LITMIR.BIZ

      Those difficulties that did occur during his reign did not harden Osiris’s heart. Even when he handed down judgments on his citizens, the pharaoh was so magnanimous that those accused of petty crimes were always absolved, for he believed that everyone deserved a second chance. Human life was valued highly. Those accused of serious crimes were never executed but sent to cultivate the arid plots and oases of Upper Egypt. This was needed so that travelers lost in the desert could quench their thirst and find a place to stay for the night. In these parts, such a punishment was seen to be worse than death because the criminals has lost their right to tend their own plots and live in a just society.

      Even though some of his generals and aides lamented their lord’s excessive kindness, Osiris was resolute. The pharaoh and his high priests believed that each person contains a spark of the divine that helps men know their mistakes and return to the path of truth. The people valued the wisdom and magnanimity of their ruler, who strongly believed that it was only by mercy that one could change into a better person.

      During the many years of his reign, the sovereign’s dream of a just society did not fade for a moment. He considered his greatest achievement to be that he improved the lives of ordinary people. Now every Egyptian had his own plot of land and a roof over his head, and the children went to school for free. For a long time Osiris and Isis had no children of their own. They did not despair of this, and they knew that they would someday have an heir to whom they could leave their kingdom.

      Despite his peaceful nature, the pharaoh did occasionally have to fight enemies who had encroached on his lands. The kings of neighboring powers dreamed of controlling Egypt’s riches, and they never stopped trying to subjugate its people. This meant that Osiris, who loved peace, was forced to continually defend his lands from foreigners.

      He was served by his trusted general, Anubis, who accompanied his lord on every campaign. Osiris was a master strategist, and under his leadership the army never knew defeat. Violence brought woe to the pharaoh’s heart, but the prosperity and unity of Egypt came before all else. After securing his latest victory and returning home to Egypt, Osiris called for a feast to mark the occasion.

      ***

      With the date set, Osiris declared a holiday and made arrangements for the festivities. Everyone rejoiced at the pharaoh’s return. In temples throughout Egypt, they held services that broke out into magnificent celebrations.

      For Osiris and his beautiful wife, Isis, this holiday was joyful for another reason: Isis had recently discovered that she was with child, the future heir to the throne. The pair kept this good news a secret for a while until they were sure.

      After morning prayers, the townspeople, including tradesmen and the elite, began to gather at the palace. Their sovereign, dressed in white, sat solemnly on the high throne in full regalia. Osiris joyfully received his guests, who bore with them to the pedestal gifts of bread, fruits of the earth, clothing, and other gifts of the Nile. Throughout the land people celebrated the return of their ruler alive and unharmed.

      That evening, after the daytime festivities, Osiris and his honored guests – members of the aristocracy and the rulers of neighboring lands – attended a banquet at the palace.

      ***

      It was a festive occasion. Many guests came to honor the return of the Egyptian ruler, including his younger brother, Set. Set had distinguished himself at a young age, and Osiris named him the leader of Upper Egypt. Osiris gave him near-complete authority in the region as a mark of respect. But despite the breadth of his power, Set nonetheless had to submit to the pharaoh. The desolate lands of Upper Egypt were far smaller than the those of the river delta, which Osiris ruled. Set, a skilled warrior, was in many respects superior to his brother. In the depths of his heart, he was dissatisfied with the way things were. He was a harsh ruler in his lands, and this provoked continual unrest among his subjects.

      Even as children, the differences in their personalities were obvious. The older one was gentle, and the younger one was severe. Their parents encouraged the boys to be friends, for they knew that a rivalry would bring nothing but misfortune to the Egyptian people and destroy the kingdom. To prevent the excesses of unchecked power, from long ago the Egyptian supreme ruler was joined by yet another mysterious authority whose remit was to care for the world and promote balance, well-being, and prosperity. This was the Council of Nine. Its main goal was to ensure the balance of power in Egypt, to oppose injustice, and to prevent war. The identities of its members were subject to much conjecture. Because no one knew the names of these nine sages, whose decisions formed the basis of the pharaoh’s every decree, the people called them the Nine Unknown, or simply the Nine.

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