第18章
IwaitedbehindthePrince，thinkingitwelltowatchhisbackamongallthosefiercemen，anddidnothearwhatthepriestsaidtohim，ashewhisperedinthatholyplace。Kohathledhimforward，tofreehimfromthethrong，Ithought，tilltheycametotheheadofthelittletemplethatwasmarkedbysomesteps，abovewhichhungathickandheavycurtain。ThePrince，walkingon，didnotseethelowestofthesestepsinthegloom，whichwasdeep。Hisfootcaughtonit；hefellforward，andtosavehimselfgraspedatthecurtainwherethetwohalvesofitmet，anddraggeditopen，revealingachamberplainandsmallbeyond，inwhichwasanaltar。ThatwasallIhadtimetosee，fornextinstantaroarofragerenttheairandknivesflashedinthegloom。
“TheEgyptiandefilesthetabernacle!“shoutedone。“Draghimoutandkillhim!“screamedanother。
“Friends，“saidSeti，turningastheysurgedtowardshim，“ifIhavedoneaughtwrongitwasbychance-“
Hecouldaddnomore，seeingthattheywereonhim，orratheronmewhohadleaptinfrontofhim。Alreadytheyhadgraspedmyrobesandmyhandwasonmysword-hilt，whenthepriestKohathcriedout：
“MenofIsrael，areyoumad？WouldyoubringPharaoh’svengeanceonus？“
Theyhaltedalittleandtheirspokesmanshouted：
“WedefyPharaoh!OurGodwillprotectusfromPharaoh。Draghimforthandkillhimbeyondthewall!“
Againtheybegantomove，whenaman，inwhomIrecognizedJabez，theuncleofMerapi，calledaloud：
“Cease!IfthisPrinceofEgypthasdoneinsulttoJahvehbywillandnotbychance，itiscertainthathewillavengehimselfuponhim。
ShallmentakethejudgmentofGodintotheirownhands？Standbackandwaitawhile。IfJahvehisaffronted，theEgyptianwillfalldead。
Ifhedoesnotfalldead，lethimpasshenceunharmed，forsuchisJahveh’swill。Standback，Isay，whileIcountthreescore。“
TheywithdrewaspaceandslowlyJabezbegantocount。
AlthoughatthattimeIknewnothingofthepowerofthegodofIsrael，IwillsaythatIwasfilledwithfearasonebyonehecounted，pausingateachten。Thescenewasverystrange。TherebythestepsstoodthePrinceagainstthebackgroundofthecurtain，hisarmsfoldedandalittlesmileofwondermixedwithcontemptuponhisface，butnotasignoffear。OnonesideofhimwasI，whoknewwellthatI
shouldsharehisfatewhateveritmightbe，andindeeddesirednoother；andontheotherthepriestKohath，whosehandsshookandwhoseeyesstartedfromhishead。InfrontofusoldJabezcounted，watchingthefierce-facedcongregationthatinadeadsilencewaitedfortheissue。Thecountwenton。Thirty。Forty。Fifty——oh!itseemedanage。
Atlengthsixtyfellfromhislips。HewaitedawhileandallwatchedthePrince，notdoubtingbutthathewouldfalldead。ButinsteadheturnedtoKohathandaskedquietlyifthisordealwasnowfinished，ashedesiredtomakeanofferingtothetemple，whichhehadbeeninvitedtovisit，andbegone。
“OurGodhasgivenhisanswer，“saidJabez。“Acceptit，menofIsrael。
WhatthisPrincedidhedidbychance，notofdesign。“
Theyturnedandwentwithoutaword，andafterIhadlaidtheoffering，nomeanone，intheappointedplace，wefollowedthem。
“Itwouldseemthatyoursisnogentlegod，“saidthePrincetoKohath，whenatlengthwewereoutsidethetemple。
“Atleastheisjust，yourHighness。Haditbeenotherwise，youwhohadviolatedhissanctuary，althoughbychance，woulderenowbedead。“
“Thenyouhold，Priest，thatJahvehhaspowertoslayuswhenheisangry？“
“Withoutadoubt，yourHighness——as，ifourProphetsspeaktruth，I
thinkthatEgyptwilllearnereallbedone，“headdedgrimly。
Setilookedathimandanswered：
“Itmaybeso，butallgods，ortheirpriests，claimthepowertotormentandslaythosewhoworshipothergods。Itisnotonlywomenwhoarejealous，Kohath，orsoitseems。YetIthinkthatyoudoyourgodinjustice，seeingthatevenifthisstrengthishis，heprovedmoremercifulthanhisworshipperswhoknewwellthatIonlygraspedtheveiltosavemyselffromfalling。IfeverIvisityourtempleagainitshallbeinthecompanyofthosewhocanmatchmightagainstmight，whetherofthespiritorthesword。Farewell。“
Sowereachedthechariot，neartowhichstoodJabez，hewhohadsavedus。
“Prince，“hewhispered，glancingatthecrowdwholingerednotfaraway，silentandglowering，“Iprayyouleavethislandswiftlyforhereyourlifeisnotsafe。Iknowitwasbychance，butyouhavedefiledthesanctuaryandseenthatuponwhicheyesmaynotlooksavethoseofthehighestpriests，anoffencenoIsraelitecanforgive。“
“Andyou，oryourpeople，Jabez，wouldhavedefiledthissanctuaryofmylife，spillingmyheart’sbloodand/not/bychance。Surelyyouareastrangefolkwhoseektomakeanenemyofonewhohastriedtobeyourfriend。“
