第3章

Howfineathing，thoughtItomyself，itistobeaPrincewhobyliftingafingercanthuscommandserviceatanymomentofthedayornight。

JustatthatmomentSetisaidtome：

“See，Ana，howsadathingitistobeaPrince，whocannotevenstirabroadwithoutnoticetohishouseholdandcommandingtheserviceofasecretguardtospyuponhiseveryaction，anddoubtlesstomakereportthereoftothepoliceofPharaoh。“

Therearetwofacestoeverything，thoughtItomyselfagain。

Wewalkeddownabroadstreetborderedbytrees，beyondwhichwerelime-washed，flat-roofedhousesbuiltofsun-driedbrick，standing，eachofthem，initsowngarden，tillatlengthwecametothegreatmarket-placejustasthefullmoonroseabovethepalm-trees，makingtheworldalmostaslightasday。Tanis，orRamesesasitisalsocalled，wasaveryfinecitythen，ifonlyhalfthesizeofMemphis，thoughnowthattheCourthasleftitIhearitismuchdeserted。

Aboutthismarket-placestoodgreattemplesofthegods，withpylonsandavenuesofsphinxes，alsothatwonderoftheworld，thecolossalstatueofthesecondRameses，whiletothenorthuponamoundwasthegloriouspalaceofPharaoh。Otherpalacestherewerealso，inhabitedbythenoblesandofficersoftheCourt，andbetweenthemranlongstreetswheredweltthecitizens，ending，someofthem，onthatbranchoftheNilebywhichtheancientcitystood。

Setihaltedtogazeatthesewondrousbuildings。

“Theyareveryold，“hesaid，“butmostofthem，likethewallsandthosetemplesofAmonandPtah，havebeenrebuiltinthetimeofmygrandfatherorsincehisdaybythelabourofIsraelitishslaveswhodwellyonderintherichlandofGoshen。“

“Theymusthavecostmuchgold，“Ianswered。

“TheKingsofEgyptdonotpaytheirslaves，“remarkedthePrinceshortly。

Thenwewentonandmingledwiththethousandsofthepeoplewhowerewanderingtoandfroseekingrestafterthebusinessoftheday。HereonthefrontierofEgyptweregatheredfolkofeveryrace；Bedouinsfromthedesert，SyriansfrombeyondtheRedSea，merchantsfromtherichIsleofChittim，travellersfromthecoast，andtradersfromthelandofPuntandfromtheunknowncountriesofthenorth。Allweretalking，laughingandmakingmerry，savesomewhogatheredincirclestolistentoatelleroftalesorwanderingmusicians，ortowatchwomenwhodancedhalfnakedforgifts。

Nowandagainthecrowdwouldparttoletpassthechariotofsomenobleorladybeforewhichwentrunningfootmenwhoshouted，“Makeway，Makeway!“andlaidaboutthemwiththeirlongwands。Thencameaprocessionofwhite-robedpriestsofIsistravellingbymoonlightaswasfittingfortheservantsoftheLadyoftheMoon，andbearingalofttheholyimageofthegoddessbeforewhichallmenbowedandforalittlewhileweresilent。Afterthisfollowedthecorpseofsomegreatonenewlydead，precededbyatroopofhiredmournerswhorenttheairwiththeirlamentationsastheyconductedittothequarteroftheembalmers。Lastly，fromoutofoneofthesidestreetsemergedagangofseveralhundredhook-nosedandbeardedmen，amongwhomwereafewwomen，looselyropedtogetherandescortedbyacompanyofarmedguards。

“Whoarethese？“Iasked，forIhadneverseentheirlike。

“SlavesofthepeopleofIsraelwhoreturnfromtheirlabouratthediggingofthenewcanalwhichistoruntotheRedSea，“answeredthePrince。

Westoodstilltowatchthemgoby，andInotedhowproudlytheireyesflashedandhowfiercewastheirbearingalthoughtheywerebutmeninbonds，verywearytooandstainedbytoilinmudandwater。Presentlythishappened。Awhite-beardedmanlaggedbehind，draggingonthelineandcheckingthemarch。Thereuponanoverseerranupandfloggedhimwithacruelwhipcutfromthehideofthesea-horse。Themanturnedand，liftingawoodenspadethathecarried，strucktheoverseersuchablowthathecrackedhisskullsothathefelldowndead。OtheroverseersrushedattheHebrew，astheseIsraeliteswerecalled，andbeathimtillhealsofell。Thenasoldierappearedand，seeingwhathadhappened，drewhisbronzesword。Fromamongthethrongsprangoutagirl，youngandverylovelyalthoughshewasbutroughlyclad。

SincethenIhaveseenMerapi，MoonofIsrael，asshewascalled，cladintheproudraimentofaqueen，andonceevenofagoddess，butnever，Ithink，didshelookmorebeauteousthaninthishourofherslavery。Herlargeeyes，neitherbluenorblack，caughtthelightofthemoonandwereaswimwithtears。Herplenteousbronze-huedhairflowedingreatcurlsoverthesnow-whitebosomthatherroughroberevealed。Herdelicatehandswereliftedasthoughtowardofftheblowswhichfelluponhimwhomshesoughttoprotect。Hertallandslendershapestoodoutagainstaflareoflightwhichburneduponsomemarketstall。Shewasbeauteousexceedingly，sobeauteousthatmyheartstoodstillatthesightofher，yes，minethatforsomeyearshadheldnothoughtofwomansavesuchaswereblackandevil。

