Cleopatra

by H. Rider Haggard

  CHAPTER I

  OF THE FAREWELL OF AMENEMHAT TO HARMACHIS; OF THE COMING OF HARMACHISTO ALEXANDRIA; OF THE EXHORTATION OF SEPA; OF THE PASSING OF CLEOPATRAROBED AS ISIS; AND OF THE OVERTHROW OF THE GLADIATOR BY HARMACHIS

  Now the long days of preparation had passed, and the time was at hand. Iwas initiated, and I was crowned; so that although the common folk knewme not, or knew me only as Priest of Isis, there were in Egypt thousandswho at heart bowed down to me as Pharaoh. The hour was at hand, and mysoul went forth to meet it. For I longed to overthrow the foreigner, toset Egypt free, to mount the throne that was my heritage, and cleansethe temples of my Gods. I was fain for the struggle, and I never doubtedof its end. I looked into the mirror, and saw triumph written on mybrows. The future stretched a path of glory from my feet--ay, glitteringwith glory like Sihor in the sun. I communed with my Mother Isis; I satwithin my chamber and took counsel with my heart; I planned new temples;I revolved great laws that I would put forth for my people's weal; andin my ears rang the shouts of exultation which should greet victoriousPharaoh on his throne.

  But still I tarried a little while at Abouthis, and, having beencommanded to do so, let my hair, that had been shorn, grow again longand black as the raven's wing, instructing myself meanwhile in all manlyexercises and feats of arms. Also, for a purpose which shall be seen, Iperfected myself in the magic art of the Egyptians, and in the readingof the stars, in which things, indeed, I already have great skill.

  Now, this was the plan that had been built up. My uncle Sepa had, fora while, left the Temple of Annu, giving out that his health had failedhim. Thence he had moved down to a house in Alexandria, to gatherstrength, as he said, from the breath of the sea, and also to learn forhimself the wonders of the great Museum and the glory of Cleopatra'sCourt. There it was planned that I should join him, for there, atAlexandria, the egg of the plot was hatching. Accordingly, when atlast the summons came, all things being prepared, I made ready for thejourney, and passed into my father's chamber to receive his blessingbefore I went. There sat the old man, as once before he sat when he hadrebuked me because I went out to slay the lion, his long white beardresting on the table of stone and sacred writings in his hand. When Icame in he rose from his seat and would have knelt before me, crying"Hail, Pharaoh!" but I caught him by the hand.

  "It is not meet, my father," I said.

  "It is meet," he answered, "it is meet that I should bow before my King;but be it as thou wilt. And so thou goest, Harmachis; my blessings gowith thee, O my son! And may Those whom I serve grant to me that myold eyes may, indeed, behold thee on the throne! I have searched long,striving, Harmachis, to read the future that shall be; but I can learnnaught by all my wisdom. It is hid from me, and at times my heart fails.But hear this, there is danger in thy path, and it comes in the form ofWoman. I have known it long, and therefore thou hast been called to theworship of the heavenly Isis, who bids her votaries put away the thoughtof woman till such time as she shall think well to slacken the rule.Oh, my son, I would that thou wert not so strong and fair--stronger andfairer, indeed, than any man in Egypt, as a King should be--for in thatstrength and beauty may lie a cause of stumbling. Beware, then, of thosewitches of Alexandria, lest, like a worm, some one of them creep into myheart and eat its secret out."

  "Have no fear, my father," I answered, frowning, "my thought is set onother things than red lips and smiling eyes."

  "It is good," he answered; "so may it befall. And now farewell. Whennext we meet, may it be in that happy hour when, with all the priests ofthe Upper Land, I move down from Abouthis to do my homage to Pharaoh onhis throne."

  So I embraced him, and went. Alas! I little thought how we should meetagain.