第4章

ThePrincelookedatherattentivelyandasked： “Bywhatgodthencanyouswear，ODaughterofIsrael？“ “ByJahveh，OPrince，whomweholdtobetheoneandonlyGod，theMakeroftheworldandallthatistherein。“ “ThenperhapshisothernameisKephera，“saidthePrincewithalittlesmile。“Buthaveitasyouwill。Swear，then，byyourgodJahveh。“ Thensheliftedbothherhandsaboveherheadandsaid： “I，Merapi，daughterofNathanofthetribeofLeviofthepeopleofIsrael，swearthatIwillspeakthetruthandallthetruthinthenameofJahveh，theGodofIsrael。“ “Telluswhatyouknowofthematterofthedeathofthisman，O Merapi。“ “Nothingthatyoudonotknowyourself，OPrince。Hewholiesthere，“ andshesweptherhandtowardsthecorpse，turninghereyesaway，“wasmyfather，anelderofIsrael。ThecaptainKhuakacamewhenthecornwasyoungtotheLandofGoshentochoosethosewhoshouldworkforPharaoh。Hewishedtotakemeintohishouse。MyfatherrefusedbecausefrommychildhoodIhadbeenaffiancedtoamanofIsrael； alsobecauseitisnotlawfulunderthelawforourpeopletointermarrywithyourpeople。ThenthecaptainKhuakaseizedmyfather，althoughhewasofhighrankandbeyondtheagetoworkforPharaoh，andhewastakenaway，asIthink，becausehewouldnotsuffermetowedKhuaka。AwhilelaterIdreamedthatmyfatherwassick。ThriceI dreameditandranawaytoTanistovisithim。ButthismorningI foundhimand，OPrince，youknowtherest。“ “Istherenomore？“askedSeti。 Thegirlhesitated，thenanswered： “Onlythis，OPrince。Thismansawmewithmyfathergivinghimfood，forhewasweakandovercomewiththetoilofdiggingthemudintheheatofthesun，hewhobeinganobleofourpeopleknewnothingofsuchlabourfromhisyouth。InmypresenceKhuakaaskedmyfatherifnowhewouldgivemetohim。Myfatheransweredthatsoonerwouldheseemekissedbysnakesanddevouredbycrocodiles。’Ihearyou，’ answeredKhuaka。’Learn，now，slaveNathan，beforeto-morrow’ssunarises，youshallbekissedbyswordsanddevouredbycrocodilesorjackals。’’Sobeit，’saidmyfather，’butlearn，OKhuaka，thatifso，itisrevealedtomewhoamapriestandaprophetofJahveh，thatbeforeto-morrow’ssunyoualsoshallbekissedbyswordsandoftherestwewilltalkatthefootofJahveh’sthrone。’ “Afterwards，asyouknow，Prince，theoverseerfloggedmyfatherasI heardKhuakaorderhimtodoifhelaggedthroughweariness，andthenKhuakakilledhimbecausemyfatherinhismadnessstrucktheoverseerwithamattock。Ihavenomoretosay，savethatIpraythatImaybesentbacktomyownpeopletheretomournmyfatheraccordingtoourcustom。“ “Towhomwouldyoubesent？Yourmother？“ “Nay，OPrince，mymother，aladyofSyria，isdead。Iwillgotomyuncle，JabeztheLevite。“ “Standaside，“saidSeti。“Themattershallbeseentolater。Appear，OAnatheScribe。Sweartheoathandtelluswhatyouhaveseenofthisman’sdeath，sincetwowitnessesareneedful。“ SoIsworeandrepeatedallthisstorythatIhavewrittendown。 “Now，Khuaka，“saidthePrincewhenIhadfinished，“haveyouaughttosay？“ “Onlythis，ORoyalOne，“answeredthecaptainthrowinghimselfuponhisknees，“thatIstruckyoubyaccident，notknowingthatthepersonofyourHighnesswashiddeninthatlongcloak。ForthisdeeditistruethatIamworthyofdeath，butIprayyoutopardonmebecauseI knewnotwhatIdid。Therestisnothing，sinceIonlyslewamutinousslaveoftheIsraelites，assuchareslaineveryday。“ “Tellme，OKhuaka，whoarebeingtriedforthisman’sdeathandnotforthestrikingofoneofroyalbloodbychance，underwhichlawitislawfulforyoutokillanIsraelitewithouttrialbeforetheappointedofficersofPharaoh。“ “Iamnotlearned。Idonotknowthelaw，OPrince。Allthatthiswomansaidisfalse。“ “Atleastitisnotfalsethatyondermanliesdeadandthatyouslewhim，asyouyourselfadmit。Learnnow，andletallEgyptlearn，thatevenanIsraelitemaynotbemurderedfornooffencesavethatofwearinessandofpayingbackunearnedblowwithblow。Yourbloodshallanswerforhisblood。Soldiers!Strikeoffhishead。“ TheNubiansleaptuponhim，andwhenIlookedagainKhuaka’sheadlesscorpselaybythecorpseoftheHebrewNathanandtheirbloodwasmingleduponthestepsofthetemple。 “ThebusinessoftheCourtisfinished，“saidthePrince。“Officers，seethatthiswomanisescortedtoherownpeople，andwithherthebodyofherfatherforburial。See，too，uponyourlivesthatnoinsultorharmisdonetoher。ScribeAna，accompanymehencetomyhousewhereIwouldspeakwithyou。Letguardsprecedeandfollowme。