In this chapter, the young narrator wonders what kind of a pharaoh would be if he were to become the ruler of Egypt. He wonders if the economy was based on the absolute power of the king, or if it was driven by slaves. He also wonders whether the period of prosperity under the rule of ramses ii was prosperous. The narrator says that the period was prosperous because Egypt was able to subdue neighboring countries and acquire advanced technologies through trade with neighboring countries. He says that he does not buy into the story of the nefertari, the wife of the late king, because she did not live up to her husband's expectations. She had only a brief stay in Egypt and lived only a short time. She died two years after the king's death, leaving only three wives and ninety children.