第15章
thyfirstbornson——deadisthyson，OPharaoh！Deadisthyson，O
Queen！InmyarmshediedsuddenlyasIlulledhimtohisrest，“andshelaidthebodyofthechilddownontheboardamongthevesselsofgold，amongthegarlandsoflotusflowersandthebeakersofrose-redwine。
ThenPharaohroseandrenthispurplerobesandweptaloud。Meriamunrosetoo，andliftingthebodyofhersonclaspedittoherbreast，andhereyeswereterriblewithwrathandgrief，butsheweptnot。
“Seenowthecursethatthisevilwoman，thisFalseHathor，hathbroughtuponus，“shesaid。
Buttheveryguestssprangupcrying，“ItisnottheHathorwhomweworship，itisnottheHolyHathor，itistheGodsofthosedarkApurawhomthou，OQueen，wiltnotletgo。OnthyheadandtheheadofPharaohbeit，“andevenastheycriedthemurmurwithoutgrewtoashriekofwoe，ashrieksowildandterriblethatthePalacewallsrang。Againthatshriekrose，andyetathirdtime，neverwassuchacryheardinEgypt。AndnowforthefirsttimeinallhisdaysthefaceoftheWanderergrewwhitewithfear，andinfearofheartheprayedforsuccourtohisGoddess——toAphrodite，thedaughterofDione。
AgainthedoorsbehindthemburstopenandtheGuardsflockedin——
mightymenofmanyforeignlands；butnowtheirfaceswerewan，theireyesstaredwide，andtheirjawshungdown。ButatthesoundoftheclangingoftheirharnessthestrengthoftheWanderercamebacktohimagain，fortheGodsandtheirvengeancehefeared，butnottheswordofman。Andnowoncemorethebowsangaloud。Hegraspedit，hebentitwithhismightyknee，andstrungit，crying:
“Awake，Pharaoh，awake！Foesdrawon。Say，betheseallthemen？“
ThentheCaptainanswered，“ThesebealloftheGuardwhoareleftlivinginthePalace。Therestarestark，smittenbytheangryGods。“
NowastheCaptainspake，onecamerunningupthehall，heedingneitherthedeadnortheliving。ItwastheoldpriestRei，theCommanderoftheLegionofAmen，whohadbeentheWanderer’sguide，andhislookswerewildwithfear。
“Hearken，Pharaoh！“hecried，“thypeopleliedeadbythousandsinthestreets——thehousesarefullofdead。IntheTemplesofPtahandAmenmanyofthepriestshavefallendeadalso。“
“Hastthoumoretotell，oldman？“criedtheQueen。
“Thetalehasnotallbeentold，OQueen。Thesoldiersaremadwithfearandwiththesightofdeath，andslaytheircaptains；barelyhaveIescapedfromthoseinmycommandoftheLegionofAmen。FortheyswearthatthisdeathhasbeenbroughtuponthelandbecausethePharaohwillnotlettheApurago。Hither，then，theycometoslaythePharaoh，andtheealso，OQueen，andwiththemcomemanythousandsofpeople，catchingupsucharmsaslietotheirhands。“
NowPharaohsankdowngroaning，buttheQueenspaketotheWanderer:
“Anonthyweaponsangofwar，Eperitus；nowwarisatthegates。“
“LittleIfeartherushofbattleandtheblowsmendealinanger，Lady，“hemadeanswer，“thoughamanmayfeartheGodswithoutshame。
Ho，Guards！closeup，closeuproundme！Looknotsopale-facednowdeathfromtheGodsisdonewith，andwehavebuttofeartheswordofmen。“
Sogreatwashismienandsoglorioushisfaceashecriedthus，andonebyonedrewhislongarrowsforthandlaidthemontheboard，thatthetremblingGuardstookheart，andtothenumberoffiftyandonerangedthemselvesontheedgeoftheda？sinadoubleline。Thentheyalsomadereadytheirbowsandloosenedthearrowsintheirquivers。
