Chapter 29: Ramesses Got Angry
When ragged Moses and his brother stood before Ramesses' throne, the Pharaoh's expression was utterly dumbfounded.
He had imagined many possibilities for the "great change" that Hachiman had spoken of—but never that it would be caused by his fugitive friend.
His mood was, unsurprisingly, violently explosive.
All monarchs share a flaw: although their definition of "betrayal" may differ in details, their tolerance for it is negative.
Negative, meaning they don't need proof—just suspicion is enough to execute someone a thousand times over.
Although Ramesses liked to call himself a god in front of his subjects, he was still human and couldn't escape this flaw.
"Moses!!!" His roar echoed through several rooms before fading.
It must be said: the Battle of Kadesh had enhanced Ramesses' authority, especially after he had famously staged his "possessed by a ghost" act in front of thousands, greatly improving his control over the army.
Even the Amun temple could not shake his identity as Pharaoh, as a living god—they had to challenge him elsewhere.
The Ramesses now was very different from pre-Kadesh Ramesses. He exuded a killing aura; ordinary bureaucrats would think twice about leaving the office to go to the bathroom after meeting his gaze.
But Moses was not an Egyptian bureaucrat. In some sense, he had witnessed grander scenes than Ramesses and was entirely unaffected by the Pharaoh's aura.
Or rather, the influence came from another aspect.
Ramesses' strongest—and only—weapon against Moses was their shared personal bond.
Feeling the complex emotions of his friend, a flicker of guilt passed through Moses' eyes, but that was all.
Since he had chosen to stand here, he was ready to bear everything.
"Pharaoh, please hear my words," he said. "My God commands me to tell you: the Hebrews are His children, His firstborn. You must allow them to leave and observe His festival in the wilderness. If you refuse, He will strike down your firstborn."
Hearing this from a friend who previously appeared sympathetic but now pretended not to know him, Ramesses immediately flew into a rage.
Damn it! The contract is signed, payment settled—and now you tell me you're backing out? Could your reason be more outrageous? Do you think I'm too naive to handle this?
"Ha! Your god is unknown to me, and I will not allow your departure," Ramesses barked at Moses. "You're just trying to slack off, aren't you?"
At that moment, flames suddenly ignited around Ramesses. Moses and Aaron were shocked, but they quickly noticed that the Egyptians present were smiling with excitement and pride.
Moses felt this scene was familiar.
The flames soon extinguished without damaging anything, but a person appeared beside the throne.
Moses recognized him: a foreigner with a strange name he had seen before Ramesses' flight. Ramesses had repeatedly told him this person came from heaven.
Moses once believed this person was God—the God of the Hebrews.
Until the burning bush on Mount Horeb changed his perspective.
Now he realized why he felt the person was familiar: this person bore the same divine flames as the one true God.
"Moses," Hachiman emerged from the flames, eyes bright, shining with dazzling light. Everyone in Egypt, except the Pharaoh, bowed and saluted, but he ignored them and looked at Moses. "Your God probably has more words for you. Why do you not speak them?"
Choosing to appear from flames was Hachiman's mischievous sense of humor. He remembered the original God had done the same to scare Moses nearly to death.
But what Hachiman did and said confirmed Moses' suspicions.
Truthfully, every time the divine voice spoke to Moses, it was a private session—no other human knew.
So Moses respectfully said, "With my brother as witness, God has taught us what must be said, and we have said it all."
Afterward, he mischievously glanced at Hachiman's expression repeatedly.
Hachiman had no idea why Moses had become so obedient yet playful; he was just disappointed.
In the Exodus of the Bible, most of it is dialogue. Even so, the divine words are often repetitive; the specifics leave ample room for interpretation. Every movie or TV adaptation of the Exodus differs in details.
Hachiman had originally thought the voice would explain all arrangements to Moses at once, allowing him to trace everything—but it didn't matter. It would just take more time. And time held no meaning for him in this era.
"Very well, then continue to suffer," Hachiman said, settling into a gilded chair brought by an attendant, remaining silent.
While he stayed silent, Moses panicked.
'Hey! Weren't we supposed to be relived from suffering? What's this new plotline?'
Moses shouted, "Why? Why must my people continue to suffer?"
"Why?" Hachiman asked, puzzled. "You serve deities and enjoy their protection; naturally, you must bear burdens as well. Otherwise, how do you think gods come to be worshiped? They too must suffer to become venerated spirits of the world!"
Take comfort in suffering, friends; this is your people's basic narrative in the Bible. The reason… ask me, and I'll ask whom?
Honestly, compared with the later hardships of the Hebrews, their current life in Egypt was already good.
After letting Moses shout below, Hachiman remained silent, even closing his eyes as if to sleep.
But he stayed silent; Ramesses erupted.
"Did you hear that, Moses? Your people will suffer because of you. Now, you and your brother may leave!"
The Pharaoh waved his hand. The guards immediately elbowed Moses and Aaron in the stomach, then dragged them out.
Once Moses and Aaron disappeared, Ramesses waved for everyone else to leave. The rage and cruelty vanished from his face, replaced by sorrow.
"Moses… how did it come to this? He should be different from his people… he grew up with me," the Pharaoh murmured… to Hachiman! His voice was so loud!
Hachiman sighed. Did everyone think he was a walking encyclopedia of "whys"?
"Even if he is different, he is still Hebrew, not Egyptian. I'll remind you: your two peoples' attitudes toward God are entirely different."
"What difference? We also faithfully serve the gods."
"The gods? In the Hebrew world, there are no gods, only the one true Lord." Hachiman stood, the chair uncomfortable and wooden. He rubbed his sore butt and walked away, leaving Ramesses alone on the throne, losing his mind.
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