第3章

Howfineathing，thoughtItomyself，itistobeaPrincewhobyliftingafingercanthuscommandserviceatanymomentofthedayornight。 JustatthatmomentSetisaidtome： “See，Ana，howsadathingitistobeaPrince，whocannotevenstirabroadwithoutnoticetohishouseholdandcommandingtheserviceofasecretguardtospyuponhiseveryaction，anddoubtlesstomakereportthereoftothepoliceofPharaoh。“ Therearetwofacestoeverything，thoughtItomyselfagain。 Wewalkeddownabroadstreetborderedbytrees，beyondwhichwerelime-washed，flat-roofedhousesbuiltofsun-driedbrick，standing，eachofthem，initsowngarden，tillatlengthwecametothegreatmarket-placejustasthefullmoonroseabovethepalm-trees，makingtheworldalmostaslightasday。Tanis，orRamesesasitisalsocalled，wasaveryfinecitythen，ifonlyhalfthesizeofMemphis，thoughnowthattheCourthasleftitIhearitismuchdeserted。 Aboutthismarket-placestoodgreattemplesofthegods，withpylonsandavenuesofsphinxes，alsothatwonderoftheworld，thecolossalstatueofthesecondRameses，whiletothenorthuponamoundwasthegloriouspalaceofPharaoh。Otherpalacestherewerealso，inhabitedbythenoblesandofficersoftheCourt，andbetweenthemranlongstreetswheredweltthecitizens，ending，someofthem，onthatbranchoftheNilebywhichtheancientcitystood。 Setihaltedtogazeatthesewondrousbuildings。 “Theyareveryold，“hesaid，“butmostofthem，likethewallsandthosetemplesofAmonandPtah，havebeenrebuiltinthetimeofmygrandfatherorsincehisdaybythelabourofIsraelitishslaveswhodwellyonderintherichlandofGoshen。“ “Theymusthavecostmuchgold，“Ianswered。 “TheKingsofEgyptdonotpaytheirslaves，“remarkedthePrinceshortly。 Thenwewentonandmingledwiththethousandsofthepeoplewhowerewanderingtoandfroseekingrestafterthebusinessoftheday。HereonthefrontierofEgyptweregatheredfolkofeveryrace；Bedouinsfromthedesert，SyriansfrombeyondtheRedSea，merchantsfromtherichIsleofChittim，travellersfromthecoast，andtradersfromthelandofPuntandfromtheunknowncountriesofthenorth。Allweretalking，laughingandmakingmerry，savesomewhogatheredincirclestolistentoatelleroftalesorwanderingmusicians，ortowatchwomenwhodancedhalfnakedforgifts。 Nowandagainthecrowdwouldparttoletpassthechariotofsomenobleorladybeforewhichwentrunningfootmenwhoshouted，“Makeway，Makeway!“andlaidaboutthemwiththeirlongwands。Thencameaprocessionofwhite-robedpriestsofIsistravellingbymoonlightaswasfittingfortheservantsoftheLadyoftheMoon，andbearingalofttheholyimageofthegoddessbeforewhichallmenbowedandforalittlewhileweresilent。Afterthisfollowedthecorpseofsomegreatonenewlydead，precededbyatroopofhiredmournerswhorenttheairwiththeirlamentationsastheyconductedittothequarteroftheembalmers。Lastly，fromoutofoneofthesidestreetsemergedagangofseveralhundredhook-nosedandbeardedmen，amongwhomwereafewwomen，looselyropedtogetherandescortedbyacompanyofarmedguards。 “Whoarethese？“Iasked，forIhadneverseentheirlike。 “SlavesofthepeopleofIsraelwhoreturnfromtheirlabouratthediggingofthenewcanalwhichistoruntotheRedSea，“answeredthePrince。 Westoodstilltowatchthemgoby，andInotedhowproudlytheireyesflashedandhowfiercewastheirbearingalthoughtheywerebutmeninbonds，verywearytooandstainedbytoilinmudandwater。Presentlythishappened。Awhite-beardedmanlaggedbehind，draggingonthelineandcheckingthemarch。Thereuponanoverseerranupandfloggedhimwithacruelwhipcutfromthehideofthesea-horse。Themanturnedand，liftingawoodenspadethathecarried，strucktheoverseersuchablowthathecrackedhisskullsothathefelldowndead。OtheroverseersrushedattheHebrew，astheseIsraeliteswerecalled，andbeathimtillhealsofell。Thenasoldierappearedand，seeingwhathadhappened，drewhisbronzesword。Fromamongthethrongsprangoutagirl，youngandverylovelyalthoughshewasbutroughlyclad。 SincethenIhaveseenMerapi，MoonofIsrael，asshewascalled，cladintheproudraimentofaqueen，andonceevenofagoddess，butnever，Ithink，didshelookmorebeauteousthaninthishourofherslavery。Herlargeeyes，neitherbluenorblack，caughtthelightofthemoonandwereaswimwithtears。Herplenteousbronze-huedhairflowedingreatcurlsoverthesnow-whitebosomthatherroughroberevealed。