第2章

Oneday，however，along-beardedoldman，withagold-tippedwandofoffice，whohadabull’sheadembroideredonhisrobe，stoppedinfrontofmeand，callingmeawhite-headedcrow，askedmewhatIwasdoinghoppingdaybydayaboutthechambersofthepalace。Itoldhimmynameandbusinessandhetoldmehis，whichitseemedwasPambasa，oneofthePrince’schamberlains。WhenIaskedhimtotakemetothePrince，helaughedinmyfaceandsaiddarklythattheroadtohisHighness’spresencewaspavedwithgold。Iunderstoodwhathemeantandgavehimagiftwhichhetookasreadilyasacockpickscorn，sayingthathewouldspeakofmetohismasterandthatImustcomebackagain。 Icamethriceandeachtimethatoldcockpickedmorecorn。AtlastI grewenragedand，forgettingwhereIwas，begantoshoutathimandcallhimathief，sothatfolksgatheredroundtolisten。Thisseemedtofrightenhim。Atfirsthelookedtowardsthedoorasthoughtosummontheguardtothrustmeout；thenchangedhismind，andinagrumblingvoicebademefollowhim。Wewentdownlongpassages，pastsoldierswhostoodatwatchinthemstillasmummiesintheircoffins，tillatlengthwecametosomebroideredcurtains。HerePambasawhisperedtometowait，andpassedthroughthecurtainswhichheleftnotquiteclosed，sothatIcouldseetheroombeyondandhearallthattookplacethere。 Itwasasmallroomliketothatofanyscribe，foronthetableswerepalettes，pensofreed，inkinalabastervases，andsheetsofpapyruspinneduponboards。Thewallswerepainted，notasIwaswonttopainttheBooksoftheDead，butafterthefashionofanearliertime，suchasIhaveseenincertainancienttombs，withpicturesofwildfowlrisingfromtheswampsandoftreesandplantsastheygrow。Againstthewallshungracksinwhichwerepapyrusrolls，andonthehearthburnedafireofcedar-wood。 BythisfirestoodthePrince，whomIknewfromhisstatues。Hisyearsappearedfewerthanminealthoughwewerebornuponthesameday，andhewastallandthin，veryfairalsoforoneofourpeople，perhapsbecauseoftheSyrianbloodthatraninhisveins。HishairwasstraightandbrownliketothatofnorthernfolkwhocometotradeinthemarketsofEgypt，andhiseyesweregreyratherthanblack，setbeneathsomewhatprominentbrowssuchasthoseofhisfather，Meneptah。Hisfacewassweetasawoman’s，butmadecuriousbycertainwrinkleswhichranfromthecornersoftheeyestowardstheears。I thinkthatthesecamefromthebendingofthebrowinthought，butotherssaythattheywereinheritedfromanancestressonthefemaleside。Bakenkhonsumyfriend，theoldprophetwhoservedunderthefirstSetianddiedbuttheotherday，havinglivedahundredandtwentyyears，toldmethatheknewherbeforeshewasmarried，andthatsheandherdescendant，Seti，mighthavebeentwins。 InhishandthePrinceheldanopenroll，averyancientwritingasI，whoamskilledinsuchmattersthathavetodowithmytrade，knewfromitsappearance。Liftinghiseyessuddenlyfromthestudyofthisroll，hesawthechamberlainstandingbeforehim。 “Youcameatagoodtime，Pambasa，“hesaidinavoicethatwasverysoftandpleasant，andyetmostmanlike。“Youareoldanddoubtlesswise。Say，areyouwise，Pambasa？“ “Yes，yourHighness。IamwiselikeyourHighness’suncle，Khaemuasthemightymagician，whosesandalsIusedtocleanwhenIwasyoung。“ “Isitso？Thenwhyareyousocarefultohideyourwisdomwhichshouldbeopenlikeaflowerforuspoorbeestosuckat？Well，Iamgladtolearnthatyouarewise，forinthisbookofmagicthatIhavebeenreadingIfindproblemsworthyofKhaemuasthedeparted，whomI onlyrememberasabrooding，black-browedmanmuchlikemycousin，Amenmeseshisson——savethatnoonecancallAmenmeseswise。“ “WhyisyourHighnessglad？“ “Becauseyou，beingbyyourownaccounthisequal，cannowinterpretthematterasKhaemuaswouldhavedone。Youknow，Pambasa，thathadhelivedhewouldhavebeenPharaohinplaceofmyfather。Hediedtoosoon，however，whichprovestomethattherewassomethinginthistaleofhiswisdom，sincenoreallywisemanwouldeverwishtobePharaohofEgypt。“ Pambasastaredwithhismouthopen。 “NotwishtobePharaoh!“hebegan—— “Now，PambasatheWise，“wentonthePrinceasthoughhehadnotheardhim。“Listen。Thisoldbookgivesacharm’toemptytheheartofitsweariness，’thatitsaysistheoldestandmostcommonsicknessintheworldfromwhichonlykittens，somechildren，andmadpeoplearefree。 Itappearsthatthecureforthissickness，sosaysthebook，istostandonthetopofthepyramidofKhufuatmidnightatthatmomentwhenthemoonislargestinthewholeyear，anddrinkfromthecupofdreams，recitingmeanwhileaspellwrittenhereatlengthinlanguagewhichIcannotread。