第8章
“Looknowuponthatthroneandtellmewhatyouseethere。“
IobeyedhimbecauseImust，staringupthehallattheemptythrone。
AtfirstIsawnothing。Thenfiguresseemedtoflitaroundit。FromamongthesefiguresemergedtheshapeoftheCountAmenmeses。Hesatuponthethrone，lookingabouthimproudly，andInotedthathewasnolongercladasaprincebutasPharaohhimself。Presentlyhook-nosedmenappearedwhodraggedhimfromhisseat。Hefell，asIthought，intowater，foritseemedtosplashupabovehim。NextSetithePrinceappearedtomountthethrone，ledthitherbyawoman，ofwhomIcouldonlyseetheback。Isawhimdistinctlywearingthedoublecrownandholdingasceptreinhishand。HealsomeltedawayandotherscamewhomIdidnotknow，thoughIthoughtthatoneofthemwasliketothePrincessUserti。
NowallweregoneandIwastellingBakenkhonsueverythingIhadwitnessedlikeamanwhospeaksinhissleep，notbyhisownwill。
SuddenlyIwokeupandlaughedatmyownfoolishness。Buttheothertwodidnotlaugh；theyregardedmeverygravely。
“Ithoughtthatyouweresomethingofaseer，“saidtheoldpriest，“orratherKithoughtit。IcouldnotquitebelieveKi，becausehesaidthattheyoungpersonwhomIshouldfindwiththePrinceherethismorningwouldbeonewholovedhimwithalltheheart，anditisonlyawomanwholoveswithalltheheart，isitnot？Orsotheworldbelieves。Well，IwilltalkthematteroverwithKi。Hush!Pharaohcomes。“
Ashespokefromfarawayroseacryof——
“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“
L
“Life!Blood!Strength!“echoedeveryoneinthegreathall，fallingtotheirkneesandbendingtheirforeheadstotheground。EventhePrinceandtheagedBakenkhonsuprostratedthemselvesthusasthoughbeforethepresenceofagod。And，indeed，PharaohMeneptah，passingthroughthepatchofsunlightattheheadofthehall，wearingthedoublecrownuponhisheadandarrayedinroyalrobesandornaments，lookedlikeagod，noless，asthemultitudeofthepeopleofEgyptheldhimtobe。Hewasanoldmanwiththefaceofonewornbyyearsandcare，butfromhispersonmajestyseemedtoflow。
Withhim，walkingasteportwobehind，wentNehesihisVizier，ashrivelled，parchment-facedofficerwhosecunningeyesrolledabouttheplace，andRoytheHigh-priest，andHoratheChamberlainoftheTable，andMeranutheWasheroftheKing’sHands，andYuytheprivatescribe，andmanyotherswhomBakenkhonsunamedtomeastheyappeared。
Thentherewerefan-bearersandagorgeousbandoflordswhowerecalledKing’sCompanionsandHeadButlersandIknownotwhobesides，andaftertheseguardswithspearsandhelmsthatshonelikegod，andblackswordsmenfromthesouthernlandofKesh。
ButonewomanaccompaniedhisMajesty，walkingaloneimmediatelybehindhiminfrontoftheVizierandtheHigh-priest。ShewastheRoyalDaughter，thePrincessUserti，wholooked，Ithought，prouderandmoresplendidthananythere，thoughsomewhatpaleandanxious。
Pharaohcametothestepsofthethrone。TheVizierandtheHigh-
priestadvancedtohelphimupthesteps，forhewasfeeblewithage。
Hewavedthemaside，andbeckoningtohisdaughter，restedhishanduponhershoulderandbyheraidmountedthethrone。Ithoughtthattherewasmeaninginthis；itwasasthoughhewouldshowtoalltheassemblythatthisprincesswasthepropofEgypt。
ForalittlewhilehestoodstillandUsertisatherselfdownonthetopmoststep，restingherchinuponherjewelledhand。Therehestoodsearchingtheplacewithhiseyes。Heliftedhissceptreandallrose，hundredsandhundredsofthemthroughoutthehall，theirgarmentsrustlingastheyroselikeleavesinasuddenwind。Heseatedhimselfandoncemorefromeverythroatwentuptheregalsalutationthatwastheking’salone，of——
“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“
InthesilencethatfollowedIheardhimsay，tothePrincess，I
think：
“AmenmesesIsee，andothersofourkin，butwhereismysonSeti，thePrinceofEgypt？“
“Watchingusnodoubtfromsomevestibule。Mybrotherlovesnotceremonials，“answeredUserti。
Then，withalittlesigh，Setisteppedforward，followedbyBakenkhonsuandmyself，andatadistancebyothermembersofhishousehold。Ashemarchedupthelonghallalldrewtothissideorthat，salutinghimwithlowbows。Arrivinginfrontofthethronehebenttillhiskneetouchedtheground，saying：
“Igivegreeting，OKingandFather。“
“Igivegreeting，OPrinceandSon。Beseated，“answeredMeneptah。
Setiseatedhimselfinachairthathadbeenmadereadyforhimatthefootofthethrone，andonitsright，andinanotherchairtotheleft，butsetfartherfromthesteps，Amenmesesseatedhimselfalso。
AtamotionfromthePrinceItookmystandbehindhischair。
