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There was no protest. Most had expected a harsher pun-
ishment.
342 Christian Jacq
Later that day, the king named new commanding offi-
cers, choosing from among the reinforcement units.
On the day following his upset, Ramses launched the
first attack on the fortress of Kadesh, where Hittite banners
fluttered on the towers.
The Egyptian archers shot volleys of arrows, but the
shafts broke against the solid rock of the battlements.
Unlike its Syrian counterparts, Kadesh had towers beyond
their aim.
Eager to prove their valor, the infantry scaled the rocky
base of the fortress and laid wooden ladders against the
walls. But the Hittite sharpshooters picked off most of
them, and those that remained were forced to abandon the
effort. Three more attempts were made, each one ending in
failure.
The next day, and the next, a few daring souls made it
halfway up the walls before a stream of projectiles knocked
them to their deaths.
Kadesh lived up to its legend.
A somber Ramses convened his new war council. His
appointees tried hard to outdo each other in bravado,
hoping to please the king. Weary of their chatter, he dis-
missed them, keeping only Setau at his side.
Lotus and I will save dozens of lives, Setau told his
old friend, provided that we don t die of exhaustion. At
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 343
the rate we re going, our hospital will soon run out of sup-
plies.
Don t beat around the bush, Setau.
All right. Let s go home, Ramses.
And forget about the fortress of Kadesh?
We have our victory.
Until Kadesh is under Egyptian control, the Hittite
menace persists.
Taking Kadesh would waste too many resources and
too many lives. Why not go back to Egypt? We need to take
care of the wounded and rebuild our forces.
This fortress must fall like the others we conquered.
What if it doesn t, no matter how hard you try?
Nature is bountiful in these parts; you and Lotus can
find what you need to prepare your own remedies.
What if Ahsha was locked up inside that fort?
All the more reason to take it and free him.
The driver Menna ran up and bowed low to Ramses.
Your Majesty! They threw a lance from the ramparts, with
this message tied to the tip!
Hand it over.
Ramses studied the text:
To Ramses, Pharaoh of Egypt, from his brother
Muwattali, Emperor of Hatti,
Before continuing our confrontation, would it not be
wise for us to hold discussions? Let a tent be erected on the
level, halfway between your camp and the fortress.
I will come there alone, tomorrow when the sun is at its
highest, to meet you, my brother ruler, alone.
344 Christian Jacq
Inside the tent sat two folding thrones, face to face.
Between them was a low table on which two goblets and a
small jar of cool water had been placed.
The two sovereigns sat down at once, eyeing each other.
Despite the heat, Muwattali was dressed in a long woolen
mantle of red and black.
I am happy to meet with my brother the Pharaoh of
Egypt, whose glory is ever increasing.
The Emperor of Hatti s reputation sows fear wherever
it reaches.
In that regard, my brother Ramses has now surpassed
me. I formed an invincible coalition and you defeated it.
Surely the gods lent you their protection?
Amon, the Father of Victories, seconded me with his
power.
I found it hard to believe that a mortal man could fight
like that, pharaoh or not.
You didn t mind resorting to deception.
It s a weapon like any other. It would have beaten you,
too, if you hadn t had the benefit of supernatural powers.
The soul of your father, Seti, fed your incredible courage
and made you oblivious to fear and defeat.
Are you ready to surrender, my brother Muwattali?
Are you always so blunt, my brother Ramses?
Thousands of men are dead because of Hatti s expan-
sionist politics. There s no more time for idle conversation.
Are you ready to surrender?
Does my brother know who I am?
The Emperor of Hatti, cornered in the mighty fortress
of Kadesh.
I have with me my brother, Hattusili, my son, Uri-
Teshoop, my vassals and my allies. Our surrender would
cripple the empire.
Such are the consequences of your defeat.
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 345
I concede that you won the battle of Kadesh, but the
fortress is still intact.
Sooner or later, it will fall.
You saw how far you got with your initial attempts.
Keep going and you ll lose a great many men, without even
putting a dent in the fortress walls.
That s why I ve decided to adopt another strategy.
Since it s only the two of us, my brother, will you tell
me your plans?
Haven t you guessed? It will require great patience.
There are so many of you inside the fortress that soon
you ll be short of rations. Which makes more sense, sur-
rendering or being starved out?
My brother Ramses does not know the strength of this
fortress. It has vast storerooms with months worth of food.
We will also have certain advantages over the Egyptian
army.
Preposterous, said the Pharaoh.
Think again, my brother. You Egyptians are far from
your bases. Conditions will grow more difficult by the day.
Everyone knows that you hate staying away from your
country for very long and that Egypt likes to have you near
at hand. Before long autumn will be here. The cold brings
disease as well as discomfort. Your men will grow weary and
disenchanted. You can be sure, my brother Ramses, that my
allies and I will be better off than you. And don t worry
about us having enough water: the fort s cisterns are full,
not to mention the well we ve dug inside the walls.
Ramses took a sip of water, not because he was thirsty,
but to pause and think. Muwattali s arguments were not
without merit.
Would my brother care for a drink? the Pharaoh
offered.
346 Christian Jacq
No, I m quite comfortable.
You re not afraid of poison, are you? I hear it s common
at the court in Hatti.
Not any longer, though I do have my steward taste all
my food for me. My brother Ramses should also know that
one of his childhood friends, the young and brilliant
diplomat Ahsha, was arrested in our capital while posing as
a potter. As a spy, he d be dead already if I hadn t intervened.
It occurred to me that you might be willing to bargain for
someone so close to you.
You re wrong, Muwattali. I m a pharaoh before I m a
man.
Ahsha is not only your friend, but also the real head of
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