Pharaoh's Broker

by Ellsworth Douglass

  CHAPTER VII

  Parallel Planetary Life

  I was sleeping soundly on my deliciously soft heap of downy pillows,when in the early morning I was awakened by a pounding on the door ofthe ante-chamber. As one always wakens from a sound sleep with his mostfamiliar language upon his tongue, I cried out in English, "Who'sthere?" The doctor answered, wishing to be let in. I fumbled about inthe darkness sleepily, and opened the door, and he lighted two of mygas-lamps with the one he carried. He looked rather tired and worn.

  "I am possessed by a tyrant idea, which will not let me sleep," he said."I must get rid of it before morning. Come, get your senses about you,and listen to me," he commanded, as I yawned and rubbed my fists into myeyes, blinded by the sudden strong light.

  "If you think I can sleep with it any better than you can, out with it,"I answered.

  "How does it happen that a young Hebrew is ruler over all these people?"he demanded.

  "Do you lie awake thinking up conundrums?" I ejaculated.

  "On Earth, what notable Jews have been rulers over a great people not oftheir own race?" he continued.

  "Disraeli in England, Joseph in Egypt, and--well, that is all I canthink of just now."

  "Perhaps that is enough. Egypt was the greatest grain-raising country inJoseph's time, wasn't it?"

  "Yes, of course," I answered. "And Joseph's rule began with seven yearsof most wonderful crops."

  "Zaphnath told us this morning that the seventh great crop, and the mostplenteous of all, is now growing," he interrupted.

  "What has that to do with Joseph? We are not on Earth, but on Mars. Haveyou been dreaming? Zaphnath is---- But, by the way, Joseph's Egyptianname was Zaphnath-paaneah, meaning a revealer of secrets! When I heardthat name this morning, I thought it was strangely familiar. Pharaohcalled him that when he appointed him ruler, because he had interpretedhis dream," I said, just realizing the very peculiar coincidence.

  "You are as good as a Bible!" cried the doctor. "Perhaps you can alsoremember by which of Jacob's wives Joseph was born?"

  "Of course I can. He was the first son of Rachel, the wife whom Jacobreally loved, and worked fourteen years to secure."

  "But how could he have ten older brothers, if he was Rachel's firstson?" he demanded, a little perplexed.

  "They were all the sons of her sister Leah and her handmaidens. Rachelwas barren all her life until Joseph was born," I explained.

  "And Zaphnath said this morning that his mother was barren all the yearsof her life that the Blue Star wandered. He also called himself revealerof God's hidden things."

  "Yes; and it struck me as peculiar at the time that he said of '_God's_'not of '_the gods'_,'" I reflected. "Evidently he thinks there is butone God. The whole matter is altogether peculiar."

  "Here are the facts," replied the doctor. "Listen to them attentively.We have dropped down into a civilization here upon Mars which coincidesin every important particular with that of the Ancient Egyptians onEarth. They are great builders, erecters of monuments, raisers of grain,polygamists, and they now have a young Hebrew ruler, corresponding inevery important respect with Joseph. We chance to have arrived duringthe seventh year of plenty of Joseph's rule. Grain abounds; the soilbrings it forth 'by handfuls.' It is, 'as the sand of the sea, verymuch,' and the Pharaoh, probably at the suggestion of his young ruler,is storing it up----"

  "By all the Patriarchs!" I interrupted. "They are running a wheatcorner, and I didn't know it! Go on, go on!"

  "These are all very singular coincidences with a history which wasenacted many thousands of years ago on Earth. Now, how can you explaintheir strange recurrence here?" he queried.

  "How should I know? I haven't been lying awake! How do you explainthem?" I asked, full of interest.

  "I have tossed on my pillows in there for three hours evolving a theoryfor it. If it is correct, our opportunities here in Kem are simplyenormous. Now listen, and don't interrupt me. The Creator has given allthe habitable planets the same great problem of life to work out. Everyone of His worlds in its time passes through the same general history.This runs parallel on all of them, but at a different speed on each. Theswift ones, nearest to the sun, have hurried through it, and may beclose upon the end. But this is a slow planet, whose year is almosttwice as long as the Earth's, and more than three times that of Venus.The seasons pass sluggishly here, and history ripens slowly. This worldhas only reached that early chapter in the story equivalent to AncientEgypt on Earth. We have forged far ahead of that, and on Venus they haveworked out far more of the story than we know anything about. If Mercuryis habitable yet, his people may have reached almost the end, but it ismost probable that life has not started there; when it does begin, itwill be worked out four times as rapidly as it has on Earth."

