第2章
Oneday，however，along-beardedoldman，withagold-tippedwandofoffice，whohadabull’sheadembroideredonhisrobe，stoppedinfrontofmeand，callingmeawhite-headedcrow，askedmewhatIwasdoinghoppingdaybydayaboutthechambersofthepalace。Itoldhimmynameandbusinessandhetoldmehis，whichitseemedwasPambasa，oneofthePrince’schamberlains。WhenIaskedhimtotakemetothePrince，helaughedinmyfaceandsaiddarklythattheroadtohisHighness’spresencewaspavedwithgold。Iunderstoodwhathemeantandgavehimagiftwhichhetookasreadilyasacockpickscorn，sayingthathewouldspeakofmetohismasterandthatImustcomebackagain。
Icamethriceandeachtimethatoldcockpickedmorecorn。AtlastI
grewenragedand，forgettingwhereIwas，begantoshoutathimandcallhimathief，sothatfolksgatheredroundtolisten。Thisseemedtofrightenhim。Atfirsthelookedtowardsthedoorasthoughtosummontheguardtothrustmeout；thenchangedhismind，andinagrumblingvoicebademefollowhim。Wewentdownlongpassages，pastsoldierswhostoodatwatchinthemstillasmummiesintheircoffins，tillatlengthwecametosomebroideredcurtains。HerePambasawhisperedtometowait，andpassedthroughthecurtainswhichheleftnotquiteclosed，sothatIcouldseetheroombeyondandhearallthattookplacethere。
Itwasasmallroomliketothatofanyscribe，foronthetableswerepalettes，pensofreed，inkinalabastervases，andsheetsofpapyruspinneduponboards。Thewallswerepainted，notasIwaswonttopainttheBooksoftheDead，butafterthefashionofanearliertime，suchasIhaveseenincertainancienttombs，withpicturesofwildfowlrisingfromtheswampsandoftreesandplantsastheygrow。Againstthewallshungracksinwhichwerepapyrusrolls，andonthehearthburnedafireofcedar-wood。
BythisfirestoodthePrince，whomIknewfromhisstatues。Hisyearsappearedfewerthanminealthoughwewerebornuponthesameday，andhewastallandthin，veryfairalsoforoneofourpeople，perhapsbecauseoftheSyrianbloodthatraninhisveins。HishairwasstraightandbrownliketothatofnorthernfolkwhocometotradeinthemarketsofEgypt，andhiseyesweregreyratherthanblack，setbeneathsomewhatprominentbrowssuchasthoseofhisfather，Meneptah。Hisfacewassweetasawoman’s，butmadecuriousbycertainwrinkleswhichranfromthecornersoftheeyestowardstheears。I
thinkthatthesecamefromthebendingofthebrowinthought，butotherssaythattheywereinheritedfromanancestressonthefemaleside。Bakenkhonsumyfriend，theoldprophetwhoservedunderthefirstSetianddiedbuttheotherday，havinglivedahundredandtwentyyears，toldmethatheknewherbeforeshewasmarried，andthatsheandherdescendant，Seti，mighthavebeentwins。
InhishandthePrinceheldanopenroll，averyancientwritingasI，whoamskilledinsuchmattersthathavetodowithmytrade，knewfromitsappearance。Liftinghiseyessuddenlyfromthestudyofthisroll，hesawthechamberlainstandingbeforehim。
“Youcameatagoodtime，Pambasa，“hesaidinavoicethatwasverysoftandpleasant，andyetmostmanlike。“Youareoldanddoubtlesswise。Say，areyouwise，Pambasa？“
“Yes，yourHighness。IamwiselikeyourHighness’suncle，Khaemuasthemightymagician，whosesandalsIusedtocleanwhenIwasyoung。“
“Isitso？Thenwhyareyousocarefultohideyourwisdomwhichshouldbeopenlikeaflowerforuspoorbeestosuckat？Well，Iamgladtolearnthatyouarewise，forinthisbookofmagicthatIhavebeenreadingIfindproblemsworthyofKhaemuasthedeparted，whomI
onlyrememberasabrooding，black-browedmanmuchlikemycousin，Amenmeseshisson——savethatnoonecancallAmenmeseswise。“
“WhyisyourHighnessglad？“
“Becauseyou，beingbyyourownaccounthisequal，cannowinterpretthematterasKhaemuaswouldhavedone。Youknow，Pambasa，thathadhelivedhewouldhavebeenPharaohinplaceofmyfather。Hediedtoosoon，however，whichprovestomethattherewassomethinginthistaleofhiswisdom，sincenoreallywisemanwouldeverwishtobePharaohofEgypt。“
Pambasastaredwithhismouthopen。
“NotwishtobePharaoh!“hebegan——
“Now，PambasatheWise，“wentonthePrinceasthoughhehadnotheardhim。“Listen。Thisoldbookgivesacharm’toemptytheheartofitsweariness，’thatitsaysistheoldestandmostcommonsicknessintheworldfromwhichonlykittens，somechildren，andmadpeoplearefree。
Itappearsthatthecureforthissickness，sosaysthebook，istostandonthetopofthepyramidofKhufuatmidnightatthatmomentwhenthemoonislargestinthewholeyear，anddrinkfromthecupofdreams，recitingmeanwhileaspellwrittenhereatlengthinlanguagewhichIcannotread。“
