第42章

“PerhapsitisbecauseIlovehimthatIwishtodie。IhavegivenhimallIhavetogive；thereisnothingleftofmypoortreasureexceptwhatwillbringtroubleandmisfortuneonhishead。Thereforethegreaterthelove——anditismoregreatthanallthosepyramidsmassedtoone——thegreatertheneedthatitshouldbeburiedforawhile。Doyouunderstand？“ Heshookhishead。 “Iunderstandonlythatyouareaverystrangewoman，differentfromanyotherthatIhaveknown。“ “Mychild，whowasslainwiththerest，wasalltheworldtome，andI wouldbewhereheis。Doyouunderstandnow？“ “Youwouldleaveyourlife，inwhich，beingyoung，youmayhavemorechildren，tolieinatombwithyourdeadson？“heaskedslowly，likeoneastonished。 “IonlycareforlifewhileitcanservehimwhomIlove，andifadaycomeswhenhesitsuponthethronehowwilladaughterofthehatedIsraelitesservehimthen？AlsoIdonotwishformorechildren。 Livingordead，hethatisgoneownsallmyheart；thereisnoroominitforothers。Thatloveatleastispureandperfect，andhavingbeenembalmedbydeath，canneverchange。Moreover，itisnotinatombthatIshallliewithhim，orsoIbelieve。ThefaithoftheseEgyptianswhichwedespisetellsofalifeeternalintheheavens，andthitherIwouldgotoseekthatwhichislost，andtowaitthatwhichisleftbehindawhile。“ “Ah!“saidJabez。“FormypartIdonottroublemyselfwiththeseproblems，whofindinalifetemporalontheearthenoughtofillmythoughtsandhands。Yet，Merapi，youarearebel，andwhetherinheavenoronearth，howarerebelsreceivedbythekingagainstwhomtheyhaverebelled？“ “YousayIamrebel，“shesaid，turningonhimwithflashingeyes。 “Why？BecauseIwouldnotdishonourmyselfbymarryingamanIhate，onealsowhoisamurderer，andbecausewhileIliveIwillnotdesertamanwhomIlovetoreturntothosewhohavedonemenaughtbutevil。 DidGodthenmakewomentobesoldlikecattleofthefieldforthepleasureandtheprofitofhimwhocanpaythehighest？“ “Itseemsso，“saidJabez，spreadingouthishands。 “Itseemsthatyouthinkso，whofashionGodasyouwouldwishhimtobe，butformypartIdonotbelieveit，andifIdid，Ishouldseekanotherking。Myuncle，IappealfromthepriestandtheeldertoThatwhichmadeboththemandme，andbyItsjudgmentIwillstandorfall。“ “Alwaysaverydangerousthingtodo，“reflectedJabezaloud，“sincethepriestisapttotakethelawintohisownhandsbeforethecausecanbepleadedelsewhere。Still，whoamIthatIshouldsetupmyreasoningsagainstonewhocangrindAmontopowderinhisownsanctuary，andwhothereforemayhavewarrantforallshethinksanddoes？“ Merapistampedherfoot。 “YouknowwellitwasyouwhobroughtmethecommandtodarethegodAmoninhistemple。ItwasnotI-“shebegan。 “Idoknow，“repliedJabezwavinghishand。“Iknowalsothatiswhateverywizardsays，whateverhisnationorhisgods，andwhatnooneeverbelieves。Thusbecause，havingfaith，youobeyedthecommandandthroughyouAmonwassmitten，amongboththeIsraelitesandtheEgyptiansyouareheldtobethegreatestsorceressthathaslookedupontheNile，andthatisadangerousrepute，myniece。“ “OnetowhichIlaynoclaim，andneversought。“ “Justso，butwhichallthesamehascometoyou。Well，knowingaswithoutdoubtyoudoallthatwillsoonbefallinEgypt，andhavingbeenwarned，ifyouneededwarning，ofthedangerwithwhichyouyourselfarethreatened，youstillrefusetoobeythissecondcommandwhichitismydutytodelivertoyou？