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The Coast of the Great Sea, Kingdom of Egypt, Year of Our Lord 1910, seventh year of the Glorious Reign of Abraham the Twelfth

Prince Yohanan was feeling quite pleased with himself. Nobody had told him that this little palace by the sea even existed – typically inefficient courtiers! – but by his own checking of the relevant records he had discovered it’s location. And then he had insisted to his parents- insisted !- that they must let him come here to see the sea for the first time. And so, they had let him come here, accompanied by three tutors, two cooks, and a platoon of bowmen.

It was one of the biggest events so far in his eleven years of life.

The palace was attractively furnished of course, with intelligent and beautiful cats, and he liked this terrace facing the sea with steps down to the beach. He’d spent his first day making fortifications in the sand with the help of all the adults available. It was quite windy that day and the waves were threatening. His tutors were surprised that he was so unafraid of the sea. “Perhaps he has the talent” one of them said, when perhaps he thought that Yohanan could not hear. But he heard all right, though the possibility seemed extraordinary to him.

Even though he had come to the seaside palace as some kind of treat, he still had lessons to go to. Long lists of Pharoahs’ names and reigns to memorise. Studies about each province of the Kingdom from Abyssinia to Anatolia and each section of the Church , including all those in the barbarian areas along the north side of the Great Sea. Which cities were Christian, which ones Jewish, which ones Mohammedan, which ones still adhered a little to the old beliefs. Even brief mentions of the fabled lands within the Great Sea itself.

At the completion of breakfast one day, the senior tutor, a historian from Memphis called Hakor, stared Yohanan straight in the eye. “I have received a letter from your father. He has agreed that we may test you on the sea if you are willing. It is a brave thing to do. What do you think.?”

“I am eager, Sir, but surprised. I do not think that anyone from the Royal Family has ever done this. I know I am only sixth in line to the golden throne, but even so…..”

Hakor gave his usual tight smile “ I believe there have been some previous attempts…. Anyway, let us drink some more pomegranate juice and then go down to the beach.”

On the beach today was a rowing boat, the kind you might see a long way upriver on the Nile. There were two slightly muscular women there, who were introduced to him as Esther and Fatima. Yohanan assumed they were seawitches.

Esther was tall, with short, black curly hair. She did not seem to be intimidated by being in the presence of royalty.

“So , your highness. The sea is not so bad today. There are many days here when we would not dare to go out ourselves. Fatima and I will row us out a few yards from the shore and see how you get on.”

Yohanan began to sweat as soon as he got into the boat. Surely he could do as well as these two women , who were probably of lowly birth after all! But there was a strange rolling motion in the boat. However he tried to adjust to it, the feeling became worse and worse. And worse changed to vile. Even before he admitted to the problem, the seawitches were rowing back to shore but it was too late.

He retched up his breakfast – pomegranate juice and all- over the side of the boat. He was retching for three hours afterwards, and felt ill for two days.

One evening Hakor sat outside on the terrace, using a telescope to look at the planets and a comet.

“Now you understand” Hakor said sadly “as all princes must, that the sea is an unnatural place for Man. Unless you are a freak like those seawitches, the flux and tumult of the sea is intolerable for our bodies. That’s why it’s as hard to cross the Great Sea as it would be to fly to that comet”

And for the first time Yohanan understood the limits to Man’s grasp……
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