TheformalbusinessoftheCourtbegan。Atthebeckoningofanusherpeopleofallsortsappearedsinglyandhandedinpetitionswrittenonrolled-uppapyri，whichtheVizierNehesitookandthrewintoaleathernsackthatwasheldopenbyablackslave。Insomecasesananswertohispetition，whereofthiswasonlytheformaldelivery，washandedbacktothesuppliant，whotouchedhisbrowwiththerollthatperhapsmeanteverythingtohim，andbowedhimselfawaytolearnhisfate。Thenappearedsheiksofthedeserttribes，andcaptainsfromfortressesinSyria，andtraderswhohadbeenharmedbyenemies，andevenpeasantswhohadsufferedviolencefromofficers，eachtomakehisprayer。Ofallofthesesupplicationsthescribestooknotes，whiletosometheVizierandcouncillorsmadeanswer。ButasyetPharaohsaidnothing。Therehesatsilentonhissplendidthroneofivoryandgold，likeagodofstoneabovethealtar，staringdownthelonghallandthroughtheopendoorsasthoughhewouldreadthesecretsoftheskiesbeyond。
“Itoldyouthatcourtswerewearisome，friendAna，“whisperedthePrincetomewithoutturninghishead。“DoyounotalreadybegintowishthatyouwerebackwritingtalesatMemphis？“
BeforeIcouldanswersomemovementinthethrongattheendofthehalldrewtheeyesofthePrinceandofallofus。Ilooked，andsawadvancingtowardsthethroneatall，beardedmanalreadyold，althoughhisblackhairwasbutgrizzledwithgrey。Hewasarrayedinawhitelinenrobe，overwhichhungawoollencloaksuchasshepherdswear，andhecarriedinhishandalongthornwoodstaff。Hisfacewassplendidandveryhandsome，andhisblackeyesflashedlikefire。Hewalkedforwardslowly，lookingneithertotheleftnortheright，andthethrongmadewayforhimasthoughhewereaprince。Indeed，I
thoughtthattheyshowedmorefearofhimthanofanyprince，sincetheyshrankfromhimashecame。Norwashealone，forafterhimwalkedanothermanwhowasveryliketohim，butasIjudged，stillolder，forhisbeard，whichhungdowntohismiddle，wassnow-whiteaswasthehaironhishead。Healsowasdressedinasheepskincloakandcarriedastaffinhishand。Nowawhisperroseamongthepeopleandthewhispersaid：
“TheprophetsofthemenofIsrael!TheprophetsofthemenofIsrael!“
ThetwostoodbeforethethroneandlookedatPharaoh，makingnoobeisance。Pharaohlookedatthemandwassilent。Foralongspacetheystoodthusinthemidstofagreatquiet，butPharaohwouldnotspeak，andnoneofhisofficersseemedtodaretoopentheirmouths。
Atlengththefirstoftheprophetsspokeinaclear，coldvoiceassomeconquerormightdo。
“Youknowme，Pharaoh，andmyerrand。“
“Iknowyou，“answeredPharaohslowly，“aswellImay，seeingthatweplayedtogetherwhenwewerelittle。YouarethatHebrewwhommysister，shewhosleepsinOsiris，tooktobeasasontoher，givingtoyouanamethatmeans’drawnforth’becauseshedrewyouforthasaninfantfromamongthereedsofNile。Aye，Iknowyouandyourbrotheralso，butyourerrandIknownot。“
“Thisismyerrand，Pharaoh，orrathertheerrandofJahveh，GodofIsrael，forwhomIspeak。Haveyounothearditbefore？Itisthatyoushouldlethispeoplegotodosacrificetohiminthewilderness。“
“WhoisJahveh？IknownotJahvehwhoserveAmonandthegodsofEgypt，andwhyshouldIletyourpeoplego？“
“JahvehistheGodofIsrael，thegreatGodofallgodswhosepoweryoushalllearnifyouwillnothearken，Pharaoh。Asforwhyyoushouldletthepeoplego，askitofthePrinceyoursonwhositsyonder。Askhimofwhathesawinthestreetsofthiscitybutlastnight，andofacertainjudgmentthathepassedupononeoftheofficersofPharaoh。Orifhewillnottellyou，learnitfromthelipsofthemaidenwhoisnamedMerapi，MoonofIsrael，thedaughterofNathantheLevite。Standforward，Merapi，daughterofNathan。“
ThenfromthethrongatthebackofthehallcameforwardMerapi，cladinawhiterobeandwithablackveilthrownaboutherheadintokenofmourning，butnotsoastohideherface。UpthehallsheglidedandmadeobeisancetoPharaoh，asshedidso，castingoneswiftlookatSetiwherehesat。Thenshestoodstill，looking，asIthought，wonderfullybeautifulinthatsimplerobeofwhiteandtheevilofblack。
“Speak，woman，“saidPharaoh。
Sheobeyed，tellingallthetaleinherlowandhoneyedvoice，nordidanyseemtothinkitlongorwearisome。Atlengthsheended，andPharaohsaid：
“Say，Setimyson，isthistruth？“
“Itistruth，OmyFather。ByvirtueofmypowersasGovernorofthiscityIcausedthecaptainKhuakatobeputtodeathforthecrimeofmurderdonebyhimbeforemyeyesinthestreetsofthecity。“
“Perchanceyoudidrightandperchanceyoudidwrong，SonSeti。Atleastyouarethebestjudge，andbecausehestruckyourroyalperson，thisKhuakadeservedtodie。“