第36章

Sowewenttothegreatporticoofthepalace，passinginandoutthroughthepaintedpillars，towardsmyownapartments，whenceI purposedtosendamessagetothePrince。Asitchancedthiswasneedless，sincepresentlywesawhimseatedinalittlebayoutofreachofthesun。ByhissidewasMerapi，andonawovenrugbetweenthemlaytheirsleepinginfant，atwhombothofthemgazedadoringly。 “Strangethatthismother’sheartshouldhidemoremightthancanbeboastedbyallthegodsofEgypt。Strangethatthosemother’seyescanrivetheancientgloryofAmonintodust!“KisaidtomeinsolowavoicethatitalmostseemedasthoughIheardhisthoughtandnothiswords，whichperhapsindeedIdid。 Nowwestoodinfrontofthesethree，andthesunbeingbehindus，foritwasstillearly，theshadowofthecloakedKifelluponababeandlaythere。Ahatefulfancycametome。Itlookedliketheevilformofanembalmerbendingoveronenewdead。Thebabefeltit，openeditslargeeyesandwailed。Merapisawit，andsnatchedupherchild。Setitoorosefromhisseat，exclaiming，“Whocomes？“ Thereon，tomyamazement，KiprostratedhimselfandutteredthesalutationwhichmayonlybegiventotheKingofEgypt：“Life!Blood! Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“ “Whodaresutterthosewordstome？“saidSeti。“Ana，whatmadmandoyoubringhere？“ “MayitpleasethePrince，/he/brought/me/here，“Irepliedfaintly。 “Fellow，tellmewhobadeyousaysuchwords，thanwhichnonewereeverlesswelcome。“ “ThosewhomIserve，Prince。“ “Andwhomdoyouserve？“ “ThegodsofEgypt。“ “Then，man，Ithinkthegodsmustneedyourcompany。PharaohdoesnotsitatMemphis，andwerehetohearofthem-“ “Pharaohwillneverhearthem，Prince，untilhehearsallthings。“ Theystaredateachother。Then，asIhaddonebythegateSetirubbedhiseyes，andsaid： “SurelythisisKi。Why，then，didyoulookotherwisejustnow？“ “Thegodscanchangethefashionoftheirmessengerathousandtimesinaflash，ifsotheywill，OPrince。“ NowSeti’sangerpassed，andturnedtolaughter。 “Ki，Ki，’hesaid，“youshouldkeepthesetricksforCourt。But，sinceyouareinthemood，whatsalutationhaveyouforthisladybymyside？“ Kiconsideredher，tillshewhoeverfearedandhatedhimshrankbeforehisgaze。 “CrownofHathor，Igreetyou。BelovedofIsis，shineonperfectinthesky，sheddinglightandwisdomereyouset。“ Nowthissayingpuzzledme。Indeed，IdidnotfullyunderstandituntilBakenkhonsuremindedmethatMerapi’snamewasMoonofIsrael，thatHathor，goddessoflove，iscrownedwiththemooninallherstatues，thatIsisisthequeenofmysteriesandwisdom，andthatKiwhothoughtMerapiperfectinloveandbeauty，alsothegreatestofallsorceresses，waslikeninghertothese。 “Yes，“Ianswered，“butwhatdidhemeanwhenhetalkedabouthersetting？“ “Doesnotthemoonalwaysset，andisitnotsometimeseclipsed？“heaskedshortly。 “Sodoesthesun，“Ianswered。 “True；sodoesthesun!Youaregrowingwise，verywiseindeed，friendAna。Oho——ho!“ Toreturn：WhenSetiheardthesewords，helaughedagain，andsaid： “Imustthinkthatsayingover，butitisclearthatyouhaveaprettyturnforpraise。Isitnotso，Merapi，CrownofHathor，andHolderofthewisdomofIsis？“ ButMerapi，who，Ithink，understoodmorethaneitherofus，turnedpale，andshrankfurtheraway，butoutwardsintothesunshine。 “Well，Ki，“wentonSeti，“finishyourgreetings。Whatforthebabe？“ Kiconsidereditalso。 “Nowthatitisnolongerintheshadow，IseethatthisshootfromtheroyalrootofPharaohgrowssofastandtallthatmyeyescannotreachitscrest。Heistoohighandgreatforgreetings，Prince。“ ThenMerapiutteredalittlecry，andborethechildaway。 “Sheisafraidofmagiciansandtheirdarksayings，“saidSeti，lookingafterherwithatroubledsmile。 “Thatsheshouldnotbe，Prince，seeingthatsheisthemistressofallourtribe。“ “TheladyMerapiamagician？Well，afterafashion，yes——wheretheheartsofmenareconcerned，doyounotthinkso，Ana？Butbemoreplain，Ki。Itisstillearly，andIloveriddlesbestatnight。“ “WhatothercouldhaveshatteredthestrongandholyhousewherethemajestyofAmondwellsonearth？NoteventhoseprophetsoftheHebrewsasIthink。WhatothercouldfencethisgardenroundagainstthecursesthathavefallenuponEgypt？