第20章

“PrinceofEgypt，“sherepliedconfusedly，“Ididbutlittle。TheplotcametomyearsthroughJabezmyuncle，andIfledawayand，knowingtheshortpathsfromchildhood，wasjustintime。HadIstayedtothinkperchanceIshouldnothavedared。“ “Andwhatoftherest，Lady？WhatoftheHebrewwhowaschokingmeandofacertainswordthrustthatloosedhishandsforever？“ “Ofthat，yourHighness，Icanrecallnothing，orverylittle，“then，doubtlessrememberingwhatshehadjustsaidtome，shemadeobeisanceandpassedfromthechamber。 “Shecantellfalsehoodsassweetlyasshedoesallelse，“saidSeti，whenhehadwatchedhergo。“Oh!whatawomanhavewehere，Ana。 Perfectinbeauty，perfectincourage，perfectinmind。Whereareherfaults，Iwonder？Letitbeyourparttosearchthemout，sinceIfindnone。“ “AskthemofKi，OPrince。Heisaverygreatmagician，sogreatthatperhapshisartmayevenavailtodiscoverwhatawomanseekstohide。 AlsoyoumayrememberthathegaveyoucertainwarningsbeforewejourneyedtoGoshen。“ “Yes——hetoldmethatmylifewouldbeindanger，ascertainlyitwas。 Therehewasright。HetoldmealsothatIshouldseeawomanwhomI shouldcometolove。Therehewaswrong。Ihaveseennosuchwoman。 Oh!Iknowwellwhatispassinginyourmind。BecauseIholdtheladyMerapitobebeautifulandbrave，youthinkthatIloveher。Butitisnotso。Ilovenowoman，except，ofcourse，herHighness。Ana，youjudgemebyyourself。“ “Kisaid’cometolove，’Prince。Thereisyettime。“ “Notso，Ana。Ifoneloves，onelovesatonce。SoonIshallbeoldandshewillbefatandugly，andhowcanonelovethen？Getwellquickly，Ana，forIwishyoutohelpmewithmyreporttoPharaoh。IshalltellhimthatIthinktheseIsraelitesaremuchoppressedandthatheshouldmakethemamendsandletthemgo。“ “WhatwillPharaohsaytothataftertheyhavejusttriedtokillhisheir？“ “IthinkPharaohwillbeangry，andsowillthepeopleofEgypt，whodonotreasonwell。Hewillnotseethat，believingwhattheydo，Labanandhisbandwererighttotrytokillmewho，howeverunwittingly，desecratedthesanctuaryoftheirgod。HadtheydoneotherwisetheywouldhavebeennogoodHebrews，andformypartI cannotbearthemmalice。YetallEgyptisafireaboutthisbusinessandcriesoutthattheIsraelitesshouldbedestroyed。“ “Itseemstome，Prince，thatwhatevermaybethecasewithKi’ssecondprophecy，histhirdisinthewayoffulfilment——namelythatthisjourneytoGoshenmaycauseyoutoriskyourthrone。“ Heshruggedhisshouldersandanswered： “Notevenforthat，Ana，willIsaytoPharaohwhatisnotinmymind。 Butletthatmatterbetillyouarestronger。“ “Whatchancedattheendofthefight，Prince，andhowcameIhere？“ “TheguardkilledmostoftheHebrewswhoremainedalive。Somefewfledandescapedinthedarkness，amongthemLabantheirleader，althoughyouhadwoundedhim，andsixweretakenalive。Theyawaittheirtrial。Iwasbutlittlehurtandyou，whomwethoughtdead，werebutsenseless，andsenselessorwanderingyouhaveremainedtillthishour。Wecarriedyouinalitter，andhereyouhavebeenthesethreedays。“ “AndtheladyMerapi？“ “Wesetherinachariotandbroughthertothecity，sincehadwelefthershewouldcertainlyhavebeenmurderedbyherpeople。WhenPharaohheardwhatshehaddone，asIdidnotthinkitwellthatsheshoulddwellhere，hegaveherthesmallhouseinthisgardenthatshemightbeguarded，andwithitslavewomentoattenduponher。Sothereshedwells，havingthefreedomofthepalace，andallthewhilehasfilledtheofficeofyournurse。“ AtthismomentIgrewfaintandshutmyeyes。WhenIopenedthemagain，thePrincehadgone。SixmoredayswentbybeforeIwasallowedtoleavemybed，andduringthistimeIsawmuchofMerapi。ShewasverysadandlivedinfearofbeingkilledbytheHebrews。Alsoshewastroubledinherheartbecauseshethoughtshehadbetrayedherfaithandpeople。 “AtleastyouareridofLaban，“Isaid。 “NevershallIberidofhimwhilewebothlive，“sheanswered。“I belongtohimandhewillnotloosemybond，becausehisheartissetonme。