown up for a week. Kind of strange.
Has the owner been by?
I couldn t tell you.
Who ran the business, then?
We never saw a boss there, only workers.
What about customers?
Never paid attention. The water bearer moved on.
Ramses decided to borrow Ahmeni s method. He
climbed up to the granary room and crossed to the ink fac-
tory.
Within seconds, he saw that the workroom was deserted.
Along with the other royal scribes, Ramses had been
called to the temple of Ptah, the god who created the world
through the word. Each scribe appeared before the high
priest and gave a succinct accounting of his recent activities.
The master reminded them that they should have respect
for words as their raw material and model their speech on
the teachings of the sages.
When the ceremony was over, Sary congratulated his
former student.
I m proud to have been your guardian. In spite of what
your detractors say, you seem to be following the path of
84 Christian Jacq
knowledge. Never stop learning, and you will become a man
of consequence.
Is that more important than being a man of truth?
Sary was affronted. I thought you were finally settling
down, but maybe the rumors I hear are true.
What rumors?
Strange stories . . . that you re tracking down a missing
chariot driver, that your private secretary was injured in an
assault.
They re more than stories.
It s best to leave these matters in official hands. The
police have more resources at their disposal. They ll get
results, believe me. You re too busy. The most important
thing is for you to live up to your title.
A private lunch with his mother was a privilege that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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