The Ten Commandments Page #9

her arms were soft.

And the wine of desire

was in her veins.

Yes. She was beautiful...

...as a jewel.

A jewel has brilliant fire,

but gives no warmth.

Our hands are not so soft,

but they can serve.

Our bodies not so white,

but they are strong.

Our lips are not perfumed...

...but they speak the truth.

Love is not an art to us.

It's life to us.

We are not dressed

in gold and fine linen.

Strength and honor are our clothing.

Our tents are not

the columned halls of Egypt,

but our children

play happily before them.

We can offer you little...

...but we offer all we have.

I have not little, Sephora.

I have nothing.

Nothing from some

is more than gold from others.

You would fill

the emptiness of my heart?

I could never fill all of it, Moses.

But I shall not be jealous of a memory.

May the gods bless you

as you go to join them

in the land of the dead.

The old windbag.

What an infernal fuss.

After all,

dying is only a part of living.

You won't die, old crocodile.

You'll cheat death the way

you cheat me at hounds and jackals.

I'm afraid he won't let me cheat

the way you do.

You'll be Pharaoh by sunset, Rameses.

I hope you're content... at last.

I am content to be your son.

You have restored Egypt

to her greatness.

I shall make her greatness

feared among nations.

No doubt, no doubt.

You can overcome anything,

but your own arrogance.

Don't exhaust yourself, great one.

- Dear great one.

- Why not, kitten?

You are the only thing I regret leaving.

You have been my joy.

- And you, my only love.

- Uh-huh.

Now you're cheating.

- There was another.

- Yes.

I know.

I loved him, too.

With my last breath,

I'll break my own law

and speak the name of...

...Moses.

Moses.

The royal falcon

has flown into the sun.

Did the little boy die in the desert,

my father?

No. God brought Ishmael and

his mother, Hagar, into a good land.

The same God who lives

on the mountain?

- It may be, my son.

- Moses! Moses!

Your mother is calling.

Here!

Moses! There is a man among the sheep!

You stay...

You keep sounding the alarm, Gershom.

But stay here till your mother comes.

In the cleft, behind the rock.

Your eyes are sharp

as they are beautiful.

Turfa!

Khataf! Back!

Khataf! Back!

Back, Khataf. Come down!

Moses.

Down, Turfa!

Praise God I have found you!

Joshua?

We thought you dead.

In the copper mines of Geber,

the living are dead.

Sephora! Bring water.

How did you find me?

A merchant buying copper

saw you in the tent of Jethro.

Here, you too will find peace.

Peace?

How can you find peace or want it,

when Rameses builds cities mortared

with the blood of our people?

You must lead them out of Egypt!

God made a covenant with Abraham

that he would deliver the people.

Am I the hand of God?

- Sephora, give him water.

- Water! Bless you!

The desert sun has set fire to his mind.

His name is Joshua.

I once killed that he might live.

They told me you were condemned,

but I knew you were chosen to take

the sword of God into your hand!

I am not the man.

I am a shepherd with flocks...

That light on the mountainside...

Do you see that strange tire?

- A bush that burns?

- No.

It is on fire,

but the bush does not burn.

Sephora, take him.

Serve him food in our tent.

I will turn aside

and see this great sight.

Moses.

Moses.

I am here.

Put off thy shoes from off thy feet.

For the place whereon thou standest

is holy ground.

I am the God of thy father.

The God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac

and the God of Jacob.

Lord...

Lord, why do you not hear the cries

of their children

in the bondage of Egypt?

I have surely seen the affliction

of my people which are in Egypt.

And I have heard their cry

by reason of their taskmasters.

For I know their sorrows.

Therefore, I will send thee, Moses,

unto Pharaoh,

that thou mayest bring my people

out of Egypt.

Who am I, Lord,

that you should send me?

How can I lead this people

out of bondage?

What words can I speak

that they will heed?

I will teach thee what thou wilt say.

When thou hast brought forth

the people,

they shall serve me upon this mountain.

I will put my laws into their hearts.

And in their minds will I write them.

Now, therefore, go.

And I will be with thee.

But if I say to your children

that the God of their fathers

has sent me,

they will ask, "What is his name?"

And how shall I answer them?

I am that I am.

Thou shalt say,

"l am hath sent me unto you."

Is the holy mountain

forbidden to men?

Yes. And I am afraid for him.

Then he is more than man, for look...

Look at his face.

He has seen God.

Moses... your hair... your sandals.

I stood upon holy ground.

Can you tell us, Moses?

My eyes could not look upon him.

Did he speak?

He revealed his word to my mind.

And the word was God.

Did he speak as a man?

He is not flesh but spirit.

The light of eternal mind.

And I know that his light

is in every man.

Did he ask something of you?

That I go to Egypt.

You are God's messenger!

He has set the day of deliverance.

I will get water and bread

that we may leave at once.

But Egypt holds death for you.

If it be his will.

Where he sends you, I shall go.

Your God is my God.

I will lead men against the armory

at Migdol and get swords for the people!

It is not by the sword

that he will deliver his people,

but by the staff of a shepherd.

And the Lord said unto Moses,

"Go. Return into Egypt. "

And Moses took his wife and his son

and he returned to the land of Egypt.

And Moses took the rod of God

in his hand.

Let the ambassador from Priam,

king of Troy, approach the Pharaoh.

Great Pharaoh, the gift of Troy

is a fabulous fabric

from the land of the five rivers.

Our thanks to Priam.

It is fabulous indeed.

- It shimmers like the Nile. What is it?

- How is it made?

No one knows, great Pharaoh.

It is spun on the looms of the gods.

- They call it silk.

- The ambassador from Jericho.

What kingdom has sent you?

The kingdom of the Most High.

These must be ambassadors from...

Bedouins?

- What gifts do you bring?

- We bring you the word of God.

What is this word?

Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel,

"Let my people go!"

The slaves are mine.

Their lives are mine.

All that they own is mine.

I do not know your God,

nor will I let Israel go.

Who are you to make their lives

bitter in hard bondage?

Men shall be ruled by law,

not the will of other men.

Who is this God

that I should let your people go?

Aaron.

Cast down my staff before Pharaoh

that he may see the power of God.

In this you shall know

that the Lord is God.

Mother! Mother!

He turned his staff into a cobra!

Nothing of his will harm you, my son.

The power of your God

is a cheap magician's trick.

Jannes.

Mother, look!

Jannes, do you see?

Moses' serpent swallows up the others.

You gave me this staff

to rule over scorpions and serpents,

but God made it a rod

to rule over kings.

Hear his word, Rameses, and obey.

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