When Rameses on the following morning visited his son, he found Sarah
weeping. He asked what the cause was. She answered at first that
nothing troubled her; then she said that she was sad. At last she fell
at his feet and cried bitterly.
"My lord," whispered she, "I know that thou hast ceased to love me,
but at least avoid danger."
"Who said that I have ceased to love thee?" asked Rameses, astonished.
"Thou hast in thy house three new women--ladies of high family."
"Ah, so that is the trouble?"
"Besides, thou art exposing thyself for a fourth,--a wicked
Phoenician."
The prince was confused. Whence could Sarah know of Kama, and know
that she was wicked?
"As dust squeezes into caskets, so scandals work into the quietest
houses," said Rameses. "Who has spoken to thee of a Phoenician?"
"Do I know who? My heart and an evil omen."
"Then are there omens?"
"Terrible. One old priestess learned, I suppose from a crystal ball,
that we shall all perish through Phoenicians, especially I and--my
son," burst out Sarah.
"And thou who believest in One, in Jehovah, fearest the fictions of
some stupid old woman who is perhaps intriguing? Where is thy great
Deity?"
"My God is only mine, but those others are thine; so I must revere
them."
"Then that old woman spoke to thee of Phoenicians?" asked Rameses.
"She told me long ago, while in Memphis, that I should guard against a
Phoenician woman," answered Sarah. "Here all are speaking of a
Phoenician priestess. I cannot tell; maybe it is only something
wandering in my troubled head. People say even that were it not for
her spell thou wouldst not have sprung into the arena. Oh, if the bull
had killed thee! Even to-day, when I think of the evil which might
have happened, the heart grows cold in my bosom."
"Laugh, Sarah," interrupted Rameses, joyously. "She whom I take to
myself stands so high that no fear should reach her, still less,
stupid scandal."
"But misfortune? Is there a mountain top so high that the missile of
misfortune may not reach it?"
"Thy sickness has wearied thee, and fever has disturbed thy mind; that
is why thou art troubled without reason. Be quiet, and watch over my
son. A man," said he, in deep thought, "be he Greek or Phoenician, can
harm only beings like himself, but not us, who are gods of this
world."
"What didst thou say of a Greek? What Greek?" asked Sarah, alarmed.
"Did I say Greek? I know nothing of a Greek. Such a word may have
slipped from me; perhaps thou didst not hear correctly."
He kissed Sarah and his son, and took farewell of them; but he did not
expel fear.
"We must say once, and decisively," thought he, "that in Egypt no
secret is hidden. The priests and my attendants follow me, even when
they are drunk, or pretend to be, and the serpent eyes of Phoenicia
are gazing at Kama. If they have not hidden her before me thus far,
they must have small regard for her virtue. Moreover, before
whom?--Before me, to whom they themselves discovered the deceptions of
their own temple. Kama will belong to me. They are too much involved
in this to think of bringing my anger on their heads by opposition."
A couple of days later the holy Mentezufis, assistant of the worthy
Herhor, came to the erpatr. Rameses, looking at the pale face and
downcast eyes of the prophet, divined that he too knew of the
Phoenician woman, and perhaps wished, as a priest, to reprimand the
viceroy. But this time Mentezufis did not mention affairs touching the
heart of the heir.
When he had greeted the prince, with an official mien, the prophet
took the seat indicated, and began,--
"From the Memphis palace of the lord of eternity they have informed
me that in recent days the Chaldean high priest Istubar, the court
astrologer and counsellor of his grace King Assar, has come to
Pi-Bast."
The prince desired to tell Mentezufis the reason of Istubar's coming,
but he bit his lips and was silent.
"The renowned Istubar," continued the priest, "has brought documents
in virtue of which the worthy Sargon, a satrap, and a relative of King
Assar, remains with us as ambassador of that mighty sovereign."
The prince was near bursting into laughter. The seriousness with which
Mentezufis had thought fit to lay bare a small part of the secrets
long known to Rameses filled him with contempt and delight also.
"This trickster," thought the prince, "has not an inkling in his heart
that I know all their villainy."
