The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 163

"I must restore to my favor the sages who investigate stars," said the pharaoh to himself.

The darkness increased quickly. The horses of the Asiatics grew restive, flocks of birds flew into the garden, and occupied all the trees, with noisy twitter.

"Rouse up!" cried Kalippos to the Greeks.

The drums beat, the flutes sounded, and to this accompaniment the Greek soldiers sang a dancing song of the priest's daughter who was so timid that she could sleep only in the barracks.

Meanwhile an ominous shade fell on the tawny Libyan hills, and covered Memphis, the Nile, and the palace gardens with lightning swiftness.

Night embraced the earth, and in the heavens appeared a ball as black as coal surrounded by a rim of brightness.

An immense uproar drowned the song of the Greek regiment. This was caused by the Asiatics, who raised a military shout as they sent a cloud of arrows toward the sky to frighten the evil spirit which was gulping the sun down.

"Dost say that that black ball is the moon?" inquired the pharaoh of Pentuer.

"That is what Menes a.s.serts."

"He is a great sage! And will the darkness end soon?"

"To a certainty."

"And if this moon should tear itself away and fall to the earth?"

"That cannot be. Here is the sun!" cried Pentuer, with delight.

The a.s.sembled regiments raised a shout in honor of Rameses XIII.

The pharaoh embraced Pentuer. "Indeed," said he, "we have seen a most wonderful event. But I should not like to see it a second time. I feel that if I had not been a warrior fear would have mastered me."

Hiram approached Tutmosis, and whispered,--

"Send couriers, worthiness, to Memphis immediately, for I fear that the high priests have done something evil."

"Dost thou think so?"

Hiram nodded.

"They would not have managed the kingdom so long," said he, "they would not have buried eighteen dynasties if they had not known how to use events like the present."

When Rameses had thanked the troops for good bearing in presence of the strange phenomenon, he returned to his villa. He continued thoughtful, he spoke calmly, even mildly, but on his shapely face doubt was evident.

In the pharaoh's soul there was indeed a grievous struggle. He had begun to understand that the priests possessed powers which he not only had not weighed, but had not noted; he had not even wished to hear of them. In a few moments the priests who followed the movements of stars rose in his eyes immensely, and he said to himself that in every case he should learn this wonderful wisdom which confuses people's plans so terribly.

Courier after courier flew from the palace to Memphis to learn what had happened during the eclipse. But the couriers did not return, and uncertainty spread its black wings above the retinue of the pharaoh.

No one doubted that something evil had happened at the temple of Ptah.

More than that, no man dared to draw his own conclusions. It seemed as though the pharaoh and his intimate counsellors were glad when a minute pa.s.sed without tidings. Meanwhile Queen Nikotris sat down at the pharaoh's side, and whispered,--

"Let me act, Rameses. Women have served this state more than once.

Only remember Queen Nikotris in the sixth dynasty, or Makara who created a fleet on the Red Sea. In our s.e.x there is no lack of mind or of energy, so let me act. If the temple of Ptah is not taken, and the priests are not wronged I will reconcile thee with Herhor. Thou wilt take his daughter as wife, and thy reign will be full of glory.

Remember that thy grandfather, the holy Amenhotep, was also a high priest and a viceroy of the pharaoh, and thou thyself, who knows if thou wouldst be reigning to-day, had the holy order of the priests not desired to have its own blood on the throne. Art thou, too, not obliged to them for dominion?"

The pharaoh as he listened to her, thought all the time that the wisdom of the priests was an immense power, and the struggle with them difficult.

Only about three in the afternoon did the first courier arrive from Memphis, an adjutant of the regiment which had been stationed at the temple. He informed the sovereign that the temple had not been taken because of the anger of the G.o.ds; that the people had fled, that the priests were triumphant, and that even in the army disorder had arisen during that brief but terrible darkness.

Then, taking Tutmosis aside, the adjutant declared to him directly that the troops were demoralized; that, because they had fled in a panic, as many were wounded and killed as in a battle.

"What is happening now with the troops?" inquired Tutmosis in consternation.

"Of course," replied the adjutant, "we were able to rally the men and bring them to order. But we cannot even speak of using them against the temples, especially now when they are occupied with caring for the wounded. At present a warrior is ready to fall to the earth before a shaven head and a panther skin; a long time will pa.s.s before any one will dare to cross a sacred gateway."

"But what are the priests doing?"

"Blessing the warriors, giving food and drink to them, and pretending that the troops are not guilty of attacking the temple; that that was the work of Phnicians."

"But do ye permit this demoralization of troops?" exclaimed Tutmosis.

"Well, his holiness commanded us to defend the priests against the mult.i.tude. Had we been permitted to occupy the temple we should have done so at ten in the morning, and the high priests now would be sitting in a dungeon."

At this moment the officer in attendance informed Tutmosis that again some priest had arrived from Memphis, and desired to speak with his holiness.

Tutmosis looked at the guest. He was a man rather young, with a face as if carved out of wood. He said that he had come to the pharaoh from Samentu.

Rameses received the priest, who prostrated himself and gave the pharaoh a ring, at sight of which his holiness grew pallid.

"What does this mean?" asked he.

"Samentu is no longer alive," replied the priest.

Rameses could not recover his voice for a time. At last he asked,--

"How has this happened?"

"It appears," replied the priest, "that Samentu was discovered in one of the halls of the labyrinth, and that he poisoned himself to escape torture. It seems that Mefres discovered him through the aid of a certain Greek, who, as they tell us, resembles thee, holiness."

"Again Mefres and Lykon!" exclaimed Tutmosis in anger. "O lord," said he, turning to Rameses, "wilt thou never free thyself from those traitors?"

The pharaoh summoned a confidential council again. He called in Hiram, also the priest who had brought the ring from Samentu. Pentuer did not wish to take part in the council, but the worthy queen went herself to it.

"I see," whispered Hiram to Tutmosis, "that after the expulsion of priests women are to govern Egypt."

When the dignitaries had a.s.sembled, the pharaoh let Samentu's messenger speak.

The young priest would not talk of the labyrinth, but he explained sufficiently that the temple of Ptah was undefended, and that a few tens of men would suffice to arrest all who were hiding there.

"This man is a traitor!" screamed the queen. "A priest himself, he persuades thee to violence against the priesthood."

In the face of the messenger no muscle quivered. "Worthy lady,"

replied he, "if Mefres destroyed my guardian and master, Samentu, I should be a dog if I sought not revenge. Death for death!"