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

by Bolesław Prus

  CHAPTER LXVI

  At that same hour to a minute, the priest, watching on the pylon ofthe temple of Ptah in Memphis, informed the high priests and nomarchscounselling in the hall, that the palace of the pharaoh was givingsome signals.

  "It seems that his holiness will beg us for peace," said one of thenomarchs, smiling.

  "I doubt that!" answered Mefres.

  Herhor ascended the pylon, for they were signalling to him from thepalace. Soon he returned and said to those assembled:

  "Our young priest has managed very well. At this moment Tutmosis isadvancing with some tens of volunteers to imprison or slay us."

  "And wilt thou dare still to defend Rameses?" cried Mefres.

  "I must and will defend him, for I swore solemnly to the queen that Iwould. Were it not for the worthy daughter of the holy Amenhotep, ourposition to-day would not be what it is."

  "Well, but I have not sworn," replied Mefres, and he left the hall.

  "What does he wish?" asked one of the nomarchs.

  "He is an old man grown childish," replied Herhor, shrugging hisshoulders.

  Before six o'clock in the evening a division of the guard approachedthe temple of Ptah unhindered, and the leader of it knocked at thegate, which was opened immediately. This was Tutmosis with hisvolunteers.

  When the chief entered the temple court he was astonished to seeHerhor in the mitre of Amenhotep, and surrounded only by priests comeout to meet him.

  "What dost thou wish, my son?" asked the high priest of the chief, whowas somewhat confused by the meeting.

  Tutmosis mastered himself quickly, and said,--

  "Herhor, high priest of Amon in Thebes, because of letters which thouhast written to Sargon, the Assyrian satrap, which letters I have withme, thou art accused of high treason to the state, and must justifythyself before the pharaoh."

  "If the young lord," answered Herhor calmly, "wishes to learn theobject of the policy of the eternally living Rameses XII., let himapply to our Supreme Council and he will receive explanations."

  "I summon thee to follow me at once, unless thou wish that I shouldforce thee," continued Tutmosis.

  "My son, I implore the gods to preserve thee from violence, and fromthe punishment which thou deservest."

  "Wilt thou go?" asked Tutmosis.

  "I wait here for Rameses," answered Herhor.

  "Well, then, remain here, trickster!" cried Tutmosis.

  He drew his sword and rushed at Herhor.

  At that instant Eunana, who was standing behind the chief, raised anaxe and struck Tutmosis with all his might between the neck and theright shoulder blade, so that the blood spurted in every direction.The favorite of the pharaoh fell to the earth almost cut in two.

  Some of the warriors with levelled spears rushed at Eunana, but theyfell after a brief struggle with their own comrades. Of thevolunteers, three-fourths were in the pay of the priesthood.

  "May he live, his holiness Herhor, our lord!" cried Eunana, waving hisbloody axe.

  "May he live through eternity!" repeated the warriors and priests, andall fell on their faces.

  The most worthy Herhor raised his hands and blessed them.

  On leaving the court of the temple, Mefres went to the undergroundchamber to Lykon. The high priest at the very threshold drew from hisbosom a crystal ball, at the sight of which the Greek fell into anger.

  "Would that the earth swallowed you! Would that your corpses mightknow no rest!" said Lykon, abusing him in a voice which grew lower andlower.

  At last he was silent and fell into a trance.

  "Take this dagger," said Mefres, giving the Greek a slender steelblade. "Take this dagger and go to the palace garden. Halt there atthe clump of fig trees and wait for him who deprived thee of Kama, andtook her away."

  Lykon gritted his teeth in helpless rage.

  "And when thou seest him, wake," concluded Mefres.

  He threw over the Greek an officer's mantle with a cowl, whispered thepassword into his ear and led him forth to the empty streets ofMemphis through a secret door of the temple.

  Then Mefres ran with the celerity of youth to the summit of the pylon,and taking in his hand some banners, made signals toward the palace.They saw and understood him, that was evident, for a bitter smile cameto the parchment-like face of the high priest.

  Mefres put down the banners, left the summit of the pylon anddescended slowly. When he reached the pavement he was surrounded bysome men in light brown tunics, which were covered by coats in whiteand black stripes.

  "Here is the most worthy Mefres," said one of them. And all threeknelt before the high priest, who raised his hand mechanically, as ifto bless them. But he dropped it suddenly, inquiring, "Who are ye?"

  "Overseers of the labyrinth."

  "Why have ye barred the way to me?" asked he, and his hand and thinlips began to tremble.

  "We need not remind thee, holy man," said one of the overseers stillkneeling, "that some days ago thou wert in the labyrinth, to whichthou knowest the way as well as we, though thou art uninitiated. Thouart too great a sage not to know what our law is in such a case."