“ “Thereisnovirtueinspells，Prince，ifanyonecanreadthem。“ “Andnouse，itwouldseem，iftheycanbereadbynone。“ “Moreover，howcananyoneclimbthepyramidofKhufu，whichiscoveredwithpolishedmarble，eveninthedayletaloneatmidnight，yourHighness，andtheredrinkofthecupofdreams？“ “Idonotknow，Pambasa。AllIknowisthatIwearyofthisfoolishness，andoftheworld。Tellmeofsomethingthatwilllightenmyheart，foritisheavy。“ “Therearejugglerswithout，Prince，oneofwhomsayshecanthrowaropeintotheairandclimbupituntilhevanishesintoheaven。“ “Whenhehasdoneitinyoursight，Pambasa，bringhimtome，butnotbefore。Deathistheonlyropebywhichweclimbtoheaven——orbeloweredintohell。ForrememberthereisagodcalledSet，afterwhom，likemygreat-grandfather，Iamnamedbytheway——thepriestsaloneknowwhy——aswellasonecalledOsiris。“ “Thentherearethedancers，Prince，andamongthemsomeveryfinelymadegirls，forIsawthembathinginthepalacelake，suchaswouldhavedelightedtheheartofyourgrandfather，thegreatRameses。“ “Theydonotdelightmyheartwhowantnonakedwomenprancinghere。 Tryagain，Pambasa。“ “Icanthinkofnothingelse，Prince。Yet，stay。ThereisascribewithoutnamedAna，athin，sharp-nosedmanwhosaysheisyourHighness’stwininRa。“ “Ana!“saidthePrince。“HeofMemphiswhowritesstories？Whydidyounotsaysobefore，youoldfool？Lethimenteratonce，atonce。“ NowhearingthisI，Ana，walkedthroughthecurtainsandprostratedmyself，saying，“Iamthatscribe，ORoyalSonoftheSun。“ “HowdareyouenterthePrince’spresencewithoutbeingbidden-“ beganPambasa，butSetibrokeinwithasternvoice，saying，“Andhowdareyou，Pambasa，keepthislearnedmanwaitingatmydoorlikeadog？Rise，Ana，andceasefromgivingmetitles，forwearenotatCourt。Tellme，howlonghaveyoubeeninTanis？“ “Manydays，OPrince，“Ianswered，“seekingyourpresenceandinvain。“ “Andhowdidyouwinitatlast？“ “Bypayment，OPrince，“Iansweredinnocently，“asitseemsisusual。 Thedoorkeepers-“ “Iunderstand，“saidSeti，“thedoorkeepers!Pambasa，youwillascertainwhatamountthislearnedscribehasdisbursedto’thedoorkeepers’andrefundhimdouble。Begonenowandseetothematter。“ SoPambasawent，castingapiteouslookatmeoutofthecornerofhiseye。 “Tellme，“saidSetiwhenhewasgone，“youwhomustbewiseinyourfashion，whydoesaCourtalwaysbreedthieves？“ “Isupposeforthesamereason，OPrince，thatadog’sbackbreedsfleas。Fleasmustlive，andthereisthedog。“ “True，“heanswered，“andthesepalacefleasarenotpaidenough。IfeverIhavepowerIwillseetoit。Theyshallbefewerbutbetterfed。Now，Ana，beseated。Iknowyouthoughyoudonotknowme，andalreadyIhavelearnedtoloveyouthroughyourwritings。Tellmeofyourself。“ SoItoldhimallmysimpletale，towhichhelistenedwithoutaword，andthenaskedmewhyIhadcometoseehim。Irepliedthatitwasbecausehehadsentforme，whichhehadforgotten；alsobecauseI broughthimastorythatIhaddaredtodedicatetohim。ThenIlaidtherollbeforehimonthetable。 “Iamhonoured，“hesaidinapleasedvoice，“Iamgreatlyhonoured。 IfIlikeitwell，yourstoryshallgotothetombwithmeformyKatoreadandre-readuntilthedayofresurrection，thoughfirstIwillstudyitintheflesh。DoyouknowthiscityofTanis，Ana？“ IansweredthatIknewlittleofit，whohadspentmytimeherehauntingthedoorsofhisHighness。 “ThenwithyourleaveIwillbeyourguidethroughitthisnight，andafterwardswewillsupandtalk。“ Ibowedandheclappedhishands，whereonaservantappeared，notPambasa，butanother。 “Bringtwocloaks，“saidthePrince，“Igoabroadwiththescribe，Ana。LetaguardoffourNubians，nomore，followus，butatadistanceanddisguised。Letthemwaitattheprivateentrance。“ Themanbowedanddepartedswiftly。 Almostimmediatelyablackslaveappearedwithtwolonghoodedcloaks，suchascamel-driverswear，whichhehelpedustoputon。Then，takingalamp，heledusfromtheroomthroughadoorwayoppositetothatbywhichIhadentered，downpassagesandanarrowstairthatendedinacourtyard。Crossingthiswecametoawall，greatandthick，inwhichweredoubledoorssheathedwithcopperthatopenedmysteriouslyatourapproach。Outsideofthesedoorsstoodfourtallmen，alsowrappedincloaks，whoseemedtotakenonoteofus。Still，lookingbackwhenwehadgonealittleway，Iobservedthattheywerefollowingus，asthoughbychance。