1	Aegypt: The Ancient World through the Eyes of the Egyptians L.D. Alford Session 1: The Novel, Characters, History, and Politics
2	Aegypt What is Aegypt? Ancient spelling Actually Ægypt - ash Word didn’t change the language did Sounds ancient and exciting/mysterious In the Tomb of Darkness and Light
3	My Novels The Second Mission Centurion Aegypt The End of Honor The Fox’s Honor A Season of Honor The Goddess of Light – on contract The Goddess of Darkness
4	Introduction Aegypt Historical fiction novel with a fantasy/suspense driver Idea 1992, start 1992, finished 1994 Published by Capstone (now OakTara) in Jan 08 Follows Lieutenant Paul Bolang Time July-Nov 1926 Location Tunisia (French Colony) Novel, characters, history, politics
5	Class Syllabus 1. Novel, characters, history, politics 2. Paganism and the Egyptian pantheon 3. Egyptian life 4. Egyptian hieroglyphics 5. Egyptian tombs and constructions 6. Legion Etrangere, French Foreign Legion
6	Overview Novel is historical—2+ years of research Mainly primary sources in history Language, religion, and cultural details Suspense driven by historical data Language key aspect of novel French, English, Ancient Egyptian Ancient Egyptian primary suspense driver
7	Tunisia
8	Tunisia
9	Tunisia
10	Tunisia
11	Aegypt Storm clouds grew across the darkening sky. They squared off like titans, rising tremendously over the burning sands. The air pressure dropped suddenly, caressing yawning ears, and in the storm’s wake, the nearly constant winds died. Silence charged the air like static electricity. Not a sound broke the stillness until, with a harsh crackle of blue fire, the clouds burst open and poured a solid torrent over the acrid waste. At first, the sands soaked up the downpour like a sponge. Then, glutted, they cast off the water in ever-increasing amounts. The initial runlets took a while to form, but soon, under the blasting deluge of the heavy rain, they assumed the character of reverse deltas, inverse Niles that funneled the water into dry streambeds and deeper canyons. The dirty, heavy, grit-laden liquid fought its way through the bone-dry sand until it was finally and completely absorbed.
12	Aegypt Lieutenant Paul Bolang laughed mirthlessly; the surging water would never make its way back to even the ancient lake Chott el Fedjadj. Set in an endless inequitable cycle, the liquid rose daily, sucked out of this hellish waste to be returned only a few times a year. He cast the butt of his cigarette to the sand and spat a few grains of loose tobacco after it. Already the sun was flooding him and the sodden plain with blazing splatters of heat. Paul cursed under his breath; not a drop of rain had touched him. He slung his rifle more evenly over his shoulder and turned back toward the line of march. The last traces of mist streamed from the clouds, and he could taste the water with his lungs—refreshing. The heat and the dryness would be back soon enough to overwhelm his senses. Paul signaled his men to remount. His horse, l’Orage, was skittish and danced back a step as Paul hauled his aching frame into the saddle.
13	L’Orage
14	L’Orage Her muscles rippled like silk under her black coat, and Paul touched her gently to soothe her. l’Orage had been his steed for nearly three years, almost half the time he had been in Tunisia. He had bought her from a Berber’s market on the coast. She was the most beautiful horse he had ever seen. Feral and full of fire, she was uncontrollable in the hands of her merchant owners and stood blindfolded and hobbled in the market horse pen. A demon in the guise of a horse, she was black as charcoal without a trace of lighter markings. Paul knew she was stolen the minute his eyes lit upon her.
15	L’Orage He paid in cash—francs, and few of those, because of her temperament. When he entered the pen to claim her, Berbers, Arabs, and Tunisians lined the enclosure to watch the black fiend trample the foolish Lieutenant. Paul walked quietly up to her, and when the laughing merchant stripped off the blindfold and hobbles, Paul spoke a single word. l’Orage calmed immediately and let him stroke her face. Contemptuously, he led her on a light field-lead out of the marketsquare. The marketplace had turned into a frenzy of babbling men, women, and children. The native peoples sidled out of Paul’s way as if he were himself a demon from the pit. At the edge of the market, to the amazement of the spectators, Paul leapt upon l’Orage bareback and rode off at a gallop. He laughed all the way back to the garrison.
