The Pharaoh and the Priest: An Historical Novel of Ancient Egypt

by Bolesław Prus

  CHAPTER XXV

  That same day, in Memphis, Dagon the Phoenician, the viceroy's worthybanker, lay on a couch under the veranda of his mansion. Around himwere fragrant potted bushes with needle-like leaves. Two black slavescooled the rich man with fans, and he, while playing with a young ape,was listening to accounts read by his scribe to him.

  At that moment a slave with a sword, helmet, dart, and shield (thebanker loved military dress), announced the worthy Rabsun, aPhoenician merchant then settled in Memphis.

  The guest entered, bowed profoundly, and dropped his eyelids in suchfashion that Dagon commanded the scribe and the slaves to withdrawfrom the veranda. Then, as a man of foresight, he surveyed everycorner, and said to the visitor,--

  "We may talk."

  Rabsun began without prelude,--

  "Dost thou know, worthiness, that Prince Hiram has come from Tyre?"

  Dagon sprang up from the couch.

  "May the leprosy seize him and his princeship!" shouted the banker.

  "He has just reminded me," continued the guest, calmly, "that there isa misunderstanding between him and thee."

  "What misunderstanding?" cried Dagon. "That thief has robbed,destroyed, ruined me. When I sent my ships after other Tyrian vesselsto the west for silver, the helmsmen of that thief Hiram cast fire onthem, tried to push them into a shallow. Well, my ships came backempty, burnt, and shattered. May the fire of heaven burn him!"concluded the raging banker.

  "But if Hiram has for thee a profitable business?" inquired the guest,stolidly.

  The storm raging in Dagon's breast ceased on a sudden.

  "What business can he offer me?" asked the banker, with a voice nowcalmed completely.

  "He will tell this himself, but first he must see thee."

  "Well, let him come to me."

  "He thinks that thou shouldst go to him. He, as is known to thee, is amember of the chief council of Tyre."

  "He will perish before I go to him," cried the banker, enraged asecond time.

  The guest drew an armchair to the couch, and slapped Dagon's thigh.

  "Dagon," said he, "have sense."

  "Why have I not sense, and why dost thou, Rabsun, not say to meworthiness?"

  "Dagon, be not foolish!" answered the guest. "If thou wilt not go tohim and he will not come to thee, how will ye do business?"

  "Thou art foolish, Rabsun!" burst out Dagon again. "Before I go toHiram let my hand wither; with that politeness I should lose half theprofit."

  The guest thought awhile.

  "Now thou hast uttered a wise word," said he; "so I will tell theesomething. Come to me and Hiram will come also; ye can talk of thatbusiness in my house."

  Dagon bent his head, and half closing his eyes, inquired roguishly,--

  "Ei, Rabsun!--Tell, outright how much did he give thee?"

  "For what?"

  "For this, that I should come to thy house and transact business withhim, the mangy scoundrel."

  "This business interests all Phoenicia, so I need no profit on it,"replied the indignant Rabsun.

  "That is as true as that all thy debtors will pay thee."

  "May they fail to pay me if I make anything in this! Only let notPhoenicia lose!" cried Rabsun, in anger.

  They took farewell of each other.

  Toward evening the worthy Dagon seated himself in a litter carried bysix slaves. He was preceded by two outrunners with staffs, and twowith torches; behind the litter went four men armed from head to foot.Not for security, but because for a certain time Dagon loved tosurround himself with armed men, like a noble.

  He came out of the litter with great importance, supported by two men;a third carried a parasol over him. He entered Rabsun's house.

  "Where is that--Hiram?" inquired he, haughtily.

  "He is not here."

  "How is this? Must I wait for him, then?"

  "He is not in this room, but he is in the third one talking with mywife," answered the host. "He is making a visit to my wife."

  "I will not go there!" said the banker, sitting down on a couch.

  "Thou wilt go to the next chamber, and he will enter it at the sametime with thee."

  After a short resistance Dagon yielded, and a moment later, at a signfrom the master of the house, he entered the second chamber. At thesame time from distant apartments appeared a man, not of tall stature,with gray beard, dressed in a gold-embroidered toga, and with a goldband on his head.

