第29章

Heshookhishead。“Notaltogether。Ithinkthisdarknesscomesfromtheheavensaslightdoes。Menareafraidtheyknownotofwhat。“ “TheIsraelites，“Isuggested。 “Nowyouareneartoit，Ana，fordoubtlesstheyhavemuchtodowiththematter。HaditnotbeenforthemSetiandnotAmenmeseswouldbecrownedto-morrow。AlsothetaleofthemarvelwhichthebeautifulHebrewwomanwroughtinthetempleyonderhasgotabroadandistakenasanomen。DidItellyouthatsixdaysgoneafinenewstatueofthegodwasconsecratedthereandonthefollowingmorningwasfoundlyingonitsside，orratherwithitsheadrestingonthebreastofMut？“ “Ifso，Merapiisblameless，becauseshehasgoneawayfromthiscity。“ “Ofcourseshehasgoneaway，forhasnotSetigonealso？ButIthinksheleftsomethingbehindher。Howeverthatmaybe，evenournewdivinelordisafraid。Hedreamsill，Ana，“headded，droppinghisvoice，“soillthathehascalledinKi，theKherheb，[*]tointerprethisvisions。“ [*]“Kherheb“wasthetitleofthechiefofficialmagicianinancientEgypt。 “AndwhatsaidKi？“ “Kicouldsaynothingor，rather，thattheonlyanswervouchsafedtohimandhiscompany，whentheymadeinquiryoftheirKas，wasthatthisgod’sreignwouldbeveryshortandthatitandhislifewouldendtogether。“ “WhichperhapsdidnotpleasethegodAmenmeses，Bakenkhonsu？“ “Whichdidnotpleasethegodatall。HethreatenedKi。Itisafoolishthingtothreatenagreatmagician，Ana，astheKherhebKi，himselfindeedtoldhim，lookinghimintheeyes。Thenheprayedhispardonandaskedwhowouldsucceedhimonthethrone，butKisaidhedidnotknow，asaKherhebwhohadbeenthreatenedcouldneverrememberanything，whichindeedhenevercan——excepttopaybackthethreatener。“ “Anddidheknow，Bakenkhonsu？“ BywayofanswertheoldCouncillorcrumbledsomebreadfineuponthetable，thenwithhisfingertracedamongthecrumbstheroughlikenessofajackal-headedgodandoftwofeathers，afterwhichwithaswiftmovementhesweptthecrumbsontothefloor。 “Seti!“Iwhispered，readingthehieroglyphsofthePrince’sname，andhenoddedandlaughedinhisgreatfashion。 “Mencometotheirownsometimes，Ana，especiallyiftheydonotseektheirown，“hesaid。“Butifso，muchmusthappenfirstthatisterrible。ThenewPharaohisnottheonlymanwhodreams，Ana。OflateyearsmysleephasbeenlightandsometimesIdream，thoughIhavenomagicliketothatofKi。“ “Whatdidyoudream？“ “IdreamedofagreatmultitudemarchinglikelocustsoverEgypt。 Beforethemwentacolumnoffireinwhichweretwohands。OneoftheseheldAmonbythethroatandoneheldthenewPharaohbythethroat。Afterthemcameacolumnofcloud，andinitashapeliketothatofanunwrappedmummy，ashapeofdeathstandinguponwaterthatwasfullofcountlessdead。“ NowIbethoughtmeofthepicturethatthePrinceandIhadseenintheskiesyonderinthelandofGoshen，butofitIsaidnothing。YetIthinkthatBakenkhonsusawintomymind，forheasked： “Do/you/neverdream，Friend？Youseevisionsthatcometrue—— Amenmesesonthethrone，forinstance。Doyounotalsodreamattimes？ No？Well，then，thePrince？Youlooklikemenwhomight，andthetimeisripeandpregnant。Oh!Iremember。Youarebothofyoudreaming，notofthepicturesthatpassacrosstheterribleeyesofKi，butofthosethatthemoonreflectsuponthewatersofMemphis，theMoonofIsrael。Ana，beadvisedbyme，putawaythefleshandincreasethespirit，forinitaloneishappiness，whereofwomanandallourjoysarebutearthlysymbols，shadowsthrownbythatmortalcloudwhichliesbetweenusandtheLightAbove。Iseethatyouunderstand，becausesomeofthatlighthasstruggledtoyourheart。Doyourememberthatyousawitshininginthehourwhenyourlittledaughterdied？Ah!Ithoughtso。Itwasthegiftsheleftyou，agiftthatwillgrowandgrowinsuchabreastasyours，ifonlyyouwillputawaythefleshandmakeroomforit，Ana。Man，donotweep——laughasIdo，Oho- ho!Givememystaff，andgood-night。Forgetnotthatwesittogetheratthecrowningto-morrow，foryouareaKing’sCompanionandthatrankonceconferredisonewhichnonewPharaohcantakeaway。Itislikethegiftofthespirit，Ana，whichishardtowin，butoncewonmoreeternalthanthestars。Oh!whydoIlivesolongwhowouldbatheinit，aswhenachildIusedtobatheinNile？