The Story of Nefrekepta Part 4

Wrought by dead NEFREKEPTA in his ire.

I go to yield him up his worst desire, A fork upon my neck, between my hands A rod, and on my head a bowl of fire.'

One of the bondmen threw him, at that call, A poor man's robe; and on to PHARAOH'S Hall He journeyed with them, and stretched out his arms And clasped his sons, and told to PHARAOH all.

'Yea, take the Book, take quickly,' PHARAOH said, 'The rod, the fork, the fire upon thine head, And seek dead NEFREKEPTA in his tomb, And kneel and pray the pardon of the dead.'

And SETNE heard; and quick ere set of sun He stood before the Tomb, and one by one Pa.s.sed the great doors, and opened the last door, And, lo, a light through all the chamber shone,

A great light, like the going forth of RA.

And while he stood the Woman cried: 'Aha, SETNE, thou com'st! And if thou com'st alive 'Tis PTAH hath saved thee and the grace of PTAH.'

But NEFREKEPTA laughed. And SETNE came Kneeling: 'O King, with rod and fork and flame I come,' he said; 'and yield thee up thy Book.

What is thy judgement? Is it further shame?'

But NEFREKEPTA laughed: 'I would not now Make thee my slave, nor smite, nor burn thy brow.

This was enough.--Yet one thing lacketh me Still, and thereto I bind thee by a vow.

Far off in a strange grave 'mid much annoy My wife AHURE lieth and the boy MERAB; 'tis but their shadows, by the art Of a good scribe, dwell here and have no joy.

Therefore I charge upon thee my behest: Go, bring from Coptos to this House of Rest My wife AHURE and MERAB the boy.'

And SETNE rose and took on him the quest.

And straightway before PHARAOH bowed his head And told him all the tale. And PHARAOH said: 'I give thee mine own pleasure-ship to sail To Coptos and bring back those ancient dead.'

So PHARAOH'S pleasure-ship with all its crew Was brought, and southward on the wind they flew To Coptos; and the High Priest saw the ship, And all the Priests, and came in haste thereto.

The Priests of ISIS and HARPOCRATES And the Chief Priest; SETNE to all of these Gave ox and goose and wine, and with them walked On Coptos Hill amid the tombs and trees.

Three days and nights among the tombs they trod In Coptos on the Hill, and every sod They turned and marked, and every graven stone, And the Scribes' writings in the House of G.o.d.

But never could they find by night nor day The tomb where MERAB and AHURE lay.

And NEFREKEPTA knew they found it not, And sent his shadow forth to guide their way.

Like an old man, a bent and aged Priest, It sate. And SETNE said: 'Joy be increased, O Father! Thou dost know the things of old; Three days and nights we search, and have not ceased,

To find the tomb which holds AHURE dead And MERAB.' Then the old man raised his head: 'The father of my grandsire in old days Spoke of it to my grandsire; and he said

The father of his grandsire once had told His grandsire how those two were laid of old Far in the southmost corner, where the house Now stands in which the scrivener tells his gold.'

And SETNE said: 'Old man, methinks I see Some hate here. Hath the scrivener injured thee, That thou wouldst wreck his house and dig beneath?'

He answered: 'Have a watch set over me;

Then raze the scrivener's house, and, under ground By the south corner, if there be not found Both MERAB and AHURE, have me slain!'

So there they held him and a guard stood round.

The scrivener's house was razed; and that same day They found where MERAB and AHURE lay, And, like great PHARAOHS, down to PHARAOH'S boat Bore them 'mid Priests and Princes in array.

And SETNE sought that ancient man, and, lo, He was not. By that sign did SETNE know This too was NEFREKEPTA. Then they built The scrivener's house again, and turned to go:

And went on board, and back to Memphis bore Those PHARAOHS home, with stream and wind and oar; Singing they went, and PHARAOH heard them sing; And PHARAOH rose and met them by the sh.o.r.e,

And led those Mighty Ones in robes of pride To NEFREKEPTA'S tomb, and sanctified Their entering in, and made a mound above; And there for ever sleep they, side by side.

And there is finished all that fell between SETNE and NEFREKEPTA and his Queen AHURE and the boy MERAB. 'Twas writ In the first month of winter, Year XV.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 5 black cats by Florence Kingsford.]