第45章

“BecauseofacertaindreamthataladyofmyhouseholdwhoisHebrewhasdreamed，whichdreamforetellsdestructiontoyouandthearmyofEgypt，unlessyouhearkentothesewordsofmine。“ “Ithinkthatweknowofthissnakewhomyouhavetakentodwellinyourbosom，whenceitmayspitpoisonuponEgypt。ItisnamedMerapi，MoonofIsrael，isitnot？“ “Thatisthenameoftheladywhodreamedthedream，“repliedSetiinacoldvoice，thoughIfelthimtremblewithangeratmyside，“thedreamthatifPharaohwillsmycompanionshereshallsetoutwordforwordtohismagicians。“ “Pharaohdoesnotwillit，“shoutedAmenmesessmitingtheboardwithhisfist，“becausePharaohknowsthatitisbutanothertricktosavethesewizardsandthievesfromthedoomthattheyhaveearned。“ “AmIthenaworkeroftricks，OPharaoh？IfIhadbeensuch，whyhaveIjourneyedhithertogivewarning，whenbysittingyonderatMemphisto-morrow，Imightoncemorehavebecomeheirtothedoublecrown？Forifyouwillnothearkentome，Itellyouthatverysoonyoushallbedead，andwithyouthese“——andhepointedtoallthosewhosatattable——“andwiththemthegreatarmythatlieswithout。Ereyouspeak，tellme，whatisthatblackcloudwhichstandsbeforethecampoftheHebrews？Istherenoanswer？ThenIwillgiveyoutheanswer。Itisthepallthatshallwrapthebonesofeveryoneofyou。“ Nowthecompanyshiveredwithfear，yes，eventhepriestsandthemagiciansshivered。ButPharaohwentmadwithrage。Springingfromhisseat，hesnatchedatthedoublecrownuponhishead，andhurledittotheground，andInotedthatthegoldenur？usbandaboutit，rolledaway，andresteduponSeti’ssandalledfoot。Hetorehisrobesandshouted： “Atleastourfateshallbeyourfate，Renegade，whohavesoldEgypttotheHebrewwitchinpaymentofherkisses。Seizethismanandhiscompanions，andwhenwegodowntobattleagainsttheseIsraelitesto-morrowafterthedarknesslifts，letthembesetwiththecaptainsofthevan。Soshallthetruthbeknownatlast。“ ThusPharaohcommanded，andSeti，answeringnothing，foldedhisarmsuponhisbreastandwaited。 MenrosefromtheirseatsasthoughtoobeyPharaohandsankbacktothemagain。Guardsstartedforwardandyetremainedstandingwheretheywere。ThenBakenkhonsuburstintooneofhisgreatlaughs。 “O-ho-ho，“helaughed，“PharaohshaveIseencomeandgo，oneandtwoandthree，andfourandfive，butneveryethaveIseenaPharaohwhomnoneofhiscouncillorsorguardscouldobeyhowevermuchtheywilledit。WhenyouarePharaoh，PrinceSeti，mayyourluckbebetter。Yourarm，Ana，myfriend，andleadon，RoyalHeirofEgypt。Thetruthisshowntoblindeyesthatwillnotsee。Thewordisspokentodeafearsthatwillnothearken，andthedutydone。Nightfalls。Sleepyewell，yebiddenofOsiris，sleepyewell!“ Thenweturnedandwalkedfromthatpavilion。AtitsentranceIlookedback，andinthelowlightthatprecedesthedarkness，itseemedtomeasthoughallseatedtherewerealreadydead。Blueweretheirfacesandhollowshonetheireyes，andfromtheirlipstherecamenoword。 Onlytheystaredatusaswewent，andstaredandstaredagain。 Withoutthedoorofthepavilion，bycommandofthePrince，IcalledaloudthesubstanceoftheladyMerapi’sdream，andwarnedallwithinearshottoceasefrompursuingthepeopleofIsrael，iftheywouldcontinuetolivetolookuponthesun。Yetevennow，althoughtospeakthuswastreasonagainstPharaoh，noneliftedahandagainstthePrince，oragainstmehisservant。OftensincethenIhavewonderedwhythiswasso，andfoundnoanswertomyquestionings。Mayhapitwasbecauseofthemajestyofmymaster，whomallknewtobethetruePharaoh，andlovedatheart。MayhapitwasbecausetheyweresurethathewouldnothavetravelledsofarandplacedhimselfinthepowerofAmenmesessavetoworkthearmiesofEgyptgood，andnotill，andtobringthemamessagethathadbeenspokenbythegodsthemselves。 OrmayhapitwasbecausehewasstillhedgedaboutbythatprotectionwhichtheHebrewshadvowedtohimthroughtheirprophetswiththevoiceofJabez。Atleastsoithappened。Pharaohmightcommand，buthisservantswouldnotobey。Moreover，thestoryspread，andthatnightmanydesertedfromthehostofPharaohandencampedaboutus，orfledbacktowardsthecitieswhencetheycame。AlsowiththemwerenotafewcouncillorsandpriestswhohadtalkedsecretlywithBakenkhonsu。SoitchancedthatevenifPharaohdesiredtomakeanendofus，asperhapshepurposedtodointhemidnightwatches，hethoughtitwisesttoletthematterlieuntilhehadfinishedwiththepeopleofIsrael。 Itwasaverystrangenight，silent，withaheavy，stirlessair。