Pharaoh’s Concubine - Chapter 19.2
“No, the new Pharaoh has just ascended to the throne, and it is time to rejoice. To establish his prestige, even if he would not personally lead, he would at most send a large troop to the battle. The purpose is to achieve victory. Regardless of which strategy the Pharaoh chooses, the enemy’s trap in Memphis will have a 80% chance of success.” Ivy said without thinking, “Anyway, we will go down first. Staying behind the dunes will not be of any help. “
Ivy walked down with great difficulty, and Buka easily caught up from behind. Looking at her who was in a sorry plight, he couldn’t help but secretly laugh, “What are you doing, walking slower than a snail. Let me carry you.”
Ivy waved her hand quickly, “No need. It’s disgusting for a man to carry a man.” Let him carry her on his back!
“Walking at your pace, when will we arrive?” Buka placed the machete on his back, his firm hands stretched towards Ivy, and he picked her up easily. Ivy felt as if the sky and earth were spinning. When she didn’t respond, Buka threw her upwards. She was hanging face down with her stomach on his shoulder. “You’re so light!” Buka sighed and walked down. Although he was only seventeen years old, he was a person who had undergone unique physical training in the village of Sittat. His youthful body looked tall and thin, but in fact it was all muscles and he was very strong.
“Put me down now!” Ivy protested, extremely embarrassed. Hitting Buka’s body with her hands and feet, she hoped to get off his shoulder quickly. She was afraid that close physical contact would give her away and make him find out she was a woman.
“Don’t move!” But the brash Buka was not as sharp as Ivy had previously thought. He just labored to carry the flailing Ivy and walked down quickly. “Why are you like a woman! Mother-in-law, don’t move!”
After hearing his words, Ivy decided not to speak a word. Forget it, he wouldn’t find out about it anyway, let him show his manliness. She could also save herself from walking, but this posture was really uncomfortable!
“Hey! Let me down!”
After walking for about half an hour, the two entered Mule Village.
It could be seen that this was originally a beautiful village. Close your eyes and it’s as if you can see a golden desert. Among the small oases, there is a paradise. The breeze is blowing, the green banana leaves are gently swaying with the wind, and under the tree, ripples surface on the clear pond water, reflecting the figures of the children playing by the shore. The compact clay houses are surrounded by green plants and plainly dressed Egyptian girls knit cloth in their houses. In the stables, surrounded by wooden fences at the backyards, they raise horses with shiny coats.
Traveling businessmen from all over the world rest here, with different skin colors and different languages. People gather in the middle of the village, in the open space by the pond, take the goods off the camel and exchange it with others. You can see foreign merchants who leave the town with lots of gold, silver and jewelry, and you can also see the local villagers lead a group of camels carrying the goods.
——What a prosperous scene! Ivy opened her eyes and saw nothing but a mess. The streets were cluttered with scattered items, and the doors of every house were almost smashed. Now and then, a woman could be seen carrying a child and weeping over her dead husband’s body by the roadside. People slowly repaired their village, lifted the fallen fences, picked up the broken tiles, and removed the damaged doors. Everyone was silent, their eyes full of exhaustion and confusion.
Ivy stared blankly at this scene, and once again sighed for the cruelty of the war.
When all of this is over, she must return to England. Witnessing this miserable situation, she has nothing to ask for, as long as she can stay with her brother, stay in that peaceful era and study her favorite economics, even if she is busy all day long and has a mediocre life, she will be satisfied. Haven’t those people who have become famous through the war and made a fortune, never been touched by such a scene? Why, why are there so many so-called politicians and militarists, who do not care about the life and death of the people, and never tirelessly wage wars again and again for their immediate benefit?
“Ivy,” Buka softly called out, pulling Ivy out of her thoughts. “Let’s go see the village chief.”
Ivy nodded and looked at the depressed people on the streets again. She took one step at a time with great difficulty as she followed right after Buka and walked to the center of the village.
The village chief’s house was built out of palm wood, reeds, papyrus, clay and adobe beside the road in the middle of the village. There was a tall banana tree on each side of the door, which was very conspicuous. With the door wide open, Ivy and Buka walked straight in.
As soon as she walked into the house, a strong bloody smell made Ivy almost puke. She squeezed her nose and looked closely. There was a mess in the big house, the vase was broken, and the furniture fell on the ground. There was blood splattered on the wall, but they could see no shadow of the wounded or the dead.
“Grandpa Jimuta!” Buka suddenly called and ran into the inner room, kneeling in front of a weak old man lying on the ground, “Grandpa Jimuta! Why, how could this be? Tam, Josumida, Nita, where have they all gone?”
Buka’s voice almost cracked, and Ivy looked at him helplessly on the side, but didn’t know what to do.
“Grandpa Jimuta, I will carry you out and leave this room.” Buka hurriedly lifted the old man, trying to put him on his back. But the old man did not cooperate with his movements at all, and his withered arms seemed to have lost all strength, leaving Buka to do as he bid.
“Buka…” The old man spoke, his voice lingering, “Buka, you’re here…”
“Grandpa Jimuta, I’m here! Grandpa, don’t worry. I have notified my brother and they will soon lead the army! Grandpa! Brother will avenge your clan!” Buka’s eyes were red, and he said quickly, “I will take you out now.”
Jimuta shook his head slowly, “My family l… Tam, Josumida, Nita, they were all killed… just leave me here. Buka, I will die soon… “
“Grandpa! No, you will not!” Buka shook his head frantically.
The old man breathed hard, and continued to say: “Please, protect my villagers, and flee… the village chief’s token… the village chief’s token is on my waist. It is in your custody… please protect them… protect all of them…”
The old man’s voice lowered and faded into the air, his withered arms hanging down. Ivy could see that the light of life in his eyes gradually dwindled away, like a burnt candle, it extinguished.
“Grandpa Jimuta!” Buka cried, hitting the ground hard with his fists, unaware that blood was flowing down his joints, “Damn it, damn Libyans! I’m going to kill them! I’m going to kill them!!!”
Tears fell down Ivy’s cheek. Why, why let her cross the millennium to witness such brutality… Could this be God’s punishment, punishing her for disrupting history? Punishing her for her inappropriate love for her brother? Then why not punish her alone, why make her suffer in such a cruel way?
She shook her head and used her cuffs to wipe the tears from her face.
“Buka, bring the token. I want to summon the whole village to speak.”
“Huh?” Buka, immersed in grief, didn’t react and looked at her with a stunned expression.
“We can’t let the village chief down! We must do everything in our power to keep all the villagers safe!”
Buka looked at Ivy. With the firm expression in her clear eyes akin to the skies, and her confident but not arrogant words, he could not help but be convinced from the bottom of his heart.
Brother once said that His Majesty is a magical person. He’s able to use the simplest words to make others believe in him and make officials around him willingly give their lives for him until their dying breath.
Buka thought that if Ivy was his master, then he would also do his best to believe in her without reservation. Those azure eyes of hers brimmed with wisdom and seemed to promise eternal hope.
He is willing to believe her.