Eight days had gone by. It was sunset and we drew rein over against theSea of Reeds. Day and night we had followed the army of Pharaoh acrossthe wilderness on a road beaten down by his chariot wheels and soldiers,and by the tens of thousands of the Israelites who had passed that waybefore them. Now from the ridge where we had halted we saw it encampedbeneath us, a very great army. Moreover, stragglers told us that beyond,also encamped, was the countless horde of the Israelites, and beyondthese the vast Sea of Reeds which barred their path. But we couldnot see them for a very strange reason. Between these and the armyof Pharaoh rose a black wall of cloud, built as it were from earth toheaven. One of those stragglers of whom I have spoken, told us that thiscloud travelled before the Israelites by day, but at night was turnedinto a pillar of fire. Only on this day, when the army of Pharaohapproached, it had moved round and come between the people of Israel andthe army.
Now when the Prince, Bakenkhonsu, and I heard these things we looked ateach other and were silent. Only presently the Prince laughed a little,and said:
"We should have brought Ki with us, even if we had to carry him bound,that he might interpret this marvel, for it is sure that no one elsecan."
"It would be hard to keep Ki bound, Prince, if he wished to go free,"answered Bakenkhonsu. "Moreover, before ever we entered the chariots atMemphis he had departed south for Thebes. I saw him go."
"And I gave orders that he should not be allowed to return, for I holdhim an ill guest, or so thinks the lady Merapi," replied Seti with asigh.
"Now that we are here what would the Prince do?" I asked.
"Descend to the camp of Pharaoh and say what we have to say, Ana."
"And if he will not listen, Prince?"
"Then cry our message aloud and return."
"And if he will not suffer us to return, Prince?"
"Then stand still and live or die as the gods may decree."
"Truly our lord has a great heart!" exclaimed Bakenkhonsu, "and thoughI feel over young to die, I am minded to see the end of this matter withhim," and he laughed aloud.
But I who was afraid thought that _O-ho-ho_ of his, which the sky seemedto echo back upon our heads, a strange and indeed a fearful sound.
Then we put on robes of ceremony that we had brought with us, butneither swords nor armour, and having eaten some food, drove on with thehalf of our guard towards the place where we saw the banners of Pharaohflying about his pavilion. The rest of our guard we left encamped,bidding them, if aught happened to us, to return and make report atMemphis and in the other great cities. As we drew near to the camp theoutposts saw us and challenged. But when they perceived by the light ofthe setting sun who it was that they challenged, a murmur went throughthem, of:
"The Prince of Egypt! The Prince of Egypt!" for so they had never ceasedto name Seti, and they saluted with their spears and let us pass.
So at length we came to the pavilion of Pharaoh, round about whicha whole regiment stood on guard. The sides of it were looped up highbecause of the heat of the night which was great, and within satPharaoh, his captains, his councillors, his priests, his magicians, andmany others at meat or serving food and drink. They sat at a table thatwas bent like a bow, with their faces towards the entrance, and Pharaohwas in the centre of the table with his fan-bearers and butlers behindhim.
We advanced into the pavilion, the Prince in the centre, Bakenkhonsuleaning on his staff on the right hand, and I, wearing the gold chainthat Pharaoh Meneptah had given me, on the left, but those with usremained among the guard at the entrance.
"Who are these?" asked Amenmeses, looking up, "who come here unbidden?"
"Three citizens of Egypt who have a message for Pharaoh," answered Setiin his quiet voice, "which we have travelled fast and far to speak intime."
"How are you named, citizens of Egypt, and who sends your message?"
"We are named, Seti Meneptah aforetime Prince of Egypt, and heir to itscrown; Bakenkhonsu the aged Councillor, and Ana the scribe and King'sCompanion, and our message is from the gods."
"We have heard those names, who has not?" said Pharaoh, and as he spokeall, or very nearly all, the company rose, or half rose, and bowedtowards the Prince. "Will you and your companions be seated and eat,Prince Seti Meneptah?"
"We thank the divine Pharaoh, but we have already eaten. Have wePharaoh's leave to deliver our message?"
"Speak on, Prince."
"O Pharaoh, many moons have gone by, since last we looked upon eachother face to face, on that day when my father, the good god Meneptah,disinherited me, and afterwards fled hence to Osiris. Pharaoh willremember why I was thus cut off from the royal root of Egypt. It wasbecause of the matter of these Israelites, who in my judgment had beenevilly dealt by, and should be suffered to leave our land. The goodgod Meneptah, being so advised by you and others, O Pharaoh, would havesmitten the Israelites with the sword, making an end of them, and tothis he demanded my assent as the Heir of Egypt. I refused that assentand was cast out, and since then, you, O Pharaoh, have worn the doublecrown, while I have dwelt as a citizen of Memphis, living upon suchlands and revenues as are my own. Between that hour and this, O Pharaoh,many griefs have smitten Egypt, and the last of them cost you yourfirst-born, and me mine. Yet through them all, O Pharaoh, you haverefused to let these Hebrews go, as I counselled should be done at thebeginning. At length after the death of the first-born, your decree wasissued that they might go. Yet now you follow them with a great army andpurpose to do to them what my father, the good god Meneptah, would havedone, had I consented, namely--to destroy them with the sword. Hear me,Pharaoh!"
