The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 8

"But who knows them better?" asked Pentuer, gloomily. "Have I not grown up among them? Have I not seen my father watering land, clearing ca.n.a.ls, sowing, harvesting, and, above all, paying tribute? Oh, thou knowest not the lot of slaves in Egypt."

"But if I do not, I know the lot of the foreigner. My great-grandfather or great-great-grandfather was famous among the Hyksos, but he remained here, for he grew attached to this country.

And what wilt thou say? Not only was his property taken from him, but the stain of my origin rests on me at present. Thou thyself knowest what I bear frequently from Egyptians by race, though I have a considerable position. How, then, can I take pity on the Egyptian earth-worker, who, seeing my yellow complexion, mutters frequently, 'Pagan! foreigner!' The earth-worker is neither a pagan nor a foreigner."

"Only a slave," added Pentuer,--"a slave whom they marry, divorce, beat, sell, slay sometimes, and command always to work, with a promise besides that in the world to come he will be a slave also."

"Thou art a strange man, though so wise!" said the adjutant, shrugging his shoulders. "Dost thou not see that each man of us occupies some position, low, less low, or very low, in which he must labor? But dost thou suffer because thou art not pharaoh, and thy tomb will not be a pyramid? Thou dost not ponder at all over this, for thou knowest it to be the world's condition. Each creature does its own duty: the ox ploughs, the a.s.s bears the traveller, I cool his worthiness, thou rememberest and thinkest for him, while the earth-worker tills land and pays tribute. What is it to us that some bull is born Apis, to whom all render homage, and some man a pharaoh or a nomarch?"

"The ten years' toil of that man was destroyed," whispered Pentuer.

"And does not the minister destroy thy toil?" asked the adjutant. "Who knows that thou art the manager of the state, not the worthy Herhor?"

"Thou art mistaken. He manages really. He has power and will; I have only knowledge. Moreover, they do not beat thee, nor me, like that slave."

"But they have beaten Eunana, and they may beat us also. Hence there is need to be brave and make use of the position a.s.signed us; all the more since, as is known to thee, our spirit, the immortal _Ka_, in proportion as it is purified rises to a higher plane, so that after thousands or millions of years, in company with spirits of pharaohs and slaves, in company with G.o.ds even, it will be merged into the nameless and all-mighty father of existence."

"Thou speakest like a priest," answered Pentuer, with bitterness. "I ought rather to have this calm! But instead of it I have pain in my soul, for I feel the wretchedness of millions--"

"Who tells it to thee?"

"My eyes and my heart. My heart is like a valley between mountains which never can be silent, when it hears a cry, but must answer with an echo."

"I say to thee, Pentuer, that thou thinkest too much over dangerous subjects. It is impossible to walk safely along precipices of the eastern mountains, for thou mayst fall at any moment; or to wander through the western desert, where hungry lions are prowling, and where the raging simoom springs up unexpectedly."

Meanwhile the valiant Eunana moved on in the vehicle, which only added to his pain. But to show that he was valiant he requested food and drink; and when he had eaten a dry cake rubbed with garlic and had drunk sour beer from a thick-bellied pot, he begged the driver to take a branch and drive the flies from his wounded body.

Thus lying on the bags and packs in that squeaking car, with his face toward the earth, the unfortunate Eunana sang with a groaning voice the grievous lot of the inferior officer,--

"Why dost thou say that the scribe's lot is worse than the officer's?

Come and see my blue stripes and swollen body; meanwhile I will tell thee the tale of a downtrodden officer.

"I was a boy when they brought me to the barracks. For breakfast I had blows of fists in the belly, till I fainted; for dinner fists in the eyes, till my mouth gaped; and for supper I had a head covered with wounds and almost split open.

"Go on! let me tell how I made the campaign to Syria. Food and drink I had to carry on my back, I was bent down with weight as an a.s.s is bent. My neck became stiff, like an a.s.s's neck, and the joints of my back swelled. I drank rotten water, I was like a captive bird in the face of the enemy.

"I returned to Egypt, but here I am like a tree into which a worm is boring always. For any trifle they put me on the ground and beat me till I am breaking. I am sick and must lie at full length; they carry me in a car, meanwhile serving-men steal my mantle and escape with it.