“Idonotseekit，“exclaimedJabez。“IwouldthatwemighthavePharaoh’smouthandearwhosoonwillhimselfbePharaohuponourside。OPrinceofEgypt，benotwrothwithallthechildrenofIsraelbecausetheirwrongshavemadesomefewofthemstubbornandhard-
hearted。Begonenow，andofyourgoodnessremembermywords。“
“Iwillremember，“saidSeti，signingtothecharioteertodriveon。
YetstillthePrincelingeredinthetown，sayingthathefearednothingandwouldlearnallhecouldofthispeopleandtheirwaysthathemightreportthebetterofthemtoPharaoh。FormypartI
believedthattherewasonefacewhichhewishedtoseeagainbeforeheleft，butofthisIthoughtitwisetosaynothing。
Atlengthaboutmiddaywediddepart，anddroveeastwardsonthetrackofAmenmesesandourcompany。Alltheafternoonwedrovethus，precededbythetwosoldiersdisguisedasrunnersandfollowed，asadistantcloudofdusttoldme，bythecaptainandhischariots，whomI
hadsecretlycommandedtokeepusinsight。
TowardseveningwecametothepassinthestoryhillswhichboundedthelandofGoshen。HereSetidescendedfromthechariot，andweclimbed，accompaniedbythetwosoldierswhomIsignedtofollowus，tothecrestofoneofthesehillsthatwasstrewnwithhugebouldersandlinedwithridgesofsandstone，betweenwhichgullieshadbeencutbythewindsofthousandsofyears。
Leaningagainstoneoftheseridgeswelookedbackuponawondroussight。Farawayacrossthefertileplainappearedthetownthatwehadleft，andbehinditthesunsank。Itwouldseemasthoughsomestormhadbrokenthere，althoughthefirmamentaboveuswasclearandblue。
Atleastinfrontofthetowntwohugepillarsofcloudstretchedfromearthtoheavenlikethecolumnsofsomemightygateway。Oneofthesepillarswasasthoughitweremadeofblackmarble，andtheotherliketomoltengold。Betweenthemranaroadoflightendinginaglory，andinthemidstoftheglorytheroundballofRa，theSun，burnedliketheeyeofGod。Thespectaclewasasawesomeasitwassplendid。
“HaveyoueverseensuchaskyinEgypt，Prince？“Iasked。
“Never，“heanswered，andalthoughhespokelow，inthatgreatstillnesshisvoicesoundedloudtome。
Forawhilelongerwewatched，tillsuddenlythesunsank，andonlythegloryaboutitandaboveremained，whichtookshapesliketothepalacesandtemplesofacityintheheavens，afarcitythatnomortalcouldreachexceptindreams。
“Iknownotwhy，Ana，“saidSeti，“butforthefirsttimesinceIwasamanIfeelafraid。ItseemstomethatthereareomensintheskyandIcannotreadthem。WouldthatKiwereheretotelluswhatissignifiedbythepillarofblacknesstotherightandthepillaroffiretotheleft，andwhatgodhashishomeinthecityofglorybehind，andhowman’sfeetmaywalkalongtheshiningroadwhichleadstoitspylongates。ItellyouthatIamafraid；itisasthoughDeathwereveryneartomeandallhiswondersopentomymortalsight。“
“Itooamafraid，“Iwhispered。“Look!Thepillarsmove。Thatoffiregoesbefore；thatofblackcloudfollowsafter，andbetweenthemI
seemtoseeacountlessmultitudemarchinginunendingcompanies。Seehowthelightglittersontheirspears!SurelythegodoftheHebrewsisafoot。“
“He，orsomeothergod，ornogodatall，whoknows？Come，Ana，letusbegoingifwewouldreachthatcamperedark。“
Sowedescendedfromtheridge，andre-enteringthechariot，droveontowardstheneckofthepass。Nowthisneckwasverynarrow，notmorethanfourpaceswideforacertaindistance，and，oneithersideoftheroadwayweretumbledsandstoneboulders，betweenwhichgrewdesertplants，andgulliesthathadbeencutbystorm-water，whilebeyondtheserosethesidesofthemountain。Herethehorseswentatawalktowardsaturninthepath，atwhichpointthelandbegantofallagain。
Whenwewereabouthalfaspear’sthrowfromthisturnofasuddenI
heardasoundand，glancingtotheright，perceivedawomanleapingdownthehillsidetowardsus。Thecharioteersawalsoandhaltedthehorses，andthetworunnerguardsturnedanddrewtheirswords。Inlessthanhalfaminutethewomanhadreachedus，comingoutoftheshadowsothatthelightfelluponherface。
“Merapi!“exclaimedthePrinceandI，speakingasthoughwithonebreath。
Merapiitwasindeed，butinevilcase。Herlonghairhadbrokenlooseandfellabouther，thecloaksheworewastorn，andtherewerebloodandfoamuponherlips。Shestoodgasping，sincespeakshecouldnotforbreathlessness，supportingherselfwithonehanduponthesideofthechariotandwiththeotherpointingtothebendintheroad。Atlastawordcame，oneonly。Itwas：