Chapter 17 Chapter fifteen

Pharaoh's ship sailed north.From Memphis it follows the main course of the Nile, turns into one of its tributaries, and reaches the heart of the delta. Ramses was dazzled. There is no desert here.The two brothers Horus and Seth, according to the arrangement of God, shared the universe and Egypt; this area belonged to Horus, and Seth was in charge of the valley.The river squeezes a channel between the two banks to fight the drought, and the water is omnipotent.The virgin delta looks like a huge swamp, filled with numerous bird species, vast papyrus forests and schools of fish.There are no cities, not even towns, just a few fishing houses on the hills.The sun is not still, as it is in the valley; the sea breeze stirs the reeds, and black flamingos, ducks, herons, and other pelicans share the vast expanse where the winding canal fills the sea.This is a land that has not yet been conquered by man.

The fleet was slowly moving slowly under the careful leadership of the captain who was familiar with the unpredictable and intricate terrain. There were about twenty sailors on board, and the head of state stood at the bow.His son watched him secretly, bewildered by his appearance; Seti was the embodiment of Egypt, and he was Egypt, the descendant of a thousand-year-old nation who knew the greatness of the gods and the smallness of human beings.In the eyes of the people, Pharaoh is a mysterious figure, and the star-studded sky is his real hometown. He maintains a connection between the secular world and the underworld, and his eyes open the way to these two worlds for his people. Door.Without him, the barbarian peoples can immediately attack the river bank; with him, the future is eternally secure.

Although the purpose of the trip was unclear, Ramses still wrote down the passage of the voyage.Neither his father nor his team members ever confided a word to him.The prince was aware of an underlying uneasiness, as if dangers ambush and threatened the ship, as if a monster might at any moment attack and devour the small ship. As with the first journey, Seti left no time for his son to inform Esther and Yamenes.Ramses could imagine the anger of the former and the worry of the latter, but neither love nor friendship could stop him from following his father to the place he wanted to go. A channel appeared, the navigation became easier, and the boat anchored beside a lush island with a strange wooden spire.The king got out of the boat by a rope ladder, and the prince drew a ladle by the gourd.Pharaoh and his son climbed to the top of the tower covered with branches, where they could only look up at the stars.

Seti was so engrossed that Ramesses dared not ask him any questions. Suddenly, Seti's eyes lit up. "Look, Ramses, see clearly." At a high altitude that seems to touch the sun, a group of migratory birds are arranged in a "V" shape and fly south. "They come from the outer world, which we have not yet discovered," Seti said, "from a vast universe where the gods create life all the time. When they dwell in the living ocean, they have the form of a bird with a human head, feed on the sun; when they fly across the border, they take the shape of a swallow or another migratory bird. Don't forget to gaze at them, for they are our ancestors who came back from the dead and interceded on our behalf to save the sun from its rays Destroyed us, they enlightened the mind of Pharaoh, opened for him a path invisible to the eyes of the world."

When night came and the stars twinkled, Seti taught his son the firmament.He told his son the names of the constellations.The law of the continuous movement of the planets, the sun and the moon and the meaning of the zodiac signs.Shouldn't the pharaoh's power exceed the limits of the universe, pushing his power over every inch of land? Ramses opened his ears and heart and listened. He filled his heart with the "food" bestowed by his father, and he didn't waste any of it.But dawn came too soon. Royal ships could not move forward because of too many weeds.Seti, Ramesses, and four crew members, armed with spears, bows, and javelins, boarded a light papyrus boat, with the pharaoh himself at the helm.

Ramses felt he had been transported to a world entirely different from that of Valle.Here, there is no trace of human activities at all, and the eight-meter-high papyrus bushes cover the sun from time to time.Had his skin not been slathered with ointment, he would have been stung by swarms of deafening flying insects. After passing through a wet forest, the canoe slid into a pond, in the center of which stood two small islands. "Crush the holy city and the holy city of Depei." Pharaoh said. "City?" Ramses was surprised. "This city is entirely natural. When life was conceived from the primordial ocean, it took the form of a mound rising to the bottom of the white sea. Here are two sacred hills, united in your mind to form the gods' delight. the only country in which to live."