16	L’Orage l’Orage was a horse trained for war. She was an Arabian, bred and drilled to the battlefield. She was trained to kill and to the tactics of combat. She was a European’s horse. Paul could tell by her carriage and by the saddle scars on her flanks. Only one type of European warrior had found his way into the wilds of Tunisia: l’Orage had to be a Frenchman’s horse. Paul guessed that, but his confirmation came when he first stood before her, wondering himself if she would strike him before he could speak. His single word was French, and with that single word, he knew she answered to only one tongue—French. Not to the Tunisian or Berber or Arabic her previous masters unsuccessfully tried, only to French. In combat after combat, she proved herself to be, by far, one of the finest horses in the Legion stables.
17	Tunisia Fort Saint Chott Djerid Chott Melrhir Tozeur Nefta Tomerzu Sabria Douz Gafsa
18	Synopsis Return to Fort Saint Paul Bolang L’Orage The Foundation The Archeological Party Lionel Audrey Claude Parrain Mr. James Williams The Foundation
19	Fort Saint
20	Fort Saint Around the fort, the windswept ground was textured with holes, scree, and—sand. The sand lodged wherever it could find a crevasse or projection to hold it, and piled along anything that was stationary. The ground directly before Fort Saint was unusually flat, forming a large rectangular area. From the towers, Paul earlier noted the exactness and full dimensions of this area, and in his spare time, he measured it. Paul found the sides, although the corners were hidden in blown sand. Using his best approximation, they were nearly the same length. The sides of the area lay aligned with the compass, the long sides to the north and south, 50 meters in length by 40 meters in width. By the ancient Egyptian scale, that was approximately 100 by 80 royal cubits. Paul estimated the level of the area exceeded almost two centimeters over the entire shape. The perfection of the alignment and level and the measure of the area excited his archeological interest. Before he’d become a soldier, Paul had studied archeology….
21	Synopsis Beginning of the dig Breakthrough To be continued…
22	Foundation
23	Characters Primary Lieutenant Paul Bolang ? ? Secondary Lionel Audrey Claude Parrain James Williams Captain Ourain Sergeant le Boehm
24	Lieutenant Paul Bolang Paul spent his childhood in many countries and places. The dictates of his family’s profession left him to spend his early years in the cities of the colonies of France: Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, and British Palestine. He fought and played in the streets with the children of the colonial nations. It was only natural that he learned their languages and culture. When Paul was twelve, his family finally returned to Paris. His father went there to accept the promised position he’d sought as his life-long ambition, and Paul was forced to learn a new culture and new way of learning. He longed for his past freedom, but he embraced the formal education his quick mind desired. In spite of his ready acceptance and incorporation into his own French heritage, he found himself aggravated with his peers; he viewed all things without the cultural boundaries they enshrined. In his mind cultural grays turned into absolute blacks and whites. He based his decisions on knowledge rather than traditions.
25	Lieutenant Paul Bolang This, instead of separating his new friends from him, seemed to attract them even more. He achieved a popularity and leadership he accepted but did not desire. Paris provided him much more than this experience of his own French heritage. Although Paul spent some years in the lands of antiquity, he had no exposure to the treasures of those places. In the Louvre, for the first time, he came face to face, with the ancients. The beautiful articles from the past intrigued and beguiled him. He spent hours studying them. The mummies and artifacts of Egypt, especially, cast a spell over him. Though technically too young for the classes, he attended every lecture presented on this particular subject. There he learned of the work of Jean Francois Champollion, who first deciphered the Egyptian hieroglyphics on the Rosetta Stone, and then he knew the future life had prepared him to seize.