Nowfromwithouttherecamearoarofmen，andanon，whilethoseofthehouseofPharaoh，andoftheguestsandnobles，whosatatthefeastandyetlived，fledbehindthesoldiers，thebrazendoorswereburstinwithmightyblows，andthroughthemagreatarmedmultitudesurgedalongthehall。Therecamesoldiersbrokenfromtheirranks。
TherecametheembalmersoftheDead；theirhandswereoverfullofworkto-night，buttheylefttheirworkundone；Deathhadsmittensomeevenofthese，andtheirfellowsdidnotshrinkbackfromthemnow。
Therecamethesmith，blackfromtheforge，andthescribebowedwithendlesswriting；andthedyerwithhispurplehands，andthefisherfromthestream；andthestuntedweaverfromtheloom，andtheleperfromtheTemplegates。Theyweremadwithlustoflife，astarvelinglifethattheKinghadtaxed，whenheletnottheApurago。Theyweremadwithfearofdeath；theirwomenfollowedthemwithdeadchildrenintheirarms。Theysmotedownthegoldenfurnishings，theytorethesilkenhangings，theycasttheemptycupsofthefeastatthefacesoftremblingladies，andcriedaloudforthebloodoftheKing。
“WhereisPharaoh？“theyyelled，“showusPharaohandtheQueenMeriamun，thatwemayslaythem。Deadareourfirstborn，theylieinheapsasthefishlaywhenSihorranredwithblood。DeadaretheybecauseofthecursethathasbeenbroughtuponusbytheprophetsoftheApura，whomPharaoh，andPharaoh’sQueen，yetholdinKhem。“
NowastheycriedtheysawPharaohMeneptahcoweringbehindthedoublelineofGuards，andtheysawtheQueenMeriamunwhocowerednot，butstoodsilentabovethedin。ThenshethrustherwaythroughtheGuards，andyetholdingthebodyofthechildtoherbreast，shestoodbeforethemwitheyesthatflashedmorebrightlythantheuraeuscrownuponherbrow。
“Back！“shecried，“back！ItisnotPharaoh，itisnotI，whohavebroughtthisdeathuponyou。Forwetoohavedeathhere！“andsheheldupthebodyofherdeadson。“ItisthatFalseHathorwhomyeworship，thatWitchofmanyavoiceandmanyafacewhoturnsyourheartsfaintwithlove。Forhersakeyeendurethesewoes，onherheadisallthisdeath。Go，tearhertemplestonefromstone，andrendherbeautylimbfromlimbandbeavengedandfreethelandfromcurses。“
Amomentthepeoplestoodandhearkened，mutteringasstandsthelionthatisabouttospring，whilethosewhopressedwithoutcried:
“Forward！Forward！Slaythem！Slaythem！“Thenaswithonevoicetheyscreamed:
“TheHathorwelove，butyouwehate，foryehavebroughtthesewoesuponus，andyeshalldie。“
Theycried，theybrawled，theycastfootstoolsandstonesattheGuards，andthenacertaintallmanamongthemdrewabow。StraightattheQueen’sfairbreastheaimedhisarrow，andswiftandtrueitspedtowardsher。Shesawthelightgleamuponitsshiningbarb，andthenshedidwhatnowomanbutMeriamunwouldhavedone，no，nottosaveherselffromdeath——sheheldoutthenakedbodyofhersonasawarriorholdsashield。Thearrowstruckthroughandthroughit，piercingthetenderflesh，aye，andprickedherbreastbeyond，sothatsheletthedeadboyfall。
TheWanderersawitandwonderedatthehorrorofthedeed，forhehadseennosuchdeedinallhisdays。Thenshoutingaloudtheterriblewar-cryoftheAch？ansheleaptupontheboardbeforehim，andasheleapthisgoldenarmourclanged。
