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ited retinue, checking several times to make sure that Uri-
Teshoop had not had her followed.
At the sight of the sinister fortress where Hattusili had
taken refuge, she shivered. By now the garrison might have
taken her husband prisoner as a peace offering to the com-
mander-in-chief. In that case, her existence, like Hattusili s,
would come to a brutal end behind those gray walls.
Puduhepa did not want to die. She felt able to serve her
196 Christian Jacq
country, ready to live through a great many more scorching
summers, hike the wild trails of Anatolia again and again,
and see Hattusili reign over Hatti. If there was a chance,
however slim, of overcoming Uri-Teshoop, she was pre-
pared to grasp at it.
The way she was greeted at the fortress reassured the
priestess. She was immediately escorted to the central tower,
where the commander had his private quarters.
Hattusili ran to meet her. They embraced.
Puduhepa, at last! You managed to escape . . .
Uri-Teshoop has already taken over the capital.
We re safe here. All the men in the garrison hate him.
Too many soldiers have suffered abuse at his hands.
Puduhepa noted the presence of a man seated by the fire.
Who is that? she asked under her breath.
Ahsha, Pharaoh s secretary of state and special envoy.
Ahsha, here!
He may be our only chance.
But what does he have to offer?
Peace.
Hattusili now witnessed an extraordinary phenomenon.
His wife s dark brown eyes grew lighter, as if glowing from
within.
Peace with Egypt, she repeated in amazement. We
know it can never be!
Shouldn t we use this unexpected ally to further our
interests?
Puduhepa untwined herself from Hattusili and
approached Ahsha. The diplomat rose to greet the lovely
visitor.
Forgive me, Ahsha. I should have spoken to you
sooner.
I wouldn t have wanted to interrupt your reunion.
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 197
You re putting yourself at considerable risk by staying
here.
I was planning to head for the capital, but your husband
persuaded me to wait until you arrived.
You ve heard about the emperor s illness.
I ll still try to talk to him.
No use, he s dying. The empire already belongs to Uri-
Teshoop.
I ve come in search of peace, and I won t leave without
it.
Are you forgetting that Uri-Teshoop s goal in life is the
destruction of Egypt? I disapprove of his obsession, yet I
must concede that war is what has always held our empire
together.
Have you considered the very real danger you re facing?
You mean the Egyptian army out in full force, with
Ramses at its head?
Don t discount another possibility: the unchecked rise
of Assyrian power.
Hattusili and Puduhepa could barely suppress their
astonishment. Ahsha s information network must be far
more efficient than they had supposed.
Assyria will attack you eventually, and Hatti won t know
which way to turn, warring on two different fronts. And the
notion that the Hittite army can destroy Egypt is unrealistic.
We ve learned from our past mistakes and reinforced
defenses in our protectorates. Working your way past them
will be difficult, and the delay will give the main force time
to mount a swift counterattack. On top of that, you ve
already learned the hard way that Amon takes care of Ramses
and helps him fight with the strength of a thousand men.
So you ve come to announce the downfall of the Hittite
empire? Puduhepa asked sharply.
198 Christian Jacq
No, my lady, for Egypt has nothing to gain by it.
There s no enemy like an old enemy, don t you agree?
Despite his reputation to the contrary, Ramses is a peace-
loving pharaoh, and the Great Royal Wife supports him in
this course of action.
What does Queen Mother Tuya think?
She shares my views, namely that Assyria is bound to
pose a threat, first to the Hittites and before long to Egypt.
An alliance against Assyria . . . is that what you re really
proposing?
A peace agreement and an alliance to protect both our
nations from invasion. The next emperor of Hatti will have
to make a decision with far-reaching consequences.
Uri-Teshoop will never stop trying to vanquish
Ramses!
What would Hattusili decide?
My husband and I no longer have any power.
Give me your answer, Ahsha insisted.
We d agree to begin negotiations, declared Hattusili.
But what s the point?
Only the unattainable amuses me, the Egyptian said
with a smile. Today, the two of you may be nothing, yet
I m betting on you to brighten my country s prospects. If
Hattusili becomes emperor, our discussion will mean a
great deal.
That s only a dream, Puduhepa objected.
It s fight or flight for you now, Ahsha said coolly.
The priestess s proud eyes blazed. We ll never run.
Then you and Hattusili need to win or buy the trust of
as many officers as you can. The fortress commanders will
take your side, since Uri-Teshoop disdains them and blocks
their promotion, claiming that they play only a defensive
role. Almost all the merchant class prefers you; get them to
Ramses: The lady of abu simbel 199
spread it around that the Hittite economy can t survive
another war and that conflict with Egypt will only bring
hardship and ruin. Undermine Uri-Teshoop and keep dig-
ging away at him until your nephew looks like a trouble-
maker, unable to lead the nation.
It won t happen overnight.
If you don t try, there will never be peace in our time.
Meanwhile, what do you plan to do? Puduhepa
inquired of Ahsha.
It may be a bit risky, but I m going to make overtures to
Uri-Teshoop.
Ahsha contemplated the ramparts of Hattusa and fanta-
sized what the Hittite capital might look like brightly
painted, with fluttering banners and gorgeous young
women dancing on the battlements. This lovely vision
faded, however, as he faced the oppressive reality of the
stronghold clinging to the mountainside.
Only two of his countrymen, a groom and a sandal-
bearer, accompanied the secretary of state. The rest of the
delegation had returned to Egypt. When Ahsha displayed
his official seal at the lower town s first guard post, the
sentry was speechless.
Please inform the emperor of my presence.
But . . . you re Egyptian!
Special ambassador. Could you please hurry?
Nonplussed, the sentry kept Ahsha under close surveil-
lance, dispatching one of his men to the palace.
Ahsha was not overly surprised to see an infantry unit
arrive a short time later. The men stepped smartly, holding
200 Christian Jacq
their lances, commanded by a brute whose only form of
thought was blindly carrying out his orders.
The commander-in-chief wishes to see the ambas-
sador, the soldier announced.
Ahsha greeted Uri-Teshoop, reciting his official titles.
Ramses most trusted adviser, here in Hattusa . . . what
a surprise!
I see that you ve been promoted, Your Highness. Please
accept my congratulations.
Egypt will have to watch its step now.
We ve certainly taken note of valor in war. I ve been
careful to strengthen the defenses in our protectorates.
I ll crush them anyway.
They re prepared to resist, no matter how overwhelming
the attack.
So much for small talk, Mr. Ambassador. What are you
really here for?
I ve heard that Emperor Muwattali is ill.
You ll have to settle for rumors. Our leader s health is a
state secret.
The Lord of Hatti is our enemy, but we respect his
greatness. That s why I ve come.
State your purpose, Ahsha.
I have medicine with me that can cure your father.
thirty-three
t seven years of age, the boy was acting on the proverb
Adrilled into him by his father, who had learned it from
his own father: Give a man a fish and he ll eat for a day;
teach a man to fish and he ll eat for a lifetime.
His stomach growled as he beat the water with a stick to
drive his catch toward the tall papyrus stalks where his
equally hungry friend lay in wait with the net.
Suddenly, the lad saw them.
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