第5章
“Donotthankme。Indeedifyouarewiseyouwillrefuse。YouhavemetPambasa。Well，NehesiisPambasamultipliedbyten，arogue，athief，abully，andonewhohasPharaoh’sear。Hewillmakeyourlifeatormenttoyouandclipeveryringofgoldthatatlengthyouwringoutofhisgrip。Moreovertheplaceiswearisome，andIamfancifulandoftenill-humoured。Donotthankme，Isay。Refuse；returntoMemphisandwritestories。Shuncourtsandtheirplottings。Pharaohhimselfisbutafaceandapuppetthroughwhichothervoicestalkandothereyesshine，andthesceptrewhichhewieldsispulledbystrings。AndifthisissowithPharaoh，whatisthecasewithhisson？Thentherearethewomen，Ana。Theywillmakelovetoyou，Ana，theyevendosotome，andIthinkyoutoldmethatyouknowsomethingofwomen。Donotaccept，gobacktoMemphis。IwillsendyousomeoldmanuscriptstocopyandpayyouwhateveritisNehesiallowsforthelibrarian。“
“YetIaccept，OPrince。AsforNehesiIfearhimnotatall，sinceattheworstIcanwriteastoryabouthimatwhichtheworldwilllaugh，andratherthanthathewillpaymemysalary。“
“YouhavemorewisdomthanIthought，Ana。ItnevercameintomymindtoputNehesiinastory，thoughitistrueItelltalesabouthimwhichismuchthesamething。“
Hebendforward，leaninghisheaduponhishand，andceasingfromhisbanteringtone，lookedmeintheeyesandasked：
“Whydoyouaccept？Letmethinknow。Itisnotbecauseyoucareforwealthifthatistobewonhere；norforthepompandshowofcourts；
norforthecompanyofthegreatwhoreallyaresosmall。Forallthesethingsyou，Ana，havenocravingifIreadyourheartaright，youwhoareanartist，nothinglessandnothingmore。Tellme，then，whywillyou，afreemanwhocanearnyourliving，lingerroundathroneandsetyourneckbeneaththeheelofprincestobecrushedintothecommonmouldofservitorsandKing’sCompanionsandBearersoftheFootstool？“
“Iwilltellyou，Prince。First，becausethronesmakehistory，ashistorymakesthrones，andIthinkthatgreateventsareonfootinEgyptinwhichIwouldhavemyshare。Secondly，becausethegodsbringgiftstomenonlyonceortwiceintheirlivesandtorefusethemistooffendthegodswhogavethemthoselivestousetoendsofwhichweknownothing。Andthirdly“——hereIhesitated。
“Andthirdly——outwiththethirdlyfor，doubtless，itistherealreason。“
“Andthirdly，OPrince——well，thewordsoundsstrangelyuponaman’slips——butthirdlybecauseIloveyou。FromthemomentthatmyeyesfelluponyourfaceIlovedyouasIneverlovedanyotherman——notevenmyfather。Iknownotwhy。Certainlyitisnotbecauseyouareaprince。“
WhenheheardthesewordsSetisatbroodingandsosilentthat，fearinglestI，ahumblescribe，hadbeentoobold，Iaddedhastily：
“LetyourHighnesspardonhisservantforhispresumptuouswords。Itwashisservant’sheartthatspokeandnothislips。“
HeliftedhishandandIstopped。
“Ana，mytwininRa，“hesaid，“doyouknowthatIneverhadafriend？“
“Aprincewhohasnofriend!“
“Never，none。NowIbegintothinkthatIhavefoundone。Thethoughtisstrangeandwarmsme。DoyouknowalsothatwhenmyeyesfelluponyourfaceIlovedyoualso，thegodsknowwhy。ItwasasthoughIhadfoundonewhowasdeartomethousandsofyearsagobutwhomIhadlostandforgotten。Perhapsthisisbutfoolishness，orperhapsherewehavetheshadowofsomethinggreatandbeautifulwhichdwellselsewhere，intheplacewecalltheKingdomofOsiris，beyondthegrave，Ana。“
“Suchthoughtshavecometomeattimes，Prince。Imeanthatallweseeisshadow；thatweourselvesareshadowsandthattherealitieswhocastthemliveinadifferenthomewhichislitbysomespiritsunthatneversets。“
ThePrincenoddedhisheadandagainwassilentforawhile。Thenhetookhisbeautifulalabastercup，andpouringwineintoit，hedrankalittleandpassedthecuptome。
“Drinkalso，Ana，“hesaid，“andpledgemeasIpledgeyou，intokenthatbydecreeoftheCreatorwhomadetheheartsofmen，henceforwardourtwoheartsareasthesameheartthroughgoodandill，throughtriumphanddefeat，tilldeathtakesoneofus。Henceforward，Ana，unlessyoushowyourselfunworthy，Ihidenothoughtfromyou。“
FlushingwithjoyItookthecup，saying：
“Iaddtoyourwords，OPrince。Weareone，notforthislifealonebutforallthelivestobe。Death，OPrince，is，Ithink，butasinglestepinthepylonstairwhichleadsatlasttothatdizzyheightwhenceweseethefaceofGodandhearhisvoicetelluswhatandwhyweare。“
