第9章

Againhewassilentforawhilestaringthroughtheopendoorsattheskybeyond。Thenhesaid： “Whatwouldyemore，ProphetsofJahveh？Justicehasbeendoneuponmyofficerwhoslewthemanofyourpeople。Alifehasbeentakenforalifeaccordingtothestrictletterofthelaw。Thematterisfinished。Unlessyouhaveaughttosay，getyougone。“ “BythecommandoftheLordourGod，“answeredtheprophet，“wehavethistosaytoyou，OPharaoh。LifttheheavyyokefromofftheneckofthepeopleofIsrael。Bidthattheyceasefromthelabourofthemakingofbrickstobuildyourwallsandcities。“ “AndifIrefuse，whatthen？“ “ThenthecurseofJahvehshallbeonyou，Pharaoh，andwithplagueuponplagueshallhesmitethislandofEgypt。“ NowasuddenrageseizedMeneptah。 “What!“hecried。“Doyoudaretothreatenmeinmyownpalace，andwouldyecauseallthemultitudeofthepeopleofIsraelwhohavegrownfatinthelandtoceasefromtheirlabours？Hearken，myservants，and，scribes，writedownmydecree。GoyetothecountryofGoshenandsaytotheIsraelitesthatthebrickstheymadetheyshallmakeasaforetimeandmoreworkshalltheydothanaforetimeinthedaysofmyfather，Rameses。Onlynomorestrawshallbegiventothemforthemakingofthebricks。Becausetheyareidle，letthemgoforthandgatherthestrawthemselves；letthemgatheritfromthefaceofthefields。“ Therewassilenceforawhile。Thenwithonevoiceboththeprophetsspoke，pointingwiththeirwandstoPharaoh： “IntheNameoftheLordGodwecurseyou，Pharaoh，whosoonshalldieandmakeanswerforthissin。ThepeopleofEgyptwecursealso。Ruinshallbetheirportion；deathshallbetheirbreadandbloodshalltheydrinkinagreatdarkness。Moreover，atthelastPharaohshallletthepeoplego。“ Then，waitingnoanswer，theyturnedandstrodeawaysidebyside，nordidanymanhinderthemintheirgoings。Againtherewassilenceinthehall，thesilenceoffear，forthesewereawfulwordsthattheprophetshadspoken。Pharaohknewit，forhischinsankuponhisbreastandhisfacethathadbeenredwithrageturnedwhite。Usertihidhereyeswithherhandasthoughtoshutoutsomeevilvision，andevenSetiseemedillateaseasthoughthatawfulcursehadfoundahomewithinhisheart。 AtamotionofPharaoh’shandtheVizierNehesistruckthegroundthricewithhiswandofofficeandpointedtothedoor，thusgivingtheaccustomedsignthattheCourtwasfinished，whereonallthepeopleturnedandwentawaywithbentheadsspeakingnowordsonetoanother。PresentlythegreathallwasemptiedsavefortheofficersandguardsandthosewhoattendeduponPharaoh。WheneveryonehadgoneSetithePrinceroseandbowedbeforethethrone。 “OPharaoh，“hesaid，“bepleasedtohearken。WehaveheardveryevilwordsspokenbytheseHebrewmen，wordsthatthreatenyourdivinelife，OPharaoh，andcalldownacurseupontheUpperandtheLowerLand。Pharaoh，thesepeopleofIsraelholdthattheysufferwrongandareoppressed。Nowgiveme，yourson，awritingunderyourhandandseal，byvirtueofwhichIshallhavepowertogodowntotheLandofGoshenandinquireofthismatter，andafterwardsmakereportofthetruthtoyou。Then，ifitseemstoyouthatthePeopleofIsraelareunjustlydealtby，youmaylightentheirburdenandbringthecurseoftheirprophetstonothing。Butifitseemstoyouthatthetalestheytellareidlethenyourwordsshallstand。“ Now，listening，I，Ana，thoughtthatPharaohwouldoncemorebeangry。 Butitwasnotso，forwhenhespokeagainitwasinthevoiceofonewhoiscrushedbygrieforweariness。 “Haveyourwill，Son，“hesaid。“Onlytakewithyouagreatguardofsoldierslestthesehook-noseddogsshoulddoyoumischief。Itrustthemnot，who，liketheHyksoswhosebloodrunsinmanyofthem，wereeverthefoesofEgypt。DidtheynotconspirewiththeNinebowBarbarianswhomIcrushedinthegreatbattle，anddotheynotnowthreatenusinthenameoftheiroutlandgod？Still，letthewritingbepreparedandIwillsealit。Andstay。Ithink，Seti，thatyou，whowereevergentle-natured，havesomewhattoosoftahearttowardstheseshepherdslaves。ThereforeIwillnotsendyoualone。Amenmesesyourcousinshallgowithyou，butunderyourcommand。Itisspoken。“ “Life!Blood!Strength!“saidbothSetiandAmenmeses，thusacknowledgingtheking’scommand。 NowIthoughtthatallwasfinished。Butitwasnotso，forpresentlyPharaohsaid： “Lettheguardswithdrawtotheendofthehallandwiththemtheservants。