  "This is," said the host, standing in the middle of the room, "hisgrace Prince Hiram, a member of the supreme council of Tyre.--This isthe worthy Dagon, banker of the heir to the throne and viceroy ofLower Egypt."

  The two dignitaries bowed, each with his hand on his breast, and bothsat down on stools in the middle of the chamber. Hiram pushed asidehis toga somewhat in order to show the great gold medal on his breast;in answer to this Dagon began to toy with a large gold chain which hehad received from Prince Rameses.

  "I, Hiram," said the old man, "congratulate thee, Lord Dagon. I wishthee much property, and success in thy business."

  "I, Dagon, congratulate thee, Lord Hiram, and I wish thee the same asthou wishest me--"

  "Dost thou desire to dispute?" interrupted Hiram, irritated.

  "How dispute? Rabsun, say if I am disputing."

  "Better talk of business, your worthinesses," replied the host.

  After a moment of thought Hiram proceeded,--

  "Thy friends in Tyre congratulate thee greatly through me."

  "Is that all they have sent me?" asked Dagon, in reviling accents.

  "What didst thou wish?" inquired Hiram, raising his voice.

  "Quiet! Concord!" put in the host.

  Hiram sighed a number of times deeply, and said,--

  "It is true that we need concord. Evil times are approachingPhoenicia."

  "Has the sea flooded Tyre and Sidon?" asked Dagon, smiling.

  Hiram spat, and inquired,--

  "Why art thou so ill-tempered to-day?"

  "I am always ill-tempered when men do not call me worthiness."

  "But why dost thou not say grace to me? I am a prince."

  "Perhaps in Phoenicia. But in Assyria thou wouldst wait three days inthe forecourt of any satrap for an audience, and when he deigned toreceive thee thou wouldst be lying on thy belly, like any Phoenicianmerchant."

  "But what couldst thou do in presence of a wild man who would perhapsimpale thee on a stake?" inquired Hiram.

  "What I would do, I know not. But in Egypt I sit on one sofa with theheir to the throne, who to-day is viceroy."

  "Concord, worthiness! Concord, grace!" said the host.

  "Concord!--concord, because this man is a common Phoenician merchant,and is unwilling to render me respect," cried out Dagon.

  "I have a hundred ships!" shouted Hiram.

  "And his holiness has twenty thousand cities, towns, and villages."

  "Your worthinesses are destroying this business and all Phoenicia,"said Rabsun, with a voice which was loud now.

  Hiram balled his fists, but was silent.

  "Thou must confess, worthiness," said he, after a while, "that ofthose twenty thousand towns his holiness owns few in reality."

  "Thou wishest to say, grace," answered Dagon, "that seven thousandbelong to the temples, and seven thousand to great lords. Still sixthousand belong clearly to his holiness."

  "Not altogether! For when thou takest, worthiness, about threethousand which are mortgaged to the priests, and two thousand whichare rented to our Phoenicians--"

  "Thou speakest the truth, grace," said Dagon. "But there remain alwaysto his holiness about two thousand very rich cities."

  "Has Typhon possessed thee?" roared Rabsun, in his turn. "Wilt thou gonow to counting the cities of the pharaoh,--may he--"

  "Pst!" whispered Dagon, springing up.

  "When misfortune is hanging over Phoenicia--" finished Rabsun.

  "Let me but know what the misfortune is," interrupted Dagon.

  "Then l
et Hiram speak and thou wilt know."

  "Let him speak."

  "Dost thou know, worthiness, what happened in the inn 'Under the Ship'to our brother Asarhadon?" began Hiram.

  "I have no brothers among innkeepers," interrupted Dagon, sneeringly.

  "Be silent!" screamed Rabsun, in anger; and he grasped the hilt ofhis dagger. "Thou art as dull as a dog barking in sleep."

  "Why is he angry, that--that dealer in bones?" inquired Dagon; and hereadied for his knife also.

  "Quiet! Concord!" said the gray-headed prince; and he dropped his leanhand to his girdle.

  For a while the nostrils of all three men were quivering and theireyes flashing. At last Hiram, who calmed himself first, began again,as if nothing had happened.