26	Lieutenant Paul Bolang To Paul, it seemed only natural he should enter the Academie des Sciences of the Institut de France to study Egyptology and Theology. His father was a military courtier—a man of stern discipline and unrelenting decorum. When Paul broached his plans over the family table, his father stared with incredulity. “I and your grandfather and his father have all served France as army officers. This service is not good enough for you?” He didn’t give Paul time for a reply. “I have prepared a position for you in the Military Academy. You are expected to fill this position.” Paul had not expected his father’s negative response. “Father, I have spent my life in Paris aspiring to attend the Academie des Sciences. The study of the ancients is already my life, and it will be my profession—”
27	Lieutenant Paul Bolang “But it is not the profession of the family Bolang. We have honor and position to uphold. I cannot allow my only son to spit in my face to fulfill his desires. What of my desires? What of the desires of your family?” Paul looked slowly around the formal table. The crystal, china, and silver were lifeless and inhuman. The sudden stillness of each of the members of his family turned them into caricatures as lifeless as these inanimate objects. His father’s hands were balled into fists. His unblinking eyes flashed their intense displeasure. His mother looked on Paul with pity, as though he was throwing away the future generations of the family Bolang. His sisters sat in stony and unmoving silence. No one risked the displeasure of their father and no one willfully disobeyed him.
28	Lieutenant Paul Bolang But to Paul, the decision was easy. “The family Bolang will stand—and progress and continue—no matter what profession I follow. I’m sorry, but I cannot comply with your advice or your dictates, Father.” Paul stood, bowed, and an amazed silence followed him as he walked out of the dining room, out of the house, and into a scholarship at the Academie des Sciences. His father’s disappointment became an unassailable barrier between them for years.
29	History World War I – end of war Colonial world Tunisia (French colony) Egypt (British colony) Ancient Egypt
30	Languages Tunisian Arabic Berber Other indigenous French English Ancient Egyptian
31	Politics Demilitarization of France Militarization of Germany Colonial issues of independence Revolts Terrorism Prejudice – significantly displaced by the Dervish (broke the British square) Archeology is the rage
32	Tunisia Tunisia (Arabic: تونس‎ Tūnis) Tunisian Republic (الجمهورية التونسية‎) North Africa Bordered by Algeria and Libya Northernmost African country About 40% is Sahara desert Much of remainder fertile soil 1300 km coastline
33	Tunisia Desert, fertile soil, and coastline Prominent role in ancient times Phoenician city of Carthage The Africa Province Bread basket of the Roman Empire Ranks highly among Middle Eastern and African nations in reports released by The World Economic Forum
34	History of Tunisia Beginning of recorded history inhabited by Berber tribes Coast settled by Phoenicians as early as the 10th century BC Carthage founded in the 9th cent BC Settlers from Tyre, modern day Lebanon. Legend says Dido founded city 814 BC: Greek writer Timaeus of Tauromenium. Brought culture and religion from Phoenicians and other Canaanites.
35	History of Tunisia Carthage became dominant civilization in Western Mediterranean Wars with Greek city-states of Sicily 5th century BC People worshipped pantheon of Middle Eastern gods Baal Tanit Symbol, simple female figure, extended arms, long dress, popular icon found in ancient sites.
36	History of Tunisia Carthage originally had a Tophet Place of infant/child sacrifice Altered in Roman times. Romans referred to Carthage as Punic or Phoenician Independent from other Phoenician settlements in the Western Mediterranean.
37	History of Tunisia Carthaginian invasion of Italy Hannibal Second Punic War Series of wars with Rome Nearly crippled rise of the Roman Empire Carthage eventually conquered by Rome 2nd century BC Turning point-led to ancient Mediterranean civilization influenced mainly by European instead of African cultures
38	History of Tunisia After Roman conquest Granaries of Rome Latinized Eventually Christianized Conquered by Vandals 5th century AD Reconquered by Byzantine Belisarius 6th century during rule of emperor Justinian
39	History of Tunisia Conquered by Arab Muslims 7th century City of Kairouan Successive Muslim dynasties ruled, interrupted by Berber rebellions Reign of Aghlabids (9th century)
40	History of Tunisia Zirids (from 972) Berber followers of Fatimids, were especially prosperous. Zirids angered the Fatimids in Cairo (1050) Fatimids sent in the Banu Hilal tribe to ravage Tunisia. Coasts held briefly by Normans of Sicily 12th century Arab reconquest Last Christians in Tunisia disappear