"The worthy Sargon and the revered Istubar," continued Mentezufis,
"will go to Memphis to kiss the feet of his holiness. But first,
worthiness, thou, as viceroy, wilt be pleased to receive both these
dignitaries graciously, and their suite also."
"Very willingly," answered the prince, "and on that occasion I shall
ask them when Assyria will pay the arrears of tribute?"
"Wouldst thou do that, worthiness?" asked the priest, looking him in
the eyes.
"That first of all; our treasury needs tribute."
Mentezufis rose suddenly from his seat, and said, in solemn though
lowered accents,--
"O viceroy of our lord, and giver of life, in the name of his holiness
I forbid thee to speak with anyone of tribute, but, above all, with
Sargon, Istubar, or any man of their suite."
The prince grew pale.
"Priest," said he, standing up also, "on what basis dost thou speak to
me as a superior?"
Mentezufis drew aside his robe, and took from his neck a chain on
which was one of the pharaoh's rings.
The viceroy looked at the ring, kissed it with devotion, returned it
to the priest, and answered,--
"I will fulfil the command of his holiness, my lord and father."
Again both sat down, and the prince asked the priest,--
"Canst thou explain to me, worthiness, why Assyria should not pay us
tribute which would save the state treasury from embarrassment?"
"Because we have not the power to force Assyria to pay us tribute,"
answered Mentezufis, coldly. "We have an army of a hundred and twenty
thousand, Assyria has three hundred thousand warriors. I say this to
thee, worthiness, in perfect confidence, as to a high state official."
"I understand. But why did the ministry of war, in which thou servest,
decrease our valiant army sixty thousand men?"
"To increase the income of his holiness twenty thousand talents,"
replied the priest.
"Aha! Tell me, then, worthiness," continued the prince, "with what
object is Sargon going to the feet of the pharaoh?"
"I know not."
"Aha! But why should I not know,--I, who am heir to the throne?"
"Because there are state secrets which barely a few dignitaries know."
"And which even my most worthy father may not know?"
"Assuredly he may not, for there are things which even his holiness
may not know, since he does not possess the highest priestly
consecration."
"It is wonderful!" said the prince, after some thought. "Egypt is the
property of the pharaoh, and still things may be done in it which are
unknown to him. Explain this to me, worthiness."
"Egypt is first of all, and even only and exclusively, the property of
Amon," said the priest. "There is absolute need, therefore, that only
those should know the highest secrets to whom Amon has declared his
plans and purposes."
The prince, while listening, felt as if people were turning him on a
bed of dagger points under which fire was burning.
Mentezufis wished to rise; Rameses detained him.
"One word more," said he, mildly. "Is Egypt so weak that she cannot
even mention the Assyrian tribute?"
He panted.
"If Egypt is so wretched," continued he, "then what assurance is there
that Assyria will not attack us?"
"We may assure ourselves by a treaty," answered the priest.
The heir waved his hand.
"There are no treaties for the weak!" said he. "Silver tablets
inscribed with agreements will not guard boundaries unless spears and
swords stand behind them."
"But who has told thee, worthiness, that they will not stand on our
land?"
"Thou thyself. One hundred and twenty thousand men must yield before
three hundred thousand. Were Assyrians to come here, Egypt would be
turned into a desert."
Mentezufis' eyes flashed.
"If they were to invade us," cried he, "their bones would never touch
their own country! We should arm all the nobles, all the regiments of
laborers, even convicts in the quarries. We should take the treasures
from all temples. And Assyria would meet five hundred thousand
Egyptian warriors."
Rameses was delighted at this outburst of patriotism in Mentezufis. He
seized him by the hand, and said,--
"Then, if we are able to have such an army, why do we not attack
Babylon? Is not the great warrior Nitager imploring us for years to do
so? Is not his holiness alarmed by the movement in Assyria? If we let
them concentrate their forces, the struggle will be most difficult;
but if we begin ourselves--"
The priest interrupted him,--
"Dost thou know, prince, what a war is to which one must go through a
desert? Who will assure us that before we could reach the Euphrates
half our army and carriers would not perish from hardship?"
"That would be cured by one battle," interrupted Rameses.
