Chapter 3 : The Libyan exception
« Numerous are those whom speculated upon the political, religious and cultural centralization shifting of the Garamante Empire. Some claim it was done for practical reasons, which is false. Replacing local leaders by foreign rulers only led to regular people revolts. Others affirm that Garamantes did so for religious belief, which is just as false : even though kemetic faith aggressively spread out over North Africa, its expansion happened in areas where religions were not organized at all and could vary from a village to another. The Garamantian’s kemetic version was in no way as proselyte as could have been Christianity before him, then Islam.
The recent discovery from New Pictish researchers of a correspondence between the Pharaoh Amestida and the Libyan duke Awilan III enlighten the garamantian political organization. If this confirms the lybian exception within the empire, it also says us a lot about the nomarchs’s opposition in the country. Amestida seemed to deeply respect the libyan people, who were at the time of the great garamante reconquest – which begun after the fall of Augustus – the only people to share their religion. It was most likely the facter that led the libyan nobles to stay in power by the own Amestida decision in the 630s, and despite the resistance of his vassals.
To me, one matter is obvious. Unlike some self-righteous person, who think astute to apply our ways of thinking to men we are separated by a millennium and half, and absolutely seriously explain that the Garamante Empire’s project was a genocidal and ideological one, my reading is different. Even though ethnic slaughters took place under the Pharaos Udad II and Amazzak, DNA studies of their remains showed they had mental deficiencies, probably due to regular and common consanguineous marriages amongst the Azûlays. No, I think on the contrary that the Garamantes people were traumatized since the roman conquest and their situation on the brink of extinction in the fifth century. They had lost tolerance for different peoples, which is the mark of a confident and forward-looking people.
The Garamantes no longer trusted themselves. Thus, it's not surprising that they were struck down at the height of their power at the beginning of the seventh century. The great conquests which began under the first Pharaoh Idus “The Ancient” had in effect only offered to the Garamantes and kemetic faith a reprieve of two centuries. »
« The Garamantes : A 1 500 years concise and simplified chronology », Cathair Mac Cardagáin
Iagburn, province of Nasamonensis, Nasamoni pharaonat, 9th June 616
The first refugees, mainly coptics, came since a month. They were screaming, whining, dying, by dozens. The army was obdurate : the agitators were executed on the spot, the ill people penned in fenced spaces only to die in filthy conditions, while the others waited in hardly better enclosures. Death was also prowling there. The ghost of the plague sometimes passed, but it was especially the starvation one : the town was a provincial capital, remote from the coastline and far away from croplands. There was only livestock farming, and it was certainly not enough to make subsist all those coastal populations that were retreating inland.
Usem was gazing at those tragic scenes from far away, leaning on his elbows on the ledge of one of the Iagburn castle decks. He was not seeing much apart from the noise, the crowd and the agitation. He willingly wanted to see what was going on there, but the man who was waiting for him inside prevented him to do so since the arrival of the first refugees. He was saying he could not take the risk of letting the brother and heir of the province’s governor getting sick.
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Master ? he asked as he turned to the man.
When could I leave the castle ?
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Today. But you will no go in town.
Intrigued and excited by this announcement, Usem stared the man. As the inside was dark, he therefore entered to better gaze him.
The Afalkay’s face was the same as always : severity and authority made man. The regent and court tutor of Nasamonensis was at this moment the true leader of the province.
Despite his well past 49 years old, he kept a respectable physical stature and a large scar proving his brilliant military career. Usem hoped to succeed in life just as much as Afalkay. For the time being, this one was looking him up and down by a stern gaze.
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You’d better move yourself away from your brother for a while, before one of you does something unfortunate.
Usem reluctantly nodded. He could not deny the deep hatred between him and his half-brother Menna, owing to tensions linked to their father’s inheritance, which only worsen following the years to the point of open warfare between the two teenagers.
Fate made it so they were born shortly one after the other. Close to a few months, it could have been him in charge of Iagburn, and Menna who would have been forced to leave the town.
They were lucky to have a regent like Afalkay, with enough guts to prevent them to mutually go for the throat, with all the typical passion of their youth.
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You’re leaving for Csi-Swarty’s court, pick up again the regent.
Usem’s eyes widened. Csi-Swarty ! The empire’s capital, the court of the Aai-Pharaoh ! He, the brother of some obscure Irypat from the desert of Cyrenaica ! He would at last be able to see with his own eyes all the wonders of the heart of the empire ! The royal family, the Pharaonic Guard, the riches which passed through the capital, before carrying on their journey to the four corners of the world…
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Oh master, I…
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Shut up and sit down, coldly cut him Afalkay.
Calmed, but far from being let down by the attitude of his tutor, Usem obeyed without batting an eye, hanging on every word of his interlocutor.
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The imperial court is an authentic nest of vipers, I could not decently send you there without any preparations nor any supports on the spot. My acquaintance’s network was finally able to contact someone, who agreed to take you under his wing.
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Who is… impatiently cut off Usem.
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I haven’t finished. There are many things you must understand. Firstly, this woman, because she is one indeed, doesn’t welcome you by pure altruism. She is the second wife of the Aai-Pharaoh’s spy-master, and doesn’t hesitate to help her husband when needed. She is a formidable schemer, talented in the court’s plots.I don’t know what she may have in the back her mind about you, but be sure she sees in you some use. Secondly, once there, you’ll be alone. Totally and entirely alone. Your only support will be this woman, who has certainly not very legal plans for you.
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And what’s her name ?
