第12章

natured，IthinkthatintheendthePrinceisonewhowillalwayschoosehisownpath。“ “ItmaybesoAna。AttheleastIthankyou。Iprayyoutobesurealsothatinmeyouwillalwayshaveafriendandnotanenemy，althoughattimesthequicknessofmynature，whichhasneverbeencontrolled，mayleadyoutothinkotherwise。NowIwillsayonemorethingthatshallbesecretbetweenus。IknowthatthePrincelovesmeasafriendandrelativeratherthanasawife，andthathewouldnothavesoughtthismarriageofhimself，asisperhapsnatural。Iknow，too，thatotherwomenwillcomeintohislife，thoughthesemaybefewerthaninthecaseofmostkings，becauseheismorehardtoplease。OfsuchIcannotcomplain，asthisisaccordingtothecustomsofourcountry。Ifearonlyonething——namelythatsomewoman，ceasingtobehistoy，maytakeSeti’sheartandmakehimaltogetherhers。Inthismatter，ScribeAna，asinothersIaskyourhelp，sinceIwouldbequeenofEgyptinallways，notinnameonly。“ “YourHighness，howcanIsaytothePrince——’Somuchshallyoulovethisorthatwomanandnomore？’Moreover，whydoyoufearthatwhichhasnotandmaynevercomeabout？“ “Idonotknowhowyoucansaysuchathing，Scribe，stillIaskyoutosayitifyoucan。AstowhyIfear，itisbecauseIseemtofeelthenearshadowofsomewomanlyingcolduponmeandbuildingawallofblacknessbetweenhisHighnessandmyself。“ “Itisbutadream，Princess。“ “Mayhap。Ihopeso。YetIthinkotherwise。Oh!Ana，cannotyou，whostudytheheartsofmenandwomen，understandmycase？IhavemarriedwhereIcanneverhopetobelovedasotherwomenare，Iwhoamawife，yetnotawife。Ireadyourthought；itis——whythendidyoumarry？SinceIhavetoldyousomuchIwilltellyouthatalso。First，itisbecausethePrinceisdifferenttoothermenandinhisownfashionabovethem，yes，faraboveanywithwhomIcouldhavewedasroyalheiressofEgypt。Secondly，becausebeingcutofffromlove，whatremainstomebutambition？AtleastIwouldbeagreatqueen，aswasHatshepuinherday，andliftmycountryoutofthemanytroublesinwhichitissunkandwritemynamelargeuponthebooksofhistory，whichIcouldonlydobytakingPharaoh’sheirtohusband，asismyduty。“ Shebroodedawhile，thenadded，“NowIhaveshownyouallmythought。 WhetherIhavebeenwisetodosothegodsknowaloneandtimewilltellme。“ “Princess，“Isaid，“IthankyoufortrustingmeandIwillhelpyouifImay。YetIamtroubled。I，ahumblemanifofgoodblood，whoalittlewhileagowasbutascribeandastudent，adreamerwhohadknowntroublealso，havesuddenlybychance，orsomedivinedecree，beenliftedhighinthefavouroftheheirofEgypt，anditwouldseemhaveevenwonyourtrust。NowIwonderhowIshallbearmyselfinthisnewplacewhichintruthIneversought。“ “Idonotknow，whofindthepresentanditstroublesenoughtocarry。 But，doubtless，thedecreeofwhichyouspeakthatsetyoutherehasalsowrittendownwhatwillbetheendofall。Meanwhile，Ihaveagiftforyou。Say，Scribe，haveyoueverhandledanyweaponbesidesapen？“ “Yes，yourHighness，asaladIwasskilledinswordplay。Moreover，thoughIdonotlovewarandbloodshed，someyearsagoIfoughtinthegreatbattlebetweentheNinebowBarbarians，whenPharaohcalledupontheyoungmenofMemphistodotheirpart。WithmyownhandsIslewtwoinfairfight，thoughonenearlybroughtmetomyend，“andI pointedtoascarwhichshowedredthroughmygreyhairwhereaspearhadbittendeep。 “Itiswell，orsoIthink，wholovesoldiersbetterthanstainersofpapyruspith。“ Then，goingtoapaintedchestofreeds，shetookfromitawonderfulshirtofmailfashionedofbronzerings，andashortswordalsoofbronze，havingagoldenhiltofwhichtheendwasshapedtothelikenessoftheheadofalion，andwithherownhandsgavethemtome，saying： “Thesearespoilsthatmygrandsire，thegreatRameses，tookinhisyouthfromaprinceoftheKhitah，whomhesmotewithhisownhandsinSyriainthatbattlewhereofyourgrandfathermadethepoem。Weartheshirt，whichnospearwillpierce，beneathyourrobeandgirdtheswordaboutyouwhenyougodownyonderamongtheIsraelites，whomI donottrust。IhavegivenalikecoattothePrince。Letitbeyourdutytoseethatitisuponhissacredpersondayandnight。Letitbeyourdutyalso，ifneedarises，withthisswordtodefendhimtothedeath。Farewell。“ “MayallthegodsrejectmefromtheFieldsoftheBlessedifIfailinthistrust，“Ianswered，anddepartedwondering，toseeksleepwhich，asitchanced，Iwasnottofindforawhile。 ForasIwentdownthecorridor，ledbyoneoftheladiesofthehousehold，whomshouldIfindwaitingattheendofitbutoldPambasatoinformmewithmanybowsthatthePrinceneededmypresence。I askedhowthatcouldbeseeinghehaddismissedmeforthenight。Herepliedthathedidnotknow，buthewascommandedtoconductmetotheprivatechamber，thesameroominwhichIhadfirstseenhisHighness。ThitherIwentandfoundhimwarminghimselfatthefire，forthenightwascold。