"A battle!" repeated the priest. "But does the prince know what a
battle is?"
"I hope so!" replied the heir, striking his sword.
Mentezufis shrugged his shoulders.
"But I say, lord, that thou dost not know what a battle is; thou hast
even an entirely false idea of it from manoeuvres at which thou hast
always been the victor, though more than once thou shouldst have been
conquered."
The prince frowned. The priest put his hand beneath his robe, and said
quickly,--
"Guess what I have in my hand, worthiness."
"What?" repeated Rameses, with astonishment.
"Guess quickly and truly," insisted the priest, "for if thou art
mistaken two of thy regiments perish."
"Thou hast a ring," said the heir, who had grown joyous.
Mentezufis opened his hand; there was a bit of papyrus in it.
"But what have I now?" asked the priest again.
"A ring."
"Well, not a ring, but an amulet of the divine Hator. Dost see, lord,
that is a battle? In time of battle Fate holds out her hand every
moment, and commands us to guess at the very quickest the surprise
inclosed in it. We succeed, or we fail; but woe to the man who fails
oftener than he guesses; and a hundredfold more to those on whom Fate
turns her back and forces into blunders."
"But still I believe, and I feel here," cried the heir, striking his
breast, "that Assyria must be trampled."
"Oh, that the god Amon might speak through thy mouth," said
Mentezufis. "What thou sayst is true; Assyria will be humbled, perhaps
even with thy hands, but not immediately--not immediately."
The priest took farewell; Rameses remained alone. In his head and his
heart raged a hurricane.
"So Hiram was right in saying that they deceive us," thought he. "I am
certain now that our priests have made a treaty with the Chaldeans
which his holiness will be forced to sanction. Has anyone ever heard
of a thing so monstrous? He, the lord of the living, and of the
western world, must sign a treaty invented by intriguers!"
Breath failed him.
"The holy Mentezufis has betrayed himself. It is true, then, that in
case of need Egypt can put forth an army of half a million? I did not
even dream of such forces. Still they think that I fear their fables
about fate, which commands us to solve riddles. Only let me have two
hundred thousand men, trained like Greek and Libyan regiments, and I
would undertake to solve all riddles on earth and in the heavens."
"That is a hot head," thought the worthy Mentezufis, while returning
to his cell,--"a woman hunter, an adventurer, but strong. After the
weak pharaoh of to-day he reminds us rather of Rameses the Great. In
ten years the stars may change; he will ripen and crush Assyria. Of
Nineveh there will remain only ruins, sacred Babylon will find its
true place, and the one supreme God, the God of Egyptian and Chaldean
prophets, will reign from the Libyan desert to the sacred Ganges."
"If our youth would not make himself ridiculous by night pilgrimages
to the Phoenician priestess; if he should be seen in the garden of
Astaroth, or if people should think that the erpatr was inclining his
ear to the faith of Phoenicia-- Not much is needed in Lower Egypt to
reject the ancient gods. What a mixture there is of nations here!"
Some days later the worthy Sargon informed the viceroy officially of
his position as ambassador, declared the wish to salute him, and
begged for an Egyptian escort which might conduct him with all safety
and honor to the feet of the pharaoh.
The prince deferred his answer two days, and appointed an audience to
Sargon at the expiration of two other days. The Assyrian, accustomed
to eastern delay in journeys and business, was offended in no way, and
wasted no time. He drank from morning till evening, played dice with
Hiram and other rich men from Asia. In free moments he slipped away,
like Rameses, to Kama.
As an elderly and a practical man, he offered the priestess rich
presents at every visit. His feelings he explained as follows:--
"O Kama, why sit in Pi-Bast and grow thin here? While young, the
service of Astaroth may please thee; but when old, a wretched fate
will present itself. They will take thy costly robes from thee, and
put a younger woman in the temple; thou wilt earn, then, a handful of
roasted barley by telling fortunes, or by nursing women in childbirth.
Had the gods in punishment created me a woman, I should choose to be
the mother and not the nurse attending her."
"Hence I say," continued Sargon, "leave the temple and join my
household. I will give thee ten talents in gold; I will give forty
cows, and of wheat a hundred measures. The priests will fear
chastisement from the gods, so as to gain from me a better bargain.