Accompanied by his father, Ramses walked on the land of the "Holy City" and meditated in front of a small temple. stick. "This is the symbol of authority." Pharaoh clearly pointed out, "Everyone should find the one that belongs to him, and protect it well, above his own life. Pharaoh's authority is to be the first messenger of the gods , instead of becoming a tyrant." Around them, there are countless restless forces, and it is impossible to calm one's mind. In this chaos, people need to be vigilant at any time.Only Seti seemed invulnerable, as if this elusive nature had surrendered to his will.Ramses would have been lost among these gigantic papyrus bushes had he not had a firm peace in his eyes.

The horizon suddenly appeared, and the boats paddled across the dark green waters where fishermen lived by the shore.The fishermen are naked and unkempt, living in simple thatched houses, using fishing nets, fishing rods and fishing baskets, cutting open the maw with long knives, hollowing out the internal organs, and drying the fish in the sun.Two of them were carrying a Nile perch so heavy that it bent the sticks on which they hung it. Terrified by this unexpected visit, the fishermen clung to each other in panic and hostility, brandishing their knives. Ramses stepped forward, those fierce eyes focused on him.

"Bow down to Pharaoh." They laid down their knives, loosened their tense fingers, dropped their weapons on the loose ground, fell on their knees before their King, and invited him to share their feast with them. The fisherman was joking with the sailors, who gave the fishermen two jars of beer.When they were drunk, Seti told his son to light a torch whose flame would drive away mosquitoes and yellow bugs. "These are the poorest of the poor, but they have done their duty and wait for your rescue. Pharaoh should save the poor, protect the widows, feed the orphans, and meet the needs of the people. A brave shepherd should be on duty day and night, on the one hand The shield should know how to protect the people. This man chosen by God to perform a noble task, people will praise him: 'No one will starve while he reigns.' There is no nobler thing than being the pharaoh of Egypt and feeding the people of the country It's work, kid."

Ramesses lived for several weeks with fishermen and papyrus harvesters.He learned to identify a variety of edible fish, and also learned to build light boats; his hunting instinct was improved, and he could float and sink in canals and swamps with complex terrain; Hours, the story of a strong swimmer who caught a lot of fish. Although their lives are rough, they don't want to change, they think the life of the valley dwellers is dull.In that too civilized environment, a short stay was enough for them. After enjoying the tenderness of women and having a good drink and food, they returned to the delta swamp.

The prince feeds on their abilities, he adopts and listens to them, he learns to live with them, he doesn't complain when fatigue tears his skin, and forgets again his own privileged class.His power and skill were perfected, and he alone was as good as three seasoned fishermen.But such success aroused more envy than admiration, and he was soon ostracized by the group. His dream of giving up the mystical powers he was born with to become like ordinary people and live like a quarryman, a sailor, or a fisherman was shattered.Seti took him to the borders of his land, in these desolate places, where the sea seemed to have begun to swallow the earth, and the pharaoh asked him to face the real life soberly and get rid of his childhood fantasies. His father abandoned him.However, just the night before he left, his father had pointed out the way to kingship.His words were addressed to Ramses, not to anyone else. A dream, a moment of grace, and nothing else.For Seti, who speaks to the wind, to the water, to the boundless delta, his son only highlights his regal nobility.Take your son to the end of the world in order to shatter his pride and illusions.The life of Ramses was not the life of a monarch. However, Ramses consciously is by Seti's side. Although his father's personality is helpless and difficult to get close to, he hopes to hear his father's teachings and prove his ability to his father until he exceeds his ability.No, what was burning on him was not an ordinary fire. His father had already seen it, and revealed the secret of the king's throne to him step by step. No one came to visit him, it was time for him to leave. Ramesses left the fishermen before daybreak, and with two oars in hand, his papyrus boat headed due south at an even speed.Observing the stars kept him in the right direction, and he prided himself on his ability before sailing into the great tributaries of the river.The north wind was blowing at him, and he did not tire, his arms continued to paddle.Towards the goal, he rested for a while, and carrying the dried fish, Ramses went downstream. Over there, at the end of the delta, are the white walls of Memphis.