“Thereisnovirtueinspells，Prince，ifanyonecanreadthem。“
“Andnouse，itwouldseem，iftheycanbereadbynone。“
“Moreover，howcananyoneclimbthepyramidofKhufu，whichiscoveredwithpolishedmarble，eveninthedayletaloneatmidnight，yourHighness，andtheredrinkofthecupofdreams？“
“Idonotknow，Pambasa。AllIknowisthatIwearyofthisfoolishness，andoftheworld。Tellmeofsomethingthatwilllightenmyheart，foritisheavy。“
“Therearejugglerswithout，Prince，oneofwhomsayshecanthrowaropeintotheairandclimbupituntilhevanishesintoheaven。“
“Whenhehasdoneitinyoursight，Pambasa，bringhimtome，butnotbefore。Deathistheonlyropebywhichweclimbtoheaven——orbeloweredintohell。ForrememberthereisagodcalledSet，afterwhom，likemygreat-grandfather，Iamnamedbytheway——thepriestsaloneknowwhy——aswellasonecalledOsiris。“
“Thentherearethedancers，Prince，andamongthemsomeveryfinelymadegirls，forIsawthembathinginthepalacelake，suchaswouldhavedelightedtheheartofyourgrandfather，thegreatRameses。“
“Theydonotdelightmyheartwhowantnonakedwomenprancinghere。
Tryagain，Pambasa。“
“Icanthinkofnothingelse，Prince。Yet，stay。ThereisascribewithoutnamedAna，athin，sharp-nosedmanwhosaysheisyourHighness’stwininRa。“
“Ana!“saidthePrince。“HeofMemphiswhowritesstories？Whydidyounotsaysobefore，youoldfool？Lethimenteratonce，atonce。“
NowhearingthisI，Ana，walkedthroughthecurtainsandprostratedmyself，saying，“Iamthatscribe，ORoyalSonoftheSun。“
“HowdareyouenterthePrince’spresencewithoutbeingbidden-“
beganPambasa，butSetibrokeinwithasternvoice，saying，“Andhowdareyou，Pambasa，keepthislearnedmanwaitingatmydoorlikeadog？Rise，Ana，andceasefromgivingmetitles，forwearenotatCourt。Tellme，howlonghaveyoubeeninTanis？“
“Manydays，OPrince，“Ianswered，“seekingyourpresenceandinvain。“
“Andhowdidyouwinitatlast？“
“Bypayment，OPrince，“Iansweredinnocently，“asitseemsisusual。
Thedoorkeepers-“
“Iunderstand，“saidSeti，“thedoorkeepers!Pambasa，youwillascertainwhatamountthislearnedscribehasdisbursedto’thedoorkeepers’andrefundhimdouble。Begonenowandseetothematter。“
SoPambasawent，castingapiteouslookatmeoutofthecornerofhiseye。
“Tellme，“saidSetiwhenhewasgone，“youwhomustbewiseinyourfashion，whydoesaCourtalwaysbreedthieves？“
“Isupposeforthesamereason，OPrince，thatadog’sbackbreedsfleas。Fleasmustlive，andthereisthedog。“
“True，“heanswered，“andthesepalacefleasarenotpaidenough。IfeverIhavepowerIwillseetoit。Theyshallbefewerbutbetterfed。Now，Ana，beseated。Iknowyouthoughyoudonotknowme，andalreadyIhavelearnedtoloveyouthroughyourwritings。Tellmeofyourself。“
SoItoldhimallmysimpletale，towhichhelistenedwithoutaword，andthenaskedmewhyIhadcometoseehim。Irepliedthatitwasbecausehehadsentforme，whichhehadforgotten；alsobecauseI
broughthimastorythatIhaddaredtodedicatetohim。ThenIlaidtherollbeforehimonthetable。
“Iamhonoured，“hesaidinapleasedvoice，“Iamgreatlyhonoured。
IfIlikeitwell，yourstoryshallgotothetombwithmeformyKatoreadandre-readuntilthedayofresurrection，thoughfirstIwillstudyitintheflesh。DoyouknowthiscityofTanis，Ana？“
IansweredthatIknewlittleofit，whohadspentmytimeherehauntingthedoorsofhisHighness。
“ThenwithyourleaveIwillbeyourguidethroughitthisnight，andafterwardswewillsupandtalk。“
Ibowedandheclappedhishands，whereonaservantappeared，notPambasa，butanother。
“Bringtwocloaks，“saidthePrince，“Igoabroadwiththescribe，Ana。LetaguardoffourNubians，nomore，followus，butatadistanceanddisguised。Letthemwaitattheprivateentrance。“
Themanbowedanddepartedswiftly。
Almostimmediatelyablackslaveappearedwithtwolonghoodedcloaks，suchascamel-driverswear，whichhehelpedustoputon。Then，takingalamp，heledusfromtheroomthroughadoorwayoppositetothatbywhichIhadentered，downpassagesandanarrowstairthatendedinacourtyard。Crossingthiswecametoawall，greatandthick，inwhichweredoubledoorssheathedwithcopperthatopenedmysteriouslyatourapproach。Outsideofthesedoorsstoodfourtallmen，alsowrappedincloaks，whoseemedtotakenonoteofus。Still，lookingbackwhenwehadgonealittleway，Iobservedthattheywerefollowingus，asthoughbychance。