ThenIpledgedhim，anddrank，bowing，andhebowedbacktome。
“Whatshallwedowiththecup，Ana，thesacredcupthathasheldthisrichheart-wine？ShallIkeepit？No，itnolongerbelongstome。
ShallIgiveittoyou？No，itcanneverbeyoursalone。See，wewillbreakthepricelessthing。“
Seizingitbyitsstemwithallhisstrengthhestruckthecupuponthetable。Thenwhatseemedtobetomeamarvelhappened，forinsteadofshatteringasIthoughtitsurelywould，itsplitintwofromrimtofoot。Whetherthiswasbychance，orwhethertheartistwhofashioneditinsomebygonegenerationhadworkedthetwohalvesseparatelyandcunninglycementedthemtogether，tothishourIdonotknow。Atleastsoitbefell。
“Thisisfortunate，Ana，“saidthePrince，laughingalittleinhislightway。“NowtakeyouthehalfthatliesnearesttoyouandIwilltakemine。IfyoudiefirstIwilllaymyhalfuponyourbreast，andifIdiefirstyoushalldothesamebyme，orifthepriestsforbiditbecauseIamroyalandmaynotbeprofaned，castthethingintomytomb。Whatshouldwehavedonehadthealabastershatteredintofragments，Ana，andwhatomenshouldwehavereadinthem？“
“Whyask，OPrince，seeingthatithasbefallenotherwise？“
ThenItookmyhalf，laiditagainstmyforeheadandhiditinthebosomofmyrobe，andasIdid，sodidSeti。
SointhisstrangefashiontheroyalSetiandIsealedtheholycompactofourbrotherhood，asIthinknotforthefirsttimeorthelast。
Setirose，stretchingouthisarms。
“Thatisfinished，“hesaid，“aseverythingfinishes，andforonceI
amsorry。Nowwhatnext？Sleep，Isuppose，inwhichallends，orperhapsyouwouldsayallbegins。“
Ashespokethecurtainsattheendoftheroomweredrawnandbetweenthemappearedthechamberlain，Pambasa，holdinghisgold-tippedwandceremoniouslybeforehim。
“Whatisitnow，man？“askedSeti。“CanInotevensupinpeace？Stay，beforeyouanswertellme，dothingsendorbegininsleep？ThelearnedAnaandIdifferonthematterandwouldhearyourwisdom。
Bearinmind，Pambasa，thatbeforewearebornwemusthaveslept，sinceofthattimeweremembernothing，andafterwearedeadwecertainlyseemtosleep，asanywhohavelookedonmummiesknow。Nowanswer。“
Thechamberlainstaredatthewineflaskonthetableasthoughhesuspectedhismasterofhavingdrunktoomuch。Theninahardofficialvoicehesaid：
“Shecomes!Shecomes!Shecomes，offeringgreetingsandadorationtotheRoyalSonofRa。“
“Doessheindeed？“askedSeti。“Ifso，whysayitthreetimes？Andwhocomes？“
“ThehighPrincess，theheiressofEgypt，thedaughterofPharaoh，yourHighness’sroyalhalf-sister，thegreatladyUserti。“
“Letherenterthen。Ana，standyoubehindme。IfyougrowwearyandI
giveleaveyoucandepart；theslaveswillshowyouyoursleeping-
place。“
Pambasawent，andpresentlythroughthecurtainappearedaroyal-
lookingladysplendidlyapparelled。Shewasaccompaniedbyfourwaitingwomenwhofellbackonthethresholdandwerenomoreseen。
ThePrincesteppedforward，tookbothherhandsinhisandkissedheronthebrow，thendrewbackagain，afterwhichtheystoodamomentlookingateachother。WhiletheyremainedthusIstudiedherwhowasknownthroughoutthelandasthe“BeautifulRoyalDaughter，“butwhomtillnowIhadneverseen。IntruthIdidnotthinkherbeautiful，althoughevenhadshebeencladinapeasant’srobeIshouldhavebeensurethatshewasroyal。Herfacewastoohardforbeautyandherblackeyes，withatingeofgreyinthem，weretoosmall。Alsohernosewastoosharpandherlipsweretoothin。Indeed，haditnotbeenforthedelicatelyandfinely-shapedwoman’sformbeneath，Imighthavethoughtthataprinceandnotaprincessstoodbeforeme。Fortherestinmostwayssheresembledherhalf-brotherSeti，thoughhercountenancelackedthekindlinessofhis；orratherbothofthemresembledtheirfather，Meneptah。
“Greeting，Sister，“hesaid，eyeingherwithasmileinwhichIcaughtagleamofmockery。“Purple-borderedrobes，emeraldnecklaceandenamelledcrownofgold，ringsandpectoral，everythingexceptasceptre——whyareyousoroyallyarrayedtovisitonesohumbleasyourlovingbrother？Youcomelikesunlightintothedarknessofthehermit’scellanddazzlethepoorhermit，orratherhermits，“andhepointedtome。
“Ceaseyourjests，Seti，“sherepliedinafull，strongvoice。“Iweartheseornamentsbecausetheypleaseme。AlsoIhavesuppedwithourfather，andthosewhositatPharaoh’stablemustbesuitablyarrayed，thoughIhavenotedthatsometimesyouthinkotherwise。“