第44章

NowI，Ana，listening，wishedthatKiwouldappearbeforethefaceofPharaoh，althoughIdidnotbelievethathecouldbekilledbyhimorbyanybodyelse，sinceagainstdeathhehadcharms。ForIwasafraidofKi，andfeltinmyselfthatagainhewasplottingeviltoMerapiwhomIknewtobeinnocent。 ThePrincewalkedupanddownthechamberaswashisfashionwhenlostinthought。Presentlyhestoppedoppositetomeandsaid： “FriendAna，bepleasedtocommandthatmychariotsbemadereadywithageneral’sescortofahundredmenandsparehorsestoeachchariot。 Werideatdawn，youandI，toseekoutthearmyofPharaohandprayaudienceofPharaoh。“ “Mylord，“saidMerapiinakindofcry，“Iprayyougonot，leavingmealone。“ “WhyshouldIleaveyou，Lady？Comewithmeifyouwill。“Sheshookherhead，saying： “Idarenot。Prince，therehasbeensomecharmuponmeoflatethatdrawsmebacktomyownpeople。TwiceinthenightIhaveawakenedandfoundmyselfinthegardenswithmyfacesettowardsthenorth，andheardavoiceinmyears，eventhatofmyfatherwhoisdead，saying： “’MoonofIsrael，thypeoplewanderinthewildernessandneedthylight。’ “ItiscertainthereforethatifIcameneartothemIshouldbedraggeddownaswoodisdraggedofaneddy，norwouldEgyptseemeanymore。“ “ThenIprayyoubidewhereyouare，Merapi，“saidthePrince，laughingalittle，“sinceitiscertainthatwhereyougoImustfollow，whohavenodesiretowanderinthewildernesswithyourHebrewfolk。Well，itseemsthatasyoudonotwishtoleaveMemphisandwillnotcomewithme，Imuststaywithyou。“ Kifixedhispiercingeyesuponthepairofthem。 “LetthePrinceforgiveme，“hesaid，“butIswearitbythegodsthatneverdidIthinktolivetohearthePrinceSetiMeneptahsetawoman’swhimsbeforehishonour。“ “Yourwordsarerough，“saidSeti，drawinghimselfup，“andhadtheybeenspokeninotherdays，mayhap，Ki-“ “Oh!mylord，“saidKiprostratinghimselftillhisforeheadtouchedtheground，“bethinkyouthenhowgreatmustbetheneedwhichmakesmedaretospeakthem。WhenfirstIcamehitherfromthecourtofTanis，thespiritthatiswithinmespeakingthroughmylipsgavecertaintitlestoyourHighness，forwhichyourHighnesswaspleasedtoreproveme。YetthespiritinmecannotlieandIknowwell，andbidallheremakerecordofmywords，thatto-nightIstandinthepresenceofhimwhoeretwomoonshavepassedwillbecrownedPharaoh。“ “Trulyyouwereeverabearerofill-tidings，Ki，butifso，whatofit？“ “ThisyourHighness：WereitnotthatthespiritsofTruthandRightcompelmefortheirownreasons，shouldI，whohavebloodthatcanbeshedorbonesthatcanbebroken，daretohurlhardwordsathimwhowillbePharaoh？ShouldIdaretocrossthewillofthesweetdovewhonestlesonhisheart，thewise，whitedovethatmurmursthemysteriesofheaven，whenceshecame，andisstrongerthanthevultureofIsisandswifterthanthehawkofRa；thedovethat，weresheangry，couldrendmeintomorefragmentsthandidSetOsiris？“ NowIsawBakenkhonsubegintoswellwithinwardlaughterlikeafrogabouttocroak，butSetiansweredinawearyvoice： “ByallthebirdsofEgyptwiththesacredcrocodilesthrownin，Idonotknow，sincethatmindofyours，Ki，isnotanopenwritingwhichcanbereadbythepasser-by。Still，ifyouwouldtellmewhatisthereasonwithwhichthegoddessesofTruthandJusticehaveinspiredyou-“ “Thereasonis，OPrince，thatthefateofallEgypt’sarmymaybehiddeninyourhand。