“ “Irefuse。“ “Thenonyourownheadbeit，andfarewell。Oh!Iwouldaddthatthereisacertainpropertyincattle，andthefruitoflandswhichdescendstoyoufromyourfather。Intheeventofyourdeath-“ “Takeitall，uncle，andmayitprosperyou。Farewell。“ “Agreatwoman，friendAna，andabeautiful，“saidtheoldHebrew，afterhehadwatchedhergo。“IgrievethatIshallneverseeheragain，and，indeed，thatnoonewillseeherforverylong；for，remember，sheismynieceofwhomIamfond。NowItoomustbegoing，havingcompletedmyerrand。Allgoodfortunetoyou，Ana。Youarenolongerasoldier，areyou？No？Believeme，itisaswell，asyouwilllearn。MyhomagetothePrince。Thinkofmeattimes，whenyougrowold，andnotunkindly，seeingthatIhaveservedyouasbestIcould，andyourmasteralso，whoIhopewillsoonfindagainthatwhichhelostawhileago。“ “HerHighness，PrincessUserti，“Isuggested。 “ThePrincessUsertiamongotherthings，Ana。TellthePrince，ifheshoulddeemthemcostly，thatthosehorseswhichIsoldhimarereallyofthefinestSyrianblood，andofastrainthatmyfamilyhasownedforgenerations。Ifyoushouldchancetohaveanyfriendwhosewelfareyoudesire，lethimnotgointothedesertsoldieringduringthenextfewmoons，especiallyifPharaohbeincommand。Nay，Iknownothing，butitisaseasonofgreatstorm。Farewell，friendAna，andagainfarewell。“ “Nowwhatdidhemeanbythat？“thoughtItomyself，asIdepartedtomakemyreporttoSeti。Butnoanswertothequestionroseinmymind。 VerysoonIbegantounderstand。ItappearedthatatlengththeIsraeliteswereleavingEgypt，avasthordeofthem，andwiththemtensofthousandsofArabsofvarioustribeswhoworshippedtheirgodandwere，someofthem，descendedfromthepeopleoftheHyksos，theshepherdswhoonceruledinEgypt。ThatthiswastruewasprovedtousbythetidingswhichreachedusthatalltheHebrewwomenwhodweltinMemphis，eventhoseofthemwhoweremarriedtoEgyptians，haddepartedfromthecity，leavingbehindthemtheirmenandsometimestheirchildren。Indeed，beforethesewent，certainofthemwhohadbeenfriendsvisitedMerapi，andaskedherifshewerenotcomingalso。Sheshookherheadasshereplied： “Whydoyougo？Areyousofondofjourneyingsinthedesertthatforthesakeofthemyouarereadyneveragaintolookuponthemenyouloveandthechildrenofyourbodies？“ “No，Lady，“theyanswered，weeping。“Wearehappyhereinwhite-walledMemphisandhere，listeningtothemurmuroftheNile，wewouldgrowoldanddie，ratherthanstrivetokeephouseinsomedeserttentwithastrangeroralone。Yetfeardrivesushence。“ “Fearofwhat？“ “OftheEgyptianswho，whentheycometounderstandallthattheyhavesufferedatourhandsinreturnforthewealthandshelterwhichtheyhavegivenusformanygenerations，wherebywehavegrownfromahandfulintoagreatpeople，willcertainlykillanyIsraelitewhomtheyfindleftamongthem。Alsowefearthecursesofourpriestswhobidustodepart。“ “Then/I/shouldfearthesethingsalso，“saidMerapi。 “Notso，Lady，seeingthatbeingtheonlybelovedofthePrinceofEgyptwho，rumourtellsus，willsoonbePharaohofEgypt，byhimyouwillbeprotectedfromtheangeroftheEgyptians。Andbeing，asweallknowwell，thegreatestsorceressintheworld，theoverthrowerofAmon-Rathemighty，andonewhobysacrificingherchildwasabletowardawayeveryplaguefromthehouseholdwhereshedwelt，youhavenaughttofearfrompriestsandtheirmagic。