“ OnthefollowingdayattheappointedhourIwenttothegreathallofthepalace，thatinwhichIhadfirstseenMeneptah，andtookmystandintheplaceallottedtome。Itwassomewhatfarback，perhapsbecauseitwasnotwishedthatI，whowasknowntobetheprivatescribeofSeti，shouldremindEgyptofhimbyappearingwhereallcouldseeme。 Greataswasthehallthecrowdfilledittoitsfurthestcorners。 Moreovernocommonmanwaspresentthere，butrathereverynobleandhead-priestinEgypt，andwiththemtheirwivesanddaughters，sothatallthedimcourtsshonewithgoldandpreciousgemssetuponfestalgarments。WhileIwaswaitingoldBakenkhonsuhobbledtowardsme，thecrowdmakingwayforhim，andIcouldseethattherewaslaughterinhissunkeneyes。 “Weareill-placed，Ana，“hesaid。“StillifanyofthemanygodsthereareinEgyptshouldchancetorainfiresonPharaoh，weshallbethesafer。Talkingofgods，“hewentoninawhisper，“haveyouheardwhathappenedanhouragointhetempleofPtahofTaniswhenceIhavejustcome？PharaohandalltheBlood-royal——saveone——walkedaccordingtocustombeforethestatueofthegodwhich，asyouknow，shouldbowitsheadtoshowthathechoosesandacceptstheking。InfrontofAmenmeseswentthePrincessUserti，andasshepassedtheheadofthegodbowed，forIsawit，thoughallpretendedthattheydidnotsee。 ThencamePharaohandstoodwaiting，butitwouldnotbow，thoughthepriestscalledintheoldformula，’Thegodgreetstheking。’ “Atlengthhewenton，lookingasblackasnight，andothersofthebloodofRamesesfollowedintheirorder。LastofalllimpedSaptahand，behold!thegodbowedagain。“ “Howandwhydoesitdothesethings？“Iasked，“andatthewrongtime？“ “Askthepriests，Ana，orUserti，orSaptah。Perhapsthedivineneckhasnotbeenoiledoflate，ortoomuchoiled，ortoolittleoiled，orprayers——orstrings——mayhavegonewrong。OrPharaohmayhavebeenniggardinhisgiftstothatcollegeofthegreatgodofhisHouse。 WhoamIthatIshouldknowthewaysofgods？ThatinthetemplewhereIservedatThebesfiftyyearsagodidnotpretendtobowortotroublehimselfastowhichoftheroyalracesatuponthethrone。 Hush!HerecomesPharaoh。“ Theninasplendidprocession，surroundedbyprinces，councillors，ladies，priests，andguards，AmenmesesandtheRoyalWife，Urnure，alargewomanwhowalkedawkwardly，enteredthehall，aglitteringband。 Thehigh-priest，Roi，andthechancellor，Nehesi，receivedPharaohandledhimtohisthrone。Themultitudeprostrateditself，trumpetsblewandthricetheoldsaluteof“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh! Pharaoh!“wascriedaloud。 Amenmesesroseandbowed，andIsawthathisheavyfacewastroubledandlookedolder。ThenhesworesomeoathtogodsandmenwhichRoidictatedtohim，andbeforeallthecompanyputonthedoublecrownandtheotheremblems，andtookinhishandsthescourgeandgoldensickle。Nexthomagewaspaid。ThePrincessUserticamefirstandkissedPharaoh’shand，butbentnoknee。Indeedfirstshespokewithhimawhile。Wecouldnothearwhatwassaid，butafterwardslearnedthatshedemandedthatheshouldpubliclyrepeatallthepromiseswhichherfatherMeneptahhadmadetoherbeforehim，confirmingherinherplaceandrights。Thisintheendhedid，thoughitseemedtomeunwillinglyenough。 Sowithmanyformsandancientcelebrationstheceremonywenton，tillallgrewwearywaitingforthattimewhenPharaohshouldmakehisspeechtothepeople。Thatspeech，however，wasnevermade，forpresently，thrustingpastus，IsawthosetwoprophetsoftheIsraeliteswhohadvisitedMeneptahinthissamehall。Menshrankfromthem，sothattheywalkedstraightuptothethrone，nordideventheguardsstrivetobartheirway。WhattheysaidthereIcouldnothear，butIbelievethattheydemandedthattheirpeopleshouldbeallowedtogotoworshiptheirgodintheirownfashion，andthatAmenmesesrefusedasMeneptahhaddone。 ThenoneofthemcastdownarodanditturnedtoasnakewhichhissedatPharaoh，whereontheKherhebKiandhiscompanyalsocastdownrodsthatturnedtosnakes，thoughIcouldonlyhearthehissing。Afterthisagreatgloomfelluponthehall，sothatmencouldnotseeeachother’sfacesandeveryonebegantocallaloudtillthecompanybrokeupinconfusion。BakenkhonsuandIwerebornetogethertothedoorwaybythepressureofthepeople，whenceweweregladenoughtoseetheskyagain。 ThusendedthecrowningofAmenmeses。