41	History of Tunisia Conquered by Almohad caliphs 1159 Succeeded by Berber Hafsids (c.1230 – 1574) Late 16th century became a pirate stronghold Barbary States) Spain seized many of the coastal cities Recovered by the Ottoman Empire Turkish governors (the Beys) Attained virtual independence Hussein dynasty 1705, lasted until 1957
42	French Rule Government under rule of the Bey Mid-1800s Severely compromised legitimacy Borrowed lots of $ attempt to Westernize Failing state facilitated Algerian raids Weakened Bey powerless against raids Unable to resist European colonization France made plans to take control
43	French Rule Secret deal between United Kingdom and France 1878 French accepted British control of Cyprus British accepted French control of Tunisia French took control in 1880 Made French protectorate, May 12, 1881
44	World War II Tunisia Campaign First major operation by Allied Forces (the British Commonwealth and the United States) against the Axis Powers (Italy and Germany) 1942 – 1943
45	World War II Allies subsequently linked up, April 8 May 2, 1943 German-Italian Army in Tunisia surrendered US, UK, Free French, Polish (other forces) won 1^st major battle as allied army Overshadowed by Stalingrad Represented 1^st major allied victory of WWII Forged Alliance would liberate Western Europe
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49	Chott
50
51	Sabria
52	Douz
53	Sabria
54	Tunis
55	Tunis
56	Tunis
57
58	Tozeur
59	Sabria
60	Douz
61
62
63
64
65
66	Chott
67	Chott
68	Chott
69	Chott Shore
70	Chott
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72	Chott Dejrid
73	Egypt: British Occupation British defeated Egyptian Army at Tel El Kebir, Sept 1882 Took control Placed Tawfiq back in power Purpose of the invasion: restore political stability under government of Khedive with international controls in place to streamline financing since 1876 Unlikely British expected a long-term occupation
74	Egypt: British Occupation Lord Cromer, Britain's Chief Representative in Egypt Viewed financial reforms as long-term objective Political stability needed financial stability Embarked on a program of long term investment in Egypt's productive resources, especially in cotton, the mainstay of country's export earnings. Marked beginning of British military occupation of Egypt until 1936
75	Egypt: British Occupation British influence continued to dominate Egypt's political life Fostered fiscal, administrative, and governmental reforms Britain retained control of Canal Zone, Sudan and Egypt's external protection Zaghlul elected Prime Minister in 1924 Demanded Egypt and Sudan merge
76	Ancient Egypt 1st Dynasty (2920 – 2770 BC) Capital at Memphis founded Papyrus invented Writing was used by government Many impressive artifacts found from this period. 2890 - 2686 Wooden coffins and corpses wrapped in resin
77	Ancient Egypt 2nd Dynasty(2770 – 2650 BC) After much rivalry for the throne Hetepsekhemsy won Kings disagreed over which god, Horus and Seth, was in power Finally settled when Khasekhemwy became ruler He took both titles Disorder erupted during end of this dynasty Could have been a civil war
78	Ancient Egypt 3rd Dynasty (2650-2575 BC) 2686 - 2648 Step Pyramid at Saqqara built by King Djoser
79	Ancient Egypt 4th Dynasty (2575-2467 BC ) During this dynasty a great peace Kings were able to put their energies in art King Khufu's Great Pyramid of Giza built People prayed to the sun god Ra First religious words written on walls of royal tombs 2550 - 2490 Khufu (Cheops), Khephren, and Menkare build great pyramids 2494 - 2487 King Userkaf builds temple for sun god Ra at Abusir
80	Ancient Egypt 5th Dynasty (2465-2323 BC) For first time high officials came from people outside of the royal family Pyramids begin to be smaller and less solid Carvings in the temples of great quality Papyrus scrolls from this time discovered Showed record keeping of goods 2375 - 2345 Pyramid Texts describe Osiris 2420 - 2258 Pepi I and Pepi II rule - government weakens
81	Ancient Egypt 6th Dynasty (2323-2152 BC) Many records of trading expeditions discovered from this period 2160 Capitol moves from Memphis to Herakleopolis in northern Middle Egypt - Upper Egypt controlled by Theban rulers 7th & 8th Dynasties (2150 – 2135 BC) Political structure of Old Kingdom collapsed Famine, civil disorder, and a high death rate
82	Ancient Egypt 9th and 10th Dynasties (2135 - 1986) Egypt split into the north, ruled from Herakleopolis, and the south, ruled from Thebes 11th Dynasty (2074-1937) Prosperous period with much foreign trade. Many large building projects Skilled jewelry making Government became strong with King Amenemhet I's rule.
