The Messenger
Rima the Queen heard through her spies that Apepi, King of the
Shepherds, purposed to take her and her child and to hold them
captive. Having learned that this was the truth, she summoned a
council of such lords as remained in Upper Egypt, and of the high
priests of the gods, to ask them what she should do.
“Behold,” she said, “I am a widow. My lord and yours fell fighting
bravely against the North, leaving his heir, this royal infant. When
it became known that he was dead, his army would fight no more but
fell back on Thebes, and therefore the Shepherds claim the victory.
Now, as I hear, they claim more: namely, that I who was the wife of
your king, and our daughter who is your Royal Princess, should be
delivered up to them, saying that if this is not done, an army shall
be sent to take us. What is your mind, O Lords? Will you defend us
from Apepi, or will you not?”
Now some answered one thing and some another. They showed that the
people would fight no more, since the King of the Shepherds offered
them better terms than ever they could hope to win in battle, and that
after the sight of so much blood they longed for peace whoever might
be called Pharaoh of Egypt.
“I perceive that I and your Princess have naught to hope from you,
Lords, for whom and for whose cause my husband and her father gave his
life,” said Rima quietly, adding, “But what say the priests of the
gods he worshipped?”
Now these answered with many smooth words. One declared that the will
of Heaven must be obeyed; another that perchance she and the Princess
would be safer in the court of King Apepi, who swore to treat them
both with all honour; a third, that it might be well if she would
appeal to her mighty father, the King of Babylon, for succour, and so
forth.
When all had finished, Rima laughed bitterly and said:
“I perceive, O Priests, that the gold thrown by the Shepherd king is
so heavy that it can travel many leagues of air into the treasuries of
your temples. Let me be plain. Will you help me and your Princess to
escape from bondage, or will you not? If you will stand by me, I will
stand by you to the last, and so I swear will my daughter when she
comes to the years of knowledge. If you reject us, then we wash our
hands of you, leaving you to go your ways while we go ours, to Babylon
or anywhere, save to a prison in the house of the Shepherd kings,
where certainly your Royal Princess would be done to death that Egypt
might be left without a lawful heir. Now I pray you consult together.
I withdraw myself that you may talk freely. But at noon, that is
within an hour, I will return to you for your answer.”
Then she bowed to that company, who bowed back to her, and went away.
At the appointed time of noon, accompanied only by the Lady Kemmah,
the nurse who bore the Princess in her arms, she returned to the
Council Hall entering it through the side door by which she had
departed. Lo! it was quite empty. The lords and priests had gone,
every one of them.
“Now it seems that I am alone,” said Rima the Queen. “Well, such is
often the lot of the fallen.”
“Not altogether, Queen,” answered the Lady Kemmah, “since the Royal
Princess and I are still the companions of your Majesty. Moreover, I
think that in yonder empty chairs I see the shapes of certain of the
gods of Egypt who perchance will prove better counsellors than those
who have deserted us in the hour of need. Now let us talk with them in
our hearts and learn of their wisdom.”
So there they sat awhile, gazing at those empty chairs and at the
painted pictures of divinities upon the walls beyond, each of them
putting up supplications in her own fashion for help and guidance. At
length the Lady Kemmah lifted her head and asked:
“Has light come to you, Queen?”
“Nay,” answered Rima, “naught but darkness. This only do my gods tell
me--that if we stay here those false lords and priests certainly will
seize us and deliver us into the power of Apepi, as I think that they
have been bribed to do. Have yours aught else to say to you, nurse
Kemmah?”
“Something, Lady. It seems to me that the divine queens of Heaven,
godmothers of this royal babe, Isis and Hathor whom I serve, have been
whispering in my ears. ‘Fly,’ said the whisper, ‘fly fast and far.’”
“Aye, Kemmah, but whither shall we fly? Where can the Queen of the
South and her babe, the Royal Princess of Egypt, be hidden away from
Apepi’s spies? Certainly not here in the South where, being fearful or
suborned, all would betray us.”
“Nay, Queen, not in the South, but in the North where perhaps none
would search for us, since the lion does not seek for the buck at the
door of its own den. Hearken, Queen. There is a certain aged holy man
named Roy, a brother of my grandfather, sprung from an old line of
Theban kings. This great-uncle of mine, whom, when a girl, I knew
well, was inspired by the gods and became the prophet of a secret
brotherhood called the Order of the Dawn, which has its home by the
pyramids that stand near to Memphis. There he and this brotherhood,
which is very powerful, have dwelt these thirty years or more, since
none now dares to approach those pyramids, and least of all any of the
Shepherds, because they are haunted.”
“By whom?” asked Rima.
