A PRINCE OF EGYPT ADVENTURE BOOK 2-RANI

REUNIONS, AND MEETINGS

"Moses?! Is it really...?!"

Yes, it was Rameses on the throne, and with him, his young son. He looked a bit older, but I knew it was him. My guess was that Seti had long passed into the Next World, and I didn't see Tuya, so she must have died too. I could only watch as Rameses came down from the throne and stared at me for a long time, until he grabbed me up into a bear hug.

"MOSES!" he shouted joyfully.

"RAMESES!" I laughed aloud, still in the hug.

"Where have you been?! I took you for dead!" Rameses still hugged me, as those around us murmured.

We laughed aloud as we broke the hug.

"Look at you! Pharaoh!" I couldn't believe it. I raked my fingers through my hair.

"Well, look at you! What on earth are you dressed as?!" Rameses commented.

I laughed aloud once again, and hugged him once more, him returning it.

"Oh, Rameses! It's so good to see you!" I smiled.

"Excuse me, uh...Your Majesty."

We broke from the hug. 

Hotep and Huy didn't change much, aside from the fact that they now serve Rameses.

"We are compelled to remind you that this man committed a serious crime against the Gods." Hotep said.

Right. I knew that was going to be brought up as soon as I returned, but now, I had made my peace with it.

"We are loathe to bring it up, mind you." Huy added.

"The law clearly states the punishment for such a crime."

"Death!"

"We hesitate to say it."

"Be still! Pharaoh speaks," Rameses stopped them, and prepared a proclamation. "I am the Morning and Evening Star."

"Rameses--" I started to protest, but he went on. I sighed in discomfort, now remembering what I had come here for.

"It shall be as I say. I pardon forever all crimes of which he stands accused, and we'll have it known that he is our brother, Moses, the Prince of Egypt!" Rameses proclaimed, hands proudly on my shoulders.

Was. I thought. Now, comes the hardest part in all of this.

The crowd murmured, but I paid them no mind. 

"Rameses," I looked him straight in the eyes, now serious. "In my heart, you are my brother, but things cannot be as they were."

"I see no reason why not," Rameses continued to smile. He seemed to think that I was joking. I was not.

"You know that I am a Hebrew, and the God of the Hebrews came to me." I said honestly.

"What?!" Rameses was now confused.

"He commands that you let His people go." I said what God commanded me to. 

Rameses let go of me, and was still confused.

"'Commands'?" he asked.

The time had come to reveal God's might. I lifted my staff above.

"Behold," I said, as I set it down to the floor, "the power of God."

At once, my staff became a cobra, which hissed at Rameses, and the guests.

"Well, uh...impressive. Hmm...very well, Moses, I'll play along." Rameses again seemed to think that I was goading him, just as I did when we were young.