The Ten Commandments Page #2

Indeed?

Whoever I choose shall have my crown...

...and Nefretiri.

I think I see him, Memnet.

Moses...

Yes, I can see him!

Moses!

Listen, Memnet. Listen.

The trumpets tell all the world

he's come back to me.

Hear them.

And all those shouts are drowned

by the beating of my heart.

- Moses!

- Do you hear, Memnet?

- The whole city calls his name.

- I hear them, Nefretiri.

The Lord Moses, Prince of Egypt,

son of the Pharaoh's sister,

beloved of the Nile god,

commander of the Southern Host.

Welcome home!

- Prince Moses!

- The blessings of the god Amun-Ra

be upon you, Great Prince.

He has brought down

the pride of Ethiopia.

- Yes, that is...

- The old windbag.

- I agree with him.

- May your name be exalted on Earth,

o' conqueror, even as the sun

is exalted in the heavens.

Welcome to my sister's son.

We have heard how you took

ibis from the Nile

to destroy the venomous serpents

used against you

when you laid siege

to the city of Saba.

May my arms stay strong

in your service, Great Sethi.

Who is this fair young god

come into the house of Pharaoh?

No need to tell you

how I share her joy at your return-

No need, my brother.

Great one, I bring you Ethiopia!

Command them to kneel before Pharaoh.

Command what you have conquered,

my brother.

I bring the Ethiopian king

and his sister in friendship,

as an ally to guard our southern gates.

My son has dealt wisely with you,

Ethiopia. Welcome as a friend.

Great king, I will ask

but one favor of your friendship.

This green stone from our mountains,

that I may give it to your

Prince of Egypt,

for he is kind, as well as wise.

It is pleasing to the gods to see

a man honored by his enemies.

And such a beautiful enemy!

See to their comfort.

Divine One, here is the full count

of Ethiopia's tribute.

Bearers!

I am sending down the Nile 20 full

barges of such wealth as you see here.

Logs of ebony and trees of myrrh,

all for your new treasure city.

A handsome tribute indeed, Moses.

Unfortunately,

I have no new treasure city.

And you will have none.

The stiff-necked slaves

die more willingly

-than bend their backs in your service.

- Why?

They believe a deliverer has come

to lead them from their bondage.

Deliverer? Deliverer?!

He has been foretold by every falling

star since my father's time.

Now, you make him an excuse

for your failure to build my city.

I am not one to make excuses-

If you doubt me,

let Moses build a city.

No! No.

He's just trying

to keep Moses away from you, Sethi.

Or you, perhaps.

I think our roosters would crow

more softly on another roof.

Stand before me, both of you.

Would you please your Pharaoh, Moses?

- Your wish is my will.

- Then you build my city.

A wise decision.

A noble task.

Rameses, do you believe

this slave deliverer is a myth?

What I believe is of no account.

What matters is

the slaves believe in him.

Of course, of course.

Then you, too, shall go to Goshen-

Learn if this deliverer

be a myth or a man.

If a myth, bring him to me in a bottle.

If a man,

bring him to me in chains.

So let it be written,

so let it be done.

Your fragrance

is like the wine of Babylon.

I could...

But you are the throne princess,

and by the Pharaoh's law,

you can marry only a Pharaoh.

I shall marry a Pharaoh...

...you.

Rameses might not agree

with that idea.

But Sethi might.

While you were gone,

I kept your name on his lips,

your praises in his ears.

But now, unless you can succeed,

you'll be the prince

of some desert province

and I'll be Rameses' wife. Oh, Moses!

Build a city for him,

and Sethi will deny you nothing.

I will build the city for love of Sethi,

not for the throne of Egypt.

But I am Egypt.

Now, the flame you lighted

burns close to the throne.

Your tongue would dig

your grave, Memnet.

A conqueror already conquered?

The first face I looked for

and the last I find. Mother.

I was thanking the gods

for your safe return.

But I find you in grave danger here.

In intoxicating danger, Mother.

Marry her if you can, my son,

but never fall in love with her.

I'll be less trouble to him

than the Hebrew slaves of Goshen.

Goshen?

You've guzzled enough.

Bring those bricks up and get on.

You, there's other swine to water.

Water girl! Water!

Get those bricks back on.

Here! Water lily!

My name is Lilia.

To me you are a lily,

and I want water.

Joshua...

Joshua, I thought

you'd never come down.

Water before love, my girl.

Does it take the whole Nile

to quench your thirst?

No, just your lips.

Be careful, my love.

Dathan's eyes can see through stone.

Dathan is a vulture feeding

on the flesh of his own people.

When he looks at me, I'm afraid.

If he touches you,

I'll strangle him with his own whip.

And bring death to 1,000 others?

Is life in bondage better than death?

Joshua, we must have hope.

God will send us the deliverer.

Hope? On the heels

of every hope walks Dathan.

You're Dathan, the Hebrew overseer.

Chief Hebrew overseer, mighty one.

Baka, the master builder,

has told me that I can rely on you.

I am warmed by his favor.

Rely on you to sell

your own mother for a price.

And who am I to deny the word

of the master builder?

Where is this would-be deliverer

who would set the Hebrews free?

Who can say, immortal prince?

They do not confide in me.

- But it is possible to learn.

- No doubt.

You have rat's ears and a ferret's nose.

To use in your service, son of Pharaoh.

Add to them the eyes of a weasel

and find me this deliverer.

Lean your backs into it!

Old woman! Old woman!

More grease under the center stone.

- Yochabel!

- Help me!

Stop the stone!

Keep pulling up there.

Yochabel is caught. Stop the stone!

Come on, pull!

Pull!

Pull!

- Pull!

- You'll kill her! Stop the stone!

We don't stop a moving block

for an old woman.

Lay on the lash! Keep it moving!

Stop the stone! Stop the stone!

Hold the ropes!

Water! Water!

- Cut the old woman loose.

- She'll stay where she is,

and you'll die in the lion pits.

- Joshua!

- Run to the prince and beg mercy.

- Mercy from Rameses?!

- No, no.

The Prince Moses,

there on the pavilion.

- After her! After her!

- Hold him!

Stop her!

Stop that girl!

The water girl, stop her!

Stop that girl! Stop her!

Mercy, Prince Moses!

- Mercy, Prince Moses!

- Come here.

- Mercy? What have you done?

- Not for myself, Lord Prince.

For a slave who saved old Yochabel

and me from death

between the granite blocks.

A delicate flower

to be pressed between walls of stone.

How were you saved?

A stonecutter struck the overseer.

There can be only one punishment

for the stonecutter.

Blood makes poor mortar. Come.

Prince Moses!

Get away, you!

Would you bury the old woman alive

in a tomb of rock?

My noble one, it caught.

I had not the strength to free myself.

Your shoulder should not

bear a burden, old woman.

The Lord has renewed my strength

and lightened my burdens.

He would have done better

to remove them.

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