第6章

“Indeed。Itrustthatthegoodgod，ourdivineparent，iswellto-nightasyouleavehimsoearly。“ “Ileavehimbecausehesentmewithamessagetoyou。“Shepaused，lookingatmesharply，thenasked，“Whoisthatman？Idonotknowhim。“ “Itisyourmisfortune，Userti，butonewhichcanbemended。HeisnamedAnatheScribe，whowritesstrangestoriesofgreatinterestwhichyouwoulddowelltoreadwhodwelltoomuchupontheoutsideoflife。HeisfromMemphisandhisfather’snamewas——Iforgetwhat。 Ana，whatwasyourfather’sname？“ “Onetoohumbleforroyalears，Prince，“Ianswered，“butmygrandfatherwasPentaurthepoetwhowroteofthedeedsofthemightyRameses。“ “Isitso？Whydidyounottellmethatbefore？ThedescentshouldearnyouapensionfromtheCourtifyoucanextractitfromNehesi。 Well，Userti，hisgrandfather’snamewasPentaurwhoseimmortalversesyouhavedoubtlessreadupontemplewalls，whereourgrandfatherwascarefultopublishthem。“ “Ihave——tomysorrow——andthoughtthempoor，boastfulstuff，“sheansweredcoldly。 “Tobehonest，ifAnawillforgiveme，sodoI。Icanassureyouthathisstoriesareagreatimprovementonthem。FriendAna，thisismysister，Userti，myfather’sdaughterthoughourmotherswerenotthesame。“ “Iprayyou，Seti，tobesogoodastogivememyrightfultitlesinspeakingofmetoscribesandotherofyourservants。“ “Yourpardon，Userti。This，Ana，isthefirstLadyofEgypt，theRoyalHeiress，thePrincessoftheTwoLands，theHigh-priestessofAmon，theCherishedoftheGods，thehalf-sisteroftheHeir-apparent，theDaughterofHathor，theLotusBloomofLove，theQueentobeof—— Userti，whosequeenwillyoube？Haveyoumadeupyourmind？FormyselfIknownooneworthyofsomuchbeauty，excellence，learningand——whatshallIadd——sweetness，yes，sweetness。“ “Seti，“shesaidstampingherfoot，“ifitpleasesyoutomakeamockofmebeforeastranger，IsupposethatImustsubmit。Sendhimaway，Iwouldspeakwithyou。“ “Makeamockofyou!Oh!mineisahardfate。Whentruthgushesfromthewellofmyheart，IamtoldImock，andwhenImock，allsay——hespeakstruth。Beseated，Sister，andtalkonfreely。ThisAnaismyswornfriendwhosavedmylifebutnow，forwhichdeedperhapsheshouldbemyenemy。Hismemoryisexcellentalsoandhewillrememberwhatyousayandwriteitdownafterwards，whereasImightforget。 Therefore，withyourleave，Iwillaskhimtostayhere。“ “MyPrince，“Ibrokein，“Iprayyousuffermetogo。“ “MySecretary，“heansweredwithanoteofcommandinhisvoice，“I prayyoutoremainwhereyouare。“ SoIsatmyselfonthegroundafterthefashionofascribe，havingnochoice，andthePrincesssatherselfonacouchattheendofthetable，butSetiremainedstanding。ThenthePrincesssaid： “Sinceitisyourwill，Brother，thatIshouldtalksecretsintootherearsthanyours，Iobeyyou。Still“——hereshelookedatmewrathfully——“letthetonguebecarefulthatitdoesnotrepeatwhattheearshaveheard，lestthereshouldbeneitherearsnortongue。MyBrother，ithasbeenreportedtoPharaoh，whileweatetogether，thatthereistumultinthistown。IthasbeenreportedtohimthatbecauseofatroubleaboutsomebaseIsraeliteyoucausedoneofhisofficerstobebeheaded，afterwhichtherecameariotwhichstillrages。“ “StrangethattruthshouldhavecometotheearsofPharaohsoquickly。Now，mySister，ifhehadhearditthreemoonshenceIcouldhavebelievedyou——almost。“ “Thenyoudidbeheadtheofficer？“ “Yes，Ibeheadedhimabouttwohoursago。“ “Pharaohwilldemandanaccountofthematter。“ “Pharaoh，“answeredSetiliftinghiseyes，“hasnopowertoquestionthejusticeoftheGovernorofTanisinthenorth。“ “Youareinerror，Seti。Pharaohhasallpower。“ “Nay，Sister，Pharaohisbutonemanamongmillionsofothermen，andthoughhespeaksitistheirspiritwhichbendshistongue，whileabovethatspiritisagreatgreaterspiritwhodecreeswhattheyshallthinktoendsofwhichweknownothing。“ “Idonotunderstand，Seti。“ “Ineverthoughtyouwould，Userti，butwhenyouhaveleisure，askAnaheretoexplainthemattertoyou。Iamsurethat/he/understands。“ “Oh!Ihaveborneenough，“exclaimedUsertirising。“HearkentothecommandofPharaoh，PrinceSeti。