The messenger, who had expected to be killed, kissed Queen Lostris" sandals. None of us spoke until Tanus had sent the man away with orders that he be fed and cared for. "Tanus, the enemy horses that swam across last night?I must have them." As soon as he saw that I was conscious, he masked the expression of concern and worry that had twisted his features. I found myself lying on a sheepskin mattress, with Tanus leaning over me. Iwoke again under the awning on the deck of Tanus" flagship. They are our only hope for eventual victory." If I am given the time and the material, I can build new and better chariots with wheels that do not burst, but I cannot replace the horses. Salitis will overwhelm and destroy us very easily. My chariots are swifter than those of Salitis, but my men cannot match his in skill and training. "Your Majesty, I have forty chariots that I can send in to meet him. Their horses are in the traces and they are coming on a cloud of dust, swiftly as the flight of the swallow. They swam the horses over as they did before, but this time there were none of our galleys ready to turn back their boats. The messenger stuttered in fear of his life, "Divine Majesty, while our fleet was busy at Asyut, the barbarian made another crossing at Esna. He would even ride with me again, if only I could fix my wheels. My orphan chariot squadron was at last to be part of the standing army, and he would give me the men and gold to build five hundred more. Tanus had quashed his pride, and given in to me. Tanus ordered him into the council chamber, and the messenger fell to his knees before Queen Lostris.įor a moment it did not penetrate my aching skull, then I realized that it had happened. He had fled to us on the current and the wind, so his news was only a day old. While we thus debated, another messenger arrived, this time from the south. She addressed her first question to Tanus. QUEEN LOSTRIS CALLED HER WAR COUNCIL when the news of the Hyksos crossing reached us in the Palace of Memnon. We cannot prevail against their chariots." "I can fight on, of course," Tanus agreed. His fleet was superior in every way to the one which Salitis and Intef had assembled, but the battle they fought lasted for almost a week before Tanus destroyed or drove them back into the Delta. When it finally happened, and our spies on the east side of the river opposite Asyut warned us of the approach of this fleet from the Delta, Tanus rushed his own ships northwards to meet them.
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