Moon of Israel: A Tale of the Exodus

by H. Rider Haggard

  Now I must tell of the happenings at Tanis. Pharaoh Meneptah lingeredbut a few hours and never found his mind again before his spirit flewto Heaven. Then there was great mourning in the land, for, if he was notloved, Meneptah was honoured and feared. Only among the Israelites therewas open rejoicing, because he had been their enemy and their prophetshad foretold that death was near to him. They gave it out that he hadbeen smitten of their God, which caused the Egyptians to hate them morethan ever. There was doubt, too, and bewilderment in Egypt, for thoughhis proclamation disinheriting the Prince Seti had been publishedabroad, the people, and especially those who dwelt in the south, couldnot understand why this should have been done over a matter of theshepherd slaves who dwelt in Goshen. Indeed, had the Prince but held uphis hand, tens of thousands would have rallied to his standard. Yetthis he refused to do, which astonished all the world, who thought itmarvellous that any man should refuse a throne which would havelifted him almost to the level of the gods. Indeed, to avoid theirimportunities he had set out at once for Memphis, and there remainedhidden away during the period of mourning for his father. So it cameabout that Amenmeses succeeded with none to say him nay, since withouther husband Userti could not or would not act.

  After the days of embalmment were accomplished the body of PharaohMeneptah was carried up the Nile to be laid in his eternal house, thesplendid tomb that he had made ready for himself in the Valley of DeadKings at Thebes. To this great ceremony the Prince Seti was not bidden,lest, as Bakenkhonsu told me afterwards, his presence should cause somerising in his favour, with or without his will. For this reason also thedead god, as he was named, was not suffered to rest at Memphis on hislast journey up the Nile. Disguised as a man of the people the Princewatched his father's body pass in the funeral barge guarded by shaven,white-robed priests, the centre of a splendid procession. In front wentother barges filled with soldiers and officers of state, behind camethe new Pharaoh and all the great ones of Egypt, while the sounds oflamentation floated far over the face of the waters. They appeared, theypassed, they disappeared, and when they had vanished Seti wept a little,for in his own fashion he loved his father.

  "Of what use is it to be a king and named half-divine, Ana," he said tome, "seeing that the end of such gods as these is the same as that ofthe beggar at the gate?"

  "This, Prince," I answered, "that a king can do more good than a beggarwhile the breath is in his nostrils, and leave behind him a greatexample to others."

  "Or more harm, Ana. Also the beggar can leave a great example, that ofpatience in affliction. Still, if I were sure that I should do nothingbut good, then perhaps I would be a king. But I have noted that thosewho desire to do the most good often work the greatest harm."

  "Which, if followed out, would be an argument for wishing to do evil,Prince."

  "Not so," he answered, "because good triumphs at the last. For good istruth and truth rules earth and heaven."

  "Then it is clear, Prince, that you should seek to be a king."

  "I will remember the argument, Ana, if ever time brings me anopportunity unstained by blood," he answered.

  When the obsequies of Pharaoh were finished, Amenmeses returned toTanis, and there was crowned as Pharaoh. I attended this great ceremony,bearing coronation gifts of certain royal ornaments which the Princesent to Pharaoh, saying it was not fit that he, as a private person,should wear them any longer. These I presented to Pharaoh, who took themdoubtfully, declaring that he did not understand the Prince Seti's mindand actions.

  "They hide no snare, O Pharaoh," I said. "As you rejoice in the glorythat the gods have sent you, so the Prince my master rejoices in therest and peace which the gods have given him, asking no more."

  "It may be so, Scribe, but I find this so strange a thing, thatsometimes I fear lest the rich flowers of this glory of mine shouldhide some deadly snake, whereof the Prince knows, if he did not set itthere."

  "I cannot say, O Pharaoh, but without doubt, although he could work noguile, the Prince is not as are other men. His mind is both wide anddeep."