ThetimeisshortandIwillbeplain。Denyitasshewillthisladyhere，whoseemstobebutathingofloveandbeauty，isthegreatestsorceressinEgypt，asIwhomshehasmasteredknowwell。ShematchedherselfagainstthehighgodofEgyptandsmotehimtothedust，andhaspaidbackuponhim，hisprophets，andhisworshipperstheillsthathewouldhaveworkedtoher，asinthelikecaseanyofourfellowshipwoulddo。Nowshehasdreamedadream，orherspirithastoldherthatthearmyofEgyptisindangerofdestruction，andIknowthatthisdreamistrue。Hastenthen，O Prince，tosavethehostsofEgypt，whichyouwillsurelyneedwhenyoucometosituponitsthrone。“ “Iamnosorceress，“criedMerapi，“andyet——alas!thatImustsayit——thissmiling-featured，cold-eyedwizard’swordsaretrue。/TheswordofdeathhangsoverthehostsofEgypt!/“ “Commandthatthechariotsbemadeready，“saidSetiagain。 Eightdayshadgoneby。ItwassunsetandwedrewreinoveragainsttheSeaofReeds。DayandnightwehadfollowedthearmyofPharaohacrossthewildernessonaroadbeatendownbyhischariotwheelsandsoldiers，andbythetensofthousandsoftheIsraeliteswhohadpassedthatwaybeforethem。Nowfromtheridgewherewehadhaltedwesawitencampedbeneathus，averygreatarmy。Moreover，stragglerstoldusthatbeyond，alsoencamped，wasthecountlesshordeoftheIsraelites，andbeyondthesethevastSeaofReedswhichbarredtheirpath。Butwecouldnotseethemforaverystrangereason。BetweentheseandthearmyofPharaohroseablackwallofcloud，builtasitwerefromearthtoheaven。OneofthosestragglersofwhomIhavespoken，toldusthatthiscloudtravelledbeforetheIsraelitesbyday，butatnightwasturnedintoapillaroffire。Onlyonthisday，whenthearmyofPharaohapproached，ithadmovedroundandcomebetweenthepeopleofIsraelandthearmy。 NowwhenthePrince，Bakenkhonsu，andIheardthesethingswelookedateachotherandweresilent。OnlypresentlythePrincelaughedalittle，andsaid： “WeshouldhavebroughtKiwithus，evenifwehadtocarryhimbound，thathemightinterpretthismarvel，foritissurethatnooneelsecan。“ “ItwouldbehardtokeepKibound，Prince，ifhewishedtogofree，“ answeredBakenkhonsu。“Moreover，beforeeverweenteredthechariotsatMemphishehaddepartedsouthforThebes。Isawhimgo。“ “AndIgaveordersthatheshouldnotbeallowedtoreturn，forIholdhimanillguest，orsothinkstheladyMerapi，“repliedSetiwithasigh。 “NowthatweareherewhatwouldthePrincedo？“Iasked。 “DescendtothecampofPharaohandsaywhatwehavetosay，Ana。“ “Andifhewillnotlisten，Prince？“ “Thencryourmessagealoudandreturn。“ “Andifhewillnotsufferustoreturn，Prince？“ “Thenstandstillandliveordieasthegodsmaydecree。“ “Trulyourlordhasagreatheart!“exclaimedBakenkhonsu，“andthoughIfeeloveryoungtodie，Iammindedtoseetheendofthismatterwithhim，“andhelaughedaloud。 ButIwhowasafraidthoughtthat/O-ho-ho/ofhis，whichtheskyseemedtoechobackuponourheads，astrangeandindeedafearfulsound。 Thenweputonrobesofceremonythatwehadbroughtwithus，butneitherswordsnorarmour，andhavingeatensomefood，droveonwiththehalfofourguardtowardstheplacewherewesawthebannersofPharaohflyingabouthispavilion。Therestofourguardweleftencamped，biddingthem，ifaughthappenedtous，toreturnandmakereportatMemphisandintheothergreatcities。