ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html> <head> <title>Seti on the Flank</title> <style type="text/css"> BODY {background:white; color:black; font-family:Times New Roman; font-size: 1.2em} </STYLE> </head> <body> <p align=center><b> SETI ON THE FLANK </b><br> by Tom McMillen</p> <p align=center> The outlook wasn't hopeful for the Pharoah's troops that day - <br> The draw had been Seleucids, so there wasn't much to say. <br> They had elephants, and cataphracts, cheap levy and the like - <br> And he had copper JIS, while they had steel-tipped pike. <br> And he was stuck with chariots; the enemy could ride. <br> Their horses all had armor and their chariots were scythed.<br> <br> And Ramses eyed his generals, and hope did not run high -<br> He had the sort of Bozos that could make a great god cry. <br> For Amnon was a coward, and Khaneb was a fool, <br> The former liked to cut and run, the latter liked to drool.<br> And Ramses knew that should he win he'd have one man to thank - <br> For Seti, mighty Seti, was hurtling 'round the flank. <br> For Seti never missed the mark, when arrows he let fly, <br> And always saw the battle with a falcon's steady eye. <br> And Seti never wavered - his units knew no fear... <br> Yes, he'd put up even money now - with Seti in their rear!<br> <br> With confident precision the enemy deployed,<br> Then sure to win, and firm of tread, set out across the void. <br> And Ramses scanned the eastern sky for telltale wisps of dust, <br> In hopeful expectation of the one man he could trust.<br> <br> There was an ease in Seti's manner as he raised the dice on high,<br> A cold smile crossed his features as he let the ivory fly.<br> He barely raised an eyebrow as the score was plain to see -<br> Then calmly shrugged, then turned away - the roll had come up three.<br> <br> The army of Seleucus rolled, their plan revealed no flaws -<br> For nothing dared to stop them, nor even give them pause. <br> The levy and the pachyderms soon blew away the screen,<br> Dread pikemen closed on trembling spears, with nothing in between.<br> <br> A snarl curled Seti's features as he strutted to his place -<br> His eyes flashed bright as lightning as the dice flew into space. <br> The breathless crowd in silence stood and waited for the score - <br> He dropped his head and stalked away, for fate had dealt a four.<br> "Smash the dice! " the maddened gallery cried, "Just smash the dice to bits!" <br> And they would have smashed them too, had not Seti calmed their fits.<br> <br> Then from ten thousand pikemen there arose a fearsome roar,<br> As they charged in on the spearmen with each unit twelve at four. <br> But Amnon passes his waver test - no, not once, but twice!<br> And gibbering, slobbering Khaneb blew the spots right off the dice! <br> And when the turn had ended, and when the dust had stilled - <br> There was Amnon cross the river, while Khaneb held the hill!<br> <br> And now the whispers silence and a stillness fills the land,<br> As Seti grabs the fateful cube, and lofts it in his hand - <br> And now the eyes are riveted, to watch his fist unfold - <br> And now the table trembles with the force of Seti's roll!!! <br> <br> ******************************************<br> <br> Oh somewhere in the Eastern world the lotus blossom blooms;<br> And somewhere people laugh and sing, and gaily paint their tombs. <br> And somewhere children giggle, as they skitter to and fro... <br> But there is no joy in Egypt - mighty Seti didn't show.<br> </p> </body> </html>