第9章

Againhewassilentforawhilestaringthroughtheopendoorsattheskybeyond。Thenhesaid：

“Whatwouldyemore，ProphetsofJahveh？Justicehasbeendoneuponmyofficerwhoslewthemanofyourpeople。Alifehasbeentakenforalifeaccordingtothestrictletterofthelaw。Thematterisfinished。Unlessyouhaveaughttosay，getyougone。“

“BythecommandoftheLordourGod，“answeredtheprophet，“wehavethistosaytoyou，OPharaoh。LifttheheavyyokefromofftheneckofthepeopleofIsrael。Bidthattheyceasefromthelabourofthemakingofbrickstobuildyourwallsandcities。“

“AndifIrefuse，whatthen？“

“ThenthecurseofJahvehshallbeonyou，Pharaoh，andwithplagueuponplagueshallhesmitethislandofEgypt。“

NowasuddenrageseizedMeneptah。

“What!“hecried。“Doyoudaretothreatenmeinmyownpalace，andwouldyecauseallthemultitudeofthepeopleofIsraelwhohavegrownfatinthelandtoceasefromtheirlabours？Hearken，myservants，and，scribes，writedownmydecree。GoyetothecountryofGoshenandsaytotheIsraelitesthatthebrickstheymadetheyshallmakeasaforetimeandmoreworkshalltheydothanaforetimeinthedaysofmyfather，Rameses。Onlynomorestrawshallbegiventothemforthemakingofthebricks。Becausetheyareidle，letthemgoforthandgatherthestrawthemselves；letthemgatheritfromthefaceofthefields。“

Therewassilenceforawhile。Thenwithonevoiceboththeprophetsspoke，pointingwiththeirwandstoPharaoh：

“IntheNameoftheLordGodwecurseyou，Pharaoh，whosoonshalldieandmakeanswerforthissin。ThepeopleofEgyptwecursealso。Ruinshallbetheirportion；deathshallbetheirbreadandbloodshalltheydrinkinagreatdarkness。Moreover，atthelastPharaohshallletthepeoplego。“

Then，waitingnoanswer，theyturnedandstrodeawaysidebyside，nordidanymanhinderthemintheirgoings。Againtherewassilenceinthehall，thesilenceoffear，forthesewereawfulwordsthattheprophetshadspoken。Pharaohknewit，forhischinsankuponhisbreastandhisfacethathadbeenredwithrageturnedwhite。Usertihidhereyeswithherhandasthoughtoshutoutsomeevilvision，andevenSetiseemedillateaseasthoughthatawfulcursehadfoundahomewithinhisheart。

AtamotionofPharaoh’shandtheVizierNehesistruckthegroundthricewithhiswandofofficeandpointedtothedoor，thusgivingtheaccustomedsignthattheCourtwasfinished，whereonallthepeopleturnedandwentawaywithbentheadsspeakingnowordsonetoanother。PresentlythegreathallwasemptiedsavefortheofficersandguardsandthosewhoattendeduponPharaoh。WheneveryonehadgoneSetithePrinceroseandbowedbeforethethrone。

“OPharaoh，“hesaid，“bepleasedtohearken。WehaveheardveryevilwordsspokenbytheseHebrewmen，wordsthatthreatenyourdivinelife，OPharaoh，andcalldownacurseupontheUpperandtheLowerLand。Pharaoh，thesepeopleofIsraelholdthattheysufferwrongandareoppressed。Nowgiveme，yourson，awritingunderyourhandandseal，byvirtueofwhichIshallhavepowertogodowntotheLandofGoshenandinquireofthismatter，andafterwardsmakereportofthetruthtoyou。Then，ifitseemstoyouthatthePeopleofIsraelareunjustlydealtby，youmaylightentheirburdenandbringthecurseoftheirprophetstonothing。Butifitseemstoyouthatthetalestheytellareidlethenyourwordsshallstand。“

Now，listening，I，Ana，thoughtthatPharaohwouldoncemorebeangry。

Butitwasnotso，forwhenhespokeagainitwasinthevoiceofonewhoiscrushedbygrieforweariness。

“Haveyourwill，Son，“hesaid。“Onlytakewithyouagreatguardofsoldierslestthesehook-noseddogsshoulddoyoumischief。Itrustthemnot，who，liketheHyksoswhosebloodrunsinmanyofthem，wereeverthefoesofEgypt。DidtheynotconspirewiththeNinebowBarbarianswhomIcrushedinthegreatbattle，anddotheynotnowthreatenusinthenameoftheiroutlandgod？Still，letthewritingbepreparedandIwillsealit。Andstay。Ithink，Seti，thatyou，whowereevergentle-natured，havesomewhattoosoftahearttowardstheseshepherdslaves。ThereforeIwillnotsendyoualone。Amenmesesyourcousinshallgowithyou，butunderyourcommand。Itisspoken。“

“Life!Blood!Strength!“saidbothSetiandAmenmeses，thusacknowledgingtheking’scommand。

NowIthoughtthatallwasfinished。Butitwasnotso，forpresentlyPharaohsaid：

“Lettheguardswithdrawtotheendofthehallandwiththemtheservants。LettheKing’scouncillorsandtheofficersofthehouseholdremain。“

