Before the Throne

43

HORUS CALLED OUT, “The Master Antanash!”

A square-built man came in, stalking in his shroud until he stood before the throne.

Osiris invited Antanash to speak.

“I took up the profession of scribe in Coptic due to my deep knowledge of the language,” Antanash responded. “In the vice-regency of Abdullah, brother of Caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, it was decreed that Arabic would replace Coptic in all official documents. I was fired from my job, which was taken by a man from Homs in Syria. Our governor, I knew, took bribes — though his religion forbade it. After him came Qurrah ibn Sharik, a total despot who sometimes burst into churches to stop the prayers.”

“What happened to the pact of Amr ibn al-As?” asked Abnum.

“How quickly rulers forget their religion,” answered Antanash.

“What did the people do?” followed up Abnum.

“We were not able to mount any resistance,” admitted Antanash.

“I’m sorry that the pharaohs were no longer in power,” said Ramesses II.

“I’m sorry for the people in the period that you have erased from history!” barked Abnum at Ramesses II. “As for the pharaohs, the majority of them were crueler to the people than foreigners have been!”

“I will not permit …,” Ramesses II began to reply.

“I am the one who permits or does not permit,” Osiris interrupted him.

For a moment, all were silent. Then Osiris turned to Antanash, “May you go with good fortune to your Christian proceeding.”