"So change thy mind, O scribe, about the happiness of officers."[3]

[3] Authentic.

Thus sang the brave Eunana; and his tearful song has outlived the Egyptian kingdom.

CHAPTER V

As the suite of the heir approached Memphis, the sun was near its setting, while from countless ca.n.a.ls and the distant sea came a wind filled with cool moisture. The road descended again to the fertile region, where on fields and among bushes continuous ranks of people were working, a rosy gleam was falling on the desert, and the mountain summits were in a blaze of sunlight.

Rameses halted and turned his horse. His suite surrounded him quickly, the higher officers approached with some leisure, while the marching regiments drew nearer slowly and with even tread. In the purple rays of the setting sun, the prince had the seeming of a divinity, the soldiers gazed at him with affection and pride, the chiefs looked admiringly.

He raised his hand. All were silent.

"Worthy leaders," began he, "brave officers, obedient soldiers! To-day the G.o.ds have given me the pleasure of commanding you. Delight has filled my heart. And since it is my will that leaders, officers, and soldiers should share my happiness at all times, I a.s.sign one drachma to each soldier of those who have gone to the east, and to those who return with us from the eastern boundary; also one drachma each to the Greek soldiers who to-day, under my command, opened a pa.s.sage out of the ravine; and one drachma to each man in the regiments of the worthy Nitager who wished to cut off the way to us."

There was a shout in the army.

"Be well, our leader! Be well, successor of the pharaoh, may he live eternally!" cried the soldiers; and the Greeks cried the loudest.

The prince continued,--

"I a.s.sign five talents to be divided among the lower officers of my army and that of the worthy Nitager. And finally I a.s.sign ten talents to be divided between his worthiness the minister and the chief leaders--"

"I yield my part for the benefit of the army," answered Herhor.

"Be well, O heir!--be well, O minister!" cried the officers and the soldiers.

The ruddy circle of the sun had touched the sands of the western desert. Rameses took farewell of the army and galloped towards Memphis; but his worthiness Herhor, amid joyous shouts, took a seat in his litter and commanded also to go in advance of the marching divisions.

When they had gone so far that single voices were merged into one immense murmur, like the sound of a cataract, the minister, bending toward the secretary, asked of him,--

"Dost thou remember everything?"

"Yes, worthy lord."

"Thy memory is like granite on which we write history, and thy wisdom like the Nile, which covers all the country and enriches it," said Herhor. "Besides, the G.o.ds have granted thee the greatest of virtues,--wise obedience."

The secretary was silent.

"Hence thou mayest estimate more accurately than others the acts and reasons of the heir, may he live through eternity!"

The minister stopped awhile, and then added,--

"It has not been his custom to speak so much. Tell me then, Pentuer, and record this: Is it proper that the heir to the throne should express his will before the army? Only a pharaoh may act thus, or a traitor, or--a frivolous stripling, who with the same heedlessness will do hasty deeds or belch forth words of blasphemy."

The sun went down, and soon after a starry night appeared. Above the countless ca.n.a.ls of Lower Egypt a silvery mist began to thicken,--a mist which, borne to the desert by a gentle wind, freshened the wearied warriors, and revived vegetation which had been dying through lack of moisture.

"Or tell me, Pentuer," continued the minister, "and inquire: whence will the heir get his twenty talents to keep the promise which he made this day to the army with such improvidence? Besides, it seems to me, and certainly to thee, a dangerous step for an heir to make presents to the army, especially now, when his holiness has nothing with which to pay Nitager's regiments returning from the Orient. I do not ask what thy opinions are, for I know them, as thou knowest my most secret thoughts. I only ask thee to the end that thou remember what thou hast seen, so as to tell it to the priests in council."

"Will they meet soon?" inquired Pentuer.

"There is no reason yet to summon them. I shall try first to calm this wild young bull through the fatherly hand of his holiness. It would be a pity to lose the boy, for he has much ability and the energy of a southern whirlwind. But if the whirlwind, instead of blowing away Egypt's enemies, blows down its wheat and tears up its palm-trees!--"

The minister stopped conversation, and his retinue vanished in the dark alley of trees which led to Memphis.

Meanwhile Rameses reached the palace of the pharaoh.