Chapter 16 Chapter Fourteen

A garbage dump scavenger drags his bleary-eyed daughter down the sleepy streets of North Memphis.Before dawn, he had to light a fire to burn the garbage scattered in various garbage dumps in the residential area; daily incineration of garbage waste and disinfection was something he had to complete.The work is monotonous, but the pay is good and the work feels like a contribution to one's fellow man. Luckily today, there wasn’t too much rubbish. In order to burn the rubbish faster, the scavenger lit several rubbish dumps with torches at the same time. "Daddy...I want that big baby."

"What did you say?" "That big baby, over there." The little girl points to an arm emerging from the trash. "I want it, Dad." The scavenger went into the dump in panic and consternation, nearly burning his own feet. An arm...a boy's arm!He carefully pulled out the man's lifeless body.On the boy's neck, there was dried blood. On the return trip, Ramses did not see his father.The details of his logbook were to be transcribed into the Royal Annals describing some of the glorious achievements of Seti's sixth year in power.The prince threw away his clerk's clothes and stationery, and made peace with the ship's men, sharing their work, and he learned to tie a knot, hoist a sail, and even steer the helm.In particular, he was familiar with the habits of the wind. Didn't people say that the mysterious god Amon, whose true face no one has ever seen, showed his existence by blowing up the sails and bringing the ship safely to the port?The invisible god exists, although man cannot see it.

The captain complied with Ramesses' wishes. Since the prince put down airs, refused privileges, and was willing to do the chores of many sailors, why would the captain not do it?Ramesses was so happy that he scrubbed the deck and sat firmly on the paddle board.To go to the north must be well-versed in water, and must be a brave crew.It's a lot of fun to feel the boat glide on the water and speed up with the current. The return of the fleet to port is a lively event.The wharves of Memphis's god-given port called "Bon Voyage" were thronging.When the sailors set foot on Egyptian soil again, they were immediately greeted with garlands of flowers and cold beer; their homecoming was sung and danced, their success congratulated, and their thanks to the kind river for guiding them along the way.

A pair of gentle hands hung a cornflower garland around Ramses' neck. "Is such a reward enough for a prince?" Esther asked mischievously. Ramses replied, "You should be very angry." He took her in his arms, but she pretended to refuse. "Do you think that will wipe you out of your rudeness?" "I didn't make a mistake, so why worry?" "Even if you leave in a hurry, you should inform me." "There shall be no delay in carrying out the orders of Pharaoh." "You mean..." "My father took me to the Silesian Mountains, and it was not a punishment."

Esther looked enthusiastic. "Traveling long distances by his side... Has he confided in you something intimate?" "Don't be a fool, I'm going to be a clerk, a quarryman and a sailor." "Why did he force you to travel?" "Only he understands in his heart." "I saw your brother, and he told me you were dethroned; he said you went and settled in the South, and took a humble job." "In my brother's eyes, nothing is insignificant, except himself." "But you're back in Memphis, and I'm your man." "You are both beautiful and smart, these are two indispensable qualities for a princess."

"Shayna didn't give up on marrying me." "Why do you hesitate? It would be unwise to refuse a good fate." "I'm not wise, but I love you." "future……" "I'm only interested in the present. My parents have gone to the country, and the cottage is empty... Isn't it more comfortable than a hut?" Was it this love, this mad pleasure, that he shared with Esther?Ramses asked himself feebly.He just needs to live in the passion of the flesh, enjoying the intoxicating moment when two people's bodies are tightly bound and fused together, falling into the vortex of love together.Because of his caresses, his mistress knows how to arouse his desire and arouse his lust without tiring him.It was so hard for him to leave her, naked and frail, her outstretched arms around her lover.

The first time Esther mentioned marriage, the rebellious prince seemed uninterested.Of course, despite their young age, they were already man and woman, and no one could stand in the way of their union—but Ramses thought he was not yet ready for the adventure.Esther didn't blame him at all, but she was determined to convince him that the more she knew him, the more she would trust him.A person who will give so much love is like an irreplaceable treasure, more precious than any wealth. Ramses walked towards the palace area in the city center, and Yameni probably couldn't wait for his return.Is Amene continuing his investigation?Did he get results?

An armed guard stands in front of the prince's office gate. "What happened?" "Are you Prince Ramses?" "Exactly." "Your secretary is injured, that's why I was ordered to protect him." Ramses ran all the way to his friend's room. Yamenyi was lying on the bed with a bandaged head and a nurse at the head of the bed. "Quiet," she demanded, "he's sleeping." She pulled the prince out of the room. "What's the matter with him?" "He was found in a dump in the North End, dying." "Will he come back to life?"