Herdelicatehandswereliftedasthoughtowardofftheblowswhichfelluponhimwhomshesoughttoprotect。Hertallandslendershapestoodoutagainstaflareoflightwhichburneduponsomemarketstall。Shewasbeauteousexceedingly，sobeauteousthatmyheartstoodstillatthesightofher，yes，minethatforsomeyearshadheldnothoughtofwomansavesuchaswereblackandevil。 Shecriedaloud。Standingoverthefallenmansheappealedtothesoldierformercy。Then，seeingthattherewasnonetohopeforfromhim，shecasthergreateyesarounduntiltheyfelluponthePrinceSeti。 “Oh!Sir，“shewailed，“youhaveanobleair。Willyoustandbyandseemyfathermurderedfornofault？“ “Dragheroff，orIsmitethroughher，“shoutedthecaptain，fornowshehadthrownherselfdownuponthefallenIsraelite。Theoverseersobeyed，tearingheraway。 “Hold，butcher!“criedthePrince。 “Whoareyou，dog，thatdaretoteachPharaoh’sofficerhisduty？“ answeredthecaptain，smitingthePrinceinthefacewithhislefthand。 ThenswiftlyhestruckdownwardsandIsawthebronzeswordpassthroughthebodyoftheIsraelitewhoquiveredandlaystill。Itwasalldoneinaninstant，andonthesilencethatfollowedrangoutthesoundofawoman’swail。ForamomentSetichoked——withrage，Ithink。 Thenhespokeasingleword——“Guards!“ ThefourNubians，who，asordered，hadkeptatadistance，burstthroughthegatheredthrong。EretheyreachedusI，whotillnowhadstoodamazed，sprangatthecaptainandgrippedhimbythethroat。Hestruckatmewithhisbloodysword，buttheblow，fallingonmylongcloak，onlybruisedmeontheleftthigh。ThenI，whowasstronginthosedays，grappledwithhimandwerolledtogetherontheground。 Afterthistherewasgreattumult。TheHebrewslavesbursttheirropeandflungthemselvesuponthesoldierslikedogsuponajackal，batteringthemwiththeirbarefists。Thesoldiersdefendedthemselveswithswords；theoverseerspliedtheirhidewhips；womenscreamed，menshouted。ThecaptainwhomIhadseizedbegantogetthebetterofme； atleastIsawhisswordflashabovemeandthoughtthatallwasover。 Doubtlessitwouldhavebeen，hadnotSetihimselfdraggedthemanbackwardsandthusgiventhefourNubianguardstimetoseizehim。 NextIheardthePrincecryoutinaringingvoice： “Hold!ItisSeti，thesonofPharaoh，theGovernorofTanis，withwhomyouhavetodo。See，“andhethrewbackthehoodofhiscloaksothatthemoonshoneuponhisface。 Instantlytherewasagreatquiet。Now，firstoneandthenanotherasthetruthsunkintothem，menbegantofallupontheirknees，andI heardonesayinanawedvoice： “TheroyalSon，thePrinceofEgyptstruckinthefacebyasoldier! Bloodmustpayforit。“ “Howisthatofficernamed？“askedSeti，pointingtothemanwhohadkilledtheIsraeliteandwell-nighkilledme。 SomeoneansweredthathewasnamedKhuaka。 “BringhimtothestepsofthetempleofAmon，“saidSetitotheNubianswhoheldhimfast。“Followme，friendAna，ifyouhavethestrength。Nay，leanuponmyshoulder。“ SorestingupontheshoulderofthePrince，forIwasbruisedandbreathless，Iwalkedwithhimahundredpacesormoretothestepsofthegreattemplewhereweclimbedtotheplatformattheheadofthestairs。Afteruscametheprisoner，andafterhimallthemultitude，averygreatnumberwhostooduponthestepsandontheflatgroundbeyond。ThePrince，whowasverywhiteandquiet，sathimselfdownuponthelowgranitebaseofatallobeliskwhichstoodinfrontofthetemplepylon，andsaid： “AsGovernorofTanis，theCityofRameses，withpoweroflifeanddeathatallhoursandinallplaces，IdeclaremyCourtopen。“ “TheRoyalCourtisopen!“criedthemultitudeintheaccustomedform。 “Thisisthecase，“saidthePrince。“YondermanwhoisnamedKhuaka，byhisdressacaptainofPharaoh’sarmy，ischargedwiththemurderofacertainHebrew，andwiththeattemptedmurderofAnathescribe。 Letwitnessesbecalled。Bringthebodyofthedeadmanandlayitherebeforeme。Bringthewomanwhostrovetoprotecthim，thatshemayspeak。“ Thebodywasbroughtandlaidupontheplatform，itswideeyesstaringupatthemoon。Thensoldierswhohadgatheredthrustforwardtheweepinggirl。 “Ceasefromtears，“saidSeti，“andswearbyKepherathecreator，andbyMaatthegoddessoftruthandlaw，tospeaknothingbutthetruth。“ Thegirllookedupandsaidinarichlowvoicethatinsomewayremindedmeofhoneybeingpouredfromajar，perhapsbecauseitwasthickwithstrangledsobs： “ORoyalSonofEgypt，IcannotswearbythosegodswhoamadaughterofIsrael。“