“It is said by a spirit that appears as a beautiful bare-breasted
woman, though whether she is the _Ka_ of one who is buried in the
tombs where my uncle lives, or a ghost from hell, or the shadow of
Egypt itself shaped like a woman, is not known. At least because of
her no man dares approach those ancient pyramids after night has
fallen.”
“Why not? Since when have men been afraid of a beautiful unveiled
woman?”
“Because, Queen, if any looks upon her loveliness he goes mad and
wanders off to perish miserably in the wilderness. Or perchance he
follows her up to the crest of one of the pyramids, and falling
thence, is crushed to powder.”
“An idle tale, as I think, Kemmah. But what of it?”
“This, Queen: that there in those tombs, could we come to them, we
might dwell safely enough with my uncle, the Prophet Roy. No man has
courage to approach the place, save from time to time some young fool
who longs to look upon the loveliness of that ghost and meets his
death, or having seen her goes thence a raving madman. Even the
wildest Bedouin of the desert dare not pitch his tent within a mile or
more of those pyramids, while the Shepherd kings and their subjects
hold the place accursed because two of their princes have found doom
there; nor would they draw near to it for all the gold in Syria. Also
they fear the magic of this brotherhood which is protected by spirits
and have sworn to leave it unharmed. At least, such is the tale that I
have heard, though doubtless there is more of it that I have not
heard.”
“Here then it seems we might rest in peace,” said Rima with a little
laugh, “at any rate, for a while until we found opportunity to escape
to Babylon, where doubtless the King my father would welcome us. Yet
how can we do so, bearing a babe with us, now when there is war all
along the frontiers and none can cross the Arabian deserts. But,
Kemmah, how are we to know that your uncle would receive us, and if he
will, how are we to reach him?”
“As to the first question, Queen, the answer is easy. Strangely enough
it chances that only this day I have received a message from the holy
Roy. The captain of a corn boat sailing from Memphis to Thebes brought
it to me. He told me that his name is Tau.”
“What did he say to you and where did you meet him, Kemmah?”
“Last night, Queen, I could not sleep, being full of fears for you and
the babe, so I rose before the dawn and going out, I stood on the
private quay in the palace garden watching the sun rise, that I might
make my prayer to Ra when he appeared in the heavens. Presently, as
the mist thinned, I saw that I was not alone, for quite close to me a
stalwart man who had the air or at least wore the dress of a seafarer,
was leaning against the trunk of a palm, staring at the Nile beneath,
near to the bank of which was moored a trading ship. He spoke, saying
that he waited for the mist to clear and the wind to rise, that he
might sail on to the trading quay and there deliver his cargo. I asked
him whence he came and he answered--from Memphis of the White Walls,
having permission from the Governor of Thebes and from him of Memphis
to trade between the two cities. I wished him good fortune and was
about to leave to make my prayer elsewhere, telling him my purpose,
when he said:
“‘Nay, let us pray together, for I too, whose name is Tau, am a
worshipper of Ra, and see, the god appears,’ and he made certain signs
to me which I who am a priestess understood.
“Our prayer finished, again I prepared to go, but he stayed me, asking
me for news as to the state of Thebes and whether it were true that
the Queen Rima had died of grief because of the loss of her husband
Kheperra, who fell in the battle, or as some said, had been killed
with her child. I answered that these things were not true, words at
which he seemed glad, for he thanked the gods and said that without
doubt the Princess Nefra was the lawful heiress of all Egypt, North
and South together. I asked him how he knew the name of this princess.
He replied:
“‘A learned man told it to me, a holy hermit to whom I confess my
sins, which alas! are many, who dwells in the wilderness nigh to the
Great Pyramids and among the tombs. He told me also that he knew the
name of this royal child’s nurse who was a kinswoman of his, and that
it is Kemmah, a lady of high blood. Yes, and he charged me with a
message for this Lady Kemmah, if I could find her in Thebes, because
he said he dared put nothing in writing.’
“Here this Tau, the captain of the ship, stopped and stared at me and
I stared back at him, wondering whether he were setting any trap for
my feet.
“‘It would be very dangerous, O Tau,’ I said to him, ‘if perchance you
gave this secret message to the wrong woman. There may be many Kemmahs
in Thebes. How will you know that you find the right one, or that she
whom you are told is the nurse of the princess is in truth that
nurse?’
“‘It is not so difficult as it seems, Lady. As it chances, the holy
hermit gave to me the half of an amulet of lapis lazuli on which is
cut a charm or spell or prayer. He said that on this half the signs
read, “May the living Ra protect the wearer of this holy thing at the
last nightfall. May that protected one travel in the boat of Ra
and----” Here, Lady, the writing ceases but the holy hermit said that
the Lady Kemmah would know the rest,’ and again he looked at me.
“‘Does it perchance run,’ I asked, ‘“and may Thoth find the balance
even and may Osiris receive this protected one at his table to feast
with him eternally”?’
“‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I think that those were the words, or something very
like them, that the Holy One repeated to me. Still I cannot be sure
because my memory is bad, especially where prayers or writings about
the gods are concerned. Since you, Lady, a stranger, know the end of
the charm, doubtless it is a common one worn by thousands between
Thebes and the sea. She whom I have to find not only knows the charm,
but wears its other half, and how to seek her out I cannot think. Can
you help me, Lady?’
“‘Perhaps,’ I answered. ‘Show me this amulet, O Tau.’
“He looked round him to see that we were alone. Then he thrust his
hand into his garments and from somewhere drew out the upper half of a
very ancient tablet carven over with writing, that was fastened about
his neck by a woven string of woman’s hair. This tablet was broken or
sawn asunder in the middle, not straight across but so as to leave a
jagged edge with many points and hollows. I looked at it and knew it
at once, since years before Roy the Hermit and my great-uncle had
given me its counterpart, bidding me send it to him as a token if ever
I had need of help. Then from where it hung upon my breast, I drew out
that counterpart and set it against the half that Tau the Sailor held
before me. Lo! they fitted exactly, since the stone being very hard
had worn but little during the passage of the years.
“Tau looked and nodded his head.
“‘Strange that I should meet you thus, Lady Kemmah, and quite by
chance--oh! quite by chance. Still, the gods know their own business,
so why should we trouble ourselves about such things? Yet there might
be another half that fitted on to this broken charm that has been lent
to me. So before we go farther, tell me the name of the sender and
where he dwells and aught else that you know about him.’
“‘His name is Roy,’ I answered, ‘who in the world was known as Roy the
King’s son, though that king died long ago, and as you have said
yourself, he lives beneath the shadow of the pyramids. For the rest he
is the holy Prophet of a great brotherhood, has a long white beard and
hair, is very handsome and pleasant-spoken; can see in the dark like a
cat because he has dwelt so much among shadows, has knees that are
hornier than the feet of a desert man, because of his continual
kneeling in prayer, and when he thinks that he is alone, converses
much with his own double, the _Ka_ that is always at his side, or
perchance with other ghosts, which tell him everything that passes in
Egypt. At least, such were his appearance and custom many years ago
when he gave me this half of the amulet, but what they are now, I
cannot say.’
“‘The description will serve, Lady. Yes, it will serve well enough,
though now the holy Roy has lost most of the hair from the top of his
head and is too thin to be called handsome, having something of the
air of an ancient and half-famished hawk. Yet without doubt we speak
of the same man, as the joined amulet bears us witness. Therefore,
Lady Kemmah, whom I have met by chance, yes, quite by chance, just by
waiting for you where the holy Roy told me I should do, hearken to my
message!’
“Here, Queen, the manner of this seaman changed, and from being light
and easy like to that of one whose words conceal a jest, became quick
and intent. His pleasant, smiling face changed also, for of a sudden
it seemed to grow fierce and eager, the face of one who has great
things to carry through and whose honour hangs upon their doing.
“‘Listen to me, Nurse of Royal Ones,’ he said. ‘The king whom once you
dandled on your knees lies in his tomb, slain by the Shepherd spears.
Would you see her who is sprung from him and the lady who gave her
birth follow by the same road?’
“‘Your question seems foolish, Tau, seeing that where they go, I must
accompany them,’ I answered.
“‘I know that you would not,’ he went on, ‘and not for your own sake
only. Yet the danger is great. There is a plot to take all three of
you; it was revealed to the holy Roy. In this city dwell traitors who
are parties to the plot. Soon, to-morrow mayhap, or the next day, they
will come to the Queen and tell her that she is in peril and that they
purpose to hide her away in a safe place. If she is persuaded by them,
soon she will find that this safe place is in the prisons of Apepi at
Tanis, if ever she lives to reach them--and then--do you understand?
Or if she is not persuaded, then they will drag her away by force with
the babe and deliver them up to the Shepherds.’
“I nodded my head and answered:
“‘It would seem that time presses. What is your plan, Messenger?’
“‘This: Presently I sail on to the city and there deliver a certain
cargo to merchants who await it. Also I have passengers on board,
travellers from Siout, farmer folk flying from the Shepherds. There
are three of them: a woman of middle age not unlike to you in face and
form, Lady Kemmah, who passes as my sister; a fair young woman who
passes as my wife and nurses in her arms a baby girl of some three
months. As such at least I shall describe them to the officers on the
quay, nor will those two women question my words. Yet being
changeable, they will desert me here for other friends and the place
where they slept will be empty. Again, do you understand, Lady
Kemmah?’
“‘I understand that you propose that the Queen and I and the babe
should take the place of these three upon your boat. If so, when and
how?’