Glancingaround，hefixedanarrowtothestringanddrewtohisearthatgreatbowwhichnonebuthemightsomuchasbend。Thenasheloosed，thestringsanglikeaswallow，andtheshaftscreamedthroughtheair。Downtheglorioushallitsped，andfullonthebreastofhimwhohadliftedbowagainsttheQueenthebitterarrowstruck，normighthisharnessavailtostayit。Throughthebodyofhimitpassedandwithblood-redfeathersflewon，andsmoteanotherwhostoodbehindhimsothathiskneesalsowereloosened，andtogethertheyfelldeaduponthefloor。
Nowwhilethepeoplestaredandwondered，againthebowstringsanglikeaswallow，againthearrowscreamedinitsflight，andhewhostoodbeforeitgothisdeath，fortheshieldheborewaspinnedtohisbreast。
Thenwonderturnedtorage；themultituderolledforward，andfromeithersidetheairgrewdarkwitharrows。FortheGuardsatthesightoftheshootingoftheWandererfoundheartandfoughtwellandmanfully。Boldlyalsotheslayerscameon，andbehindthempressedmanyahundredmen。TheWanderer’sgoldenhelmflashedsteadily，abeaconinthestorm。Blacksmokeburstoutinthehall，thehangingsflamedandtossedinawindfromtheopendoor。Thelightswerestruckfromthehandsofthegoldenimages，arrowsstoodthickinthetablesandtherafters，aspearpiercedthroughthegoldencupofPasht。Butoutofthedarknessandsmokeanddust，andthecryofbattle，andthroughtherushingoftherainofspears，sangtheswallowstringoftheblackbowofEurytus，andthelongshaftsshriekedastheyspedonthemwhowereripetodie。Invaindidthearrowsoftheslayerssmiteuponthatgoldenharness。Theywerebutashailuponthetempleroofs，butasdrivingsnowuponthewildstag’shorns。Theystruck，theyrattled，anddowntheydroppedlikesnow，orboundedbackandlayupontheboard。
Theswallowstringsang，theblackbowtwanged，andthebitterarrowsshriekedastheyflew。
NowtheWanderer’sshaftswerespent，andhejudgedthattheircasewasdesperate。Foroutofthedoorsofthehallthatwerebehindthem，andfromthechambersofthewomen，armedmenburstinalso，takingthemontheflankandrear。ButtheWandererwasoldinwar，andwithoutamatchinallitsways。TheCaptainoftheGuardwasslainwithaspearstroke，andtheWanderertookhisplace，callingtothemen，suchofthemaswereleftalive，toformacircleontheda？s，andwithinthecirclehesetthoseofthehouseofPharaohandthewomenwhowereatthefeast。AndtoPharaohhecastaslainman’ssword，biddinghimstrikeforlifeandthroneifheneverstruckbefore；buttheheartwasoutofPharaohbecauseofthedeathofhisson，andthewineabouthiswits，andtheterrorshehadseen。ThenMeriamuntheQueensnatchedtheswordfromhistremblinghandandstoodholdingittoguardherlife。Forshedisdainedtocrouchuponthegroundasdidtheotherwomen，butstooduprightbehindtheWanderer，andheedednotthespearsandarrowsthatdealtdeathoneveryhand。ButPharaohstood，hisfaceburiedinhishands。
Nowtheslayerscameon，shoutingandclamberingupontheda？s。ThentheWandererrushedonthemwithsworddrawn，andshieldonhigh，andsoswifthesmotethatmenmightnotguard，fortheysaw，asitwere，threebladesaloftatonce，andthesilver-haftedswordbitdeep，thegiftofPh？acianEuryaluslongago。TheGuardsalsosmoteandthrust；
itwasfortheirlivestheyfought，andbackrolledthetideoffoes，leavingaswatheofdead。Soasecondtimetheycameon，andasecondtimewererolledback。
Nowofthedefendersfewwereleftunhurt，andtheirstrengthwaswell-nighspent。ButtheWanderercheeredthemwithgreatwords，thoughhisheartgrewfearfulfortheend；andMeriamuntheQueenalsobadethemtobeofgoodcourage，andifneedwere，todielikemen。