Heretic of El Amarna

Chapter 48: Gyasi

“Kiya’s baby was a boy, my lord.” Ra-thos stood in my chambers, staring at me in placid obedience, making no moves away from me.

I nodded, standing beside the window in my room and looking out across the desert. “Perfect. Inform Tiye that we move now, then.”

“What of Nefertiti’s unborn child?” Ra-thos inquired, a frown crossing his brow as I turned to him.

“What of it? Kill the Great Wife and the child… Both Amenhotep and the Great Wife must die. What is an extra life to save Egypt, Ra-thos?” I shot back, irritated at the man’s emotional response to everything.

He bowed. “Of course, my lord. Shall I inform a messenger to go and tell Tiye of the plan, then?”

“You mean the lack of one?” I snapped. “She has yet to inform me exactly how we are going to kill the Pharaoh.”

“Ah. Yes, my lord. I will have the messenger inquire of Tiye what the plan is, then?” Ra-thos asked, his quiet servilities serving only to irritate me further.

“Yes, yes! Go do that and leave me alone!” I hissed.

He bowed, withdrawing.

***

When the messenger came back, Ra-thos returned to my chambers.

I had spent the hours in between praying and contemplating.

“Sir?”

“What?” I asked, my bad mood only a little improved from the morning’s foul temper.

“Tiye says that we will strike when the Pharaoh is announcing the birth of his heir. She has a few mercenary archers hired to do the job. They will shoot him from the crowd while he is addressing the people. A second archer will hit the Great Wife as well. Tiye says the plan should be flawless.” Ra-thos informed me.

I sighed. “Well, that is one more thing out of the way.”

“Indeed it is, my lord.” Ra-thos’s dry mannerisms led me to believe he was less than pleased with this plan.

“What is your problem with this plan, Ra-thos?”

“Problem, my liege?” Ra-thos gave me a thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Yes, your problem. You obviously have one, so out with it.” I snapped.

“Well, sir, the problem is that this is far too public. If you assassinate him while he is doing that, the people will rise to his aid, horrified by the assassination. Instead, I would suggest we wait until he has announced his heir’s birth and spent a few days celebrating it. Then, when he and the guards are relaxing after the tension of the celebration, we can strike.

“Tiye informed me also that her son is planning to inform the people of the new religion change. He is going to announce his complete religion reform at the announcement of his son’s birth.”

“He is going to what?” I gaped, broadsided by this news.

He was going to announce his change over to monotheism whilst announcing his son’s birth. What was the matter with the man?

“So, my lord, I believe it would be best to wait until the people have heard his announcement and are sufficiently angered by it. Once that has occurred, they will hail the assassin as a hero for striking down a heretic and blasphemer.”

I grinned, seeing the logic and deviousness of my servant’s plan moments after. “Why, that is an absolutely devious, but stunning plan, Ra-thos… I shall suggest it to Tiye myself!”

Ra-thos bowed. “Thank you, my lord.”

I waved away his thanks. “Go inform Tiye that I am coming to see her tonight.” I shooed him off with a few hurried waves. “Go, go… I have other things to do. You are simply a distraction.”

Ra-thos disappeared after one more bow to complete my inquest.

***

I stood before Tiye, explaining to the irritated woman why her plan must be modified.

“Really, Gyasi! I see no reason to modify the plan. The idea that we should wait for my fool son to announce monotheism is… is blasphemous! It will do more damage than good, mark my words! I say a knife in the night or an arrow in broad daylight are equally effective, and waiting for his announcement to come is stupidity.” Tiye snapped at me.

I sighed, attempting to patient — a thing I admittedly lacked any amount of — and explaining again. “My lady, please… If the people are already angered with the Pharaoh, they will be more likely to accept his death without rebellion and without civil war. We can assassinate him without any sort of major repercussion.”

She glared at me. “And who came up with this plan? Because it was certainly not you. You are too much of a fool to think of such a plan…”

I fidgeted.

“Out with it, Gyasi! I do not have the whole of eternity to consider this with you.” Tiye hissed, raising an irritated hand to swat at a fly that had flown into her face.

“Well… My servant, Ra-thos…” I admitted.

“Then your servant had best be rewarded.” She answered, turning her back on me.

“My lady? Does that mean yes?” I asked, hoping that it did.

She turned back to me, glaring again. “It means yes, you fool! Now get out. I do not want to see you again until the assassination is done. Do you understand?”

I nodded vigorously, beating a hasty retreat out of the room.

That woman frightened me, and she was surely the most ill tempered person I knew. I was glad to have escaped with my head on my shoulders the way she had responded to my plan at first. Perhaps I was even lucky to have escaped with my life.