The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 73

"Did I say Greek? I know nothing of a Greek. Such a word may have slipped from me; perhaps thou didst not hear correctly."

He kissed Sarah and his son, and took farewell of them; but he did not expel fear.

"We must say once, and decisively," thought he, "that in Egypt no secret is hidden. The priests and my attendants follow me, even when they are drunk, or pretend to be, and the serpent eyes of Phnicia are gazing at Kama. If they have not hidden her before me thus far, they must have small regard for her virtue. Moreover, before whom?--Before me, to whom they themselves discovered the deceptions of their own temple. Kama will belong to me. They are too much involved in this to think of bringing my anger on their heads by opposition."

A couple of days later the holy Mentezufis, a.s.sistant of the worthy Herhor, came to the erpatr. Rameses, looking at the pale face and downcast eyes of the prophet, divined that he too knew of the Phnician woman, and perhaps wished, as a priest, to reprimand the viceroy. But this time Mentezufis did not mention affairs touching the heart of the heir.

When he had greeted the prince, with an official mien, the prophet took the seat indicated, and began,--

"From the Memphis palace of the lord of eternity they have informed me that in recent days the Chaldean high priest Istubar, the court astrologer and counsellor of his grace King a.s.sar, has come to Pi-Bast."

The prince desired to tell Mentezufis the reason of Istubar's coming, but he bit his lips and was silent.

"The renowned Istubar," continued the priest, "has brought doc.u.ments in virtue of which the worthy Sargon, a satrap, and a relative of King a.s.sar, remains with us as amba.s.sador of that mighty sovereign."

The prince was near bursting into laughter. The seriousness with which Mentezufis had thought fit to lay bare a small part of the secrets long known to Rameses filled him with contempt and delight also.

"This trickster," thought the prince, "has not an inkling in his heart that I know all their villainy."

"The worthy Sargon and the revered Istubar," continued Mentezufis, "will go to Memphis to kiss the feet of his holiness. But first, worthiness, thou, as viceroy, wilt be pleased to receive both these dignitaries graciously, and their suite also."

"Very willingly," answered the prince, "and on that occasion I shall ask them when a.s.syria will pay the arrears of tribute?"

"Wouldst thou do that, worthiness?" asked the priest, looking him in the eyes.

"That first of all; our treasury needs tribute."

Mentezufis rose suddenly from his seat, and said, in solemn though lowered accents,--

"O viceroy of our lord, and giver of life, in the name of his holiness I forbid thee to speak with anyone of tribute, but, above all, with Sargon, Istubar, or any man of their suite."

The prince grew pale.

"Priest," said he, standing up also, "on what basis dost thou speak to me as a superior?"

Mentezufis drew aside his robe, and took from his neck a chain on which was one of the pharaoh's rings.

The viceroy looked at the ring, kissed it with devotion, returned it to the priest, and answered,--

"I will fulfil the command of his holiness, my lord and father."

Again both sat down, and the prince asked the priest,--

"Canst thou explain to me, worthiness, why a.s.syria should not pay us tribute which would save the state treasury from embarra.s.sment?"

"Because we have not the power to force a.s.syria to pay us tribute,"

answered Mentezufis, coldly. "We have an army of a hundred and twenty thousand, a.s.syria has three hundred thousand warriors. I say this to thee, worthiness, in perfect confidence, as to a high state official."

"I understand. But why did the ministry of war, in which thou servest, decrease our valiant army sixty thousand men?"

"To increase the income of his holiness twenty thousand talents,"

replied the priest.

"Aha! Tell me, then, worthiness," continued the prince, "with what object is Sargon going to the feet of the pharaoh?"

"I know not."

"Aha! But why should I not know,--I, who am heir to the throne?"

"Because there are state secrets which barely a few dignitaries know."

"And which even my most worthy father may not know?"

"a.s.suredly he may not, for there are things which even his holiness may not know, since he does not possess the highest priestly consecration."

"It is wonderful!" said the prince, after some thought. "Egypt is the property of the pharaoh, and still things may be done in it which are unknown to him. Explain this to me, worthiness."

"Egypt is first of all, and even only and exclusively, the property of Amon," said the priest. "There is absolute need, therefore, that only those should know the highest secrets to whom Amon has declared his plans and purposes."

The prince, while listening, felt as if people were turning him on a bed of dagger points under which fire was burning.

Mentezufis wished to rise; Rameses detained him.

"One word more," said he, mildly. "Is Egypt so weak that she cannot even mention the a.s.syrian tribute?"

He panted.

"If Egypt is so wretched," continued he, "then what a.s.surance is there that a.s.syria will not attack us?"

"We may a.s.sure ourselves by a treaty," answered the priest.

The heir waved his hand.

"There are no treaties for the weak!" said he. "Silver tablets inscribed with agreements will not guard boundaries unless spears and swords stand behind them."

"But who has told thee, worthiness, that they will not stand on our land?"

"Thou thyself. One hundred and twenty thousand men must yield before three hundred thousand. Were a.s.syrians to come here, Egypt would be turned into a desert."

Mentezufis' eyes flashed.

"If they were to invade us," cried he, "their bones would never touch their own country! We should arm all the n.o.bles, all the regiments of laborers, even convicts in the quarries. We should take the treasures from all temples. And a.s.syria would meet five hundred thousand Egyptian warriors."

Rameses was delighted at this outburst of patriotism in Mentezufis. He seized him by the hand, and said,--

"Then, if we are able to have such an army, why do we not attack Babylon? Is not the great warrior Nitager imploring us for years to do so? Is not his holiness alarmed by the movement in a.s.syria? If we let them concentrate their forces, the struggle will be most difficult; but if we begin ourselves--"

The priest interrupted him,--