第12章
natured，IthinkthatintheendthePrinceisonewhowillalwayschoosehisownpath。“
“ItmaybesoAna。AttheleastIthankyou。Iprayyoutobesurealsothatinmeyouwillalwayshaveafriendandnotanenemy，althoughattimesthequicknessofmynature，whichhasneverbeencontrolled，mayleadyoutothinkotherwise。NowIwillsayonemorethingthatshallbesecretbetweenus。IknowthatthePrincelovesmeasafriendandrelativeratherthanasawife，andthathewouldnothavesoughtthismarriageofhimself，asisperhapsnatural。Iknow，too，thatotherwomenwillcomeintohislife，thoughthesemaybefewerthaninthecaseofmostkings，becauseheismorehardtoplease。OfsuchIcannotcomplain，asthisisaccordingtothecustomsofourcountry。Ifearonlyonething——namelythatsomewoman，ceasingtobehistoy，maytakeSeti’sheartandmakehimaltogetherhers。Inthismatter，ScribeAna，asinothersIaskyourhelp，sinceIwouldbequeenofEgyptinallways，notinnameonly。“
“YourHighness，howcanIsaytothePrince——’Somuchshallyoulovethisorthatwomanandnomore？’Moreover，whydoyoufearthatwhichhasnotandmaynevercomeabout？“
“Idonotknowhowyoucansaysuchathing，Scribe，stillIaskyoutosayitifyoucan。AstowhyIfear，itisbecauseIseemtofeelthenearshadowofsomewomanlyingcolduponmeandbuildingawallofblacknessbetweenhisHighnessandmyself。“
“Itisbutadream，Princess。“
“Mayhap。Ihopeso。YetIthinkotherwise。Oh!Ana，cannotyou，whostudytheheartsofmenandwomen，understandmycase？IhavemarriedwhereIcanneverhopetobelovedasotherwomenare，Iwhoamawife，yetnotawife。Ireadyourthought；itis——whythendidyoumarry？SinceIhavetoldyousomuchIwilltellyouthatalso。First，itisbecausethePrinceisdifferenttoothermenandinhisownfashionabovethem，yes，faraboveanywithwhomIcouldhavewedasroyalheiressofEgypt。Secondly，becausebeingcutofffromlove，whatremainstomebutambition？AtleastIwouldbeagreatqueen，aswasHatshepuinherday，andliftmycountryoutofthemanytroublesinwhichitissunkandwritemynamelargeuponthebooksofhistory，whichIcouldonlydobytakingPharaoh’sheirtohusband，asismyduty。“
Shebroodedawhile，thenadded，“NowIhaveshownyouallmythought。
WhetherIhavebeenwisetodosothegodsknowaloneandtimewilltellme。“
“Princess，“Isaid，“IthankyoufortrustingmeandIwillhelpyouifImay。YetIamtroubled。I，ahumblemanifofgoodblood，whoalittlewhileagowasbutascribeandastudent，adreamerwhohadknowntroublealso，havesuddenlybychance，orsomedivinedecree，beenliftedhighinthefavouroftheheirofEgypt，anditwouldseemhaveevenwonyourtrust。NowIwonderhowIshallbearmyselfinthisnewplacewhichintruthIneversought。“
“Idonotknow，whofindthepresentanditstroublesenoughtocarry。
But，doubtless，thedecreeofwhichyouspeakthatsetyoutherehasalsowrittendownwhatwillbetheendofall。Meanwhile，Ihaveagiftforyou。Say，Scribe，haveyoueverhandledanyweaponbesidesapen？“
“Yes，yourHighness，asaladIwasskilledinswordplay。Moreover，thoughIdonotlovewarandbloodshed，someyearsagoIfoughtinthegreatbattlebetweentheNinebowBarbarians，whenPharaohcalledupontheyoungmenofMemphistodotheirpart。WithmyownhandsIslewtwoinfairfight，thoughonenearlybroughtmetomyend，“andI
pointedtoascarwhichshowedredthroughmygreyhairwhereaspearhadbittendeep。
“Itiswell，orsoIthink，wholovesoldiersbetterthanstainersofpapyruspith。“
Then，goingtoapaintedchestofreeds，shetookfromitawonderfulshirtofmailfashionedofbronzerings，andashortswordalsoofbronze，havingagoldenhiltofwhichtheendwasshapedtothelikenessoftheheadofalion，andwithherownhandsgavethemtome，saying：
“Thesearespoilsthatmygrandsire，thegreatRameses，tookinhisyouthfromaprinceoftheKhitah，whomhesmotewithhisownhandsinSyriainthatbattlewhereofyourgrandfathermadethepoem。Weartheshirt，whichnospearwillpierce，beneathyourrobeandgirdtheswordaboutyouwhenyougodownyonderamongtheIsraelites，whomI
donottrust。IhavegivenalikecoattothePrince。Letitbeyourdutytoseethatitisuponhissacredpersondayandnight。Letitbeyourdutyalso，ifneedarises，withthisswordtodefendhimtothedeath。Farewell。“
“MayallthegodsrejectmefromtheFieldsoftheBlessedifIfailinthistrust，“Ianswered，anddepartedwondering，toseeksleepwhich，asitchanced，Iwasnottofindforawhile。
ForasIwentdownthecorridor，ledbyoneoftheladiesofthehousehold，whomshouldIfindwaitingattheendofitbutoldPambasatoinformmewithmanybowsthatthePrinceneededmypresence。I
askedhowthatcouldbeseeinghehaddismissedmeforthenight。Herepliedthathedidnotknow，buthewascommandedtoconductmetotheprivatechamber，thesameroominwhichIhadfirstseenhisHighness。ThitherIwentandfoundhimwarminghimselfatthefire，forthenightwascold。LookinguphebadePambasaadmitthosewhowerewaiting，thennotingtheshirtofmailandtheswordIcarriedinmyhand，said：
“YouhavebeenwiththePrincess，haveyounot，andshemusthavehadmuchtosaytoyouforyourtalkwaslong？Well，IthinkIcanguessitspurportwhofromachildhaveknownhermind。Shetoldyoutowatchmewell，bodyandheartandallthatcomesfromtheheart——oh!
