There were voices from the other world, and they have a message

"Before the first king ruled on the house of Egypt, the great valley of the Nile was divided into dependent districts, each with its own god, religion, and sovereign."

Did Naguib Mahfouz had a crystal ball? He may have a glimpse of the Egypt of antiquity while composing his short stories. His collection was stripped of the mystery and pedigree, which made succeeding generations marveled at the pyramids that survived the centuries. The pharaohs and his families weren't different from their subjects, and their emotions were too human to understand easily. It would be fitting to refer to this collection as "Voices from the Other World," as the author gave his readers a slice of how Egypt was ruled millennia ago. He didn't suggest that the course of history would change if the Egyptians remained good and true. After all, what befell them wouldn't be too different from the reasons behind the disintegration of the Roman Empire. Moreover, humans must make mistakes. Otherwise, they wouldn't learn the lessons and accomplish more.

In an arid land such as Egypt, Mahfouz would illustrate that there were many happenings there. If the desert would have a face, then he would drop his eyes in mourning. If the desert would have limbs, then his fingers would shake with emotion. And if the sky had a face as well, then it would regard the desert with compassion and joy.

Let's have a look:

Evil Adored. Khnum had fertile soil, favorable climate, and plentiful population. It had all the features that brought fame and prosperity to Egypt, but the fate of the populace was cruelly wrought by hardships and woes. Mahfouz would hint that man was a fragile creature in the desert, and corruption, disease, and pestilence could claim him fast and easy. It would take an elderly gentleman, gauntly built and boring a sharp expression, to enchant the hearts of the tribe and arouse their charitable feelings. He didn't grow up under the watchful eyes of the Pharaoh, and he would vanish without a trace. What would Mahfouz be hinting at? Most things could be too good to be true. It might be another thing, though. Kingdoms, like seasons, would come and go. This seems possible. A good ruler must have an iron-fist hand. It's rather an irony, but there's a bitter truth about it.

King Userkaf's Forgiveness. "People seek refuge in the shade of the leafy tree, but when winter strips it bare they forsake it without regret," rued Pharaoh Userkaf. He was among the magnificent rules of the Fifth Dynasty, but he was disheartened to find out that his subjects didn't look at him with high regard. (And he disguised himself as a peasant to learn the awful truth.) It was a sad tale of a good man's fall from grace, but his keen understanding of human nature would save him. Alas, a handful of people would be capable of such thing. And the pharaoh's son, who succeeded him to the throne, wouldn't be one of them. Love saved the day, though.

The Return of Sinube. It was a bittersweet tale of lost love, regrets, and what-might-have-been. This deceptively simple tale could hint of the fortune of Ancient Egypt. What would have happened if the pharaohs showed good judgment? No one would know, not even Mahfouz (and his crystal ball).