  "Then a seven years' famine will begin here next year, and I am incharge of the world's entire wheat supply!" I gasped, almost overwhelmedby the speculative possibilities which this unfolded.

  "It is not likely that there will be more than a general similarity ofthe history. But Zaphnath has told us that this is the seventh year ofplenty. If the famine begins soon, it will be fair to suppose it willfor about seven crops. In its later developments the entire history maychange when the crucial period comes, and have a very different outcome.But we are now almost at the beginnings of civilized history. Joseph,the first Jew in Egypt, is a ruler here, and your entire race mustfollow him hither, and pass through a miserable captivity. Even if youremained here all your life, you would not last that long; but upon thelater doings of your people and their treatment of the Martian Messiah,when He comes, depend the future conditions of this planet. Will it bedifferent then from the Earthly story? It is an extremely interestingtheory to follow to the end, but that would take thousands of years, andwe are concerned with the present."

  "Doctor, if this theory be true, then we are nothing short of prophetshere!" I exclaimed, still struggling with the wonderful bearings of theidea on our personal welfare.

  "In a general way we are prophets, but Zaphnath has forestalled us onimmediate matters. Let us keep our own counsel as to any foreknowledge.If we disclose it, we may suddenly lose our opportunities, and, besides,we shall be powerless to change history here in any important respect."

  "I might prevent Zaphnath from bringing all Israel down into Egypt, andthus save them from that captivity," I exclaimed.

  "Then you would forestall a Moses, and prevent the miraculousdeliverance of your people, and all the paternal care which God bestowedupon them during that time. You will never be able to do this. Zaphnathis in the way. He is headstrong and wilful. He is an active thinker anda hard worker among a race of idlers, who live only to enjoy the fulnessof a rich land. He knows the greater activity and industry of his ownpeople, and he will wish to make them masters of this goodly land. Iwill warrant that his head is full of plans at this very moment forbringing his old father and all his race down here to give themimportant places. See how readily he gave the keystone of the wholesituation to you. It will pay you better to keep on good terms with him.Instead of trying to change the situation, let us make the best of it aswe find it."

  "Well, I must say the present situation is attractive enough to me," Isaid, and then inquired, "How many gold coins have you, Doctor?"

  "I have only a hundred half eagles and a little silver coin," hereplied; "and I wish to be very sure of the correctness of my theorybefore I undertake any speculations with that."

  "Nonsense! What is money for, but to double, and then to double theresult again!" I exclaimed. "You work out this great theory, and thenfail to grasp its commercial importance to us. You and I will embark inthe grain business, with our entire stock of gold, the first thing inthe morning. We have iron enough to live on."

  "I didn't come here to go into business," he answered. "I have a grandscientific career to pursue, and last night's appointment puts me injust the position to carry it out."

  "Go ahead with it then, but invest your gold coins in my enter
prise. Iwill manage it all," I said, reaching for my belt under my pillow. "Ihave here three hundred eagles and one hundred double eagles,--fivethousand dollars in all. I scarcely need your five hundred dollars, butI don't wish to see you left out, and buying bread of me at a dollar aloaf in a short time. Gold must have an enormous value here, consideringthe small amount of it used as ornaments in the Pharaoh's household, andthe general currency of iron money. Three of these double eagles wouldmake a pair of ear pendants equal to his. I wonder how he would like tohave pure gold bracelets on all his women instead of those rough ironthings? And wheat must be cheaper than dirt after seven enormous crops.I will buy all the grain he has to sell before to-morrow night! Even ifyour theory is all wrong, we can't lose much."

  "That is all very well, but we may as well be sure," he repliedcautiously. "You can find out much by a few discreet questions toZaphnath in the morning."

  "The trouble about the whole matter is, that I will be obliged to dobusiness through him altogether until we learn this language. Come, youmust contribute your share. I have furnished the Hebrew, you must learnthe Kemish at once through those wise men. But I can't wait for that. Iwill make Zaphnath teach me the necessary shop words and stock phrasesfor carrying on the grain business to-morrow. I can't perform my newduties unless he does that."

  However, the doctor did not respond wholly to my new enthusiasm. He wassleepy, and retired yawning to his own room to get the rest which hadevaded him. But I lay and tossed on the pillows, revolving a hundredplans, and feeling anything but sleepy. Presently I thought of a scheme,which would demonstrate whether there was anything in the doctor'stheory. I knew it would just suit him, and I sprang up and knockedgently on his door, saying,--

  "I have it, Doctor. Here is the very idea!" There was no answer, so Iknocked louder and listened. I heard him breathing heavily in deepslumber. After all, the morrow would do for ideas; just then he neededsleep.