83	Ancient Egypt 11th Dynasty (2074-1937 BC) Egypt reunified under rule of Metuhotep Built mortuary complex at Dyr al-Bahri 2134 - 2000 Capital moved to Thebes - Egypt reunited by Mentuhotep II 1985 - 1956 Amenemhat I begins trade with Asia and Aegean 1956 - 1911 Letters from farmer to family describing family and agricultural life 1956 - 1911 Senusret I builds temple of Karnak at Thebes
84	Ancient Egypt 12th Dynasty (1937-1756 BC) Amenemhet moved the capital back to Memphis Sesostris II reorganized Egypt into 4 regions (northern and southern halves of the Nile Valley and eastern and western Delta) 1877 - 1870 Senusret II builds Faiyum irrigation scheme
85	Ancient Egypt 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, & 17th Dynasties (1783-1539 BC) Few monuments from this period survived Each king reigned only short time Some of these kings born commoners Eastern Delta region broke away 1700 Earliest evidence diagnostic medicine 1650 Capital moved to Thebes - building 1650 - 1580 Book of the Dead 1^st appears 1560 War between Thebes & Asiatic ruler
86	Ancient Egypt Aegypt period 18th Dynasty (1539-1295) Ahmose finally beat Hyksos sent them out of Egypt. Dynasty had number of strong rulers. Thutmose I conquered parts of Near East and Africa. Hatshepsut and Thutmose made Egypt super power Amenhotep II began an artistic revolution. Akhenaton and Nefertiti began a new religion with one god.
87	Ancient Egypt Aegypt period 18th Dynasty (1539-1295 BC) Tutankhamen reigned 1532 - 1528 Asiatic kings conquer Hyksos 1504 - 1492 Thutmose I begins campaigns 1380 Building of the Temple of Luxor by Amenhotep III 1367 – 1350 Rule of Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton) - changed from polytheism to monotheistic society 1336 - 1327 Reign of Tutankhamon
88	Ancient Egypt 19th Dynasty (1295-1186 BC) Seti I restored many monuments His temple at Abydos has some of the most superior carved wall relief Many battles and treaties written between Egypt and Asiatic powers 1279 - 1213 Ramses II begins building projects - including his mortuary temple The Ramesseum (on the West Bank near Luxor)
89	Ancient Egypt 20th Dynasty (1186-1069 BC) Setakht restored order to country Ramesses III one of the greatest kings 1186 - 1089 Royal Tombs in Valley of the Kings plundered 21st Dynasty (1070-945 BC) Egypt no longer a world power Civil war/foreign invaders tear Egypt apart Capital moved from Tanis to Libyan, to Nubia, to Thebes, to Sais, then back to Nubia and Thebes
90	Secondary Characters Lionel Audrey Claude Parrain James Williams Captain Ourain Sergeant le Boehm Sir Barot Cheston - invisible We will meet others as we study the details of the history in Aegypt
91	Sir Barot Cheston Sir Barot Cheston Department of Egyptology Oxford, Great Britain 17 August 1926 Dear Paul, I had heard from your family that you were stationed in Tunisia. The way they spoke, I thought you had been banished from Paris. Glad to find you well and successful. I thought you had fully forsaken Egyptology for soldiering. Good to see you haven’t given up our business. I still miss your speedy translations even if you do them best in French.
92	Sir Barot Cheston This slab or foundation you have found out in the desert sounds intriguing. I was almost tempted to immediately come myself and see it. Your letter was so full of excitement, I barely restrained myself. But the department is not keen on spending money without a great deal of proof. Carter’s finds in Egypt have only raised expectations and not budgets. I think I can encourage Oxford to put out some money for an expedition, but I need a better basis for my arguments. Mummies, Egyptian Stelae, or artifacts would help the cause immensely. Come stay with me when you next get to England. Your Friend, Sir Barot Cheston, Ph.D. Minor charcter in The Goddess of Light
93	Lionel Audrey Lionel Audrey was a medium-height man with thinning brown hair. He wore a heavy wool suit, but he had removed the coat. Perspiration salted his brow and made his face glisten. Audrey looked young, but his eyes were surrounded by wrinkles. He squinted out from under his thick glasses as if the glass wasn’t the right prescription, or as if he sought to penetrate further than just the surface. In spite of this impression, Audrey’s attitude was breezy and facile. He didn’t speak; he lectured in an arrogant Oxford accent.
