"Belschazzar"
This is Sir Rider Haggard's last novel, published 1930. It concerns one Count Ramose the Egyptian (aka Ptahmes), son of Apries, Pharaoh of Egypt. His mother was a secondary wife, Chloe, daughter of Chion the Athenian. Apries was known to the Greeks, who dominated the Court, by that name. To the native Egyptians he was known as Uah-ab-Ra, and to the Hebrews as Hophra.
The young Count Ramose, whom Pharaoh Apries wished to favour, was entrusted with greeting Queen Atyra, widow of Abibal, a king of Syria, who had come to Egypt to ask for aid against the Babylonians who were attacking Syria. Unfortunately, while following the Pharaoh's orders to watch her closely and discovered whatever he could, Ninari, a priest and minister to Atyra, became suspicious. He killed Atyra and implicates Ramose, who must flee for his life. He joins the Egyptian army, led by General Amasis, which has been sent out to attack Merodach, son of Nebuchadnazzar of Babylon. He is accompanied by his tutor Belus, a Babylonian astrologer.
The Babylonians are defeated, but in their camp Ramose discovers the fatally injured Mysia, and her 3-4 year old daughter Myra. Ramose promises to look after Myra, who (so Mysia tells him) is of high Hebrew descent - she also hands over a number of valuable jewels etc. Ramose, with Belus and Myra, and Metep, Myra's nurse, now take up residence in Salamis, in Cyprus, where Ramose goes under the name of Ptahmes, and Belus that of Azar. As is common with Haggard's characters in these situations, Ptahmes grows rich as a merchant, and of course Belus does nicely out of soothsaying, diving etc. They live in an old house which was once a palace, and (keeping the exterior decrepit as before, furnish the house as a palace). They live happily here for many years.
They then return to Egypt, because Belus suggests that his auguries tell him to do so, and because Ramose wants to see his mother, Chloe, who had married Tapert, Governor of Memphis, after the death of Apries. Shortly after they arrive in Memphis Salamis is devastated by an earthquake and tidal wave, and their old house - which they had sold - destroyed. They set up house with Chloe, who still lives (Tarpet having since died), much as before. Myra is popularly known as Ramose's daughter, but their relationship has altered somewhat since Belus (at Ramose's request) has told her of her actual ancestry - such as they know. They decide that they will marry.
General Amasis is now Pharaoh (having defeated Apries in battle). He puts it out that Myra is the daughter of Ramose and Queen Atyra, and therefore of Egyptian royal descent. With the support of the vain Chloe he conspires to send Myra as a peace-offering to the elderly King Nabonidus, ruler of Babylon. On the day of the marriage of Ramose and Myra, Ramose is summoned to see the Pharaoh and then sent immediately (with Belus) on a diplomatic mission to Cyrus of Persia. Myra is carried off and sent with a Babylonian mission to King Nabonidus. Ramose and Belus discover that Myra has been taken, and they head off on their mission, planning to go to Damascas, where Nabonidus is supposed to be staying. They are captured as spies, because Amasis has tipped off the Babylonians and alleged that this is the case - he wants to get rid of Ramose because of his half-royal descent, and because his presence could expose the untruth about Myra being Egyptian royalty.
Ramose is taken to Babylon - and immediately Belschazzar, the king's son, takes a dislike to him and orders his execution. However, because Ramose is an antiquarian and historian, King Nabonidus finds him useful, so he is saved. Belus is also at the court, having revealed his true identity to the King - he was a royal scribe and astrologer of the Royal Household of Babylon, and priest of Marduk and of Ischtar, as well as being a son of Nebuchadnazzar and so a close a relative of the King. Unfortunately Myra has already entered the royal household, and the King cannot release her while he lives. He does, however, hand her over to the care of the Hebrew Prophet Daniel (aka Belteshazzar), nominal governor of Babylon. Daniel reveals, from knowledge of the facts revealed by Ramose, from an inscription of some seals which came with Myra's jewellery, and from prophetic dreams etc, that Myra, is the daughter of Mysia, who was daughter of Zedekiah, last King of Judah, and of Merodach, son of Nebuchadnazzar of Babylon.
