The Land of the Pharaohs Page #7

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I planned it all and it's

turned out as I hoped it would.

And do you hear that?

I told you once that your

treasure was too much for one man.

And do you hear that too?

You think that you will cheat me?

You think that I shall not

live long enough to see you die?

You will see.

Guard.

Guard.

Hamar.

I need you.

Help me.

You were right.

- He's dead.

- Are you sure?

The heralds are going through

the city telling the people.

- May he find peace.

- How did he die, Mikka?

They didn't say.

I didn't expect it so suddenly. Did you, sir?

No, I didn't.

I thought we'd finish our

work, our people would go free.

And we would have a number

of years still to live.

You must go.

Both of you. Now, before they come.

No, Kyra.

If we were to run now, all

we've worked for would be lost.

Don't be frightened,

nothing can happen to us...

...until our task is completed.

How much remains to be done?

Not very much.

- Hamar.

- Yes, my prince?

- Must we wait for Queen Nellifer, Hamar?

- It is your duty, my prince.

I am afraid I'm going to cry.

- I don't want them to see me.

- oh, no, no, my prince.

You will not cry.

- You're your father's son.

- Yes, Hamar.

We share each other's sorrow, Prince Xenon.

Thank you. May I go now, Hamar?

Yes, my prince.

It is my wish that the doors to

the treasure vaults be opened.

It shall be as you wish, Your Majesty.

What is all this? All the

doors are open, it's gone.

- Where is the treasure?

- In that place for which it was destined.

The tomb in the pyramid.

- By whose orders?

- By Pharaoh's orders.

It's quite safe, Your Majesty.

His own guards protect it.

It is I now who decides

what is safe in Egypt.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

- Have it brought here at once.

When you are in fact the queen, you

will be obeyed, by myself, as by all.

What do you say? That I'm not the queen?

According to the laws of Egypt, when

you have given burial to Pharaoh...

...when his body is laid within the

tomb, you will inherit all that was his.

The treasure, the power, the state.

Until then, the will of the Pharaoh lives on.

The treasure remains in

the tomb. That is the law.

- When is the burial?

- According to custom, 30 days from now.

- And then I rule in Egypt.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

one more thing.

Why did you allow me to come

down here to find this out?

Shall we say I would save her

majesty from being told in public?

My lord priest, I'm well aware

of your hostility and enmity.

May I say that the feeling is mutual.

Within 30 days, I...

A long time ago, Your Majesty, I made a pact.

I swore to be buried

with my friend and ruler.

Therefore, madam, when you

are queen, I will not be here.

And you no longer need to worry about me.

- Mikka.

- Yes, vashtar?

Perhaps it's time we talked of a few plans.

Now, yours will be the responsibility of

leading our people home across the desert.

See they carry with them

only what is necessary.

Many will be tempted to

take more than they should.

Have they told you when we may go?

Hamar has promised that you're to

be freed when Pharaoh is buried.

Two days from now.

vashtar, you've never told me or

our people and we ought to know.

How are you and Senta to?

- What is to be the manner of?

- I don't know.

I believe that Hamar intends to

be sealed in the tomb with Pharaoh.

He and the mute priests.

I can only presume it will be

the same for Senta and myself.

- But he hasn't told you it'll be so.

- Not yet.

Tomorrow, I'm to show him the

device for sealing the tomb.

Perhaps we shall know then.

- Please, Kyra, don't.

- We have so little time.

- So little...

- I know, my darling, I know.

Hold me, hold me close to you.

My lord priest, yesterday Senta asked

me a question that I could not answer.

- Maybe you would?

- Certainly, if I can.

These boats, sir. What are they for?

They are solar boats, for

Pharaoh to use after his burial.

They are the means by which Pharaoh will

journey across the skies with the sun.

With the god Horus.

Each day they will sail from east to west.

And each night Pharaoh will return to the

east by the river which runs under the earth.

I see.

Again, you'll probably

not agree with our beliefs.

- Tell me, vashtar, what remains to be done?

- only the setting of the mechanism.

Apart from that, our work is finished.

You remember the stone we lowered for

Pharaoh and you, so many years ago?

- very well.

- This is exactly the same.

When those bits of earthenware are

broken, the sand will run out...

...and the cover of the

sarcophagus will be lowered.

While it's coming down...

...the lever will release a stone

in the chamber beneath this one.

That stone will set in motion all

the forces for sealing the pyramid.

How long will it take?

Within a few moments of that cover

coming down, every passage will be closed.

- only this room will remain.

- Are you certain of this?

once that starts down, no power

on Earth can stop the rest.

That will be the end.

You have done well, vashtar. very well.

You have lived up to your bargain.

Now as to our part of the bargain...

...I will give orders that when

the burial procession starts...

...your people will be released.

Those orders will include both of you.

You may lead your people home.

- You mean that...

- Yes, my friends.

There is no need for either of you to die.

When the tomb is sealed,

the secret evaporates.

When it's solid stone, what does

the way through the labyrinth matter?

I will believe always, or choose

to believe, you planned it this way.

I also believe...

...Pharaoh would approve of what I'm doing.

Will you set the mechanism now?

People of Egypt.

In this moment, our Pharaoh puts

down the burden of this life.

Let his lawful successor now claim

the power and the glory that was his.

Are you, Nellifer, prepared to do this?

I, Nellifer, wife to Pharaoh,

as regent for his son and heir...

...do assume the burden he has put down.

Are you then prepared to give him burial

according to our laws and customs...

...that you may inherit that which was his?

- I am prepared.

For the last time...

...we will pay homage to our Pharaoh.

All is ready, Your Majesty.

You must give the order, Your Majesty.

The order is given.

It is done, Your Majesty.

Then, I, Nellifer, am now

queen of Egypt. And I order...

- What is this?

- The tomb is being sealed, Your Majesty.

oh, no.

No.

Show me the way out, I command you.

- Show me the way.

- There's no way out.

This is what you lied and

schemed and murdered to achieve.

- This is your kingdom.

- No, no!

I don't wanna die. I don't wanna die!

I don't want to die, please help me!

I don't want to die.

So it's finished.

A structure to house one man and

the greatest treasure of all time.

- And a structure to last for all time.

- only history will tell that.

- Will he be remembered?

- I don't think I'll ever forget him.

Yes, he'll be remembered.

The pyramid will keep his memory alive.

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