"I hear; also the case is well if briefly set. What else would thePrince Seti say?"
"This, O Pharaoh. That I pray you to return with all your host fromthe following of these Hebrews, not to-morrow or the next day, but atonce--this night."
"Why, O Prince?"
"Because of a certain dream that a lady of my household who is Hebrewhas dreamed, which dream foretells destruction to you and the army ofEgypt, unless you hearken to these words of mine."
"I think that we know of this snake whom you have taken to dwell in yourbosom, whence it may spit poison upon Egypt. It is named Merapi, Moon ofIsrael, is it not?"
"That is the name of the lady who dreamed the dream," replied Seti in acold voice, though I felt him tremble with anger at my side, "the dreamthat if Pharaoh wills my companions here shall set out word for word tohis magicians."
"Pharaoh does not will it," shouted Amenmeses smiting the board with hisfist, "because Pharaoh knows that it is but another trick to save thesewizards and thieves from the doom that they have earned."
"Am I then a worker of tricks, O Pharaoh? If I had been such, why haveI journeyed hither to give warning, when by sitting yonder at Memphisto-morrow, I might once more have become heir to the double crown? Forif you will not hearken to me, I tell you that very soon you shallbe dead, and with you these"--and he pointed to all those who sat attable--"and with them the great army that lies without. Ere you speak,tell me, what is that black cloud which stands before the camp of theHebrews? Is there no answer? Then I will give you the answer. It is thepall that shall wrap the bones of every one of you."
Now the company shivered with fear, yes, even the priests and themagicians shivered. But Pharaoh went mad with rage. Springing from hisseat, he snatched at the double crown upon his head, and hurled it tothe ground, and I noted that the golden uraeus band about it, rolledaway, and rested upon Seti's sandalled foot. He tore his robes andshouted:
"At least our fate shall be your fate, Renegade, who have sold Egyptto the Hebrew witch in payment of her kisses. Seize this man and hiscompanions, and when we go down to battle against these Israelitesto-morrow after the darkness lifts, let them be set with the captains ofthe van. So shall the truth be known at last."
Thus Pharaoh commanded, and Seti, answering nothing, folded his armsupon his breast and waited.
Men rose from their seats as though to obey Pharaoh and sank back to
them again. Guards started forward and yet remained standing where theywere. Then Bakenkhonsu burst into one of his great laughs.
"O-ho-ho," he laughed, "Pharaohs have I seen come and go, one and twoand three, and four and five, but never yet have I seen a Pharaoh whomnone of his councillors or guards could obey however much they willedit. When you are Pharaoh, Prince Seti, may your luck be better. Yourarm, Ana, my friend, and lead on, Royal Heir of Egypt. The truth isshown to blind eyes that will not see. The word is spoken to deaf earsthat will not hearken, and the duty done. Night falls. Sleep ye well, yebidden of Osiris, sleep ye well!"
Then we turned and walked from that pavilion. At its entrance I lookedback, and in the low light that precedes the darkness, it seemed to meas though all seated there were already dead. Blue were their faces andhollow shone their eyes, and from their lips there came no word. Onlythey stared at us as we went, and stared and stared again.
Without the door of the pavilion, by command of the Prince, I calledaloud the substance of the lady Merapi's dream, and warned all withinearshot to cease from pursuing the people of Israel, if they wouldcontinue to live to look upon the sun. Yet even now, although to speakthus was treason against Pharaoh, none lifted a hand against the Prince,or against me his servant. Often since then I have wondered why this wasso, and found no answer to my questionings. Mayhap it was because of themajesty of my master, whom all knew to be the true Pharaoh, and lovedat heart. Mayhap it was because they were sure that he would not havetravelled so far and placed himself in the power of Amenmeses save towork the armies of Egypt good, and not ill, and to bring them a messagethat had been spoken by the gods themselves.
Or mayhap it was because he was still hedged about by that protectionwhich the Hebrews had vowed to him through their prophets with thevoice of Jabez. At least so it happened. Pharaoh might command, but hisservants would not obey. Moreover, the story spread, and that night manydeserted from the host of Pharaoh and encamped about us, or fled backtowards the cities whence they came. Also with them were not a fewcouncillors and priests who had talked secretly with Bakenkhonsu. So itchanced that even if Pharaoh desired to make an end of us, as perhaps hepurposed to do in the midnight watches, he thought it wisest to let thematter lie until he had finished with the people of Israel.