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 I m only a soldier, Your Highness, trained to obey my
superiors.
 Why did you hole up here instead of reporting to
Hattusa?
 I told you, I needed to gain perspective. And I have
some good news: our allies in Amurru are ready to take up
the cause again.
 You re dreaming, Baduk.
 No, Prince. Give me a little more time, and I ll show
you.
 You re no longer the commander of the Hittite army.
The emperor has named me to replace you.
Baduk walked a few paces toward the massive fireplace
where oak logs burned.  Congratulations, Uri-Teshoop.
You ll lead us to victory.
 I have another message for you, Baduk.
The former general warmed his hands by the fire,
turning his back to the emperor s son.  Yes, Your High-
ness?
 You re a coward.
180 Christian Jacq
Unsheathing his sword, Uri-Teshoop plunged it into
Baduk s bulky torso.
The commandant stood petrified.
 A traitor as well as a coward, Uri-Teshoop sneered.
 He refused to acknowledge his wrongdoing and then
attacked me. You re my witness.
The commandant bowed.
 Hoist the body on your shoulders, carry it down to the
yard, and burn it without the funeral rites reserved for war-
riors. So perish defeated generals.
As Baduk s corpse burned with the garrison looking on,
Uri-Teshoop personally greased the axles of his chariot
with mutton fat. His war chariot, he mused. For, once he
returned to the capital, he planned to advocate total war on
Egypt.
Thirty
finer capital was nowhere to be found.
A
Uri-Teshoop admired it as he rode toward the central
Anatolian plateau, where gorges and ravines cut through
arid steppes. Hattusa was the heart of the Hittite empire.
The climate was dramatic, with sweltering summers and
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 181
frigid winters. The city sprawled up an uneven mountain-
side, requiring heroic efforts of its builders. At the top
stood a citadel housing the imperial palace. To the
untrained eye, Hattusa looked like a jumble of building
blocks piled on rocky outcroppings. The surrounding peaks
sheltered it from potential attackers. Within the city walls,
the foundations were also made of stone, the walls of rough
brick and wood.
Hattusa, proud and unbowed. Hattusa, fierce and
untamed, where the name of Uri-Teshoop would soon win
renown.
The five miles of ramparts, bristling with towers and
battlements, were enough to warm a soldier s heart. They
snaked up the side of the plateau, overlooked dizzying
gorges. Here man dominated nature, stealing the secret of
its strength.
Passing the lower town s two gates, then the upper town s
Lion s Gate and King s Gate, Uri-Teshoop headed for the
ultimate point of entry, the Sphinx Gate leading to the
citadel.
The lower town did have its own distinguishing feature,
of course: the temple of the Storm God and the Sun
Goddess, a complex of no fewer than twenty-one shrines
of varying sizes. But Uri-Teshoop preferred the upper
town and the palace. He liked to gaze out at the slopes
studded haphazardly with government buildings and fine
mansions.
Entering the city, the emperor s son had broken the three
ritual pieces of bread and poured wine on a huge stone slab,
repeating the time-honored blessing:  May this rock be
eternal. Around it lay votive offerings of oil and honey.
The palace was set on an imposing rocky summit with
182 Christian Jacq
three peaks. Stout walls with permanently manned watch-
towers isolated the imperial dwelling from the rest of the
capital and protected it from attack. Muwattali, cautious
and wily, was mindful of the sudden reversals and desperate
power struggles common in Hittite history. Disputes often
ended in stabbing or poisoning, and it was the rare Great
Chief who died a natural death. The Great Fortress, as the
people dubbed it, was therefore designed with three blind
sides. Visitors were screened at the single, closely guarded
entrance.
Uri-Teshoop submitted to the regulation search. The
men frisking him, like most other soldiers, were glad he d
been named to head the army. Young and valiant, the
emperor s son would be far more decisive than old Baduk
had been.
Within the palace walls were several reservoirs, essential
in summer. Stables, armory, and guardrooms opened onto a
paved yard. The plan of the imperial quarters was in most
regards similar to that of other Hittite dwellings, great or
small, consisting of a square space in the center with rooms
arranged around the four sides.
An officer saluted Uri-Teshoop and showed him into
a hall with thick pillars where the emperor received visi-
tors. Stone lions and sphinxes guarded the entrance, as
well as the doorway to the adjacent archives storing the
records of Hittite military victories. Here, in the empire s
invincible core, Uri-Teshoop felt utterly confident in his
mission.
Two men entered the room. The first was the emperor
Muwattali, a robust fifty, of medium height, with a barrel
chest and stubby legs. Easily chilled, he was draped in a long
mantle of red and black wool. His eyes were dark and alert.
Ramses: The battle of kadesh 183
The second was Hattusili, the emperor s younger broth-
er. Short and slight, his hair tied back, wearing a silver chain
around his neck and a silver cuff at his left elbow, he was
draped in a length of multicolored fabric that left his shoul-
ders bare. He was the high priest of the Sun God, married
to the lovely Puduhepa, the intelligent and influential
daughter of a respected religious leader. Uri-Teshoop hated
them both with a passion, but the emperor seemed to value
their advice. In the eyes of the new commander, Hattusili
was simply playing a waiting game.
Uri-Teshoop knelt before his father and kissed his
hand.
 Did you catch up with General Baduk?
 Yes, Father, in the fort at Mashat.
 What did he have to say for himself ?
 He attacked me, so I killed him. The commander of the
fort was my witness.
Muwattali turned to his brother.
 Regrettable, commented Hattusili,  but no one can
bring that unfortunate general back to life. The gods were
displeased with him, it would appear.
Uri-Teshoop found it hard to conceal his surprise. For
the first time, his uncle was taking his side!
 Wise words, the emperor appraised.  The Hittite
people dislike defeat.
 I m in favor of invading Amurru and Canaan at once,
ventured Uri-Teshoop,  then attacking Egypt.
 The King s Wall bars the way into the Delta, objected [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]