“‘To-night, Lady Kemmah, I am told there is a religious feast in this
city in honour of the god of Nile, to celebrate which hundreds will
row out upon the river bearing lanterns and singing hymns. To avoid
all these craft I purpose to bring my ship back to this wharf, since I
must sail down Nile with the south wind that springs up ere the dawn.
Shall I perchance find two peasant women and a babe waiting among
those palms an hour before the rising of Ra?’
“‘Perchance, Messenger. But tell me, if so, where would that journey
end?’
“‘In the shadow of the Great Pyramids, Lady, where a certain Holy One
awaits them, since he says that although the lodging be poor, there
alone they will be safe.’
“‘That thought has come to me also, Tau. Yet this flight is very
dangerous, and how know I that in it there is not some trap? How know
I that you yourself are not in the pay of the Shepherds, or in that of
the Theban traitors, and sent to tempt us to our doom?’
“‘A wise question,’ he answered. ‘You have the message and you have
the token of the amulet and you have my oath sworn upon the holy name,
to break which will consign me everlastingly to hell. Still, a very
wise question when there is so much at stake, and by the gods, I know
not how to answer it!’
“We stood still awhile, staring at each other, and my heart was full
of doubt and fear. Once we were in this man’s power, what might not
befall us? Or rather what might not befall you, O Queen, and the royal
child, since it is true, Queen, that for myself I cared and care
little.”
“I know it, Kemmah beloved,” answered Rima. “But to your tale. What
happened?”
“This, Queen. Of a sudden Tau the Messenger seemed to grow uneasy.
“‘This place is quiet and lonely,’ he said, ‘yet certainly I feel as
though we were being watched.’
“Now, Queen, we stood back from the private quay by the single palm
that stands in the open place, whither we had withdrawn when we began
to talk, for there we could not be seen from the river and I knew that
none could overhear us. In the hollow to my left stands that old
shrine surmounted by the shattered statue of some god, which once, it
is said, was the gateway of a fallen temple; the same, Queen, in which
you often sit.”
“I know it well, Kemmah.”
“This shrine, Queen, was still half hidden by the morning mist, and
although it was out of earshot, Tau gazed at it earnestly. As he gazed
the mist departed from it like a lifted veil, and following his
glance, I saw that the shrine was not empty, as I had thought. For
there, Queen, kneeling in it as though lost in prayer, was an aged
man. He lifted his head and the full light fell upon his face. Lo! it
was the face of the holy Roy, my great-uncle, somewhat changed since
last I had seen him many years ago when he gave me the half of the
broken amulet, but without doubt Roy himself.”
“‘It seems that here also dwells a hermit, Lady Kemmah, as well as in
the shadow of the pyramids,’ said Tau, ‘and one whom I think I know.
Is yonder man perchance the holy Roy, Lady Kemmah?’
“‘The holy Roy and no other. Why did you not tell me that you had
brought him with you on your ship? It would have saved me much trouble
of mind. I will speak with him at once.’
“‘Aye, speak with him and satisfy your heart as to whether I be a true
man or a false, Lady Kemmah.’
“I turned and ran to the shrine. It was empty! The holy Roy had gone,
nor was there anywhere that he could have hidden himself.
“‘The ways of prophets and hermits are very strange, Lady Kemmah,’
said Tau. ‘Alone of all men, they, or some of them, can be in two
places at once. Now perchance I shall find you to-night, here by this
shrine?’
“‘Yes,’ I answered, ‘I think that you will find us. That is, if the
Queen consents and nothing hinders us, such as death or bonds. But
stay! How can we come by those country women’s garments? There are
none such in the palace, and to send out to buy them might awake
doubts, for the Queen is well watched.’
“‘The holy Roy is very foreseeing,’ said Tau with a smile, ‘or I am;
it matters not which.’
“Then he went to where I first met him and from behind a stone drew a
bundle.
“‘Take this,’ he said. ‘In it I think you will find all that is
needful, clean clothes though rough, that it will be safe even for a
royal babe to wear. Farewell, Lady Kemmah; the river is clear of mist
and I must begone. Guided by the spirit of the holy Roy which, as he
can be in two places at once, doubtless will companion you also, I
will return to find--my sister, my wife, and her infant babe--one,
nay, two hours before to-morrow’s dawn.’
“Then he went, and I went also, full of thoughts. Yet I determined to
say nothing of the matter to you, O Queen, till I heard what answer
those lords made to your prayer to-day.”
“Have you looked in the bundle, Kemmah?” asked the Queen.
“Yes,” answered Kemmah, “to find that all is as this Tau said. There
are two cloaks and other garments such as farmer women use in
travelling, suited to your size and mine, also the winter dress of a
little child.”
“Let us go to look at them,” said the Queen.