  "A couple of months ago, in Asarhadon's inn, lodged a certain Phutfrom the city of Harran----"

  "He had to receive five talents from some priest," interrupted Dagon.

  "What further?" asked Hiram.

  "Nothing. He found favor with a certain priestess, and at her advicewent to seek his debtor in Thebes."

  "Thou hast the mind of a child and the talkativeness of a woman," saidHiram. "This Harran man is not from Harran at all. He is a Chaldean,and his name is not Phut, but Beroes--"

  "Beroes?--Beroes?" repeated Dagon, trying to remember. "I have heardthat name in some place."

  "Thou hast heard it!" repeated Hiram, with contempt. "Beroes is thewisest priest in Babylon, the counsellor of Assyrian princes and ofthe king himself."

  "Let him be counsellor; if he is not the pharaoh, what do I care?"said the banker.

  Rabsun rose from his chair, and threatening Dagon with his fist underthe nose, cried,--

  "Thou wild boar, fatted on the pharaoh's swill, Phoenicia concernsthee as much as Egypt concerns me. Thou wouldst sell thy country for adrachma hadst thou the chance, leprous cur that thou art!"

  Dagon grew pale and answered with a calm voice,--

  "What is that huckster saying? In Tyre my sons are learningnavigation; in Sidon lives my daughter with her husband. I have lenthalf my property to the supreme council, though I do not receive eventen per cent for it. And this huckster says that Phoenicia does notconcern me!"

  "Rabsun, listen to me," added he, after a while. "I wish thy wife andchildren and the shades of thy fathers to be as much thought of bythee as each Phoenician ship is by me, or each stone of Tyre andSidon, or even of Zarpath and Achsibu."

  "Dagon, tell truth," put in Hiram.

  "I not care for Phoenicia!" continued the banker, growing excited."How many Phoenicians have I brought here to make property, and whatdo I gain from having done so! I not care? Hiram ruined two ships ofmine and deprived me of great profit; still, when Phoenicia is inquestion, I sit in one room with him."

  "For thou didst think to talk with him of cheating some one," saidRabsun.

  "As much as thou didst think of dying, fool!" retorted Dagon. "Am I achild? do I not understand that when Hiram comes to Memphis he neednot come for traffic? O thou Rabsun! thou shouldst clean my stables acouple of years."

  "Enough of this!" cried Hiram, striking the table with his fist.

  "We never shall finish with this Chaldean priest," muttered Rabsun,with as much calmness as if he had not been insulted a moment before.

  Hiram coughed, and said,--

  "That man has a house and land really in Harran, and he is called Phutthere. He got letters from Hittite merchants to merchants in Sidon, soour caravans took him for the journey. He speaks Phoenician well, hepays liberally. He made no demands in particular; so our people cameto like him, even much.

  "But," continued Hiram, stroking his beard, "when a lion covershimself with an ox skin, even a little of his tail will stick out.This Phut was wonderfully wise and self-confident; so the chief of thecaravan examined his effects in secret, and found nothing save a medalof the goddess Astaroth. This medal pricked the heart of the leader ofthe caravan: 'How could a Hittite have a Phoenician medal?'

  "So when they came to Sidon he reported straightway to the elders, andthenceforth our secret police kept this Phut in view.

  "Meanwhile he is such a sage that when he had remained some days allcame to like him. He prayed and offered sacrifices to the goddessAstaroth, paid in gold, borrowed no money, associated only withPhoenicians. And he so befogged all that watchfulness touching him wasweakened, and he went in peace to Memphis.

  "In this place again our elders began to watch him, but discoverednothing; they divined simply that he must be a great lord, not asimple man of Harran. But Asarhadon discovered by chance, and did noteven discover, he only came on traces, that this pretended Phut passeda whole night in the ancient temple of Set, which here is greatlyvenerated."

  "Only high priests enter it for important counsels," interruptedDagon.

  "And that alone would mean nothing," said Hiram. "But one of ourmerchants returned a month ago from Babylon, with wonderful tidings.In return for a great present a certain attendant of the Satrap ofBabylon informed him that misfortune was threatening Phoenicia.

  "'Assyria will take you,' said the attendant, 'and Egypt will takeIsrael. On that business the Chaldean high priest Beroes has gone tothe priests of Thebes, and with them he will make a treaty.'