  "What does this mean?" exclaimed Mefres in a raised voice. "Ye aremurderers sent by Her--"

  He did not finish. One of the men seized him by the arms, anotherpassed a kerchief over his head, and a third threw a transparentliquid over his face. Mefres struggled a number of times, and fell.They sprinkled him again. When he was dead they placed him in a niche,pushed into his dead hand a papyrus, and vanished.

  Three men dressed similarly chased after Lykon almost the instant thathe was pushed out of the temple by Mefres and found himself on theempty street. The men had hidden not far from the door through whichthe Greek issued, and at first let him pass freely. But soon one ofthem noted something suspicious in his hand, so they followed.

  A wonderful thing! Lykon though in a trance felt, as it were, thepursuit; he turned quickly into a street full of movement, then to asquare where a multitude of people were circling about, and then ranto the Nile by Fisher Street. There, at the end of some alley, hefound a small boat, sprang into it and began to cross the river with aspeed which was remarkable.

  He was a couple of hundred yards from the shore when a boat pushed outafter him with one rower and three passengers. Barely had these leftland when a second boat appeared with two rowers and three passengersalso.

  Both boats pursued Lykon with stubbornness. In that which had onlyone rower sat the overseers of the labyrinth, looking diligently attheir rivals, as far as was permitted by the darkness, which came soonafter sundown.

  "Who are those three?" whispered they among themselves. "Since the daybefore yesterday they have been lurking around the temple, and to-daythey are pursuing Lykon. Do they wish to protect him from us?"

  Lykon's small boat reached the other shore. The Greek sprang from itand went swiftly toward the palace garden. Sometimes he staggered,stopped, and seized his head, but after an instant he went forwardagain, as if drawn by some incomprehensible attraction.

  The overseers of the labyrinth landed also, but they were preceded bytheir rivals.

  And a race began which was unique in its kind: Lykon was hurryingtoward the palace, like a swift runner; after him were the threeunknown men, and the three overseers of the labyrinth.

  A few hundred steps from the garden the pursuing groups came together.It was night then, but clear.

  "Who are ye?" asked one of the labyrinth men of the others.

  "I am the chief of police in Pi-Bast, and, with my centurions, ampursuing a great criminal," answered one of them.

  "We are overseers of the labyrinth and are following the same person."

  The groups looked at each other with hands on their swords or knives.

  "What will ye do with him?" asked the chief of police.

  "We have a sentence against the man."

  "But will ye leave the body?"

  "With all that is on it," replied the elder overseer.

 
The police whispered among themselves.

  "If ye tell the truth," said the chief at last, "we shall not hinderyou. On the contrary, we will lend him to you for a while, as he willfall into our hands later."

  "Do ye swear?"

  "We swear."

  "Then we may go together."

  So they joined forces, but the Greek had vanished.

  "Curses on him!" cried the chief of police. "He has escaped again!"

  "He will be found," answered the overseer of the labyrinth, "orperhaps even he will return."

  "Why should he go to the pharaoh's garden?" asked the chief of police.

  "The high priests are using him for some purpose of their own, but hewill return to the temple."

  They decided to wait and act in common.

  "We are spending the third night for nothing," said one of thepolicemen, yawning.

  They wrapped themselves in their cloaks and lay on the grass.

  Immediately after the departure of Tutmosis, the worthy lady Nikotris,in silence, with lips tightly closed from anger, left the chamber ofher son, and when Rameses wished to calm her, she interrupted himsharply,--

  "I take leave of the pharaoh, and pray the gods to permit me to seehim to-morrow as pharaoh."

  "Dost thou doubt that, mother?"

  "It is possible to doubt everything in presence of one who listens tomadmen and traitors."

  They parted in anger.

  Soon his holiness recovered good-humor and conversed joyously with theofficials. But about six o'clock alarm began to torment him.

  "Tutmosis ought to send us a courier," said he. "For I am certain thatthe affair is already settled in one or another way."

  "I do not know that," said the chief treasurer. "They may not havefound boats at the crossing. There may have been resistance at thetemple."

  "But where is that young priest?" asked Hiram on a sudden.

  "The priest? The messenger of the late Samentu?" repeated theofficials in concern. "That is true--where can he be?"

  Men were sent to search the garden. They searched every path, butthere was no priest.

  This circumstance made a bad impression on the dignitaries. Each onesat in silence, sunk in alarming thoughts.

  About sundown the pharaoh's chamber servant entered and whispered thatthe lady Hebron was very ill, and implored his holiness to visit her.

  The officials, knowing the relations between their lord and thebeautiful Hebron, looked at one another. But when the pharaohannounced his purpose of going into the garden they made no protest.The garden, thanks to numerous guards, was as safe as the palace. Noone considered it proper to watch over the pharaoh even from adistance, knowing that Rameses did not wish any one to be occupiedwith him at certain moments.

  When he disappeared, the chief scribe said to the treasurer,--

  "Time drags on like a chariot in the desert. Perhaps Hebron has somenews from Tutmosis."

