第8章

“Looknowuponthatthroneandtellmewhatyouseethere。“ IobeyedhimbecauseImust，staringupthehallattheemptythrone。 AtfirstIsawnothing。Thenfiguresseemedtoflitaroundit。FromamongthesefiguresemergedtheshapeoftheCountAmenmeses。Hesatuponthethrone，lookingabouthimproudly，andInotedthathewasnolongercladasaprincebutasPharaohhimself。Presentlyhook-nosedmenappearedwhodraggedhimfromhisseat。Hefell，asIthought，intowater，foritseemedtosplashupabovehim。NextSetithePrinceappearedtomountthethrone，ledthitherbyawoman，ofwhomIcouldonlyseetheback。Isawhimdistinctlywearingthedoublecrownandholdingasceptreinhishand。HealsomeltedawayandotherscamewhomIdidnotknow，thoughIthoughtthatoneofthemwasliketothePrincessUserti。 NowallweregoneandIwastellingBakenkhonsueverythingIhadwitnessedlikeamanwhospeaksinhissleep，notbyhisownwill。 SuddenlyIwokeupandlaughedatmyownfoolishness。Buttheothertwodidnotlaugh；theyregardedmeverygravely。 “Ithoughtthatyouweresomethingofaseer，“saidtheoldpriest，“orratherKithoughtit。IcouldnotquitebelieveKi，becausehesaidthattheyoungpersonwhomIshouldfindwiththePrinceherethismorningwouldbeonewholovedhimwithalltheheart，anditisonlyawomanwholoveswithalltheheart，isitnot？Orsotheworldbelieves。Well，IwilltalkthematteroverwithKi。Hush!Pharaohcomes。“ Ashespokefromfarawayroseacryof—— “Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“ L “Life!Blood!Strength!“echoedeveryoneinthegreathall，fallingtotheirkneesandbendingtheirforeheadstotheground。EventhePrinceandtheagedBakenkhonsuprostratedthemselvesthusasthoughbeforethepresenceofagod。And，indeed，PharaohMeneptah，passingthroughthepatchofsunlightattheheadofthehall，wearingthedoublecrownuponhisheadandarrayedinroyalrobesandornaments，lookedlikeagod，noless，asthemultitudeofthepeopleofEgyptheldhimtobe。Hewasanoldmanwiththefaceofonewornbyyearsandcare，butfromhispersonmajestyseemedtoflow。 Withhim，walkingasteportwobehind，wentNehesihisVizier，ashrivelled，parchment-facedofficerwhosecunningeyesrolledabouttheplace，andRoytheHigh-priest，andHoratheChamberlainoftheTable，andMeranutheWasheroftheKing’sHands，andYuytheprivatescribe，andmanyotherswhomBakenkhonsunamedtomeastheyappeared。 Thentherewerefan-bearersandagorgeousbandoflordswhowerecalledKing’sCompanionsandHeadButlersandIknownotwhobesides，andaftertheseguardswithspearsandhelmsthatshonelikegod，andblackswordsmenfromthesouthernlandofKesh。 ButonewomanaccompaniedhisMajesty，walkingaloneimmediatelybehindhiminfrontoftheVizierandtheHigh-priest。ShewastheRoyalDaughter，thePrincessUserti，wholooked，Ithought，prouderandmoresplendidthananythere，thoughsomewhatpaleandanxious。 Pharaohcametothestepsofthethrone。TheVizierandtheHigh- priestadvancedtohelphimupthesteps，forhewasfeeblewithage。 Hewavedthemaside，andbeckoningtohisdaughter，restedhishanduponhershoulderandbyheraidmountedthethrone。Ithoughtthattherewasmeaninginthis；itwasasthoughhewouldshowtoalltheassemblythatthisprincesswasthepropofEgypt。 ForalittlewhilehestoodstillandUsertisatherselfdownonthetopmoststep，restingherchinuponherjewelledhand。Therehestoodsearchingtheplacewithhiseyes。Heliftedhissceptreandallrose，hundredsandhundredsofthemthroughoutthehall，theirgarmentsrustlingastheyroselikeleavesinasuddenwind。Heseatedhimselfandoncemorefromeverythroatwentuptheregalsalutationthatwastheking’salone，of—— “Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“ InthesilencethatfollowedIheardhimsay，tothePrincess，I think： “AmenmesesIsee，andothersofourkin，butwhereismysonSeti，thePrinceofEgypt？“ “Watchingusnodoubtfromsomevestibule。Mybrotherlovesnotceremonials，“answeredUserti。 Then，withalittlesigh，Setisteppedforward，followedbyBakenkhonsuandmyself，andatadistancebyothermembersofhishousehold。Ashemarchedupthelonghallalldrewtothissideorthat，salutinghimwithlowbows。Arrivinginfrontofthethronehebenttillhiskneetouchedtheground，saying： “Igivegreeting，OKingandFather。“ “Igivegreeting，OPrinceandSon。Beseated，“answeredMeneptah。 Setiseatedhimselfinachairthathadbeenmadereadyforhimatthefootofthethrone，andonitsright，andinanotherchairtotheleft，butsetfartherfromthesteps，Amenmesesseatedhimselfalso。 AtamotionfromthePrinceItookmystandbehindhischair。 