andmuchelse。AlsoshegaveyouthatSyriangeartowearamongtheHebrewsasshehasgiventheliketome，beingofacarefulmindwhichforeseeseverything。Now，hearken，Ana；Igrievetokeepyoufromyourrest，whomustbewearybothwithtalkandtravel。ButoldBakenkhonsu，whomyouknow，waitswithout，andwithhimKithegreatmagician，whomIthinkyouhavenotseen。Heisamanofwonderfulloreandinsomewaysnotaltogetherhuman。Atleasthedoesstrangefeatsofmagic，andattimesboththepastandthefutureseemtobeopentohissight，thoughasweknowneithertheonenortheother，whocantellwhetherhereadsthemtruly。Doubtlesshehas，orthinkshehas，somemessagetomefromtheheavens，whichIthoughtyoumightwishtohear。“
“Iwishitmuch，Prince，ifIamworthy，andyouwillprotectmefromtheangerofthismagicianwhomIfear。“
“Angersometimesturnstotrust，Ana。DidyounotfinditsojustnowinthecaseofherHighness，asItoldyoumightverywellhappen？
Hush!Theycome。Beseatedandprepareyourtabletstomakerecordofwhattheysay。“
ThecurtainsweredrawnandthroughthemcametheagedBakenkhonsuleaninguponhisstaff，andwithhimanotherman，Kihimself，cladinawhiterobeandhavinghisheadshaven，forhewasanhereditarypriestofAmonofThebesandaninitiateofIsis，MotherofMysteries。
AlsohisofficewasthatofKherheb，orchiefmagicianofEgypt。Atfirstsighttherewasnothingstrangeaboutthisman。Indeed，hemightwellhavebeenamiddle-agedmerchantbyhislooks；inbodyhewasshortandstout；infacefatandsmiling。Butinthisjovialcountenanceweresettwoverystrangeeyes，grey-huedratherthanblack。Whiletherestofthefaceseemedtosmiletheseeyeslookedstraightintonothingnessasdothoseofastatue。Indeedtheywereliketotheeyesorrathertheeye-placesofastonestatue，sodeeplyweretheysetintothehead。FormypartIcanonlysayIthoughtthemawful，andbytheirlookjudgedthatwhateverKimightbehewasnocheat。
ThisstrangepairbowedtothePrinceandseatedthemselvesatasignfromhim，Bakenkhonsuuponastoolbecausehefounditdifficulttorise，andKi，whowasyounger，scribefashionontheground。
“WhatdidItellyou，Bakenkhonsu？“saidKiinafull，richvoice，endingthewordswithacuriouschuckle。
“Youtoldme，Magician，thatweshouldfindthePrinceinthischamberofwhichyoudescribedeverydetailtomeasIseeitnow，althoughneitherofushaveentereditbefore。YousaidalsothatseatedthereinonthegroundwouldbethescribeAna，whomIknowbutyoudonot，havinginhishandswaxentabletsandastylusandbyhimacoatofcuriousmailandalion-hiltedsword。“
“Thatisstrange，“interruptedthePrince，“butforgiveme，Bakenkhonsuseesthesethings。Ifyou，OKi，wouldtelluswhatiswrittenuponAna’stabletswhichneitherofyoucansee，itwouldbestrangerstill，thatisifanythingiswritten。“
Kismiledandstaredupwardsattheceiling。Presentlyhesaid：
“ThescribeAnausesashorthandofhisownthatisnoteasytodecipher。YetIseewrittenonthetabletsthepriceheobtainedforsomehouseinacitythatisnotnamed——itissomuch。AlsoIseethesumshedisbursedforhimself，aservant，andthefoodofanassattwoinnswherehestoppeduponajourney。Theyaresomuchandsomuch。Alsothereisalistofpapyrusrollsandthewords，’bluecloak，’andthenanerasure。“
“Isthatright，Ana？“askedthePrince。
“Quiteright，“Iansweredwithawe，“onlythewords’bluecloak，’
whichitistrueIwroteuponthetablet，havealsobeenerased。“
Kichuckledandturnedhiseyesfromtheceilingtomyface。
“WouldyourHighnesswishmetotellyouanythingofwhatiswrittenuponthetabletsofthisscribe’smemoryaswellasuponthoseofwaxwhichheholdsinhishand？TheyareeasiertodecipherthantheothersandIseeonthemmanythingsofinterest。Forinstance，secretwordsthatseemtohavebeensaidtohimbysomeGreatOnewithinanhour，mattersofhighpolicy，Ithink。Forinstance，acertainsaying，IthinkofyourHighness’s，astoshiveringupontheedgeofwateronacoldday，whichwhenenteredproducedheat，andtheanswerthereto。
Forinstance，wordsthatwerespokeninthispalacewhenanalabastercupwasbroke。Bytheway，Scribe，thatwasaverygoodplaceyouchoseinwhichtohideonehalfofthecupinthefalsebottomofachestinyourchamber，achestthatisfastenedwithacordandsealedwithascarabofthetimeofthesecondRameses。Ithinkthattheotherhalfofthecupissomewhatnearerathand，“andturning，hestaredatthewallwhereIcouldseenothingsaveslabsofalabaster。