94	Monsieur Claude Parrain This—” he pointed to a small, deeply tanned Frenchman in a fresh white suit and a Panama hat—“is Monsieur Claude Parrain. He is an emissary of your government representing the Academie des Sciences department of archeology and antiquities.” “Bonjour, Lieutenant Bolang, your reputation precedes you.” He shook Paul’s hand. “I am directly responsible to the Foreign Bureau in Tunis. My job is to represent the interests of our government in this exploration.” He wiped his neck with an already damp handkerchief. “Whatever may be found belongs to France, and I must see all protocol is adhered to.” Paul knew Parrain as a career bureaucrat. The little man’s smile was tinged with irony, and he watched Paul with a curious stare, a blend of pity and apathy. He knew the circumstances at Fort Saint, and his manner insinuated a level of conspiracy outside of his responsibility. Parrain was a minor official in cultural affairs; he had no official knowledge of the Legion’s operations and little of classical archeology. Paul kept his features bland. Parrain still had some authority over the use of French property. He was not a man Paul wanted to antagonize purposelessly.
95	James Williams Before Audrey could introduce him, the third European stepped forward and engulfed Paul’s hand in his own. His accent was a thick Scottish brogue, which Paul had trouble deciphering, but he made out, “Aye, Lieutenant, glad to meet you. Now we can get to work. I’m James Williams, Engineer on this project.” Williams had a radiant, almost burnished, scarlet complexion. Later, Paul would discover that the sunburn was perpetual and never turned into a tan. Williams had worked in Africa for years—right out of the mines of Scotland, and he could curse in more tongues than Paul could speak. His confident demeanor advertised his competence, and to Paul that reduced the coarseness of his voice and features.
96	Foundation
97	Synopsis Beginning of the dig Breakthrough Discovery of the corridors The basalt plug The seal on the basalt plug The northern corridor The rubbing
98	Clearing
99	Synopsis The rubbing The discovery of the northern entrance To be continued…
100	Northern Corridor
101	The First Corridor As Paul’s eyes became accustomed to the dim light, the vivid markings and colors of the walls became evident. They were bright and appeared new, as though the pigments were just applied. Paul took a step forward through the gapping stones that had been pushed into the tunnel. The intricate designs of the hieroglyphics were cut deeply into the walls, and this relief was colored in the brightest shades imaginable. Paul was unfamiliar with the hieroglyphic symbols. He couldn’t make out any of the word pictures, but the pantheon of the Egyptian gods of the early kingdom marched boldly across the inner wall. Ra was followed by Bastet, Khnum, Thoth, Apis, Sobek, Anubis, and then Osiris. From end to end, the inner wall was illustrated with temple wards and Egyptian mythological sequences.
102	The First Corridor Paul nodded to Parrain who, still dressed in his white coat, was setting up a large camera and flashpan. Then Paul turned and walked down the passage to where Audrey was motioning him. “Bolang, look at this.” Audrey pointed to a huge block of black basalt in the western wall of the passage. “This blocks a set of stone steps that leads straight from the surface to this corridor. You can see the stair beams along the southern side of the hole we dug. We were lucky to discover this corridor so easily.
103	The First Corridor “Bolang, this is the vestibule of a temple complex and a tomb, an Egyptian construction unknown before this time.” Audrey spun around and pointed to the hieroglyphics on the opposite wall. “You see, Bolang, a temple, but sealed like a tomb.” Paul put his hand on his chin. Unusual. An amazing discovery if it were true. The designs were definitely those of an Egyptian temple. “How old do you think this is, Mr. Audrey?” “Perhaps five hundred years older than the Temple of Rameses—maybe older.” “Ancient, but look at the freshness of the colors.” “Yes, I was shocked as well, but come look further along here.” Audrey led Paul about ten meters further down the corridor. A wall of sand and rock solidly filled the opening. “It’s the same on the other side,” said Audrey.