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Tamenzut Azûlay. Her full name is Tamenzut Yeggi Amesggin Azûlay. She is a terribly clever, twisted and ruthless woman. I saw many of people like her in my long life. Those people are dangerous, but I fear she’s worse.
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And, with all due respect, you still want to send me there ? answered the teenager, who was beginning to doubt of the validity of his trip.
To his surprise, Afalkay looked away, embarrassed by his question. After a few seconds, he put back his eyes on Usem’s ones, a new flame burning within them.
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Yes. Because thirdly, we are libyans. The regent kept quiet.
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And… ? called Usem again, surprised by silence and the direction of the discussion.
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I taught it to you : Garamantes are excessively dominant in the newly conquered regions. The nomarchs who govern the Tuaregs are garamantian, as well as for the Chaouis, the Mzab-Warglas and now the Copts ! We only have those lands because…
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We are the only ones with them to follow the precepts of Amun-Re for centuries, before the great conquests of the Azûlays. I indeed learned it recited Usem with a bored look. I still don’t see where you are coming to, master.
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Though we are sharing the same faith, they still consider us barely better than those bands of roaming barbarians ravaging lands beyond the Mediterranean. And what about our people who suffer under the Pharaoh Arzugis ! The majority of the dwellers here are tuaregs, not Libyans. We aren’t in our lands !
Usem could only stay silent facing such a passionate demonstration. He still asked a question, which concerned him directly.
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So what do you expect from me by sending me there ?
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To act for our people from the court ! To finally take back our lands !
The teenager patiently watched the regent. He really, deeply believed in it. Usem meanwhile only saw in the empire a believers community, united by the only true faith, the kemetic one. Defending his culture did not interest him, whereas religion already included every subjects of the empire.
Nevertheless, saying that aloud and Afalkay would never let him go out.
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So… I’ll try my best, he said with a faltering voice.
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And I do not ask for less. You have potential and opportunity to use it. Play your own game, and don’t get caught in those of others to your detriment. That’s all I can advise you, answered Afalklay on a tone distinctly more warm and… relieved ?
The regent accompanied him to his apartments. Usem had to prepare his stuff to go for Csi-Swarty. A trip that would go to the coastline before taking the sea, for more safety and speed, before entering again in the inland, toward the capital.
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Swarty in the East, capital of the Garamante Empire, 19 June616
The sight of the city made Usem forgetting all the annoyances he had suffered during his journey. Fear in his heart as when he crossed the plagued cities, his first time on a boat, the exhausting walking through the desert : the Csi-Swarty was far from the miseries which struck the rest of the country.
The streets were crowded with guards, merchants, travelers and townspeople. Everywhere, products were spreading in this hub of North Africa. The wealth was displayed, both on people and buildings which quality betrayed the means put for the construction. And for a good reason, as it was an artery leading to the palace : he was walking in one of the most expensive neighborhoods of the city !
For the umpteenth time, he uttered a sigh of admiration when he finally emerged on the main square, in front of the palace. Observing it removed any doubt that the Aai-Pharaoh was one of the richest men of the world. On the walls of pink sandstone were added marble columns imported from the Pyrenees and Greece. He could see still more guards pharaonic this time, visible between the many pennants displaying the colors of the empire.
A slave was watching out for him in the palace’s shade. After seeing the young libyan lost in the middle of the square, he went towards him.
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Lord Usem Mmi Idir Idirid ?
Usem confirmed with a nod.
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Please follow me, my mistress is waiting for you.
He would quickly be lost in this maze without his guide. Despite the size of the building, there were everywhere marauding guards or courtiers, walking in one direction or the other without paying much attention to the young man and the slave. There was, after all, always something to do here.
However, over their journey, Usem saw some curiosities : several dwarves, hunchbacks and even some monstrosities barely human. When he questioned his guide about it, this one quickly checked they were not observed before started speaking.
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It’s better to hold your tongue on this subject : every last one of them are Azûlays. The imperial court, as you will soon discover, is a true freak show. You’ll find people like… Those we have just met, and others, extremely imposing physically speaking and sharp-minded, like my mistress.
Usem thought his new protector knew how to choose her servants, since this one was not only obviously educated but loyal.
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And believe me, I’m not honeyed to my mistress : she is terribly intelligent. It is said that the lineage of the Aai-Pharaoh is blessed by the gods. How could it be otherwise ? The empire only thrives despite obstacles. Therefore, each of their member receives a gift from the gods. However, some seem to better manage it than others…
He shrugged.
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But that’s only rumors.
He led him to a room in the center of the palace, after having climbed a volley of stairs. Inside, a woman was busy talking to four other people, courtiers given their clothes. She turned to the two newcomers.
As Usem had observed during his walk in the palace, there were surprisingly few people with a garamante profile. This woman wasn’t an exception : she was closer to those barbarians people of the north who had settled in Hispania and Italy.
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So, the libyan arrived, she said on a neutral tone.
You did it quickly.
And to turn back to her interlocutors, sending Usem away with a gesture. The slave encouraged the young man to followed him. Too outraged to react, Usem obediently followed him to leave the room.
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She just… he exclaimed.
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You’ll need to get used to it, lord. That’s how lady Tamenzut is. She is too smart to give us more than a few seconds of her attention, I fear.
Usem grumbled, frustrated at being string along so arbitrarily by a woman, even though she was close to the Aai-Pharaoh.
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At least you saw her. With the departure of the Aai-Pharaoh for Alexandria, the palace is quite calm today. You might not even seen her if he was there.
Usem raised his eyebrows. This hive of activity, quite calm ?
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Please follow me, it’s time for you to discover your new apartments.
Astounded by his surroundings, Usem followed the slave in the corridors, towards his new life.