第40章

“Ifhehadnot，Lady，Ithinktherewouldhavebeennoneofuslefttotrick，seeingthatthepeoplewerecrazedwiththedreadofthedarknessandbelievedthatitcouldbeliftedbyyoualone，asindeedhappened，“Iaddedsomewhatdoubtfully。 “MoreofKi’stricks!Oh!doyounotunderstandthattheliftingofthedarknessatthatmomentwasKi’swork，becausehewishedthepeopletobelievethatIamindeedasorceress。“ “Why？“Iasked。 “Idonotknow。Perhapsthatonedayhemayfindavictimtobindtothealtarinhisplace。AtleastIknowwellthatitisIwhomustpaytheprice，Iandmyfleshandblood，whateverKimaypromise，“andshelookedatthesleepingchild。 “Donotbeafraid，Lady，“Isaid。“Kihasleftthepalaceandyouwillseehimnomore。“ “Yes，becausethePrincewasangrywithhimaboutthetrickinthetempleofIsis。Thereforesuddenlyhewent，orpretendedtogo，forhowcanonetellwheresuchamanmayreallybe？Buthewillcomebackagain。Bethinkyou，KiwasthegreatestmagicianinEgypt；evenoldBakenkhonsucanremembernoneliketohim。Thenhematcheshimselfagainsttheprophetsofmypeopleandfails。“ “Butdidhefail，Lady？Whattheydidhedid，sendingamongtheIsraelitestheplaguesthatyourprophetshadsentamongus。“ “Yes，someofthem，buthewasoutpaced，orfearedtobeoutpacedatlast。IsKiamantoforgetthat？AndifKichancesreallytobelievethatIamhisadversaryandhismasteratthisblackwork，asbecauseofwhathappenedinthetempleofAmonthousandsbelieveto-day，willhenotmetememyownmeasuresoonorlate？Oh!IfearKi，Ana，andI fearthepeopleofEgypt，andwereitnotformylordbeloved，Iwouldfleeawayintothewildernesswithmyson，andgetmeoutofthishauntedland!Hush!hewakes。“ FromthistimeforwarduntiltheswordfelltherewasgreatdreadinEgypt。Noneseemedtoknowexactlywhattheydreaded，butallthoughtthatithadtodowithdeath。Peoplewentaboutmournfullylookingovertheirshouldersasthoughsomeonewerefollowingthem，andatnighttheygatheredtogetherinknotsandtalkedinwhispers。OnlytheHebrewsseemedtobegladandhappy。Moreover，theyweremakingpreparationsforsomethingnewandstrange。ThusthoseIsraelitishwomenwhodweltinMemphisbegantosellwhatpropertytheyhadandtoborrowoftheEgyptians。Especiallydidtheyaskfortheloanofjewels，sayingthattheywereabouttocelebrateafeastandwishedtolookfineintheeyesoftheircountrymen。Nonerefusedthemwhattheyaskedbecauseallwereafraidofthem。TheyevencametothepalaceandbeggedherornamentsfromMerapi，althoughshewasacountrywomanoftheirownwhohadshowedthemmuchkindness。Yes，andseeingthathersonworealittlegoldcircletonhishair，oneofthembeggedthatalso，nordidshesayhernay。But，asitchanced，thePrinceentered，andseeingthewomanwiththisroyalbadgeinherhand，grewveryangryandforcedhertorestoreit。 “Whatistheuseofcrownswithoutheadstowearthem？“shesneered，andfledawaylaughing，withallthatshehadgathered。 AftershehadheardthatsayingMerapigrewevensadderandmoredistraughtthanshewasbefore，andfromherthetroublecrepttoSeti。Hetoobecamesadandillatease，thoughwhenIaskedhimwhyhevowedhedidnotknow，butsupposeditwasbecausesomenewplaguedrewnear。 “Yet，“headded，“asIhavemadeshifttolivethroughnineofthem，I donotknowwhyIshouldfearatenth。“ Stillhedidfearit，somuchthatheconsultedBakenkhonsuastowhethertherewereanymeansbywhichtheangerofthegodscouldbeaverted。 Bakenkhonsulaughedandsaidhethoughtnot，sincealwaysifthegodswerenotangryaboutonethingtheywereangryaboutanother。Havingmadetheworldtheydidnothingbutquarrelwithit，orwithothergodswhohadahandinitsfashioning，andofthesequarrelsmenwerethevictims。 “Bearyourwoes，Prince，“headded，“ifanycome，foreretheNilehasrisenanotherfiftytimesatmost，whethertheyhaveorhavenotbeen，willbethesametoyou。“ “Thenyouthinkthatwhenwegowestwedieindeed，andthatOsirisisbutanothernameforthesunset，Bakenkhonsu。“ TheoldCouncillorshookhisgreathead，andanswered： “No。Ifeveryoushouldloseonewhomyougreatlylove，takecomfort，Prince，forIdonotthinkthatlifeendswithdeath。Deathisthenursethatputsittosleep，nomore，andinthemorningitwillwakeagaintotravelthroughanotherdaywiththosewhohavecompanioneditfromthebeginning。“ “Wheredoallthedaysleadittoatlast，Bakenkhonsu？“ “AskthatofKi；Idonotknow。“ “ToSetwithKi，Iamangeredwithhim，“saidthePrince，andwentaway。 “Notwithoutreason，Ithink，“musedBakenkhonsu，butwhenIaskedhimwhathemeant，hewouldnotorcouldnottellme。 