104	The First Corridor “Sealed,” stated Paul. “Sealed completely—and hurriedly.” “What do you make of that?” “Nothing yet, but it is as unusual to seal a temple as it is to so hurriedly seal a tomb.” Audrey chuckled, “You’d think they were sealing something in instead of grave robbers out.”
105	The Basalt Stone Finally, Paul had cleared the framed area of the stone. It was a section nearly two meters by a meter and a half. Within it was carved two facing women seated on thrones. They were depicted in early kingdom style yet with many more details than Paul had ever seen in this kind of relief. But the most intriguing aspect of both was their beauty. Paul never set his eyes on such beauty. Their eyes were luminous, large and slightly slanted, but not in the usual Egyptian stylistic representation. The lips were well defined and sensuous. They revealed the thoughts of the women as he saw no other Egyptian engraving do before. The cheekbones were evident and high. The nose was straight but not large. Beauty radiated out of the time-worn relief, and was itself as disturbing as the rest of the inscriptions.
106	The Basalt Stone Unusually, the women held scepters and wore Imperial crowns. The woman on the left held the divine scepter and wore a sun-disk crown of Ra the sun god. Below and to the left of her throne was a depiction of Ra himself. The woman on the right held the scepter and flail and wore the crown of Osiris the god of the dead, and to the right and below this figure was a depiction of Osiris. The entire pantheon of the early kingdom was portrayed in the area beneath the thrones. The figure of Ra was followed by Bastet, Khnum, Thoth, Apis, Sobek, Anubis, and then Osiris. Strangely, Horus, the symbol of the Pharaoh’s divinity was not included.
107	The Basalt Stone Paul sat back on his heels and studied the inscriptions. He was intrigued and puzzled by them. Even more confusing was the question of why this relief had been covered over. The obvious answer was to hide the black basalt plug because that would have been evident even from miles away. Yet, the reasoning was faulty: why decorate a seal so painstakingly you intend to later cover? And, even more pointedly, why use an entirely different stonework of a much lesser grade to cover the seal? Paul couldn’t answer these questions—yet. But he thought the inscription might shed some light on the mystery. He took out his green notebook and copied some of the more dominant patterns of the hieroglyphics. The picture writing was not exactly what he was used to; it was full of determinatives, with few separate consonant hieroglyphs. It was perhaps a very early form of hieroglyphics more akin to pictograms than the abstractions of later Egyptian writing. Audrey could perhaps shed some light on their meanings.
108	The Temple Audrey stepped toward the dig with a gesture, and Paul found he couldn’t keep himself from following. They made their way down the ladder into the close darkness of the ancient corridors. Like before, Paul was filled with awe and apprehension, and he had to force himself to move after the descending figure of the archeologist. As their eyes became accustomed to the darkness, their steps became surer under the flickering light of the torches. They turned to the north along the main corridor that fronted the archeologist’s breach. At the end, the sand had been cleared and a corridor ran to the east at the corner. They turned right, and before long, they reached the far portion of the work that was already complete.
109	The Temple Audrey took a torch from one of the native workmen and held it close to the inner wall. On it Paul could easily discern a temple building of grandeur. The sun rose behind it and on its eastern side stood an entrance. A peculiarity of the inscription was the figure in the picture. It was a woman rising with the sun, and the temple was divided one side light and one side dark. “Where is Ra?” intoned Paul under his breath. “Good question,” Audrey answered him, “It looks like a tribute to one of your new deities. Take a look at the corners of the building.” Paul looked carefully at the hieroglyphics Audrey pointed to. The symbols for plain, lake, plain, lake were evident at the four sides of the temple.
110	The Temple “It looks like an ancient depiction of the terrain at the sides of the foundation.” Audrey smiled. “It does indeed.” “You believe it’s the same temple that once sat above us on the foundation?” “I am convinced of it.” “Where’s the temple, Mr. Audrey?” “That’s a very good question, Lieutenant Bolang. It seems to me that someone went to a great deal of effort to cart the thing away.” “They took it down completely and concealed the only portion that was visible at a distance—the basalt plug.”
111	Summary Overview of the Novel Not finished… Give you a chance to catch up Met the major characters Not all…
112	Next Time Paganism and the Egyptian pantheon