LettheKing’scouncillorsandtheofficersofthehouseholdremain。“ Instantlyallsalutedandwithdrewoutofhearing。I，too，madereadytogo，butthePrincesaidtome： “Stay，thatyoumaytakenoteofwhatpasses。“ Pharaoh，watching，sawifhedidnothear。 “Whoisthatman，Son？“heasked。 “HeisAnamyprivatescribeandlibrarian，OPharaoh，whomItrust。 Itwashewhosavedmefromharmbutlastnight。“ “Yousayit，Son。Lethimremaininattendanceonyou，knowingthatifhebetraysourcouncilhedies。“ Usertilookedupfrowningasthoughshewereabouttospeak。Ifso，shechangedhermindandwassilent，perhapsbecausePharaoh’swordoncespokencouldnotbealtered。BakenkhonsuremainedalsoasaCouncilloroftheKingaccordingtohisright。 WhenallhadgonePharaoh，whohadbeenbrooding，liftedhisheadandspokeslowlybutinthevoiceofonewhogivesajudgmentthatmaynotbequestioned，saying： “PrinceSeti，youaremyonlysonbornofQueenAst-Nefert，royalSister，royalMother，whosleepsinthebosomofOsiris。Itistruethatyouarenotmyfirst-bornson，sincetheCountRamessu“——herehepointedtoastoutmild-facedmanofpleasing，ratherfoolishappearance——“isyourelderbytwoyears。But，asheknowswell，hismother，whoisstillwithus，isaSyrianbybirthandofnoroyalblood，andthereforehecanneversituponthethroneofEgypt。Isitnotso，mysonRamessu？“ “Itisso，OPharaoh，“answeredtheCountinapleasantvoice，“notdoIseekevertosituponthatthrone，whoamwellcontentwiththeofficesandwealththatPharaohhasbeenpleasedtoconferuponme，hisfirst-born。“ “LetthewordsoftheCountRamessubewrittendown，“saidPharaoh，“andplacedinthetempleofPtahofthiscity，andinthetemplesofPtahatMemphisandofAmonatThebes，thathereaftertheymayneverbequestioned。“ Thescribesinattendancewrotedownthewordsand，atasignfromthePrinceSeti，Ialsowrotethemdown，settingthepapyrusIhadwithmeonmyknee。WhenthiswasfinishedPharaohwenton。 “Therefore，OPrinceSeti，youaretheheirofEgyptandperhaps，asthoseHebrewprophetssaid，willerelongbecalledupontositinmyplaceonitsthrone。“ “MaytheKingliveforever!“exclaimedSeti，“forwellheknowsthatIdonotseekhiscrownanddignities。“ “Idoknowitwell，myson；sowellthatIwishyouthoughtmoreofthatcrownandthosedignitieswhich，ifthegodswill，mustcometoyou。Iftheywillitnot，nextintheorderofsuccessionstandsyourcousin，theCountAmenmeses，whoisalsoofroyalbloodbothonhisfather’sandhismother’sside，andafterhimIknownotwho，unlessitbemydaughterandyourhalf-sister，theroyalPrincessUserti，LadyofEgypt。“ NowUsertispoke，veryearnestly，saying： “OPharaoh，surelymyrightinthesuccession，accordingtoancientprecedent，precedesthatofmycousin，theCountAmenmeses。“ Amenmeseswasabouttoanswer，butPharaohliftedhishandandhewassilent。 “Itismatterforthoselearnedinsuchloretodiscuss，“Meneptahrepliedinasomewhathesitatingvoice。“IpraythegodsthatitmayneverbeneedfulthatthishighquestionshouldbeconsideredintheCouncil。Nevertheless，letthewordsoftheroyalPrincessbewrittendown。Now，PrinceSeti，“hewentonwhenthishadbeendone，“youarestillunmarried，andifyouhavechildrentheyarenotroyal。“ “Ihavenone，OPharaoh，“saidSeti。 “Isitso？“answeredMeneptahindifferently。“TheCountAmenmeseshaschildrenIknow，forIhaveseenthem，butbyhiswifeUnuri，whoalsoisoftheroyalline，hehasnone。“ HereIheardAmenmesesmutter，“Beingmyauntthatisnotstrange，“asayingatwhichSetismiled。 “Mydaughter，thePrincess，isalsounmarried。Soitseemsthatthefountainoftheroyalbloodisrunningdry-“ “Nowitiscoming，“whisperedSetibelowhisbreathsothatonlyI couldhear。 “Therefore，“continuedPharaoh，“asyouknow，PrinceSeti，fortheroyalPrincessofEgyptbymycommandwenttospeaktoyouofthismatterlastnight，Imakeadecree-“ “Pardon，OPharaoh，“interruptedthePrince，“mysisterspoketomeofnodecreelastnight，savethatIshouldattendatthecourthereto-day。“ “BecauseIcouldnot，Seti，seeingthatanotherwaspresentwithyouwhomyourefusedtodismiss，“andshelethereyesrestonme。 “Itmattersnot，“saidPharaoh，“sincenowIwillutteritwithmyownlipswhichperhapsisbetter。Itismywill，Prince，thatyouforthwithwedtheroyalPrincessUserti，thatchildrenofthetruebloodoftheRamessidesmaybeborn。Hearandobey。“