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sent to let me use every means at my disposal to keep the
Pharaoh from destroying Egypt?
The tall, languid woman bit her lips. Ramses is my
brother!
Ofir gently took Dolora s hands.
He s already done us so much harm. Of course, I ll
abide by your decision, but why wait any longer? Ramses
isn t waiting for anything! And the further he goes, the
Ramses: The eternal temple 241
stronger his magical defenses become. I m not sure I ll be
able to break through them if we stall.
It s such a big step . . .
So Dolora was still unwilling to attack her brother. Ofir
let go of her hands.
There may be another way.
What are you thinking?
Queen Nefertari is rumored to be pregnant.
It s no rumor. She s already showing.
Have you any affection for her?
Not in the least.
I ll ask one of my compatriots to bring what I need
tonight.
I ll stay in my room! cried Dolora, retreating hastily.
The man arrived in the middle of the night. The house
was quiet; Dolora and Lita slept. Ofir opened the door to
the merchant, took the sack from him, and paid with two
linen sheets Dolora had donated.
The transaction took only a few moments.
Ofir shut himself up in a small room to which he had
blocked all the openings. A single oil lamp gave off a dim
light.
On a low table, the sorcerer laid out the contents of the
bundle: a statuette of an ape, an ivory hand, a crude figurine
of a naked woman, a miniature pillar, and another figurine
of a woman, this one holding snakes in her hands. The ape
would supply him with the technique of the god Thoth.
The hand was for action. The naked woman gave him power
over the queen s reproductive organs. The pillar represented
242 Christian Jacq
the lasting effect of his spell. The snake woman would
poison Nefertari s body with black magic.
Ofir s task would not be easy. The queen possessed great
personal strength, and, like her husband, had been endowed
with protective forces at the time of her coronation. But
pregnancy weakened those defenses. The new life inside her
sapped Nefertari s own life force.
It would take at least three days and nights for the spell
to take hold. Ofir was slightly disappointed not to be
attacking Ramses directly, but without his sister s consent
that would be impossible. When he had Dolora completely
in his sway, he would try again. For now, he could begin to
weaken the enemy.
Leaving the daily business of governing in the hands of
Ahmeni and his cabinet members, Ramses made frequent
visits to Pi-Ramses. Thanks to Moses leadership and orga-
nization, as well as a strict schedule, the work was pro-
gressing by leaps and bounds.
The atmosphere was upbeat. The men were happy with
the quality and quantity of their rations. On top of that,
generous bonuses were paid as promised, on the merit
system. The hardest workers would make a tidy bundle and
be able to set themselves up either in the new capital or
another town, perhaps even buy a plot of land. There was
also a well-equipped infirmary to care for the sick and
injured. Unlike other construction sites, Pi-Ramses was not
plagued with workers feigning illness in order to go on
leave.
The king was safety-conscious; several foremen were per-
Ramses: The eternal temple 243
manently assigned to site security. All but a few minor
injuries had been avoided when the temple of Amon s
granite blocks were set in place. Thanks to a scrupulously
observed rotation of work gangs, the men never reached the
point of exhaustion. Two days off every six days allowed
them to rest and recuperate.
Moses alone drove himself relentlessly. He rechecked all
work, resolved conflicts, made urgent decisions, reorganized
substandard work crews, reordered materials and supplies,
wrote reports, slept an hour after lunch and three hours
each night. Their leader s energy impressed the Hebrew
brickworkers so deeply that they toed the line for him. No
supervisor in their experience had ever defended their inter-
ests as he did.
Abner could have spoken to Moses about Sary s extor-
tion, but he was afraid of how his foreman might retaliate,
given his strong police connections. Labeled as a trouble-
maker, Abner would be deported and never see his wife and
children again. Once he d started receiving payments, the
foreman had stopped harassing him and been almost
pleasant. It seemed the worst was over. The Hebrew walled
himself in silence and molded his bricks with the usual care
and speed.
That morning, Ramses was touring the work site. As
soon as his visit had been announced, the Hebrews washed,
trimmed their beards and mustaches, tied fresh white bands
around their best wigs, and lined up their bricks in perfect
order.
The first chariot that stopped in front of the brickyard
discharged a glowering giant with sword and shield in hand.
Was one of the workers about to be disciplined? The pres-
ence of twenty archers did little to lighten the mood.
Serramanna filed stonily down the tense and motionless
244 Christian Jacq
rows of Hebrew brickmakers. When they had passed
inspection, the Sard signaled one of the soldiers to let the
royal chariot advance.
The brickmakers bowed to Pharaoh, who called them by
name, congratulating them on their work. Cheers greeted
his announcement that new wigs and white Delta wine were
to be distributed; but what touched the men most deeply
was the attention the king paid to the freshly molded bricks.
He picked up several at random, weighing them in his
hands.
Perfect, he declared. Double rations for a week and an
extra day off. Where is your foreman?
Sary stepped forward.
Ramses old teacher was the only one not especially eager
to see the monarch. If Sary had never plotted against
Ramses, he might still be head of the royal academy and a
court insider.
Satisfied with your new assignment, Sary?
I thank Your Majesty for granting me the privilege.
If my mother and Nefertari hadn t interceded, your
punishment would have been much stiffer, believe me.
I m aware of that, Majesty, and hope my new attitude
will convince you to forgive my past transgressions.
They re unforgivable, Sary.
The remorse I suffer weighs on my heart.
It can t weigh too heavily; it s been quite some time, and
you re still around.
Is it too much to hope for Your Majesty s pardon?
I don t hold with that notion, Sary. There s no way
around the law of Ma at. You ve flouted it, and your soul is
forever stained. Make sure you cause Moses no trouble. This
is the last chance I m giving you.
I swear to Your Majesty that
Ramses: The eternal temple 245
Enough said, Sary. Be glad of the chance to take part in
creating Pi-Ramses.
When the king climbed back in his chariot, cheers rose
again, even louder this time. Reluctantly, Sary chimed in.
forty-one
s planned, construction proceeded more slowly on the
A temples than on secular edifices. Nevertheless, imme-
diate shipments of granite began, and expert stone haulers,
including a number of Hebrews, made regular deliveries to
the work site.
Thanks to the brickmakers industriousness, the royal
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