Shecriedaloud。Standingoverthefallenmansheappealedtothesoldierformercy。Then，seeingthattherewasnonetohopeforfromhim，shecasthergreateyesarounduntiltheyfelluponthePrinceSeti。

“Oh!Sir，“shewailed，“youhaveanobleair。Willyoustandbyandseemyfathermurderedfornofault？“

“Dragheroff，orIsmitethroughher，“shoutedthecaptain，fornowshehadthrownherselfdownuponthefallenIsraelite。Theoverseersobeyed，tearingheraway。

“Hold，butcher!“criedthePrince。

“Whoareyou，dog，thatdaretoteachPharaoh’sofficerhisduty？“

answeredthecaptain，smitingthePrinceinthefacewithhislefthand。

ThenswiftlyhestruckdownwardsandIsawthebronzeswordpassthroughthebodyoftheIsraelitewhoquiveredandlaystill。Itwasalldoneinaninstant，andonthesilencethatfollowedrangoutthesoundofawoman’swail。ForamomentSetichoked——withrage，Ithink。

Thenhespokeasingleword——“Guards!“

ThefourNubians，who，asordered，hadkeptatadistance，burstthroughthegatheredthrong。EretheyreachedusI，whotillnowhadstoodamazed，sprangatthecaptainandgrippedhimbythethroat。Hestruckatmewithhisbloodysword，buttheblow，fallingonmylongcloak，onlybruisedmeontheleftthigh。ThenI，whowasstronginthosedays，grappledwithhimandwerolledtogetherontheground。

Afterthistherewasgreattumult。TheHebrewslavesbursttheirropeandflungthemselvesuponthesoldierslikedogsuponajackal，batteringthemwiththeirbarefists。Thesoldiersdefendedthemselveswithswords；theoverseerspliedtheirhidewhips；womenscreamed，menshouted。ThecaptainwhomIhadseizedbegantogetthebetterofme；

atleastIsawhisswordflashabovemeandthoughtthatallwasover。

Doubtlessitwouldhavebeen，hadnotSetihimselfdraggedthemanbackwardsandthusgiventhefourNubianguardstimetoseizehim。

NextIheardthePrincecryoutinaringingvoice：

“Hold!ItisSeti，thesonofPharaoh，theGovernorofTanis，withwhomyouhavetodo。See，“andhethrewbackthehoodofhiscloaksothatthemoonshoneuponhisface。

Instantlytherewasagreatquiet。Now，firstoneandthenanotherasthetruthsunkintothem，menbegantofallupontheirknees，andI

heardonesayinanawedvoice：

“TheroyalSon，thePrinceofEgyptstruckinthefacebyasoldier!

Bloodmustpayforit。“

“Howisthatofficernamed？“askedSeti，pointingtothemanwhohadkilledtheIsraeliteandwell-nighkilledme。

SomeoneansweredthathewasnamedKhuaka。

“BringhimtothestepsofthetempleofAmon，“saidSetitotheNubianswhoheldhimfast。“Followme，friendAna，ifyouhavethestrength。Nay，leanuponmyshoulder。“

SorestingupontheshoulderofthePrince，forIwasbruisedandbreathless，Iwalkedwithhimahundredpacesormoretothestepsofthegreattemplewhereweclimbedtotheplatformattheheadofthestairs。Afteruscametheprisoner，andafterhimallthemultitude，averygreatnumberwhostooduponthestepsandontheflatgroundbeyond。ThePrince，whowasverywhiteandquiet，sathimselfdownuponthelowgranitebaseofatallobeliskwhichstoodinfrontofthetemplepylon，andsaid：

“AsGovernorofTanis，theCityofRameses，withpoweroflifeanddeathatallhoursandinallplaces，IdeclaremyCourtopen。“

“TheRoyalCourtisopen!“criedthemultitudeintheaccustomedform。

“Thisisthecase，“saidthePrince。“YondermanwhoisnamedKhuaka，byhisdressacaptainofPharaoh’sarmy，ischargedwiththemurderofacertainHebrew，andwiththeattemptedmurderofAnathescribe。

Letwitnessesbecalled。Bringthebodyofthedeadmanandlayitherebeforeme。Bringthewomanwhostrovetoprotecthim，thatshemayspeak。“

Thebodywasbroughtandlaidupontheplatform，itswideeyesstaringupatthemoon。Thensoldierswhohadgatheredthrustforwardtheweepinggirl。

“Ceasefromtears，“saidSeti，“andswearbyKepherathecreator，andbyMaatthegoddessoftruthandlaw，tospeaknothingbutthetruth。“

Thegirllookedupandsaidinarichlowvoicethatinsomewayremindedmeofhoneybeingpouredfromajar，perhapsbecauseitwasthickwithstrangledsobs：

“ORoyalSonofEgypt，IcannotswearbythosegodswhoamadaughterofIsrael。“