“ ThenMerapisprangup，biddingthemtoleavehertoherfateandtobegonetotheirown，whichtheydidhastilyenough，fearinglestsheshouldcastsomespelluponthem。SoitcameaboutthatpresentlythefairMoonofIsraelandcertainchildrenofmixedbloodwerealloftheHebrewracethatwereleftinEgypt。Then，notwithstandingthemiseriesandmisfortunesthatduringthepastfewyearsbyterror，death，andfaminehadreducedthemtoperhapsonehalfoftheirnumber，thepeopleofEgyptrejoicedwithagreatjoy。 Ineverytempleofeverygodprocessionswereheldandofferingsmadebythosewhohadanythinglefttooffer，whilethestatuesofthegodsweredressedinfinenewgarmentsandhungaboutwithgarlandingsofflowers。Moreover，ontheNileandonthesacredlakesboatsfloatedtoandfro，adornedwithlanternsasatthefeastoftheRisingofOsiris。Astitularhigh-priestofAmon，anofficeofwhichhecouldnotbedeprivedwhilehelived，PrinceSetiattendedthesedemonstrations，whichindeedhemustdo，inthegreattempleofMemphis，whitherIaccompaniedhim。Whentheceremonieswereoverheledtheprocessionthroughthemassesoftheworshippers，cladinhissplendidsacerdotalrobes，whereoneverythroatofthethousandspresenttheregreetedhiminashoutofthunderas“Pharaoh!“oratleastasPharaoh’sheir。 Whenatlengththeshoutingdied，heturneduponthemandsaid： “Friends，ifyouwouldsendmetobeofthecompanythatsitsatthetableofOsirisandnotatPharaoh’sfeasts，youwillrepeatthisfoolishgreeting，whereofourLordAmenmeseswillhearwithlittlejoy。“ Inthesilencethatfollowedavoicecalledout： “Havenofear，OPrince，whiletheHebrewwitchsleepsnightbynightuponyourbosom。ShewhocouldsmiteEgyptwithsomanyplaguescancertainlyshelteryoufromharm；“whereontheroarsofacclamationwentupagain。 ItwasonthefollowingdaythatBakenkhonsutheagedreturnedwithmoretidingsfromTanis，wherehehadbeenuponavisit。Itseemedthatagreatcouncilhadbeenheldthereinthelargesthallofoneofthelargesttemples。Atthiscouncil，whichwasopentoallthepeople，AmenmeseshadgivenreportonthematteroftheIsraeliteswho，hestated，weredepartingintheirthousands。AlsoofferingsweremadetoappeasetheangrygodsofEgypt。Whentheceremonywasfinished，butbeforethecompanybrokeupinaheavymood，herHighnessthePrincessUsertiroseinherplace，andaddressedPharaoh： “Bythespiritsofourfathers，“shecried，“andmoreespeciallybythatofthegoodgodMeneptah，mybegetter，Iaskofyou，Pharaoh，andIaskofyou，Opeople，whethertheaffrontthathasbeenputuponusbytheseHebrewslavesandtheirmagiciansisonethattheproudlandofEgyptshouldbecalledupontobear？Ourgodshavebeensmittenanddefied；woesgreatandterrible，suchashistorytellsnotof，havefallenuponusthroughmagic；tensofthousands，fromthefirst-bornchildofPharaohdown，haveperishedinasinglenight。AndnowtheseHebrews，whohavemurderedthembysorcery，fortheyaresorcerersall，menandwomentogether，especiallyoneofthemwhositsatMemphis，ofwhomIwillnotspeakbecauseshehaswroughtmeprivateharm，bythedecreeofPharaoharetobesufferedtoleavetheland。 More，theyaretotakewiththemalltheircattle，alltheirthreshedcorn，allthetreasuretheyhavehoardedforgenerations，andalltheornamentsofpriceandwealththattheyhavewrungbyterrorfromourownpeople，borrowingthatwhichtheyneverpurposetoreturn。