could not hear him at that time. He sprawled on the cold sand, his head resting on a shield from the shell of sea turtles, and was fast asleep, basking near the hot coals of fire, and said just loud snoring, forgetting their responsibilities to protect the divine governor god Zeus in the earth, the Pharaoh of Egypt Ptolemy XII Avleta. Dionysius did not wake his comrade. And the sky above the tent, desert barchans, sleeping camels and horses in the middle of the town square – shone with an endless multitude of stars.
Ksatr, having looked around, walked quickly to the hay-bred camels, where his donkey with two sacks on his back stood at a distance. He took off his bags and said something in the ear to the donkey. From this the animal knelt on the front, and then, bending its hind legs, sank to the sand. Kshatr put the two bags under his feet, not to lie on the cold sand, his body leaned against the warm side of the donkey and dozed off.
At dawn, the caravan of the pharaoh left the place of Seket El Sultan…
Chapter Five
The nights in the desert among the barchans were cold. The slaves serving the caravan of Pharaoh had to sleep near the bales of hay. Arranged spiked tightly adjacent to each other, protecting the place of overnight travelers. The warmth that came from the woven camel wool covered the tired people, saving them from the nights cold. Meanwhile, slaves always built a tent for Pharaoh and his daughter. Every time, before overnight, the vanguard laden with baggage horses, for the construction of the tent and utensils for cooking, horseback nominated far forward, and smashed the tent for the night Pharaoh. A «wet nurse» Cleopatra, Kshatriyas in the image Onishi, helping the servants, cooks dinner in preparation for the Pharaoh and his daughter. From fresh mutton, pilaf was cooked and brewed according to a special recipe of the «wet nurse» of Onisia, tea from dried aromatic medicinal herbs, which Kshatr carried with him in bales on his donkey.
The fifth day of the journey through the desert sands of the Sahara came to an end. In the afternoon, in this spring month, Pakhon, the god of the moon, Jorge, the son of Amon Ra and the goddess Mut, the heat in the desert was not as ruthless as in the summer. It was the 19th day of the month of Pakhon (March). The rays descended on the barchans of the sands, coloring the crests with the red shades of the setting sun. Evening desert at this time no longer so inflamed eyes with bright shades of sand and opened with a theater of colors of the pre-day. Cleopatra, swaying sadly in the saddle of a camel, looked with a detached gaze of huge eyes to the shaking heavenly silks of the curtains of her refuge, protecting her eyes from the searing rays of the desert sun. From time to time, she closed her eyelids, falling into a nap. Thoughts at this time disappeared, the sensation of the body went into non-existence, and all the surrounding reality ceased to exist. Such a state of her being helped overcome the hardships of the road and did not think About Antony. Thoughts About him stirred the young heart of the princess day by day, and even the memory of the childhood love of Gnaeus Pompeius the Younger, her memories of dating him in exile could not be saved from the sudden flash of very strong love at first sight to Antony. Still there, in the estate of Genia Pompey the Elder on the Alban hills, when she and Pompey the Younger bathed in the pool, Antony unceremoniously approached with a friendly smile to her and offered his hand, helping to get out of the pool water. How his touch pierced his heart, and how long she watched him on the trail, when Pompey the Elder called the guests to the table, and the hero retired to the hall to the guests. Since and then, and to this day, Antony has not left her young dreams. Dreaming only About him, she admired his stately figure, his bearing in the saddle, when his cavalry decided the outcome of the battle at the gates of the fortress, which had become on the way of her return and her father from exile to Egypt. And how unjustly his father acted with him, refusing his cavalry to guard the caravan. The heart of the princess was broken and it seemed that nothing could help her to endure these endless minutes, hours, days of the journey, in the endless chain of desert barchans. Suddenly the camel stopped. To drive away the obsession of thoughts About him, Antony, she nervously threw back the curtain that covered it under the awning. The princess’s gaze fell on the rays of the setting sun, a gigantic fan in the sky at the very horizon. On a chain of camels that froze motionless. It was evident that the conductor was being inspected, making the path more precise. Cleopatra decided to take advantage of the caravan stop and jumped off the peacefully frozen camel on the sand of the barchans. In the distance, an obelisk of the pharaoh’s tent, erected in the wind, a sign of the untouchable governor of the god, erected on the earth clothed in divine authority over the people of Egypt, Pharaoh Ptolemy XII, appeared by the slaves. The driver of the caravan, with his palm pressed to his forehead, resumed his move toward this landmark. Pharaoh riding his bay horse rode a string of camels, no longer ahead of the caravan, as the first days of the journey. The campaign affected him, fatigue pressed on the shoulders and thoughts of his rule by Egypt, were scattered, concentration on one thing and the important thing flew away the bird away, giving a place of fatigue. Avlet did not immediately realize that he was being approached by a conductor:
– Your divine greatness, we arrived at the night. Tomorrow you will see an oasis of Amun. He stood beside Avlet’s horse, waiting for instructions.
Pharaoh awoke from a napping drowsiness, looked around. The slaves already took the camels to the parking lot, placing the animals for the night. The luggage was removed from the animals and the portions of hay for feeding were taken from the bales. Carefully the camel drivers drove the animals to the sand first to the front legs, and to the rear legs. This was necessary in order for the camel not to lie on its side, otherwise he would not want to get up on the next day and raise the animal very hard, leaves for almost the whole day. The protection of the pharaoh brought the horses together and sipped each of the leather wineskins, and then special bags of oats were hung on the heads of the horses so that the oats of the horse could eat. And people began to build bonfires and is preparing to cook food and spend the night in the cold night of the desert.
«Yes, Creon.» I do not see my cooks and the place where my dinner is prepared? – getting off the horse, Pharaoh told the guide with reproach.
«Oh, divine, the fire is already burning behind the tent.» There the servants refreshed the last sheep, and the cooks prepare food for your royal majesty and your divine daughter. – Looking at the sand, bowing his head, spoke the conductor.
«Tell me, Creon,» said Avlet, softening, «is the nurse Onesia with them?»
– There is no it. She told me that I warned you, Divine Majesty, that she would be waiting in the temple of Amon Ra tomorrow.
– You’re free Creon.
The driver of the caravan, not looking at the king, with his head bowed, took five steps, back, turned his back, and retired to the camel drivers that they were preparing to eat and sleep.
Avlet, gave the reins to the slave who came to him, that he was waiting in the distance, and, meeting the daughter, who at that time approached, went with her daughter to the tent. A fresh light breeze suddenly appeared with a cool touch. Pleasantly touched the cheeks of the princess, her chestnut curls moved at her temples and on her high forehead. With a whiff of wind, suddenly, there was a plaintive howl. The sounds subsided, and then reappeared with renewed force, aroused in Cleopatra the alarming forebodings of an impending night in the desert.
«Father, what is this?» – Cleverly asked Cleopatra, – if someone cries, crying for help?
– It’s singing desert sands. When dry winds blow, the desert cries and asks for rain from the sky. – With paternal warmth in his voice replied Avlet.
In the tent Cleopatra sat wearily on the couch and, looking at her father, said:
– About!
