The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 127

Hiram raised his eyes and hands to heaven.

"Holiness, thou knowest thy enemies," said he.

"Thou knowest, worthiness, why I have summoned thee. I wish to borrow a few thousand talents."

Hiram made a hissing noise through his teeth, so that the pharaoh permitted him to sit in his presence, which was the highest honor.

When he had disposed himself comfortably and rested, Hiram said,--

"Why shouldst thou borrow, holiness, when thou mayst have a rich treasury?"

"I know, when I shall get Nineveh," interrupted Rameses. "That time is distant and I need money this day."

"I speak not of war," answered Hiram; "I speak of an affair which would bring large sums to the treasury immediately, and a permanent yearly income."

"How?"

"Permit us, holiness, and a.s.sist us to dig a ca.n.a.l which would join the Red Sea with the Mediterranean."

"Art thou jesting, old man?" cried the pharaoh, springing up from his seat. "Who could do such a work, and who could wish to endanger Egypt?

The sea would inundate the country."

"What sea? Neither the Mediterranean nor the Red Sea would," answered Hiram calmly. "I know that Egyptian priests who are engineers have examined this work and have calculated that it would give immense profit, it is the best work on earth. But they wish to do it themselves, or rather they do not wish that the pharaoh should do it."

"Where are thy proofs?" asked Rameses.

"I have not the proofs, but I will send a priest, holiness, who will explain the whole affair to thee, with plans and estimates."

"Who is this priest?"

Hiram thought a moment and then asked,--

"Have I thy promise, holiness, that no one will know of him except us?

He, lord, will render more service than I. He knows many secrets and many iniquities of the priesthood."

"I promise," answered the pharaoh.

"This priest is Samentu. He is a great sage, but needs money, and he is very ambitious. And since the high priests degrade him he--he--will overturn the order of priests; for he knows many secrets--oh, many!"

Rameses meditated. He understood that that priest was a great traitor, but he estimated the magnitude of the service which the man might render.

"Well," said the pharaoh, "I will think of this Samentu. But now let us suppose for the moment that it is possible to make such a ca.n.a.l; what profit shall I have from it?"

Hiram raised his left hand, and counted on his fingers.

"First, holiness, Phnicia will give thee five thousand talents of unpaid tribute; second, Phnicia will pay for the right of doing this work; third, when the work begins we will pay one thousand talents of yearly rent, and besides as many talents as Egypt furnishes us tens of laborers; fourth, for every Egyptian engineer we will give to thee, holiness, a talent a year; fifth, when the work is finished thou wilt give us the ca.n.a.l for one hundred years, and we will pay for that one thousand talents yearly. Are those small gains?" inquired Hiram.

"But now, to-day," asked Rameses, "would ye give me those five thousand talents tribute?"

"If the treaty is made to-day we will give ten thousand, and we will add three thousand as an advance of rent for a three years' period."

Rameses meditated. More than once Phnicians had proposed the cutting of this ca.n.a.l to the rulers of Egypt, but they had always met the unbending resistance of the priesthood. The Egyptian sages explained to the pharaoh that that ca.n.a.l would expose the country to inundations from the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. But Hiram a.s.serted that such a thing would not happen; the priests knew that it would not.

"Ye Phnicians," said the pharaoh, after a long time, "promise to pay one thousand talents yearly for one hundred years. Ye say that that ca.n.a.l dug in the sand is the best affair in the world. I do not understand this, and I confess, Hiram, that I am suspicious."

Hiram's eyes flashed.

"Lord," replied he, "I will tell thee everything, but I abjure thee by thy crown, by the shade of thy father, not to discover the secret to any one. This is the greatest secret of the Chaldean and Egyptian priests, and even of Phnicia. On it depends the future of the world."

"Well, well, Hiram," answered the pharaoh with a smile.

"To thee, O pharaoh," continued the Phnician, "the G.o.ds have given wisdom, n.o.bility, and energy, therefore, thou art on our side. Thou, alone, of earthly rulers mayst be initiated, for thou art the only one who will be able to accomplish great objects. For this reason thou wilt have power such as no man has ever reached before thee."

Rameses felt the sweetness of pride in his heart, but he mastered his feelings.

"Praise me not for what I have not done; but explain to me what profit will come from this ca.n.a.l to Phnicia and to Egypt?"

Hiram straightened himself in the chair, and began in a lowered voice,--

"Know, lord, that east, north, and south of a.s.syria and Babylon are not mora.s.ses inhabited by strange monsters, but immense--immense states and countries. Those countries are so great that thy foot warriors, O holiness, renowned for marching, would have to move eastward two years without halt before they could reach the end of them."

Rameses raised his brows like one who permits some man to lie, but knows that he is lying.

"Southeast of Babylon, at the great sea, dwell one hundred millions of people who have mighty kings, who have priests wiser than those of Egypt, who have ancient books, and skilled artisans. Those people know how to make woven stuffs, implements and vessels as beautiful as those of the Egyptians, and from time immemorial they have temples above ground and underground, which are grander, richer, and larger than the temples of Egypt."

"Speak on, speak on!" said the pharaoh. But it was impossible to learn from his face whether his curiosity was roused by the description, or he was indignant at the untruth of the Phnician.

"In those countries," continued Hiram, "are pearls, precious stones, gold, copper; in those countries grow the most curious grains, flowers, and fruits; finally they have forests where a man might wander whole months among trees thicker than the columns in the temples of Egypt and taller than palms. The inhabitants of those countries are mild and simple. And, holiness, if thou wouldst send thither two regiments on s.h.i.+ps, thou wouldst be able to win an area of land larger than Egypt, richer than the treasures of the labyrinth. If thou permit, I will send thee to-morrow specimens of the woven stuffs of those regions, with bronzes and woods from them. I will send also two grains of a wondrous balsam from those countries; if a man swallows this balsam, it opens the gates of eternity before him, and he experiences the happiness which falls to divinities only."

"I beg thee to send specimens of the stuffs, and the utensils. As to the balsam, never mind! We shall enjoy eternity and the G.o.ds without it sufficiently after death."

"But far, very far east of a.s.syria," added Hiram, "lie still greater countries--countries which have two hundred millions of inhabitants."

"How easy millions come to you Phnicians," laughed Rameses.

Hiram placed his hand on his heart.

"I swear," said he, "by the souls of my ancestors, and by my honor that I am telling truth."

The pharaoh was moved; such a great oath arrested his attention.

"Speak on--speak!" said he.

"These last lands," continued the Phnician, "are very wonderful.

They are inhabited by people with yellow skin and sloping eyes. Those people have a sovereign who is called the Son of Heaven, and he governs through sages, who are not priests, however, and have not such power as priests have in Egypt. Still those people are like the Egyptians. They honor dead ancestors and take great care of their remains. They use writing which calls to mind the writing of Egyptian priests. But they wear long robes of such stuffs as are unknown in this country; they have sandals which are like little benches, and they cover their heads with pointed boxes. The roofs of their houses are pointed too at the top, and are turned up at the edges.

"Those uncommon people have a grain which is more plentiful than Egyptian wheat, and they make of it a drink which is stronger than wine. They have a plant the leaves of which give strength to the members, gladness to the mind, and which enables them even to dispense with sleep. They have paper which they adorn with many colored images, and they have clay which after it is burned s.h.i.+nes like gla.s.s, and is as resonant as metal.

"To-morrow, if thou permit, holiness, I will send specimens of the works of these people."