King Nabonidus dies, and in accordance with arrangement he had made, Myra is rushed out of Daniel's house to the city gates - he knows Belschazzar, now King of Chaldeans, and ruler of Babylonian empire, will try to stop her, because he wants her himself. The house had, however, been watched, and guards seize her at the city gates. She is taken to Belschazzar's palace, there to await him - he is off fighting the Persians. Ramose and Belus manage to escape. Belus stays with various influential priests, astrologers and others, and ferments opposition to King Belschazzar, which isn't difficult since he is widely seen as a tyrant - and his war with Cyrus of Persia is going badly. Ramose, hidden in Daniel's house, tries to get a message to Myra, through Obil, a Babylonian Hebrew in the employ of Belus. He gets a letter in reply.
They now hear that Belschazzar has been defeated, and he returns hurriedly to Babylon, proposing to rely on the city's walls for protection, while appealing to Egypt for help. Ramose receives another secret letter from Myra, asking him to come to the palace with an escort she has sent. Ramose accompanies Adna, a lady of the court, to the palace, where it transpires that the letter was a forgery, and he has fallen into Belschazzar's hands. The first letter was genuine, but was discovered and copied before delivery, which is why it appeared the same as the first - though Ramose did have some doubts about the second letter.
Belschazzar shows Ramose Obil, who has been seized by the guards, but unfortunately he had died while being questioned, and he has only a body to show. Belschazzar makes the pleasant proposal that he will have Ramose tortured to death in front of Myra. Unfortunately he cannot do this immediately, as the torturers are all dead, having killed themselves for fear of the anger of Belschazzar at the death of Obil, whim he had said was to be kept alive. So the entertainment is put off until after the coronation feast. The feast is attended by Myra and Ramose, both closely guarded.
As part of his amusements Belschazzar shows off the spoils from the temple in Jerusalem, and starts mocking the Hebrew God, saying how the gods of his empire were more powerful. At this moment a shadow envelopes the hall -which is full of notables of the empire, at least half of them being opposed to Belschazzar. Out of the shadow comes a hand, and the hand writes, in letters of fire, upon the wall of the hall. No one can read the letters - until someone thinks of calling Daniel. He comes, and declares that the words are the doom of Belschazzar. There is panic and confusion in the hall. Ramose escapes with Myra. With the aid of Adna they find their way to the streets, and make for Daniel's house. They arrive there, and are admitted by a servant. Guards pursue them, but lose them.
Next morning Belschazzar himself, with four guards, arrives outside the house - which they have discovered because of an ornament which Myra has dropped. Myra takes refuge on the roof, while Ramose and a servant - the other has fled - fights the soldiers. They kill some, but are forced onto the roof. They hear footsteps approaching, Belschazzar thinks it is the guard, but it is Belus. He tells Belschazzar that his end has come, and that the sounds of troop movements they hear are made by the Persian army, which he - and his following - has admitted to the city. He explains that this is in revenge for the death of his daughter, who was killed by Belschazzar. He then stabs Belschazzar. It ends there, but a much earlier prophecy by Belus told them that they would live happily ever after in their palace in Memphis.
Although it is Haggard's last novel, it is much stronger plot-wise than some of his latter stories (nor is it dominated by extraneous political motives like "Queen Sheba's Ring"). Ramose is caught up in great events - like Harmachis in "Cleopatra". But unlike Harmachis, who unwittingly enough betrays his heritage and pays a terrible price, Ramose survives his trials. Haggard is often stronger when he has an historical stage on which to set his story, even when he takes liberties with the details of history - no one should look to a novel for historical versimilitude. Thus Belschazzar is not precisely the Biblical or historical figure. But he is villainous enough for the details to not matter over much.
Myra is one of the strong and good women Haggard is fond of populating his stories with. Ramose is a standard hero, neither particularly virtuous nor especially charismatic. It is in the minor characters, such as Metep, Myra's nurse, and Belus, the Babylonian astrologer, that the interest often lies. As usual the character of Belus acts at once as advisor and counsellor to Ramose, and as the conduit much of the story to the reader - and as is often the case there is much of Haggard himself in the character. This may even be seen in the lingering grief Belus feels over the death of his own daughter - Haggard never fully recovered from the death of his young son. The relationship of Ramose and Myra is slightly uncomfortable, and Haggard might have drawn criticism for portraying what could be seen as an incestuous relationship - for Myra was brought up as Ramose's daughter, and was publicly known as such. The story ends happily enough for them, though Belus has nothing now to look forward too, not even revenge.