"May God reward you, my son," Merira said, embracing and kissing him. "And now go!"
Horus glanced at Issachar and was about to ask a question, but Merira frowned and repeated:
"Go!"
Horus was frightened, as at Maru-Aton the day before, and obeyed as he had done then; he turned to go without a word. But as he descended the outer staircase of the temple he stopped half-way so that he could not be seen from the roof and yet see what was happening there. The priests stood on the first landing below him and the soldiers still lower down.
"Can you sing the service to Aton?" Merira asked Issachar when they were left alone.
"Yes."
They went up to the small altar at the foot of the great one. White alabaster dust of the broken bas-relief of King Akhnaton crunched like snow under their feet.
All was ready for the service: the altar was decked with flowers and incense was burning upon it.
Merira stood before the altar with his face to the cast, where the red ember of the sun was already ablaze in the misty gorge of the Arabian hills. Issachar stood facing him.
"God Aton is the only God and there is none other God but He!" Merira intoned.