Part 36 (1/2)
”Yes, yes, my good Lord, to-morrow, when you have killed Rames, this magician shall hang at your mast-head. Fear not, whatever chances I will see that it is done.”
Merytra, recovered from her madness, lay upon a bed, when a woman entered and stood over her. Looking up she saw it was the Queen.
”Hearken to me,” said the Queen in an icy voice, ”and tell the words I speak to Abi. The time is accomplished, and I leave him. If he would look again upon Neter-Tua, Morning Star of Amen, the Great Lady of Egypt, let him seek her in the camp of Rames. There he shall find her in the temple of Amen, which is set upon the mountain in the midst of the camp.”
Then she was gone.
Merytra rose from the bed, and called to the guards to lead her to Abi.
So loudly did she call, saying that she had a message for him which must not be delayed, that at length one went and told him of her words, and he came to her.
”What is it now, Sorceress?” he asked. ”Have you dreamed more ill-omened dreams?”
”Nay, Pharaoh,” she answered, ”but the Queen has fled to Rames,” and word for word she repeated what had been told her.
”It is a lie,” said Abi. ”How can she have fled through a triple line of guards?”
”Search, then, and see, O Pharaoh.”
So Abi searched, but though none had seen her pa.s.s, and none had gone with her, the Queen could not be found.
It was midnight, and while they still searched, by the light of the moon a tall figure clad in tattered robes, who bore a thornwood staff in his hand, and had a white beard that fell down below his middle, was perceived walking to and fro about the camp.
”Who is that fellow?” asked Abi, and as he spoke the figure cried aloud in a great voice:
”Listen, Councillors, Captains, and Soldiers of Egypt, to the command of Amen, spoken by the lips of his messenger, Kepher the Wanderer. Lift no sword against Rames, Lord of Kesh, for he is my servant, and shall be Pharaoh over you, and husband of your Queen, and father of kings to come. Seize Abi the usurper, the murderer of Pharaoh, his brother, and Kaku the sorcerer, and Merytra the traitress, and lead them at the dawn to my temple upon yonder hill, where I will declare my commands to you in the sanctuary of the temple. So shall peace be upon you and all Egypt, and the breath of life remain in your nostrils.”
Now hearing these fearful words, and remembering dead Pharaoh's prophecy of a Beggar who should bring a message to him, Abi drew his sword and rushed at the man. But ere ever he came there, the Wanderer was gone, and lo! they heard him repeating his message far away. Thither they ran also, but now the words of doom were being called upon the s.h.i.+ps, and on their prows they saw his tall shape stand--first on this and then on that.
”It is the G.o.ds who speak,” cried the priests, ”let us obey the G.o.ds!”
and suddenly they flung themselves upon Abi and bound him, and Kaku and Merytra they bound also, waiting for the dawn. But of the tall, white-bearded man in beggar's robes they saw and heard no more.
At that same time Tua slept in a chamber of the temple upon the hill, while Asti watched her. Presently a wind blew in the chamber, and Asti, looking up, became aware of a Shape that she knew well, the very shape of Tua who slept upon the bed.
”What is your will, O Double?” asked Asti.
”My will is that you give me rest,” answered the Ka. ”My task is accomplished, I am weary. Speak the secret words of power that you have, and let me return to her from whom I came, and in her bosom sleep till the great Day of Awakening.”
So Asti, knowing that she was commanded so to do, uttered those secret words, and as she spoke them the glorious Shape seemed to grow faint and fade away. Only Tua rose upon her bed, stretched out her arms and sighed, fell back again and slept heavily until the morning. Then she awoke, asking what had befallen her, for she was changed.
”This has befallen, Queen. That which went forth from you by the command of Amen has returned to you again, its duty done. Rise up now and adorn yourself, for this is your day of victory and marriage.”
As the sun rose Tua went forth more beautiful than the morning, and at the gates of the temple found Rames awaiting her, clad in his armour, while from the mists below came a sound as of an army approaching.
”What pa.s.ses?” asked Tua, looking at him, and there was more love in her blue eyes than there is water in the Nile at flood.
”I think that Abi attacks us, Lady,” he said, bowing the knee to her, ”and I am fearful for you, for our men are few, and his are many.”
”Be not afraid of Abi, or of anything, O Rames, though it is true that this day you must lose your liberty,” she answered with a sweet and gentle smile, and he wondered at her words.