第18章

IwaitedbehindthePrince，thinkingitwelltowatchhisbackamongallthosefiercemen，anddidnothearwhatthepriestsaidtohim，ashewhisperedinthatholyplace。Kohathledhimforward，tofreehimfromthethrong，Ithought，tilltheycametotheheadofthelittletemplethatwasmarkedbysomesteps，abovewhichhungathickandheavycurtain。ThePrince，walkingon，didnotseethelowestofthesestepsinthegloom，whichwasdeep。Hisfootcaughtonit；hefellforward，andtosavehimselfgraspedatthecurtainwherethetwohalvesofitmet，anddraggeditopen，revealingachamberplainandsmallbeyond，inwhichwasanaltar。ThatwasallIhadtimetosee，fornextinstantaroarofragerenttheairandknivesflashedinthegloom。 “TheEgyptiandefilesthetabernacle!“shoutedone。“Draghimoutandkillhim!“screamedanother。 “Friends，“saidSeti，turningastheysurgedtowardshim，“ifIhavedoneaughtwrongitwasbychance-“ Hecouldaddnomore，seeingthattheywereonhim，orratheronmewhohadleaptinfrontofhim。Alreadytheyhadgraspedmyrobesandmyhandwasonmysword-hilt，whenthepriestKohathcriedout： “MenofIsrael，areyoumad？WouldyoubringPharaoh’svengeanceonus？“ Theyhaltedalittleandtheirspokesmanshouted： “WedefyPharaoh!OurGodwillprotectusfromPharaoh。Draghimforthandkillhimbeyondthewall!“ Againtheybegantomove，whenaman，inwhomIrecognizedJabez，theuncleofMerapi，calledaloud： “Cease!IfthisPrinceofEgypthasdoneinsulttoJahvehbywillandnotbychance，itiscertainthathewillavengehimselfuponhim。 ShallmentakethejudgmentofGodintotheirownhands？Standbackandwaitawhile。IfJahvehisaffronted，theEgyptianwillfalldead。 Ifhedoesnotfalldead，lethimpasshenceunharmed，forsuchisJahveh’swill。Standback，Isay，whileIcountthreescore。“ TheywithdrewaspaceandslowlyJabezbegantocount。 AlthoughatthattimeIknewnothingofthepowerofthegodofIsrael，IwillsaythatIwasfilledwithfearasonebyonehecounted，pausingateachten。Thescenewasverystrange。TherebythestepsstoodthePrinceagainstthebackgroundofthecurtain，hisarmsfoldedandalittlesmileofwondermixedwithcontemptuponhisface，butnotasignoffear。OnonesideofhimwasI，whoknewwellthatI shouldsharehisfatewhateveritmightbe，andindeeddesirednoother；andontheotherthepriestKohath，whosehandsshookandwhoseeyesstartedfromhishead。InfrontofusoldJabezcounted，watchingthefierce-facedcongregationthatinadeadsilencewaitedfortheissue。Thecountwenton。Thirty。Forty。Fifty——oh!itseemedanage。 Atlengthsixtyfellfromhislips。HewaitedawhileandallwatchedthePrince，notdoubtingbutthathewouldfalldead。ButinsteadheturnedtoKohathandaskedquietlyifthisordealwasnowfinished，ashedesiredtomakeanofferingtothetemple，whichhehadbeeninvitedtovisit，andbegone。 “OurGodhasgivenhisanswer，“saidJabez。“Acceptit，menofIsrael。 WhatthisPrincedidhedidbychance，notofdesign。“ Theyturnedandwentwithoutaword，andafterIhadlaidtheoffering，nomeanone，intheappointedplace，wefollowedthem。 “Itwouldseemthatyoursisnogentlegod，“saidthePrincetoKohath，whenatlengthwewereoutsidethetemple。 “Atleastheisjust，yourHighness。Haditbeenotherwise，youwhohadviolatedhissanctuary，althoughbychance，woulderenowbedead。“ “Thenyouhold，Priest，thatJahvehhaspowertoslayuswhenheisangry？“ “Withoutadoubt，yourHighness——as，ifourProphetsspeaktruth，I thinkthatEgyptwilllearnereallbedone，“headdedgrimly。 Setilookedathimandanswered： “Itmaybeso，butallgods，ortheirpriests，claimthepowertotormentandslaythosewhoworshipothergods。Itisnotonlywomenwhoarejealous，Kohath，orsoitseems。YetIthinkthatyoudoyourgodinjustice，seeingthatevenifthisstrengthishis，heprovedmoremercifulthanhisworshipperswhoknewwellthatIonlygraspedtheveiltosavemyselffromfalling。IfeverIvisityourtempleagainitshallbeinthecompanyofthosewhocanmatchmightagainstmight，whetherofthespiritorthesword。Farewell。“ Sowereachedthechariot，neartowhichstoodJabez，hewhohadsavedus。 “Prince，“hewhispered，glancingatthecrowdwholingerednotfaraway，silentandglowering，“Iprayyouleavethislandswiftlyforhereyourlifeisnotsafe。Iknowitwasbychance，butyouhavedefiledthesanctuaryandseenthatuponwhicheyesmaynotlooksavethoseofthehighestpriests，anoffencenoIsraelitecanforgive。“ “Andyou，oryourpeople，Jabez，wouldhavedefiledthissanctuaryofmylife，spillingmyheart’sbloodand/not/bychance。