Naguib Mahfouz - Three Novels of Ancient Egypt

Ahmose left the princess's ship, his feet barely able to carry him. He was looking at something in his hand, murmuring, “Is this all that is left to me of my beloved?” It was the chain of the necklace, the princess having given it to him as a memento while she kept the heart for herself. The king mounted his chariot and proceeded to the army's camp, where his men met him with Chamberlain Hur at their head, the latter stealing anxious, pitying glances at his master. The king went to the pavilion and, summoning the envoy of Apophis, told him, “Envoy, we have studied your proposal carefully. Since my goal has been to liberate my country from your rule and that is what you have accepted, I have chosen the solution of peace, to avoid further bloodshed. We shall exchange prisoners immediately but I shall not give the order to halt work until the last of your men leaves Avaris. Thus this black page in the history of our country will be turned.”

The envoy bent his head and said, “Your decision is wise, O King. War, if not for a valid purpose, is nothing but slaughter and massacre.”

Ahmose said, “Now I shall leave you to discuss together the details of the exchange and the evacuation.”

The king arose. Everyone stood and bowed to him respectfully and he saluted them with his hand and left the place.

The exchange of prisoners took place on the evening of that day. One of the gates of Avaris was opened and the bands of prisoners came out, women and men, cheering joyfully for their sovereign and waving their hands. The Herdsmen prisoners, with Princess Amenridis at their head, left for the city in silence and dejection.

On the morning of the following day, Ahmose and his entourage went early to a nearby hill that looked out over the eastern gates of Avaris to witness the departure of the Herdsmen from the last Egyptian city. The others could not conceal their gaiety and their faces twinkled with joy and happiness. Commander Mheb said, “Soon the chamberlains of Apophis will bring the keys of Avaris to surrender to His Majesty, just as the keys of Thebes were surrendered to Apophis eleven years ago.”

The chamberlains came, as Commander Mheb had said, and presented to Ahmose an ebony box in which were laid the keys of Avaris. The king received these and gave them to his grand chamberlain, then returned the salute of the men, who returned whence they came in silence.

The eastern gates were then opened wide, their squealing resounding off the valley's sides as the observers on the hill watched in silence. The first groups of those leaving emerged — charioteers bristling with arms, whom Apophis had sent ahead to scout out the unknown road. Groups of women and children followed them, riding on the backs of mules and donkeys, some of them carried in litters. Their exit took many long hours. Then a great cavalcade appeared, surrounded by horsemen from the guard and followed by ox-drawn carts. The watchers realized that this was Apophis and the people of his house. Ahmose's heart beat hard when he saw it and he resisted a burning tear that he felt tugging at him inside. He asked himself where she might be. Was she looking as hard for him as he for her? Was she thinking of him in the same way that he thought of her? Was she suppressing a tear as he was? He followed the cavalcade with his eyes, not turning to the soldiers pouring out in its wake from all the gates, and continued to follow it with his eyes and his heart, and to hover around it in spirit, until the horizon hid it and the unknown swallowed it up.

The king awoke to the voice of Hur saying, “At this immortal hour, the hearts of our sovereign Seqenenra and of our glorious hero Kamose are happy, and Thebes’ struggle, which has known no despair, is crowned with outright triumph.”

The Army of Deliverance entered mighty Avaris, occupying its impregnable walls, and there it stayed until dawn of the following day. Ahmose marched eastward with a battalion of chariots headed by his vanguard, and entered Tanis and Difna, where spies came to him and congratulated him on the withdrawal of the last of the Herdsmen from the land of Egypt. Returning to Avaris, the king ordered the army to perform a collective prayer to the Lord Amun. The various battalions formed, their officers and commander at the head of each and the king and his entourage at the head of all. Then all knelt in reverent submission and prayed ardently to the Lord. Ahmose ended his prayer with the following words: “I praise you and thank you, Divine Lord, for you have protected me and made steadfast my heart and honored me by allowing me to achieve the goal for which my grandfather and my father were martyred. O God, inspire me to do what is right, and help me to find the resolution and faith to heal my people's wounds and make them worthy slaves of the best of lords!”

Ahmose then summoned his men to meet with him and they obeyed the summons quickly. He said to them, “Today the war is over and we must sheathe our swords. But the struggle never ends. Believe me when I say that peace is yet more demanding of vigilance and readiness to do great things than war. Lend me then your hearts, that we may make Egypt live anew.”

The king looked into the faces of his men for a while and then he continued, “I have decided to start the struggle for the peace by choosing my loyal helpers. Thus, I appoint Hur my minister.”

Hur stood and went to his master and knelt before him and kissed his hand. The king said, “I believe that Seneb is the best successor for Hur in my palace. Deeb will be head of the royal guard.”

The king looked at Mheb and said, “You, Mheb, are to be commander-in-chief of my army.”

Then he turned to Ahmose Ebana and said, “You will be commander of the fleet and the estates of your brave father Pepi will be restored to you.”

Then the king addressed his words to all, saying, “Now return to Thebes, capital of our realm, that each may carry out his duty.”

Hur asked anxiously, “Will Pharaoh not return at the head of his army to Thebes?”

“No,” Ahmose replied, as he prepared to rise. “My ship will set sail with me to Dabod, so that I may take the glad tidings of victory to my family. Then I will return with them to Thebes, that we may enter it together just as we left it together.”

The royal ship set sail, guarded by three warships. Ahmose kept to his cabin on the deck, looking at the distant horizon with a set face and eyes brimming with sadness and pain. After several days of traveling, little Dabod appeared with its scattered huts and the fleet moored on its shore as day ended. The king and his guard disembarked in their handsome clothes, attracting all eyes and bringing hurrying to them a throng of Nubians, who went before them to the house of the governor, Ra'um. News spread in the city that a great envoy from Pharaoh had arrived to visit the family of Seqenenra. The news reached the governor's house before the king and as he approached he found the governor and the royal family in the courtyard of the palace, waiting. As the king went up to them astonishment and joy silenced their tongues. Ra'um went down on his knees and all let out a cry of joy and happiness and hurried to him. The young queen Nefertari — was the first to reach him and she kissed his cheeks and his brow. Then he looked and he saw his mother Queen Setkimus reaching out her arms and he clasped her to his breast and gave her his cheeks to kiss tenderly. His grandmother Queen Ahotep was waiting her turn and he went up to her and kissed her hands and her brow. Finally, he saw the last, and the best, of the people — Tetisheri, whom — white hair had crowned and — whose cheeks — were — withered — with age. His heart beat fast and he took her in his arms, saying, “Mother, and mother of all!”