“ “Andisyourheartsetonhim？“Iasked。 Herbeautifuleyesfilledwithtears。 “Awomanmaynothaveaheart。Oh!Ana，Iamunhappy，“sheanswered，andwentaway。 AlsoIsawothers。ThePrincesscametovisitme。ShethankedmemuchbecauseIhadfulfilledmypromisetoherandguardedthePrince。 MoreovershebroughtmeagiftofgoldfromPharaoh，andothergiftsoffineraimentfromherself。ShequestionedmecloselyaboutMerapi，ofwhomIcouldseeshewasalreadyjealous，andwasgladwhenshelearnedthatshewasaffiancedtoaHebrew。OldBakenkhonsucametoo，andaskedmemanythingsaboutthePrince，theHebrewsandMerapi，especiallyMerapi，ofwhosedeeds，hesaid，allEgyptwastalking，questionsthatIansweredasbestIcould。 “HerewehavethatwomanofwhomKitoldus，“hesaid，“shewhoshallbringsomuchjoyandsomuchsorrowtothePrinceofEgypt。“ “Whyso？“Iasked。“Hehasnottakenherintohishouse，nordoI thinkthathemeanstodoso。“ “Yethewill，Ana，whetherhemeansitornot。Forhissakeshebetrayedherpeople，whichamongtheIsraelitesisadeadlycrime。 Twiceshesavedhislife，oncebywarninghimoftheambush，andagainbystabbingwithherownhandsoneofherkinsmenwhowasmurderinghim。Isitnotso？Tellme；youwerethere。“ “Itisso，butwhatthen？“ “This：thatwhatevershemaysay，sheloveshim；unlessindeed，itisyouwhomsheloves，“andhelookedatmeshrewdly。 “Whenawomanhasaprince，andsuchaprincetoherhand，wouldshetroubleherselftosetsnarestocatchascribe？“Iasked，withsomebitterness。 “Oho!“hesaid，withoneofhisgreatlaughs，“sothingsstandthus，dothey？Well，Ithoughtit，but，friendAna，bewarnedintime。DonottrytoconjuredowntheMoontobeyourhouseholdlamplestsheshouldset，andtheSun，herlord，shouldgrowwrothandburnyouup。 Well，sheloveshim，andthereforesoonorlateshewillmakehimloveher，beingwhatsheis。“ “How，Bakenkhonsu？“ “Withmostmen，Ana，itwouldbesimple。Asigh，somehalf-hiddentearsattherightmoment，andthethingisdone，asIhaveknownitdoneathousandtimes。Butthisprincebeingwhatheis，itmaybeotherwise。Shemayshowhimthathernameisgonefromhim；thatbecauseofhimsheishatedbyherpeople，andrejectedbyhergod，andthusstirhispity，whichisLove’sownsister。Ormayhap，beingalso，asIamtold，wise，shewillgivehimcounselastoallthesemattersoftheIsraelites，andthuscreepintohisheartundertheguiseoffriendship，andthenhersweetnessandherbeautywilldotherestinNature’sway。Atleastbythisroadorbythat，upstreamordownstream，thithershewillcome。“ “Ifso，whatofit？ItisthecustomofthekingsofEgypttohavemorewivesthanone。“ “This，Ana；Seti，Ithink，isamanwhointruthwillhavebutone，andthatonewillbethisHebrew。Yes，aHebrewwomanwillruleEgypt，andturnhimtotheworshipofhergod，forneverwillsheworshipours。Indeed，whentheyseethatsheislosttothem，herpeoplewilluseherthus。Orperchancehergodhimselfwillusehertofulfilhispurpose，asalreadyhemayhaveusedher。“ “Andafterwards，Bakenkhonsu？“ “Afterwards——whoknows？Iamnotamagician，atleastnotoneofanyaccount，askitofKi。ButIamvery，veryoldandIhavewatchedtheworld，andItellyouthatthesethingswillhappen，unless-“andhepaused。 “Unlesswhat？“ Hedroppedhisvoice。 “UnlessUsertiisbolderthanIthink，andkillsherfirstor，betterstill，procuressomeHebrewtokillher——say，thatcast-offloverofhers。IfyouwouldbeafriendtoPharaohandtoEgypt，youmightwhisperitinherear，Ana。“ “Never!“Iansweredangrily。 “Ididnotthinkyouwould，Ana，whoalsostruggleinthisnetofmoonbeamsthatisstrongerandmorerealthananytwistedoutofpalmorflax。Well，norwillI，whoinmyagelovetowatchsuchhumansportand，beingsoneartothem，feartothwarttheschemesofgods。 Letthisscrollunrollitselfasitwill，andwhenitisopen，readit，Ana，andrememberwhatIsaidtoyouthisday。Itwillbeaprettytale，writtenattheendwithbloodforink。Oho!O-ho-ho!“and，laughing，hehobbledfromtheroom，leavingmefrightened。