The Great Pyramid of Giza

Circa 2000 BC. King Khufu of Egypt looks out through the palace balcony at the sunset. The slaves workers from last months slave raid are busy on his glorious pyramid of Giza.

Putting the final touches. 

He cannot wait to see how it will turn out.

Show it off to his Queen and everybody else fortunate or unfortunate enough to be nearby.

Especially, cannot wait to see the sun rise as though coming from the peak of the great pyramid.

A masterpiece

"Hermiunu", he calls on his vizier.

"My Lord"

"I have another binary question with which to poke your highly clever mind "

"As you wish my Lord"

He steadies himself like one enacting a play in the theaters. He loves drama. Respects the traditions of the ancient wisdom that lies within proper posture and body movements for any event. 

Chest out. A smile plastered onto his thin lips. The eyes mischievously reduced to foxy slits, making his extra long eyebrows nearly form one disjointed straight line. 

"Who is greater, the slave or the King ?"

Hermiunu closes his eyes. Getting drawn into his majesty's philosophy game is very dangerous business . If he plays it well, he will please the King Khufu most generously . 

Perhaps he will be allowed to go home to his wife tonight.

"The King my Lord. Of course"

"Hmm", muses Khufu. "But the slave has built The Pyramid of Giza"

"Indeed my Lord. But only through the King's will that he does so"

"Very wise indeed". 

"But why then does the King feel powerless" Khufu adds. a trick question. If Hermiunu answers wrongly, his head might depart from his body very fast. 

But after years of serving his majesty, one goes beyond the pangs of doubt that cloud an experienced mind, shadowing the obvious.

An effective device that never betrays him, give the King back his own venom now in form of a transformed life-giving elixir .

"Does my Lord wish to become as strong as the slave also ?  For if that were so, then my Lord would not be any different from the sun gods Ra and Horus. It would be a great thing indeed"

He knew how to please him. Press his big ego buttons. Khufu would buckle to his wishes one of these days. He would retire very well if he kept up his tact.

"Well spoken my man. If only I were as strong as the sun himself"

* * *

"One more thing" 

"Yes, Lord Khufu"

"Could anyone be as strong as the sun himself ?"

"perhaps a son, my Lord"

"A son ... !. Or, the future son !"

"Yes my Lord"

Khufu laughs despite himself. Laughs hard. Laughs long. He is greatly pleased. What an enlightening answer. The future holds all the promise.

If he can build the great pyramid of Giza, surely his great great grandson might build a pyramid that goes up to the sun himself.

Yes. What a simple answer. 

The children. He didn't want any before, but now.

Now he wants as many as his majesty can feed. Let them loose pon the earth.

Yes, hope. He has gotten hope.

He pats Hermiunu on the arm. Visibly scaring the man to death with his overly good cheer. 

"Oh my good man".

"My Lord" Hermiunu is near to tears. He might be hanged if the King suddenly finds a reason to think that there was no need to get so cheery.

"You dine with me tonight Hermiunu. Perhaps you are wiser than you let on. 

Come. Dinner awaits".