Surelyyouareastrangefolkwhoseektomakeanenemyofonewhohastriedtobeyourfriend。“ “Idonotseekit，“exclaimedJabez。“IwouldthatwemighthavePharaoh’smouthandearwhosoonwillhimselfbePharaohuponourside。OPrinceofEgypt，benotwrothwithallthechildrenofIsraelbecausetheirwrongshavemadesomefewofthemstubbornandhard- hearted。Begonenow，andofyourgoodnessremembermywords。“ “Iwillremember，“saidSeti，signingtothecharioteertodriveon。 YetstillthePrincelingeredinthetown，sayingthathefearednothingandwouldlearnallhecouldofthispeopleandtheirwaysthathemightreportthebetterofthemtoPharaoh。FormypartI believedthattherewasonefacewhichhewishedtoseeagainbeforeheleft，butofthisIthoughtitwisetosaynothing。 Atlengthaboutmiddaywediddepart，anddroveeastwardsonthetrackofAmenmesesandourcompany。Alltheafternoonwedrovethus，precededbythetwosoldiersdisguisedasrunnersandfollowed，asadistantcloudofdusttoldme，bythecaptainandhischariots，whomI hadsecretlycommandedtokeepusinsight。 TowardseveningwecametothepassinthestoryhillswhichboundedthelandofGoshen。HereSetidescendedfromthechariot，andweclimbed，accompaniedbythetwosoldierswhomIsignedtofollowus，tothecrestofoneofthesehillsthatwasstrewnwithhugebouldersandlinedwithridgesofsandstone，betweenwhichgullieshadbeencutbythewindsofthousandsofyears。 Leaningagainstoneoftheseridgeswelookedbackuponawondroussight。Farawayacrossthefertileplainappearedthetownthatwehadleft，andbehinditthesunsank。Itwouldseemasthoughsomestormhadbrokenthere，althoughthefirmamentaboveuswasclearandblue。 Atleastinfrontofthetowntwohugepillarsofcloudstretchedfromearthtoheavenlikethecolumnsofsomemightygateway。Oneofthesepillarswasasthoughitweremadeofblackmarble，andtheotherliketomoltengold。Betweenthemranaroadoflightendinginaglory，andinthemidstoftheglorytheroundballofRa，theSun，burnedliketheeyeofGod。Thespectaclewasasawesomeasitwassplendid。 “HaveyoueverseensuchaskyinEgypt，Prince？“Iasked。 “Never，“heanswered，andalthoughhespokelow，inthatgreatstillnesshisvoicesoundedloudtome。 Forawhilelongerwewatched，tillsuddenlythesunsank，andonlythegloryaboutitandaboveremained，whichtookshapesliketothepalacesandtemplesofacityintheheavens，afarcitythatnomortalcouldreachexceptindreams。 “Iknownotwhy，Ana，“saidSeti，“butforthefirsttimesinceIwasamanIfeelafraid。ItseemstomethatthereareomensintheskyandIcannotreadthem。WouldthatKiwereheretotelluswhatissignifiedbythepillarofblacknesstotherightandthepillaroffiretotheleft，andwhatgodhashishomeinthecityofglorybehind，andhowman’sfeetmaywalkalongtheshiningroadwhichleadstoitspylongates。ItellyouthatIamafraid；itisasthoughDeathwereveryneartomeandallhiswondersopentomymortalsight。“ “Itooamafraid，“Iwhispered。“Look!Thepillarsmove。Thatoffiregoesbefore；thatofblackcloudfollowsafter，andbetweenthemI seemtoseeacountlessmultitudemarchinginunendingcompanies。Seehowthelightglittersontheirspears!SurelythegodoftheHebrewsisafoot。“ “He，orsomeothergod，ornogodatall，whoknows？Come，Ana，letusbegoingifwewouldreachthatcamperedark。“ Sowedescendedfromtheridge，andre-enteringthechariot，droveontowardstheneckofthepass。Nowthisneckwasverynarrow，notmorethanfourpaceswideforacertaindistance，and，oneithersideoftheroadwayweretumbledsandstoneboulders，betweenwhichgrewdesertplants，andgulliesthathadbeencutbystorm-water，whilebeyondtheserosethesidesofthemountain。Herethehorseswentatawalktowardsaturninthepath，atwhichpointthelandbegantofallagain。 Whenwewereabouthalfaspear’sthrowfromthisturnofasuddenI heardasoundand，glancingtotheright，perceivedawomanleapingdownthehillsidetowardsus。Thecharioteersawalsoandhaltedthehorses，andthetworunnerguardsturnedanddrewtheirswords。Inlessthanhalfaminutethewomanhadreachedus，comingoutoftheshadowsothatthelightfelluponherface。 “Merapi!“exclaimedthePrinceandI，speakingasthoughwithonebreath。 Merapiitwasindeed，butinevilcase。Herlonghairhadbrokenlooseandfellabouther，thecloaksheworewastorn，andtherewerebloodandfoamuponherlips。Shestoodgasping，sincespeakshecouldnotforbreathlessness，supportingherselfwithonehanduponthesideofthechariotandwiththeotherpointingtothebendintheroad。Atlastawordcame，oneonly。Itwas：