The Pharaoh And The Priest Part 108

"Has she run away too?"

"She died in prison."

"O G.o.ds! Who dared imprison her?"

"She confessed that she killed thy son."

"What?"

A great cry was heard at the prince's feet: the Libyan prisoners captured in battle were marching past, and at the head of them the sorrowful Tehenna.

Rameses had at that moment a heart so full of pain that he nodded to Tehenna, and said,--

"Stand near thy father Musawasa, so that he may touch thee, and see thee living."

At these words all the Libyans and the whole army gave forth a mighty shout; but the prince did not hear it.

"Is my son dead?" asked he of the priest. "Sarah accused herself of child-murder? Did madness fall on her?"

"The vile Lykon slew thy son."

"O G.o.ds give me strength!" groaned Rameses.

"Restrain thyself, lord, as becomes a victorious leader."

"Is it possible to conquer such pain? O G.o.ds without pity!"

"Lykon slew thy son; Sarah accused herself to save thee, for seeing the murderer in the night she mistook him for thee."

"And I thrust her out of my house! And I made her a servant of the Phnician!"

Now appeared Egyptian warriors bearing baskets filled with hands which had been cut from the fallen Libyans.

At sight of this Rameses hid his face and wept bitterly.

The generals surrounded the chariot at once and gave their lord consolation. The holy Mentezufis made a proposition which was received immediately, that thenceforth the Egyptian army would not cut off the hands of enemies who had fallen in battle.

With this unforeseen incident ended the first triumph of the heir to the throne of Egypt. But the tears which he shed over the severed hands attached the Libyans to him more than the victorious battle. No one wondered then that around the fires Libyan and Egyptian warriors sat in concord sharing bread, and drinking wine from the same goblet.

Instead of wars which were to last for years, there was a deep feeling of peace and confidence.

Rameses gave command that Musawasa, Tehenna, and the foremost Libyans should go to Memphis straightway, and he gave them an escort, not so much to watch them as to safeguard their persons and the treasures which they were taking. The prince withdrew to a tent then, and did not appear again until a number of hours had pa.s.sed. He was like a man to whom pain is the dearest companion. He did not receive even Tutmosis.

Toward evening a deputation of Greeks appeared under the leadership of Kalippos. When the heir asked what their wish was Kalippos answered,--

"We have come, lord, to implore that the body of our leader, thy servant Patrokles, should not be given to Egyptian priests, but be burned in accord with Greek usage."

The prince was astonished.

"Is it known to you," asked he, "that the priests wish to make of the remains of Patrokles a mummy of the first order, and to put it near the graves of the pharaohs? Can honor greater than this meet a man anywhere?"

The Greeks hesitated; at last Kalippos took courage and answered,--

"Our lord, permit us to open our hearts to thee. We know well that the making of a mummy is of more profit to a man than to burn him, for the soul of a burned man is transferred to eternal regions immediately; the soul of a mummied man may live during thousands of years on this earth and enjoy its beauties.

"But the Egyptian priests, O chief,--let this not offend thy ears--hated Patrokles. Who will a.s.sure us, then, that these priests in making him a mummy are not detaining him on earth so as to subject him to tortures? And what would our worth be if we who suspect revenge did not protect from it the soul of our compatriot and leader?"

Great was the prince's astonishment.

"Do," said he, "as ye think proper."

"But if they will not give us the body?"

"Prepare the funeral pile; I will attend to the rest of the ceremony."

The Greeks left the tent. The prince sent for Mentezufis.

CHAPTER XLVII

The priest observed the heir stealthily, and found him much changed.

Rameses was pale; he had almost grown thin in a few hours; his eyes had lost their glitter and had sunk beneath his forehead.

When Mentezufis heard what the Greeks had in mind he did not hesitate a moment to surrender the body of Patrokles.

"The Greeks are right," said the holy man, "in thinking that we have power to torment the shade of Patrokles, but they are fools to suppose that any priest of Chaldea or Egypt would permit such a crime. Let them take the body of their compatriot, if they think that after death he will be happier under protection of their own rites."

The prince sent an officer straightway with the needful order, but he detained Mentezufis. Evidently he wished to say something to him, though he hesitated.

After some silence Rameses asked suddenly,--

"Thou knowest, of course, holy prophet, that one of my women, Sarah, is dead, and that her son was murdered?"

"That happened," said Mentezufis, "the night that we marched from Pi-Bast."

The prince sprang up.

"By the eternal Amon!" cried he. "Did that take place so long ago, and ye did not mention it? Ye did not even tell me that I was suspected of murdering my own son?"

"Lord," said the priest, "the leader of an army in the day before battle has neither son nor father; he has no one whatever save the army and the enemy. Could we in extreme moments disturb thee with such tidings?"

"That is true," replied the prince, after some thought. "If we were attacked to-day I am not sure that I could command the army. In general I am not sure of my power to regain peace of mind.

"Such a little--such a beautiful child! And that woman who sacrificed herself for me after I had wronged her grievously. Never have I thought that misfortunes of such sort could happen, and that people's hearts could endure them."

"Time heals--time and prayer," whispered the priest.