"The doctor is optimistic." "Did he speak?" "Only a few words were spoken, but I couldn't hear them clearly. Anesthetics can relieve his pain, but they will make him sleep for a long time." Ramses exchanged views with the deputy police chief who was patrolling the southern area of ​​Memphis.Unfortunately, the officer was unable to provide him with any clues. No one saw the murderer at the scene of the accident. He continued to inquire, but still found nothing.As with the carriage incident, there is no doubt that the culprit has disappeared, and may have left Memphis long ago.

Returning to the office, the prince happened to meet Yameni waking up; when he saw Ramses, the patient's eyes lit up. "You're back...I knew it!" Yameni's voice was weak but clear. "what do you think?" "I did it, Ramses, I did it!" "If you continue to take risks like this, sooner or later you will be smashed to pieces." "They're tough, you see." "Who hit you?" "A guard at a factory harboring smuggled ink sticks." "So, you really succeeded." Amene had a look of pride on his face. "Tell me where!" Ramses demanded.

"It's very dangerous... don't go without the police." "Don't worry, take a good rest, the sooner you recover, the sooner you can help me." According to Yameni's instructions, Ramses found the smuggled factory without any difficulty. Although it had been three hours since sunrise, the factory was still closed.Puzzled, the prince looked around, but did not see any suspicious signs.The warehouse appears to have been abandoned. Ramses was afraid of falling into a trap, and he waited patiently for dark.Although there were many people coming and going, no one entered the building. He inquired about a porter who brought water to the craftsmen. "Do you know this factory?" "Makes ink sticks." "Why is it closed?" "Closed a week ago, weird." "What happened to the boss?" "I have no idea." "Who are they?" "I only see the workers here, not the boss." "Who are they selling their product to?" "Not my problem." The porter left. Using the same strategy as _Yameni, Ramses climbed the ladder, crossed the roof of the attic, and entered the house. His investigation was brief, and the warehouse was empty. Accompanied by other royal scribes, Ramesses was summoned to the temple of Ptah, the god who created the world with words, where each stood before the priest and presented a brief report on recent activities.The master craftsman reminded them to grind the language like a stone, and to enrich the content according to the instructions of the wise. After the ceremony, Shali congratulated his past students. "I am proud to have been your tutor, and although some of the words are incorrect, it looks like you are well on your way to gaining knowledge. Don't stop learning, you will become a respected person." "Is this more important than reaching the true meaning of existence?" Shali didn't hide his displeasure. "After you finally got smart. I heard some ridiculous rumors about you." "Which ones?" "I heard that you are looking for an escaped coachman, and your confidential secretary was also seriously injured." "It's not nonsense." "Let the relevant units solve it, and forget about those accidents. The security units are more capable than you, and they will find the murderer eventually, believe me. You still have a lot of things to do, and the most important thing is to respect your status." Dining face to face with his mother is something Ramses attaches great importance to.She was busy with state affairs, daily and quarterly religious ceremonies, and countless tasks in the palace. The queen only left a little leisure time for herself and her relatives. In a quiet and shaded log-columned gazebo, the coffee table is already set with marble cutlery.Having just concluded a selection meeting for the main singers to sing to the god Amun—those who would be responsible for the musical portion of the ceremony—Duya came in a ruched linen robe and a wide gold necklace.Ramesses expressed to her immense enthusiasm, mixed with growing respect.No woman can compare to her, no woman dares to compare with her, although she comes from a humble background, she was born to be a queen.Only she can spark Seti's love and tame Egypt. The menu was lettuce, cucumber, a small steak, feta cheese, a round honey cake, some wheat biscuits, and watered oasis wine.The queen treasured the hour of lunch, when she saw neither strangers nor beggars; the tranquility of her private garden, with its central pool, nourished her as much as the food her cook had carefully chosen for her. "How was your trip to the Silesian Mountains?" "I experienced the life of a quarryman and a sailor." "He's a demanding boss who often asks more than you can give." "Do your best to meet the challenge he has given you. Don't look back, don't regret and feel guilty, don't envy and don't be jealous. Enjoy every second with your father with God-given gratitude. What else matters ?” "The security unit is perfunctory on me." "That's a serious allegation, son." "I'm not talking nonsense..." "Do you have proof?" "No. So that's why I'm asking you for help." "My power cannot be used at those levels." "If you ask for a thorough investigation, this order will be carried out. No one will track down who the man who bought and killed me is. No one wants to find out who made fake ink sticks and sold them to clerks as high-end products Who was that man. Because of the discovery of the factory, my friend Yameni almost died, but the murderer evacuated all the goods from the warehouse, and no residents of the area dared to come forward to accuse him. It can be known that he is an important characters, important enough to intimidate the common people." "Who do you think of?" Ramses didn't answer. "I will do it." Du Ya promised.