“askedKiearnestly，fornowallhismockingmannerhaddeparted。 “Idonotthinkshedoesthesethings，Ki。IthinksomePowerdoesthemthroughher，andIknowthatshedaredtofaceAmoninhistemplebecauseshewasbiddensotodobythepriestsofherpeople。“ “Prince，“heansweredwithashortlaugh，“awhileagoIsentyouamessagebyAna，whichperhapsotherthoughtsmayhavedrivenfromhismemory。ItwasastothenatureofthatPowerofwhichyouspeak。InthatmessageIsaidthatyouwerewise，butnowIperceivethatyoulackwisdomliketherestofus，forifyouhadit，youwouldknowthatthetoolwhichcarvesisnottheguidinghand，andthelightningwhichsmitesisnotthesendingstrength。Sowiththisfairloveofyours，andsowithmeandallthatworkmarvels。Wedonotthethingsweseemtodo，whoarebutthetoolandthelightning。WhatIwouldknowiswhoorwhatguidesherhandandgivesherthemighttoshieldortodestroy。“ “Thequestioniswide，Ki，orsoitseemstomewho，asyousay，havelittlewisdom，andwhoevercanansweritholdsthekeyofknowledge。 Yourmagicisbutasmallthingwhichseemsgreatbecausesofewcanhandleit。Whatmiracleisitthatmakestheflowertogrow，thechildtobeborn，theNiletorise，andthesunandstarstoshineinheaven？Whatcausesmantobehalfabeastandhalfagodandtogrowdownwardtothebeastorupwardtothegod——orboth？Whatisfaithandwhatisunbelief？Whomadethesethings，throughthemtodeclarethepurposesoflife，ofdeath，andofeternity？Youshakeyourhead，youdonotknow；howthencanIknowwho，asyoupointout，ambutfoolish？GogetyouranswerfromtheladyMerapi’sself，onlymayhapyouwillfindyourquestionscountered。“ “I’lltakemychance。ThankstoMerapi’slord!Aboon，OPrince，sinceyouwillnotsufferthatothernamewhichcomeseasiesttothelipsofonetowhomthePresentandtheFuturearesometimesmuchalike。“ Setilookedathimkeenly，andforthefirsttimewithatingeoffearinhiseyes。 “LeavetheFuturetoitself，Ki，“heexclaimed。“WhatevermaybethemindofEgypt，justnowIholdthePresentenoughforme，“andheglancedfirstatthechairinwhichMerapihadbeenseatedandthenattheclothuponwhichhissonhadlain。 “Itakebackmywords。ThePrinceiswiserthanIthought。Magiciansknowthefuturebecauseattimesitrushesdownuponthemandtheymust。Itisthatwhichmakesthemlonely，sincewhattheyknowtheycannotsay。Butonlyfoolswillseekit。“ “Yetnowandagaintheyliftacorneroftheveil，Ki。ThusIremembercertainsayingsofyourownastoonewhowouldfindagreattreasureinthelandofGoshenandthereaftersuffersometemporalloss，and——I forgettherest。Man，ceasesmilingatmewithyourfaceandpiercingmethroughwithyoursword-likeeyes。Youcancommandallthings，whatboonthendoyouseekfromme？“ “Tolodgeherealittlewhile，Prince，inthecompanyofAnaandBakenkhonsu。Hearken，IamnomoreKherheb。IhavequarrelledwithPharaoh，perhapsbecausealittlebreathfromthatgreatwindofthefutureblowsthroughmysoul；perhapsbecausehedoesnotrewardmeaccordingtomymerits——whatdoesitmatterwhich？AtleastIhavecometobeofonemindwithyou，OPrince，andthinkthatPharaohwoulddowelltolettheHebrewsgo，andthereforenolongerwillI attempttomatchmymagicagainsttheirs。Butherefuses，sowehaveparted。“ “Whydoesherefuse，Ki？“ “Perhapsitiswrittenthathemustrefuse。Orperhapsbecause，thinkinghimselfthegreatestofallkingsinsteadofbutaplaythingofthegods，pridelocksthedoorsofhisheartthatinadaytocomethetempestoftheFuture，whereofIhavespoken，maywreckthehousewhichholdsit。Idonotknowwhyherefuses，butherHighnessUsertiismuchwithhim。“ “Foronewhodoesnotknow，youhavemanyreasonsandallofthemdifferent，OinstructedKi，“saidSeti。 Thenhepaused，walkingupanddowntheportico，andIwhoknewhismindguessedthathewaswonderingwhetherhewoulddowelltosufferKi，whomattimeshefearedbecausehisobjectsweresecretandneverchanged，toabideinhishouse，orwhetherheshouldsendhimaway。Kialsoshiveredalittle，asthoughhefelttheshadowcold，anddescendedfromtheporticointothebrightsunshine。Hereheheldouthishandandagreatmothdroppedfromtheroofandlituponit，whereonitliftedittohislips，whichmovedasthoughheweretalkingtotheinsect。