  "Too deep for me," muttered Amenmeses. "Nevertheless, say to my royalcousin that I thank him for his gifts, especially as some of them wereworn, when he was heir to Egypt, by my father Khaemuas, who I would hadleft me his wisdom as well as his blood. Say to him also that while herefrains from working me harm upon the throne, as I know he has done upto the present, he may be sure that I will work him none in the stationwhich he has chosen."

  Also I saw the Princess Userti who questioned me closely concerningher lord. I told her everything, keeping naught back. She listened andasked:

  "What of that Hebrew woman, Moon of Israel? Without doubt she fills myplace."

  "Not so, Princess," I answered. "The Prince lives alone. Neither she norany other woman fills your place. She is a friend to him, no more."

  "A friend! Well, at least we know the end of such friendships. Oh!surely the Prince must be stricken with madness from the gods!"

  "It may be so, your Highness, but I think that if the gods smote moremen with such madness, the world would be better than it is."

  "The world is the world, and the business of those who are born togreatness is to rule it as it is, not to hide away amongst books andflowers, and to talk folly with a beautiful outland woman, and a scribehowever learned," she answered bitterly, adding, "Oh! if the Princeis not mad, certainly he drives others to madness, and me, his spouse,among them. That throne is his, his; yet he suffers a cross-grained doltto take his place, and sends him gifts and blessings."

  "I think your Highness should wait till the end of the story before youjudge of it."

  She looked at me sharply, and asked:

  "Why do you say that? Is the Prince no fool after all? Do he and you,who both seem to be so simple, perchance play a great and hidden game,as I have known men feign folly in order to do with safety? Or has thatwitch of an Israelite some secret knowledge in which she instructs you,such as a woman who can shatter the statue of Amon to fine dust mightwell possess? You make believe not to know, which means that you willnot answer. Oh! Scribe Ana, if only it were safe, I think I could finda way to wring the truth out of you, although you do pretend to be but ababe for innocence."

  "It pleases your Highness to threaten and without cause."

  "No," she answered, changing her voice and manner, "I do not threaten;it is only the madness that I have caught from Seti. Would you not bemad if you knew that another woman was to be crowned to-morrow in yourplace, because--because----" and she began to weep, which frightened memore than all her rough words.

  Presently she dried her tears, and said:

  "Say to my lord that I rejoice to hear that he is well and send himgreetings, but that never of my own wish will I look upon his livingface again unless indeed he takes another counsel, and sets himself towin that which is his own. Say to him that though he has so little carefor me, and pays no heed to my desires, still I watch over his welfareand his safety, as best I may."

  "His safety, Princess! Pharaoh assured me not an hour ago that he hadnaught to fear, as indeed he fears naught."

  "Oh! which of you is the more foolish," she exclaimed stamping her foot,"the man or his master? You believe that the Prince has naught to fearbecause that usurper tells you so, and he believes it--well, because hefears naught. For a little while he may sleep in peace. But let him waituntil troubles of this sort or of that arise in Egypt and, understandingthat the gods send them on account of the great wickedness that myfather wrought when death had him by the throat and his mind wasclouded, the people begin to turn their eyes towards their lawful king.Then the usurper will grow jealous, and if he has his way, the Princewill sleep in peace--for ever. If his throat remains uncut, it will befor one reason only, that I hold back the murderer's hand. Farewell, Ican talk no more, for I say to you that my brain is afire--and to-morrowhe should have been crowned, and I with him," and she swept away, royalas ever, leaving me wondering what she meant when she spoke of troublesarising in Egypt,
or if the words were but uttered at hazard.

  Afterwards Bakenkhonsu and I supped together at the college of thetemple of Ptah, of which because of his age he was called the father,when I heard more of this matter.

  "Ana," he said, "I tell you that such gloom hangs over Egypt as I havenever known even when it was thought that the Ninebow Barbarians wouldconquer and enslave the land. Amenmeses will be the fifth Pharaoh whomI have seen crowned, the first of them when I was but a littlechild hanging to my mother's robe, and not once have I known suchjoylessness."

  "That may be because the crown passes to one who should not wear it,Bakenkhonsu."