  "At this moment," answered the treasurer, "his expedition with a fewtens of men to the temple of Ptah seems to me inconceivable madness!"

  "But did the pharaoh act more wisely at the Soda Lakes when he chasedall night after Tehenna?" put in Hiram. "Daring means more thannumbers."

  "But that young priest?" asked the treasurer.

  "He came without our knowledge and went without leave," added Hiram."Each one of us acts like a conspirator."

  The treasurer shook his head.

  Rameses passed the space between his villa and that of Tutmosisquickly. When he entered her chamber Hebron threw herself on his neckwith weeping.

  "I am dying of fear!" cried she.

  "Art thou alarmed for Tutmosis?"

  "What is Tutmosis to me?" answered Hebron, with a contemptuousgrimace. "I care for thee only! Of thee only am I thinking,--I amalarmed for thee!"

  "Blessed be thy alarm which freed me even for a moment from tedium,"said the pharaoh, laughing. "O gods! what a day! If thou hadst heardour discussions, if thou hadst seen the faces of our counsellors! Andin addition to all, it pleased the worthy queen to honor our assemblywith her presence. Never had I supposed that the dignity of pharaohcould be so annoying."

  "Do not say this audibly," cautioned Hebron. "What wilt thou do ifTutmosis does not succeed in seizing the temple?"

  "I will take the leadership from him, hide my crown in a box, and puton an officer's helmet," answered Rameses. "I am certain that when Iappear at the head of the troops myself the sedition will vanish."

  "Which one?" inquired Hebron.

  "Ah, true, we have two," laughed Rameses. "That of the people againstthe priests, that of the priests against me."

  He seized Hebron in his arms and went toward the couch whispering,--

  "How beautiful thou art to-day! Each time I see thee thou artdifferent,--each time more beautiful than ever."

  "Let me go," whispered Hebron. "At times I am afraid that thou wiltbite me."

  "Bite?--No! But I might kiss thee to death. Thou dost not even suspectthy own beauty."

  "I am beautiful in comparison with ministers and generals. But freeme."

  "In thy presence I should wish to be like a pomegranate. I should wishto have as many arms as the tree has branches, so as to embrace theewith all of them,--as many hands as it has leaves, and as many lips asit has flowers, so as to kiss thy lips, eyes, and bosom at once withthem."

  "Thou hast a mind marvellously free of care for a sovereign whosethrone is in peril."

  "On the couch, I do not care for a throne. While I have a sword Ishall have power."

  "Thy troops are scattered," said Hebron, defending herself.

  "To-morrow fresh troops will come, and after to-morrow I shall gatherthe scattered ones. I repeat to thee be not occupied with trifles. Onemoment of fondling is worth more than a year of dominion."

  One hour after sunset the pharaoh left Hebron's villa and returnedslowly to his palace. He was full of imaginings, he was dreamy, and hethought the high priests were great fools to resist him. Since Egyptbecame Egypt there had not been a kindlier pharaoh.

  All at once, from out a clump of fig trees sprang a man in a darkmantle, and barred the road to Rameses. The pharaoh, to see the manbetter, approached his face to the face of the stranger and criedsuddenly,--

  "O wretch, is it thou? Go to the guard house!"

  It was Lykon. Rameses seized him by the neck; the Greek hissed andknelt on the ground. At the same moment the pharaoh felt a sharp painin the left side of his stomach.

  "Dost thou bite too?" cried Rameses. He seized the Greek with bothhands, and when he heard the cracking of his broken spine he hurledhim off in disgust.

  Lykon fell quivering in the convulsions of death.

  The pharaoh moved back a couple of steps. He examined his body anddiscovered the handle of a dagger.

  "He has wounded me!"

  He drew the slender steel from his side and pressed the wound.

  "I wonder," thought he, "if any of my counsellors has a plaster?" Hefelt weak and hurried forward. Right at the palace one of the officersstood before him and said, "Tutmosis is dead; the traitor Eunana slewhim."

  "Eunana?" repeated the pharaoh. "But what of the others?"

  "Almost all the volunteers who went with Tutmosis were sold to thepriests."

  "Well, I must finish this!" said Rameses. "Sound the trumpets for theAsiatic regiments."

  The trumpets sounded, and the Asiatics hurried from the barracks,leading their horses.

  "Give me my steed!" said the pharaoh. But he felt a sudden dizzinessand added, "No, give me a litter, I should tire myself."

  All at once he tottered into the arms of the officers.

  "Oh, I almost forgot," said Rameses in a dying voice. "Bring my helmetand sword--that steel sword--from the Soda--. Let us go to Memphis--"

  Officials and servants ran out of the villa with torches. The pharaohwas supported by officers, his face was pale and his eyes weremist-covered. He stretched forth his hand as if seeking hisbreastplate, his lips moved, and amid
general silence the lord of twoworlds, the temporal and the western, breathed his life out.

  The dove-eyed goddess Astaroth had avenged the wrong done herpriestess.