Therewerenostars，butthecurtainofblackcloudwhichseemedtohangbeyondthecampoftheEgyptianswasalivewithlightningswhichappearedtoshapethemselvestolettersthatIcouldnotread。 “BeholdtheBookofFatewritteninfirebythehandofGod!“saidBakenkhonsu，ashewatched。 Aboutmidnightamightyeastwindbegantoblow，sostronglythatwemustlieuponourfacesundertheleaofthechariots。Thenthewinddiedawayandweheardtumultandshoutings，bothfromthecampofEgypt，andfromthecampofIsraelbeyondthecloud。Nexttherecameashockasofearthquake，whichthrewthoseofuswhowerestandingtotheground，andbyablood-redmoonthatnowappearedweperceivedthatallthearmyofPharaohwasbeginningtomovetowardsthesea。 “Whithergothey？“IaskedofthePrincewhoclungtomyarm。 “Todoom，Ithink，“heanswered，“buttowhatdoomIdonotknow。“ Afterthiswesaidnomore，becauseweweretoomuchafraid。 Dawncameatlast，showingthemostawfulsightthatwaseverbeheldbytheeyeofman。 Thewallofcloudhaddisappeared，andintheclearlightofthemorning，weperceivedthatthedeepwatersoftheSeaofReedshaddividedthemselves，leavingaraisedroadwaythatseemedtohavebeenclearedbythewind，orperchancetohavebeenthrownupbytheearthquake。Whocansay？NotIwhoneversetfootuponthatpathofdeath。AlongthiswideroadstreamedthetensofthousandsoftheIsraelites，passingbetweenthewaterontherighthand，andthewaterontheleft，andafterthemfollowedallthearmyofPharaoh，savethosewhohaddeserted，andstoodorlayaroundus，watching。WecouldevenseethegoldenchariotsthatmarkedthepresenceofPharaohhimself，andofhisbodyguard，deepintheheartofthebrokenhostthatstruggledforwardwithoutdisciplineororder。 “Whatnow？Oh!whatnow？“murmuredSeti，andashespoketherewasasecondshockofearthquake。Thentothewestontheseatherearoseamightywave，whereofthecrestseemedtobehighasapyramid。Itrolledforwardwithacurvedandfoaminghead，andinthehollowofitforamoment，nomore，wesawthearmyofEgypt。YetinthatmomentI seemedtoseemightyshapesfleeinglandwardsalongthecrestofthewave，whichshapesItooktobethegodsofEgypt，pursuedbyaformoflightandglorythatdrovethemaswithascourge。Theycame，theywent，accompaniedbyasoundofwailing，andthewavefell。 Butbeyondit，thehordesofIsraelstillmarched——uponthefurthershore。 Densegloomfollowed，andthroughthegloomIsaw，orthoughtIsaw，Merapi，MoonofIsrael，standingbeforeuswithatroubledfaceandheardorthoughtIheardhercry： “/Oh!helpme，mylordSeti!Helpme，mylordSeti!/“ Thenshetoowasgone。 “Harnessthechariots!“criedSeti，inahollowvoice。 Fastasspedourhorses，rumour，orratherthetruth，carriedbythosewhohadgonebeforeus，flewfaster。Oh!thatjourneywasasadreambegottenbytheevilgods。Onwegallopedthroughthedayandthroughthenightandlo!ateverytownandvillagewomenrusheduponuscrying： “Isittrue，Otravellers，isittruethatPharaohandhishostareperishedinthesea？“ ThenoldBakenkhonsuwouldcallinanswer： “Itistruethathewho/was/Pharaohandhishostareperishedinthesea。Butlo!hereishewho/is/Pharaoh，“andhepointedtothePrince，whotooknoheedandsaidnothing，save： “On!On!“ Thenforwardwewouldplungeagaintilloncemorethesoundofwailingdiedintosilence。 Itwassunset，andatlengthwedrewneartothegatesofMemphis。ThePrinceturnedtomeandspoke。 “HeretoforeIhavenotdaredtoask，“hesaid，“buttellme，Ana。Inthegloomafterthegreatcliffofwaterfellandtheshapesofterrorsweptby，didyouseemtoseeawomanstandbeforeusanddidyouseemtohearherspeak？“ “Idid，OPrince。“ “Whowasthatwomanandwhatdidshesay？“ “Shewasonewhoboreachildtoyou，OPrince，whichchildisnot，andshesaid，’Oh!helpme，mylordSeti。Helpme，mylordSeti!’“ Hisfacegrewashenevenbeneathitsveilofdust，andhegroaned。 “Twowholovedherhaveseenandtwowholovedherhaveheard，“hesaid。“Thereisnoroomfordoubt。Ana，sheisdead!“ “Ipraythegods-“ “Praynot，forthegodsofEgyptarealsodead，slainbythegodofIsrael。Ana，whohasmurderedher？“ WithmyfingerIwhoamadraughtsmandrewinthethickdustthatlayontheboardofthechariotthebrowsofamanandbeneaththemtwodeepeyes。Thegiltontheboardwherethesuncaughtitlookedlikelightintheeyes。 ThePrincenoddedandsaid： “NowweshalllearnwhethergreatmagicianssuchasKicandielikeothermen。Yes，ifneedbe，tolearnthatIwillputonPharaoh’scrown。“ WehaltedatthegatesofMemphis。Theywereshutandbarred，butfromwithinthevastcityroseasoundoftumult。 “Open!“criedthePrincetotheguard。 “Whobidsmeopen？“answeredthecaptainofthegatepeeringatus，forthelowsunlaybehind。 “Pharaohbidsyouopen。“