  He shook his head. "Not altogether. I think this darkness comes from theheavens as light does. Men are afraid they know not of what."

  "The Israelites," I suggested.

  "Now you are near to it, Ana, for doubtless they have much to do withthe matter. Had it not been for them Seti and not Amenmeses would becrowned to-morrow. Also the tale of the marvel which the beautifulHebrew woman wrought in the temple yonder has got abroad and is taken asan omen. Did I tell you that six days gone a fine new statue of the godwas consecrated there and on the following morning was found lying onits side, or rather with its head resting on the breast of Mut?"

  "If so, Merapi is blameless, because she has gone away from this city."

  "Of course she has gone away, for has not Seti gone also? But I thinkshe left something behind her. However that may be, even our new divinelord is afraid. He dreams ill, Ana," he added, dropping his voice, "soill that he has called in Ki, the Kherheb,[*] to interpret his visions."

  [*] "Kherheb" was the title of the chief official magician in ancient Egypt.

  "And what said Ki?"

  "Ki could say nothing or, rather, that the only answer vouchsafed tohim and his company, when they made inquiry of their Kas, was thatthis god's reign would be very short and that it and his life would endtogether."

  "Which perhaps did not please the god Amenmeses, Bakenkhonsu?"

  "Which did not please the god at all. He threatened Ki. It is a foolishthing to threaten a great magician, Ana, as the Kherheb Ki, himselfindeed told him, looking him in the eyes. Then he prayed his pardon andasked who would succeed him on the throne, but Ki said he did not know,as a Kherheb who had been threatened could never remember anything,which indeed he never can--except to pay back the threatener."

  "And did he know, Bakenkhonsu?"

  By way of answer the old Councillor crumbled some bread fine upon thetable, then with his finger traced among the crumbs the rough likenessof a jackal-headed god and of two feathers, after which with a swiftmovement he swept the crumbs onto the floor.

  "Seti!" I whispered, reading the hieroglyphs of the Prince's name, andhe nodded and laughed in his great fashion.

  "Men come to their own sometimes, Ana, especially if they do notseek their own," he said. "But if so, much must happen first that isterrible. The new Pharaoh is not the only man who dreams, Ana. Of lateyears my sleep has been light and sometimes I dream, though I have nomagic like to that of Ki."

  "What did you dream?"

  "I dreamed of a great multitude marching like locusts over Egypt. Beforethem went a column of fire in which were two hands. One of these heldAmon by the throat and one held the new Pharaoh by the throat. Afterthem came a column of cloud, and in it a shape like to that of anunwrapped mummy, a shape of death standing upon water that was full ofcountless dead."

  Now I bethought me of the picture that the Prince and I had seen inthe skies yonder in the land of Goshen, but of it I said nothing. Yet Ithink that Bakenkhonsu saw into my mind, for he asked:

  "Do _you_ never dream, Friend? You see visions that come true--Amenmeseson the throne, for instance. Do you not also dream at times? No? Well,then, the Prince? You look like men who might, and the time is ripeand pregnant. Oh! I remember. You are both of you dreaming, not of thepictures that pass across the terrible eyes of Ki, but of those that themoon reflects upon the waters of Memphis, the Moon of Israel. Ana, beadvised by me, put away the flesh and increase the spirit, for in italone is happiness, whereof woman and all our joys are but earthlysymbols, shadows thrown by that mortal cloud which lies between us andthe Light Above. I see that you understand, because some of that lighthas struggled to your heart. Do you remember that you saw it shining inthe hour when your little daughter died? Ah! I thought so. It was thegift she left you, a gift that will grow and grow in such a breast asyours, if only you will put away the flesh and make room for it,Ana. Man, do not weep--laugh as I do, Oho-ho! Give me my staff, andgood-night. Forget not that we sit together at the crowning to-morrow,for you are a King's Companion and that rank once conferred is one whichno new Pharaoh can take away. It is like the gift of the spirit, Ana,which is hard to win, but once won more eternal than the stars. Oh! whydo I live so long who would bathe in it, as when a child I used to bathein Nile?"