TheformalbusinessoftheCourtbegan。Atthebeckoningofanusherpeopleofallsortsappearedsinglyandhandedinpetitionswrittenonrolled-uppapyri，whichtheVizierNehesitookandthrewintoaleathernsackthatwasheldopenbyablackslave。Insomecasesananswertohispetition，whereofthiswasonlytheformaldelivery，washandedbacktothesuppliant，whotouchedhisbrowwiththerollthatperhapsmeanteverythingtohim，andbowedhimselfawaytolearnhisfate。Thenappearedsheiksofthedeserttribes，andcaptainsfromfortressesinSyria，andtraderswhohadbeenharmedbyenemies，andevenpeasantswhohadsufferedviolencefromofficers，eachtomakehisprayer。Ofallofthesesupplicationsthescribestooknotes，whiletosometheVizierandcouncillorsmadeanswer。ButasyetPharaohsaidnothing。Therehesatsilentonhissplendidthroneofivoryandgold，likeagodofstoneabovethealtar，staringdownthelonghallandthroughtheopendoorsasthoughhewouldreadthesecretsoftheskiesbeyond。 “Itoldyouthatcourtswerewearisome，friendAna，“whisperedthePrincetomewithoutturninghishead。“DoyounotalreadybegintowishthatyouwerebackwritingtalesatMemphis？“ BeforeIcouldanswersomemovementinthethrongattheendofthehalldrewtheeyesofthePrinceandofallofus。Ilooked，andsawadvancingtowardsthethroneatall，beardedmanalreadyold，althoughhisblackhairwasbutgrizzledwithgrey。Hewasarrayedinawhitelinenrobe，overwhichhungawoollencloaksuchasshepherdswear，andhecarriedinhishandalongthornwoodstaff。Hisfacewassplendidandveryhandsome，andhisblackeyesflashedlikefire。Hewalkedforwardslowly，lookingneithertotheleftnortheright，andthethrongmadewayforhimasthoughhewereaprince。Indeed，I thoughtthattheyshowedmorefearofhimthanofanyprince，sincetheyshrankfromhimashecame。Norwashealone，forafterhimwalkedanothermanwhowasveryliketohim，butasIjudged，stillolder，forhisbeard，whichhungdowntohismiddle，wassnow-whiteaswasthehaironhishead。Healsowasdressedinasheepskincloakandcarriedastaffinhishand。Nowawhisperroseamongthepeopleandthewhispersaid： “TheprophetsofthemenofIsrael!TheprophetsofthemenofIsrael!“ ThetwostoodbeforethethroneandlookedatPharaoh，makingnoobeisance。Pharaohlookedatthemandwassilent。Foralongspacetheystoodthusinthemidstofagreatquiet，butPharaohwouldnotspeak，andnoneofhisofficersseemedtodaretoopentheirmouths。 Atlengththefirstoftheprophetsspokeinaclear，coldvoiceassomeconquerormightdo。 “Youknowme，Pharaoh，andmyerrand。“ “Iknowyou，“answeredPharaohslowly，“aswellImay，seeingthatweplayedtogetherwhenwewerelittle。YouarethatHebrewwhommysister，shewhosleepsinOsiris，tooktobeasasontoher，givingtoyouanamethatmeans’drawnforth’becauseshedrewyouforthasaninfantfromamongthereedsofNile。Aye，Iknowyouandyourbrotheralso，butyourerrandIknownot。“ “Thisismyerrand，Pharaoh，orrathertheerrandofJahveh，GodofIsrael，forwhomIspeak。Haveyounothearditbefore？Itisthatyoushouldlethispeoplegotodosacrificetohiminthewilderness。“ “WhoisJahveh？IknownotJahvehwhoserveAmonandthegodsofEgypt，andwhyshouldIletyourpeoplego？“ “JahvehistheGodofIsrael，thegreatGodofallgodswhosepoweryoushalllearnifyouwillnothearken，Pharaoh。Asforwhyyoushouldletthepeoplego，askitofthePrinceyoursonwhositsyonder。Askhimofwhathesawinthestreetsofthiscitybutlastnight，andofacertainjudgmentthathepassedupononeoftheofficersofPharaoh。Orifhewillnottellyou，learnitfromthelipsofthemaidenwhoisnamedMerapi，MoonofIsrael，thedaughterofNathantheLevite。Standforward，Merapi，daughterofNathan。“ ThenfromthethrongatthebackofthehallcameforwardMerapi，cladinawhiterobeandwithablackveilthrownaboutherheadintokenofmourning，butnotsoastohideherface。UpthehallsheglidedandmadeobeisancetoPharaoh，asshedidso，castingoneswiftlookatSetiwherehesat。Thenshestoodstill，looking，asIthought，wonderfullybeautifulinthatsimplerobeofwhiteandtheevilofblack。 “Speak，woman，“saidPharaoh。 Sheobeyed，tellingallthetaleinherlowandhoneyedvoice，nordidanyseemtothinkitlongorwearisome。Atlengthsheended，andPharaohsaid： “Say，Setimyson，isthistruth？“ “Itistruth，OmyFather。ByvirtueofmypowersasGovernorofthiscityIcausedthecaptainKhuakatobeputtodeathforthecrimeofmurderdonebyhimbeforemyeyesinthestreetsofthecity。“ “Perchanceyoudidrightandperchanceyoudidwrong，SonSeti。Atleastyouarethebestjudge，andbecausehestruckyourroyalperson，thisKhuakadeservedtodie。“