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cannot always understand his holy wisdom.”
    “The sunlight of Aten does not discriminate between people when it shines down upon us.”
    “You must not forget that life is a battleground.”
    “Master,” he replied sadly, “do not speak to me of war. Have you not seen the sun when it rises above the fields and the Nile? Have you not seen the horizon when the sun goes down? Have you heard the nightingale sing, or the doves coo? Have you never felt the sacred happiness buried deep in your heart?”
    I knew that there was nothing I could do. He was like a tree and I could not stop him from growing. I conveyed my fears to the queen, but she did not share my concerns.
    “He is still an innocent child, Ay,” she said. “He will learn more of this life as he grows. Soon he will begin his military training.”
    The pious young prince started his military training along with the sons of the nobles. He detested it, possibly because of his physical weakness. Soon he rejected the training, thus admitting a failure not befitting a king's son.
    “I do not wish to learn the fundamentals of murder,” he said bitterly.
    The king was saddened by his son's decision. “A king who cannot fight is at the mercy of his commanders,” he said.
    The crown prince and the king had several confrontations. Most likely, this strife was the seed of the malice the boy harbored against his great father. I do believe, however, that the priests of Amun stretched this fact when they accused him of avenging himself by erasing his father's name from all the monuments. He only wanted to eradicate the name of Amun. He even changed his own name from Amenhotep to Akhenaten for the samepurpose. Then came the night that condemned him to a life of seclusion. He had been waiting for the sunrise in the dark royal garden by the bank of the Nile. I learned all the details when I met him in the morning. I believe it was spring time. The air was clear of all dew and dust. When I greeted him, he turned to me with a pale face and mesmerized eyes.
    “Master, the truth has been revealed to me,” he said without returning my greeting. “I came here before sunrise. The night was my companion, its silence my blessing. As I bid darkness farewell, I felt that I was rising with the air around me. It was as though I was retreating with the night. Then there was a marvelous light, and I saw all the creatures that I had seen or even heard of gather before my eyes and greet each other in delight. I had overcome pain and death, I thought. I was intoxicated with the sweet scent of creation. I heard his clear voice speaking to me: ‘I am the One and Only God; there is no God but I. I am the truth. Dwell in my kingdom, and worship me only. Give me yourself; I have granted you my divine love.’”
    We stared at each other for a long while. I was overcome by despair and could not speak.
    “Do you not believe me, Master?”
    “You never lie,” I replied.
    “Then you must believe me,” he said in ecstasy.
    “What did you see?”
    “I only heard his voice in the merry dawn.”
    “My son,” I hesitated, “if you saw nothing, that means there was nothing.”
    “This is how he reveals himself,” he replied firmly.
    “Perhaps it was Aten.”
    “No. Not Aten, not the sun. He is above and beyond that. He is the One and Only God.”
    I was mystified. “Where do you worship him?”
    “Anywhere, anytime. He will give me the strength and love to worship him.”

    Ay was silent. I wanted to ask him if he believed in Akhenaten's god, but I remembered my father's advice and remained silent. Ay, along with many others, had left Akhenaten when things were at their worst. Perhaps he had been forced to deny his faith for the rest of his life.

    I had to tell the king and queen. A few days later, I found the crown prince waiting for me in his favorite part of the garden.
    “You reported me as usual, Master,” he smiled reproachfully.
    “It is my duty,” I replied calmly.
    He