“ Heroseandallthepeoplebowed。AsheturnedtogotheladyMerapisteppedforward，andfallinguponherknees，said： “OmostjustPrince，nowandeverIamyourservant。“ Thenwesetout，andasweleftthemarket-placeonourwaytothepalaceofthePrince，Iheardatumultofvoicesbehindus，someinpraiseandsomeinblameofwhathadbeendone。Wewalkedoninsilencebrokenonlybythemeasuredtrampoftheguards。Presentlythemoonpassedbehindacloudandtheworldwasdark。Thenfromtheedgeofthecloudsprangoutarayoflightthatlaystraightandnarrowaboveusontheheavens。Setistudieditawhileandsaid： “Tellme，OAna，ofwhatdoesthatmoonbeamputyouinmind？“ “Ofasword，OPrince，“Ianswered，“stretchedoutoverEgyptandheldintheblackhandofsomemightygodorspirit。See，thereisthebladefromwhichfalllittlecloudslikedropsofblood，thereisthehiltofgold，andlook!therebeneathisthefaceofthegod。Firestreamsfromhiseyebrowsandhisbrowisblackandawful。Iamafraid，thoughwhatIfearIknownot。“ “Youhaveapoet’smind，Ana。Still，whatyouseeIseeandofthisI amsure，thatsomeswordofvengeanceisindeedstretchedoutoverEgyptbecauseofitsevildoings，whereofthislightmaybethesymbol。Behold!itseemstofalluponthetemplesofthegodsandthepalaceofPharaoh，andtocleavethem。Nowitisgoneandthenightisasnightswerefromthebeginningoftheworld。Cometomychamberandletuseat。Iamweary，Ineedfoodandwine，asyoumustafterstrugglingwiththatlustfulmurdererwhomIhavesenttohisownplace。“ Theguardssalutedandweredismissed。WemountedtothePrince’sprivatechambers，inoneofwhichhisservantscladmeinfinelinenrobesafteraskilledphysicianofthehouseholdhaddoctoredthebruisesuponmythighoverwhichhetiedabandagespreadwithbalm。 ThenIwasledtoasmalldining-hall，whereIfoundthePrincewaitingformeasthoughIweresomehonouredguestandnotapoorscribewhohadwonderedhencefromMemphiswithmywares。Hecausedmetositdownathisrighthandandevendrewupthechairformehimself，whereatIfeltabashed。TothisdayIrememberthatleather- seatedchair。ThearmsofitendedinivorysphinxesandonitsbackofblackwoodinanovalwasinlaidthenameofthegreatRameses，towhomindeedithadoncebelonged。Disheswerehandedtous——onlytwoofthemandthosequitesimple，forSetiwasnogreateater——byayoungNubianslaveofaverymerryface，andwiththemwinemoredeliciousthananyIhadevertasted。 WeateanddrankandthePrincetalkedtomeofmybusinessasascribeandofthemakingoftales，whichseemedtointeresthimverymuch。IndeedonemighthavethoughtthathewasapupilintheschoolsandItheteacher，sohumblyandwithsuchcaredidheweigheverythingthatIsaidaboutmyart。Ofmattersofstateorofthedreadfulsceneofbloodthroughwhichwehadjustpassedhespokenoword。Attheend，however，afteralittlepauseduringwhichheheldupacupofalabasterasthinasaneggshell，studyingthelightplayingthroughitontherichredwinewithin，hesaidtome： “FriendAna，wehavepassedastirringhourtogether，thefirstperhapsofmany，ormayhapthelast。Alsowewerebornuponthesamedayandtherefore，unlesstheastrologerslie，asdoothermen——andwomen——beneaththesamestar。Lastly，ifImaysayit，Ilikeyouwell，thoughIknownothowyoulikeme，andwhenyouareintheroomwithmeIfeelatease，whichisstrange，forIknowofnootherwithwhomitisso。 “NowbyachanceonlythismorningIfoundinsomeoldrecordswhichI wasstudying，thattheheirtothethroneofEgyptathousandyearsago，had，andtherefore，asnothingeverchangesinEgypt，stillhas，arighttoaprivatelibrarianforwhichtheState，thatis，thetoilersoftheland，mustpayasintheendtheypayforall。Somedynastieshavegoneby，itseems，sincetherewassuchalibrarian，I thinkbecausemostoftheheirstothethronecouldnot，ordidnot，read。AlsobychanceImentionedthemattertotheVizierNehesiwhogrudgesmeeveryounceofgoldIspend，asthoughitwereonetakenoutofhisownpouch，whichperhapsitis。Heansweredwiththatcrookedsmileofhis： “’SinceIknowwell，Prince，thatthereisnoscribeinEgyptwhomyouwouldsufferaboutyouforasinglemonth，IwillsetthecostofalibrarianatthefigureatwhichitstoodintheEleventhDynastyupontherollofyourHighness’shouseholdanddefrayitfromtheRoyalTreasuryuntilheisdischarged。’ “Therefore，ScribeAna，Iofferyouthispostforonemonth；thatisallforwhichIcanpromiseyouwillbepaidwhateveritmaybe，forI forgetthesum。“ “Ithankyou，OPrince，“Iexclaimed。