Instantlyallsalutedandwithdrewoutofhearing。I，too，madereadytogo，butthePrincesaidtome：

“Stay，thatyoumaytakenoteofwhatpasses。“

Pharaoh，watching，sawifhedidnothear。

“Whoisthatman，Son？“heasked。

“HeisAnamyprivatescribeandlibrarian，OPharaoh，whomItrust。

Itwashewhosavedmefromharmbutlastnight。“

“Yousayit，Son。Lethimremaininattendanceonyou，knowingthatifhebetraysourcouncilhedies。“

Usertilookedupfrowningasthoughshewereabouttospeak。Ifso，shechangedhermindandwassilent，perhapsbecausePharaoh’swordoncespokencouldnotbealtered。BakenkhonsuremainedalsoasaCouncilloroftheKingaccordingtohisright。

WhenallhadgonePharaoh，whohadbeenbrooding，liftedhisheadandspokeslowlybutinthevoiceofonewhogivesajudgmentthatmaynotbequestioned，saying：

“PrinceSeti，youaremyonlysonbornofQueenAst-Nefert，royalSister，royalMother，whosleepsinthebosomofOsiris。Itistruethatyouarenotmyfirst-bornson，sincetheCountRamessu“——herehepointedtoastoutmild-facedmanofpleasing，ratherfoolishappearance——“isyourelderbytwoyears。But，asheknowswell，hismother，whoisstillwithus，isaSyrianbybirthandofnoroyalblood，andthereforehecanneversituponthethroneofEgypt。Isitnotso，mysonRamessu？“

“Itisso，OPharaoh，“answeredtheCountinapleasantvoice，“notdoIseekevertosituponthatthrone，whoamwellcontentwiththeofficesandwealththatPharaohhasbeenpleasedtoconferuponme，hisfirst-born。“

“LetthewordsoftheCountRamessubewrittendown，“saidPharaoh，“andplacedinthetempleofPtahofthiscity，andinthetemplesofPtahatMemphisandofAmonatThebes，thathereaftertheymayneverbequestioned。“

Thescribesinattendancewrotedownthewordsand，atasignfromthePrinceSeti，Ialsowrotethemdown，settingthepapyrusIhadwithmeonmyknee。WhenthiswasfinishedPharaohwenton。

“Therefore，OPrinceSeti，youaretheheirofEgyptandperhaps，asthoseHebrewprophetssaid，willerelongbecalledupontositinmyplaceonitsthrone。“

“MaytheKingliveforever!“exclaimedSeti，“forwellheknowsthatIdonotseekhiscrownanddignities。“

“Idoknowitwell，myson；sowellthatIwishyouthoughtmoreofthatcrownandthosedignitieswhich，ifthegodswill，mustcometoyou。Iftheywillitnot，nextintheorderofsuccessionstandsyourcousin，theCountAmenmeses，whoisalsoofroyalbloodbothonhisfather’sandhismother’sside，andafterhimIknownotwho，unlessitbemydaughterandyourhalf-sister，theroyalPrincessUserti，LadyofEgypt。“

NowUsertispoke，veryearnestly，saying：

“OPharaoh，surelymyrightinthesuccession，accordingtoancientprecedent，precedesthatofmycousin，theCountAmenmeses。“

Amenmeseswasabouttoanswer，butPharaohliftedhishandandhewassilent。

“Itismatterforthoselearnedinsuchloretodiscuss，“Meneptahrepliedinasomewhathesitatingvoice。“IpraythegodsthatitmayneverbeneedfulthatthishighquestionshouldbeconsideredintheCouncil。Nevertheless，letthewordsoftheroyalPrincessbewrittendown。Now，PrinceSeti，“hewentonwhenthishadbeendone，“youarestillunmarried，andifyouhavechildrentheyarenotroyal。“

“Ihavenone，OPharaoh，“saidSeti。

“Isitso？“answeredMeneptahindifferently。“TheCountAmenmeseshaschildrenIknow，forIhaveseenthem，butbyhiswifeUnuri，whoalsoisoftheroyalline，hehasnone。“

HereIheardAmenmesesmutter，“Beingmyauntthatisnotstrange，“asayingatwhichSetismiled。

“Mydaughter，thePrincess，isalsounmarried。Soitseemsthatthefountainoftheroyalbloodisrunningdry-“

“Nowitiscoming，“whisperedSetibelowhisbreathsothatonlyI

couldhear。

“Therefore，“continuedPharaoh，“asyouknow，PrinceSeti，fortheroyalPrincessofEgyptbymycommandwenttospeaktoyouofthismatterlastnight，Imakeadecree-“

“Pardon，OPharaoh，“interruptedthePrince，“mysisterspoketomeofnodecreelastnight，savethatIshouldattendatthecourthereto-day。“

“BecauseIcouldnot，Seti，seeingthatanotherwaspresentwithyouwhomyourefusedtodismiss，“andshelethereyesrestonme。

“Itmattersnot，“saidPharaoh，“sincenowIwillutteritwithmyownlipswhichperhapsisbetter。Itismywill，Prince，thatyouforthwithwedtheroyalPrincessUserti，thatchildrenofthetruebloodoftheRamessidesmaybeborn。Hearandobey。“