  "Ye must know," continued Hiram, "that Chaldean priests consider thepriests in Egypt as their brothers, and that Beroes enjoys greatesteem in the Court of King Assar, so reports concerning that treatymay be very truthful."

  "Why does Assyria want Phoenicia?" inquired Dagon, as he bit hisfinger-nails.

  "Why does a thief want another man's granary?" replied Hiram.

  "What good is a treaty made by Beroes with Egyptian priests?" put inRabsun, thinking deeply.

  "Thou art dull!" answered Dagon. "Pharaoh does nothing except what thepriests ordain."

  "There will be a treaty with the pharaoh, never fear!" interruptedHiram. "We know to a certainty in Tyre that the Assyrian ambassadorSargon is coming to Egypt with gifts and with a great retinue. Hepretends that it is to see Egypt and agree with ministers, not toinscribe in Egyptian acts that Assyria pays tribute to the pharaohs.But in fact he is coming to conclude a treaty about dividing thecountries which lie between our sea and the Euphrates River."

  "May the earth swallow them!" imprecated Rabsun.

  "What dost thou think of this Dagon?" inquired Hiram.

  "But what would ye do if Assar attacked you really?"

  Hiram shook his head with anger.

  "What? We should go on board of ships with our families and treasuresand leave to those dogs the ruins of cities and the rotting corpses ofslaves. Do we not know greater and more beautiful countries thanPhoenicia, where we can begin a new and richer fatherland?"

  "May the gods guard us from such a thing," said Dagon.

  "This is just the question, to save the present Phoenicia fromdestruction," said Hiram. "And thou, Dagon, art able to do much inthis matter."

  "What can I do?"

  "Thou mayst learn from the priests whether Beroes met them, andwhether he and they made an agreement."

  "A terribly difficult thing," whispered Dagon. "But I may find apriest who will tell me."

  "Thou canst prevent at the court of the pharaoh a treaty with Sargon,"continued Hiram.

  "It is very difficult. I could not do that, unassisted."

  "I will be with thee, and Phoenicia will find the gold. A tax is incourse of collection at present."

  "I have given two talents!" whispered Rabsun.

  "I will give ten," added Dagon. "But what shall I get for my labor?"

  "What? Well, ten ships," answered Hiram.

  "And how much wilt thou gain?" inquired Dagon.

  "Is ten not enough? Thou wilt get fifteen."

  "I ask, what wilt thou get?" insisted Dagon.

  "We will give--twenty ships. Does that suffice thee?"

  "Let it be so. But will ye show my ships the road to the country ofsilver?"

  "We will show it."

  "And t
he place where ye get tin? Well--"

  "And the place where amber is found?" continued Dagon.

  "May thou perish at once!" answered the gracious Prince Hiram,extending his hand. "But thou wilt not keep up a malignant hearttoward me because of those two little flat boats?"

  Dagon sighed.

  "I will work to forget. But--what a property I should have now if thouhadst not driven them off at that time!"

  "Enough!" interrupted Rabsun; "talk of Phoenicia."

  "Through whom wilt thou learn of Beroes and the treaty?" asked Hiramof Dagon.

  "Let that drop. It is dangerous to speak of it, for priests will beinvolved in the matter."

  "And through whom couldst thou ruin the treaty?"

  "I think--I think that perhaps through the heir to the throne. I havemany notes of his."

  Hiram raised his hand, and replied,--

  "The heir--very well, for he will be pharaoh, perhaps even soon--"

  "Pst!" interrupted Dagon, striking the table with his fist. "May thoulose speech for such language!"

  "Here is a wild boar for thee!" cried Rabsun, threatening the banker'snose.

  "And thou art a dull huckster," answered Dagon, with a reviling laugh."Thou, Rabsun, shouldst sell dried fish and water on the streets, butnot mix up in questions between states. An ox hoof rubbed in Egyptianmud has more sense than thou, though thou art living five years in thecapital of light! Oh that pigs might devour thee!"

  "Quiet! quiet!" called Hiram. "Ye do not let me finish."

  "Speak, for thou art wise and my heart understands thee," said Rabsun.