Aswedrewneartothecamptheoutpostssawusandchallenged。Butwhentheyperceivedbythelightofthesettingsunwhoitwasthattheychallenged，amurmurwentthroughthem，of： “ThePrinceofEgypt!ThePrinceofEgypt!“forsotheyhadneverceasedtonameSeti，andtheysalutedwiththeirspearsandletuspass。 SoatlengthwecametothepavilionofPharaoh，roundaboutwhichawholeregimentstoodonguard。Thesidesofitwereloopeduphighbecauseoftheheatofthenightwhichwasgreat，andwithinsatPharaoh，hiscaptains，hiscouncillors，hispriests，hismagicians，andmanyothersatmeatorservingfoodanddrink。Theysatatatablethatwasbentlikeabow，withtheirfacestowardstheentrance，andPharaohwasinthecentreofthetablewithhisfan-bearersandbutlersbehindhim。 Weadvancedintothepavilion，thePrinceinthecentre，Bakenkhonsuleaningonhisstaffontherighthand，andI，wearingthegoldchainthatPharaohMeneptahhadgivenme，ontheleft，butthosewithusremainedamongtheguardattheentrance。 “Whoarethese？“askedAmenmeses，lookingup，“whocomehereunbidden？“ “ThreecitizensofEgyptwhohaveamessageforPharaoh，“answeredSetiinhisquietvoice，“whichwehavetravelledfastandfartospeakintime。“ “Howareyounamed，citizensofEgypt，andwhosendsyourmessage？“ “Wearenamed，SetiMeneptahaforetimePrinceofEgypt，andheirtoitscrown；BakenkhonsutheagedCouncillor，andAnathescribeandKing’sCompanion，andourmessageisfromthegods。“ “Wehaveheardthosenames，whohasnot？“saidPharaoh，andashespokeall，orverynearlyall，thecompanyrose，orhalfrose，andbowedtowardsthePrince。“Willyouandyourcompanionsbeseatedandeat，PrinceSetiMeneptah？“ “WethankthedivinePharaoh，butwehavealreadyeaten。HavewePharaoh’sleavetodeliverourmessage？“ “Speakon，Prince。“ “OPharaoh，manymoonshavegoneby，sincelastwelookeduponeachotherfacetoface，onthatdaywhenmyfather，thegoodgodMeneptah，disinheritedme，andafterwardsfledhencetoOsiris。PharaohwillrememberwhyIwasthuscutofffromtheroyalrootofEgypt。ItwasbecauseofthematteroftheseIsraelites，whoinmyjudgmenthadbeenevillydealtby，andshouldbesufferedtoleaveourland。ThegoodgodMeneptah，beingsoadvisedbyyouandothers，OPharaoh，wouldhavesmittentheIsraeliteswiththesword，makinganendofthem，andtothishedemandedmyassentastheHeirofEgypt。Irefusedthatassentandwascastout，andsincethen，you，OPharaoh，havewornthedoublecrown，whileIhavedweltasacitizenofMemphis，livinguponsuchlandsandrevenuesasaremyown。Betweenthathourandthis，O Pharaoh，manygriefshavesmittenEgypt，andthelastofthemcostyouyourfirst-born，andmemine。Yetthroughthemall，OPharaoh，youhaverefusedtolettheseHebrewsgo，asIcounselledshouldbedoneatthebeginning。Atlengthafterthedeathofthefirst-born，yourdecreewasissuedthattheymightgo。Yetnowyoufollowthemwithagreatarmyandpurposetodotothemwhatmyfather，thegoodgodMeneptah，wouldhavedone，hadIconsented，namely——todestroythemwiththesword。Hearme，Pharaoh!“ “Ihear；alsothecaseiswellifbrieflyset。WhatelsewouldthePrinceSetisay？“ “This，OPharaoh。ThatIprayyoutoreturnwithallyourhostfromthefollowingoftheseHebrews，notto-morroworthenextday，butatonce——thisnight。“ “Why，OPrince？“