Sothegloomdeepenedandthepalace，whichhadbeenmerryinitsway，becamesad。Noneknewwhatwascoming，butallknewthatsomethingwascomingandstretchedouttheirhandstostrivetoprotectthatwhichtheylovedbestfromthestrokeofthewarringgods。InthecaseofSetiandMerapithiswastheirson，nowabeautifullittleladwhocouldrunandprattle，onetooofastrangehealthandvigourforachildoftheinbredraceoftheRamessids。Neverforaminutewasthisboyallowedtobeoutofthesightofoneorotherofhisparents； indeedIsawlittleofSetiinthosedaysandallourlearnedstudiescametonothing，becausehewaseverconcernedwithMerapiinplayingnursetothissonofhis。 WhenUsertiwastoldofit，shesaidinthehearingofafriendofmine： “WithoutadoubtthatisbecausehetrainshisbastardtofillthethroneofEgypt。“ But，alas!allthatthelittleSetiwasdoomedtofillwasacoffin。 Itwasastill，hotevening，sohotthatMerapihadbidthenursebringthechild’sbedandsetitbetweentwopillarsofthegreatportico。Thereonthebedheslept，lovelyasHorusthedivine。Shesatbyhissideinachairthathadfeetshapedliketothoseofanantelope。Setiwalkedupanddowntheterracebeyondtheporticoleaningonmyshoulder，andtalkingbysnatchesofthisorthat。 OccasionallyashepassedhewouldstayforawhiletomakesurebythebrightmoonlightthatallwaswellwithMerapiandthechild，asoflateithadbecomeahabitwithhimtodo。Thenwithoutspeaking，forfearlestheshouldawaketheboy，hewouldsmileatMerapi，whosattherebrooding，herheadrestingonherhand，andpasson。 Thenightwasverystill。Thepalmleavesdidnotrustle，nojackalswerestirring，andeventheshrill-voicedinsectshadceasedtheircries。Moreover，thegreatcitybelowwasquietasahomeofthedead。 Itwasasthoughthepresageofsomeadvancingdoomscaredtheworldtosilence。Forwithoutdoubtdoomwasintheair。Allfeltitdowntothenursewoman，whocoweredcloseasshedaredtothechairofhermistress，andeveninthatheatshiveredfromtimetotime。 PresentlylittleSetiawoke，andbegantoprattleaboutsomethinghehaddreamed。 “Whatdidyoudream，myson？“askedhisfather。 “Idreamed，“heansweredinhisbabytalk，“thatawoman，dressedasMotherwasinthetemple，tookmebythehandandledmeintotheair。 Ilookeddown，andsawyouandMotherwithwhitefacesandcrying。I begantocrytoo，butthewomanwiththefeathercaptoldmenotasshewastakingmetoabeautifulbigstarwhereMotherwouldsooncometofindme。“ ThePrinceandIlookedateachotherandMerapifeignedtobusyherselfwithhushingthechildtosleepagain。Itdrewtowardsmidnightandstillnooneseemedmindedtogotorest。OldBakenkhonsuappearedandbegantosaysomethingaboutthenightbeingverystrangeandunrestful，when，suddenly，alittlebatthatwasflittingtoandfroaboveusfelluponhisheadandthencetotheground。Welookedatit，andsawthatitwasdead。 “Strangethatthecreatureshouldhavediedthus，“saidBakenkhonsu，when，behold!anotherfelltothegroundnearby。TheblackkittenwhichbelongedtoLittleSetisawitfallanddartedfrombesidehisbedwhereitwassleeping。Beforeeveritreachedthebat，thecreaturewheeledround，stooduponitshindlegs，scratchingattheairaboutit，thenutteredonepitifulcryandfelloverdead。 Westaredatit，whensuddenlyfarawayadoghowledinaverypiercingfashion。Thenacowbegantobaleasthesebeastsdowhentheyhavelosttheircalves。Next，quitecloseathandbutwithoutthegates，therearosetheear-curdlingcryofawomaninagony，whichontheinstantseemedtobeechoedfromeveryquarter，tilltheairwasfullofwailing。 “Oh，Seti!Seti!“exclaimedMerapi，inavoicethatwasratherahissthanawhisper，“lookatyourson!“ Wesprangtowherethebabelay，andlooked。Hehadawakenedandwasstaringupwardwithwide-openedeyesandfrozenface。Thefear，ifsuchitwere，passedfromhisfeatures，thoughstillhestared。Herosetohislittlefeet，alwayslookingupwards。Thenasmilecameuponhisface，amostbeautifulsmile；hestretchedouthisarms，asthoughtoclasponewhobentdowntowardshim，andfellbackwards—— quitedead。 Setistoodstillasastatue；weallstoodstill，evenMerapi。Thenshebenddown，andliftedthebodyoftheboy。 “Now，mylord，“shesaid，“therehasfallenonyouthatsorrowwhichJabezmyunclewarnedyouwouldcome，ifeveryouhadaughttodowithme。NowthecurseofIsraelhaspiercedmyheart，andnowourchild，asKitheevilprophesied，hasgrowntoogreatforgreetings，orevenforfarewells。“