Itisthatyouwaituponhimto-morrowinfullcouncil，atanhourbeforenoon，theretotalkwithhimofthisquestionoftheIsraelitishslavesandtheofficerwhomithaspleasedyoutokill。Icametospeakotherwordstoyoualso，butastheywereforyourprivateear，thesecanbideamorefittingopportunity。Farewell，myBrother。“ “What，areyougoingsosoon，Sister？IwishedtotellyouthestoryaboutthoseIsraelites，andespeciallyofthemaidwhosenameis——whatwashername，Ana？“ “Merapi，MoonofIsrael，Prince，“Iaddedwithagroan。 “AboutthemaidcalledMerapi，MoonofIsrael，IthinkthesweetestthateverIhavelookedupon，whosefatherthedeadcaptainmurderedinmysight。“ “Sothereisawomaninthebusiness？Well，Iguessedit。“ “Inwhatbusinessistherenotawoman，Userti，eveninthatofamessagefromPharaoh。Pambasa，Pambasa，escortthePrincessandsummonherservants，womeneveryoneofthem，unlessmysensesmockme。Good- nighttoyou，OSisterandLadyoftheTwoLands，andforgiveme——thatcoronetofyoursissomewhatawry。“ AtlastshewasgoneandIrose，wipingmybrowwithacornerofmyrobe，andlookingatthePrincewhostoodbeforethefirelaughingsoftly。 “Makeanoteofallthistalk，Ana，“hesaid；“thereismoreinitthanmeetstheear。“ “Ineednonote，Prince，“Ianswered；“everywordisburntuponmymindasahotironburnsatabletofwood。Withreasontoo，sincenowherHighnesswillhatemeforallherlife。“ “Muchbetterso，Ana，thanthatsheshouldpretendtoloveyou，whichsheneverwouldhavedonewhileyouaremyfriend。Womenoftimesrespectthosewhomtheyhateandevenwilladvancethembecauseofpolicy，butletthosewhomtheypretendtolovebeware。ThetimemaycomewhenyouwillyetbeUserti’smosttrustedcouncillor。“ NowhereI，AnatheScribe，willstatethatinafterdays，whenthissamequeenwasthewifeofPharaohSaptah，Idid，asitchanced，becomehermosttrustedcouncillor。Moreover，inthosetimes，yes，andeveninthehourofherdeath，shesworefromthemomenthereyesfirstfellonmeshehadknownmetobetrue-heartedandheldmeinesteemasnoself-seeker。More，Ithinkshebelievedwhatshesaid，havingforgottenthatonceshelookeduponmeasherenemy。ThisindeedIneverwas，whoalwaysheldherinhighregardandhonourasagreatladywholovedhercountry，thoughonewhosometimeswasnotwise。ButasIcouldnotforeseethesethingsonthatnightoflongago，IonlystaredatthePrinceandsaid： “Oh!whydidyounotallowmetodepartasyourHighnesssaidImightatthebeginning？Soonorlatemyheadwillpaythepriceofthisnight’swork。“ “Thenshemusttakeminewithit。Listen，Ana。Ikeptyouhere，nottovexthePrincessoryou，butforagoodreason。YouknowthatitisthecustomoftheroyaldynastiesofEgyptforkings，orthosewhowillbekings，towedtheirnearkininorderthatthebloodmayremainthepurer。“ “Yes，Prince，andnotonlyamongthosewhoareroyal。Still，Ithinkitanevilcustom。“ “AsIdo，sincetheracewhereinitispractisedgrowseverweakerinbodyandinmind；whichiswhy，perhaps，myfatherisnotwhathisfatherwasandIamnotwhatmyfatheris。“ “Also，Prince，itishardtomingletheloveofthesisterandofthewife。“ “Veryhard，Ana；sohardthatwhenitisattemptedbothareapttovanish。Well，ourmothershavingbeentrueroyalwives，thoughhersdiedbeforeminewasweddedbymyfather，PharaohdesiresthatI shouldmarrymyhalf-sister，Userti，andwhatisworse，shedesiresitalso。Moreover，thepeople，whofeartroubleaheadinEgyptifwe，whoaloneareleftofthetrueroyalracebornofqueens，remainapartandshetakesanotherlord，orItakeanotherwife，demandthatitshouldbebroughtabout，sincetheybelievethatwhoevercallsUsertitheStronghisspousewillonedayruletheland。“ “WhydoesthePrincesswishit——thatshemaybeaqueen？“ “Yes，Ana，thoughwereshetowedmycousin，Amenmeses，thesonofPharaoh’selderbrotherKhaemuas，shemightstillbeaqueen，ifI chosetostandasideasIwouldnotbelothtodo。“ “WouldEgyptsufferthis，Prince？“ “Idonotknow，nordoesitmattersinceshehatesAmenmeses，whoisstrong-willedandambitious，andwillhavenoneofhim。Alsoheisalreadymarried。“ “Istherenootherroyalonewhomshemighttake，Prince？“ “None。Moreovershewishesmealone。“ “Why，Prince？“