LookinguphebadePambasaadmitthosewhowerewaiting，thennotingtheshirtofmailandtheswordIcarriedinmyhand，said： “YouhavebeenwiththePrincess，haveyounot，andshemusthavehadmuchtosaytoyouforyourtalkwaslong？Well，IthinkIcanguessitspurportwhofromachildhaveknownhermind。Shetoldyoutowatchmewell，bodyandheartandallthatcomesfromtheheart——oh! andmuchelse。AlsoshegaveyouthatSyriangeartowearamongtheHebrewsasshehasgiventheliketome，beingofacarefulmindwhichforeseeseverything。Now，hearken，Ana；Igrievetokeepyoufromyourrest，whomustbewearybothwithtalkandtravel。ButoldBakenkhonsu，whomyouknow，waitswithout，andwithhimKithegreatmagician，whomIthinkyouhavenotseen。Heisamanofwonderfulloreandinsomewaysnotaltogetherhuman。Atleasthedoesstrangefeatsofmagic，andattimesboththepastandthefutureseemtobeopentohissight，thoughasweknowneithertheonenortheother，whocantellwhetherhereadsthemtruly。Doubtlesshehas，orthinkshehas，somemessagetomefromtheheavens，whichIthoughtyoumightwishtohear。“ “Iwishitmuch，Prince，ifIamworthy，andyouwillprotectmefromtheangerofthismagicianwhomIfear。“ “Angersometimesturnstotrust，Ana。DidyounotfinditsojustnowinthecaseofherHighness，asItoldyoumightverywellhappen？ Hush!Theycome。Beseatedandprepareyourtabletstomakerecordofwhattheysay。“ ThecurtainsweredrawnandthroughthemcametheagedBakenkhonsuleaninguponhisstaff，andwithhimanotherman，Kihimself，cladinawhiterobeandhavinghisheadshaven，forhewasanhereditarypriestofAmonofThebesandaninitiateofIsis，MotherofMysteries。 AlsohisofficewasthatofKherheb，orchiefmagicianofEgypt。Atfirstsighttherewasnothingstrangeaboutthisman。Indeed，hemightwellhavebeenamiddle-agedmerchantbyhislooks；inbodyhewasshortandstout；infacefatandsmiling。Butinthisjovialcountenanceweresettwoverystrangeeyes，grey-huedratherthanblack。Whiletherestofthefaceseemedtosmiletheseeyeslookedstraightintonothingnessasdothoseofastatue。Indeedtheywereliketotheeyesorrathertheeye-placesofastonestatue，sodeeplyweretheysetintothehead。FormypartIcanonlysayIthoughtthemawful，andbytheirlookjudgedthatwhateverKimightbehewasnocheat。 ThisstrangepairbowedtothePrinceandseatedthemselvesatasignfromhim，Bakenkhonsuuponastoolbecausehefounditdifficulttorise，andKi，whowasyounger，scribefashionontheground。 “WhatdidItellyou，Bakenkhonsu？“saidKiinafull，richvoice，endingthewordswithacuriouschuckle。 “Youtoldme，Magician，thatweshouldfindthePrinceinthischamberofwhichyoudescribedeverydetailtomeasIseeitnow，althoughneitherofushaveentereditbefore。YousaidalsothatseatedthereinonthegroundwouldbethescribeAna，whomIknowbutyoudonot，havinginhishandswaxentabletsandastylusandbyhimacoatofcuriousmailandalion-hiltedsword。“ “Thatisstrange，“interruptedthePrince，“butforgiveme，Bakenkhonsuseesthesethings。Ifyou，OKi，wouldtelluswhatiswrittenuponAna’stabletswhichneitherofyoucansee，itwouldbestrangerstill，thatisifanythingiswritten。“ Kismiledandstaredupwardsattheceiling。Presentlyhesaid： “ThescribeAnausesashorthandofhisownthatisnoteasytodecipher。YetIseewrittenonthetabletsthepriceheobtainedforsomehouseinacitythatisnotnamed——itissomuch。AlsoIseethesumshedisbursedforhimself，aservant，andthefoodofanassattwoinnswherehestoppeduponajourney。Theyaresomuchandsomuch。Alsothereisalistofpapyrusrollsandthewords，’bluecloak，’andthenanerasure。“ “Isthatright，Ana？“askedthePrince。 “Quiteright，“Iansweredwithawe，“onlythewords’bluecloak，’ whichitistrueIwroteuponthetablet，havealsobeenerased。“ Kichuckledandturnedhiseyesfromtheceilingtomyface。 “WouldyourHighnesswishmetotellyouanythingofwhatiswrittenuponthetabletsofthisscribe’smemoryaswellasuponthoseofwaxwhichheholdsinhishand？TheyareeasiertodecipherthantheothersandIseeonthemmanythingsofinterest。Forinstance，secretwordsthatseemtohavebeensaidtohimbysomeGreatOnewithinanhour，mattersofhighpolicy，Ithink。Forinstance，acertainsaying，IthinkofyourHighness’s，astoshiveringupontheedgeofwateronacoldday，whichwhenenteredproducedheat，andtheanswerthereto。 Forinstance，wordsthatwerespokeninthispalacewhenanalabastercupwasbroke。Bytheway，Scribe，thatwasaverygoodplaceyouchoseinwhichtohideonehalfofthecupinthefalsebottomofachestinyourchamber，achestthatisfastenedwithacordandsealedwithascarabofthetimeofthesecondRameses。Ithinkthattheotherhalfofthecupissomewhatnearerathand，“andturning，hestaredatthewallwhereIcouldseenothingsaveslabsofalabaster。