  "If thou, Dagon, hast influence over the heir, that is well,"continued Hiram. "For if the heir wishes to have a treaty with Assyriathere will be a treaty, and besides one written with our blood on ourown skins. But if the heir wishes war with Assyria, he will make war,though the priests were to summon all the gods against him."

  "Pst!" interrupted Dagon. "If the priests wish greatly, there will bea treaty. But perhaps they will not wish."

  "Therefore, Dagon, we must have all the military leaders with us,"said Hiram.

  "We can."

  "And the nomarchs."

  "We can have them too."

  "And the heir," continued Hiram.

  "But if thou alone urge him to war with Assyria, that is nothing. Aman, like a harp, has many strings, and to play on them fingers areneeded, while thou, Dagon, art only one finger."

  "But I cannot tear myself into ten parts."

  "Thou mayst be like one hand which has five fingers. Thou must so actthat no one may suspect that thou art for war, but every cook in theheir's kitchen must want war, every barber of his must want war, allthe bath men, and litter-bearers, scribes, officers, charioteers mustwant war with Assyria; the heir should hear war from morning tillnight, and even when he is sleeping."

  "That will be done."

  "But dost thou know his mistresses?" asked Hiram.

  Dagon waved his hand.

  "Stupid girls!" said he. "They think only about dressing, painting,and perfuming themselves; but whence these perfumes come, and whobrings them to Egypt, they know not."

  "We must give him a favorite who will know."

  "Where shall we find her?" asked Dagon. "Ah, I have it!" cried he,stroking his forehead. "Dost thou know Kama, the priestess ofAstaroth?"

  "What?" interrupted Rabsun, astounded. "The priestess of the holygoddess Astaroth to be a favorite of an Egyptian?"

  "Thou wouldst prefer that she were thine," sneered Dagon. "She caneven cease to be high priestess when it is necessary to bring her nearthe court."

  "Thou speakest truth," said Hiram.

  "But that is sacrilege!" said Rabsun, indignantly.

  "And the priestess who commits it is to die," said the gray-hairedHiram.

  "If only that Jewess, Sarah, does not hinder," added Dagon, after amoment of silence. "She is waiting for a child to which the prince isattached already. If a son is born, all our plans may be thwarted."

  "We shall have money for Sarah too," added Hiram.

  "She will take nothing!" burst out Dagon. "That pitiful creature hasrefused gold and a precious goblet, which I carried to her."

  "She did, for she thought that thou hadst the wish to deceive her,"remarked Rabsun.

  Hiram nodded.

  "There is no cause for trouble," said he. "Where gold has not power,then the father, the mother, or the mistress may have it. And if themistress is powerless, there is still--"

  "The knife," hissed Rabsun.

  "Poison," whispered Dagon.

  "A knife is a very rude weapon," concluded Hiram.

  He stroked his beard, thought awhile; at last he rose, took from hisbosom a purple ribbon on which were fastened three golden amulets witha portrait of the goddess Astaroth. He drew from his girdle a knife,cut the ribbon into three parts, and gave two of these with theamulets to Dagon and Rabsun.

  Then all three went to the middle of the room to the corner wherestood a winged statue of the goddess; they put their hands on thestatue, and Hiram repeated in a low voice, but clearly,--

  "To thee, O Mother of Life, we swear faithfully to observe ouragreements, and not to rest till the sacred places be secure fromenemies,--may they be destroyed by hunger, fire, and pestilence.

  "And should one of us fail in his obligations, or betray a secret, mayall calamities and disgrace fall on him! May hunger twist hisentrails, and sleep flee from his bloodshot eyes! May the hand of theman wither who hastens to him with rescue and pities him in hismisery! May the bread on his table turn into rottenness, and the wineinto stinking juice! May his children die out, and his house be filledwith bastards who will spit on him and expel him! May he die groaningthrough many days in loneliness, and may neither earth nor waterreceive his vile carcass, may no fire burn it, no wild beasts devourit!"

  "Thus let it be!"

  After this terrible oath, which Hiram began, and the second half ofwhich all shouted forth in voices trembling from rage, the threepanting Phoenicians rested. After that Rabsun conducted them to afeast where with wine, music, and dancers they forgot for a time thework awaiting them.