But I shall not yield a drachma; I may add, at most, a few sheep to
let them celebrate a solemn service. The heavenly Astaroth will appear
then, and will free thee from vows if I add a gold chain or a goblet."
While listening to these statements Kama bit her lips to restrain
laughter; and he continued,--
"If thou go with me to Nineveh, thou wilt be a great lady. Thou shall
have a palace; I will give thee also horses, a litter, slaves, and
servants. In one month thou wilt pour out on thy person more perfume
than thou offerest here in one year to thy goddess. And who knows,"
concluded he, "thou mayst please King Assar; if so, he would take thee
to his palace. Thou wouldst be the happiest of women, and I should get
back what I had spent on thee."
At the palace of the heir, on the day appointed to receive Sargon,
Egyptian troops were drawn up, and a throng of people were standing
near, eager for spectacles.
The Assyrian retinue appeared about midday, the hour when heat is
greatest. In front marched policemen armed with swords and sticks;
behind them a number of naked swift runners, and three horses. Those
were trumpeters and a herald. At the corner of each street the
trumpeters sounded a signal, and the herald called in a loud voice:
"Behold, Sargon is approaching; the ambassador of the mighty Assar, a
relative of the king, a lord of immense wealth, a conqueror in
battles, a ruler of provinces. Give him, O people, due homage as a
friend of the ruler of Egypt!"
After the trumpeters rode Assyrian cavalry, with pointed caps, in
narrow skirts and jackets. Their shaggy and enduring horses had on
their foreheads and breasts bronze armor patterned as fish-scales.
Next appeared infantry in helmets, and long mantles reaching the
earth. One division was armed with heavy clubs, the next with bows,
the third with spears and shields. Each man had, besides, a sword,
and was armored.
After the soldiers came Sargon's horses, chariots, and litters,
surrounded by servants in white, red, and green garments. After them
came five elephants with litters on their backs; on one rode Sargon,
on another the Chaldean priest Istubar.
The procession was closed by warriors on horseback and on foot, and by
harsh Assyrian music, produced by trumpets, drums, metallic plates,
and pipes squealing shrilly.
Prince Rameses, surrounded by priests, nobility, and officers, dressed
in various colors, and richly, was awaiting the ambassador in the
great hall of audience, which was open on all sides. The heir was
gladsome, knowing that the Assyrians were bringing gifts which, in the
eyes of Egyptians, might pass as tribute. But when he heard the
immense voice of a herald in the court praising the might of Sargon,
he frowned. When the expression flew to his ears, that King Assar was
the friend of the pharaoh, he grew angry. His nostrils dilated like
those of an angry bull, and sparks flashed in his eyeballs. Seeing
this, the officers and nobility began to assume threatening faces, and
put hands to their sword-hilts. The holy Mentezufis noted their looks,
and cried,--
"In the name of his holiness, I command nobles and officers to receive
the worthy Sargon with the respect due a great king's ambassador!"
The heir frowned, and strode impatiently along the raised platform
where his viceregal chair was standing. But the disciplined officers
and the nobles grew silent, knowing that they could not trifle with
the assistant of the war minister.
Meanwhile, in the court the immense and heavily armed Assyrian
warriors stood in three ranks, opposite the half-naked and slender
warriors of Egypt. The two sides looked at each other like a band of
tigers at a herd of rhinoceroses. In the hearts of each ancient hatred
was smouldering. But command towered above hatred.
At that moment the elephants entered, the Egyptian and Assyrian
trumpets roared, the troops of both armies raised their weapons, the
people fell on their faces, while the Assyrian dignitaries, Sargon
and Istubar, were descending from their litters.
In the hall Prince Rameses sat on an elevated chair beneath a
baldachin, while at the entrance door appeared the herald.
"Most worthy lord," said he, turning to the heir, "the ambassador of
the great King Assar, the renowned Sargon, and his associate, the
pious prophet Istubar, desire to salute thee and render thee honor as
viceroy and heir to the pharaoh,--may he live through eternity!"
"Ask those dignitaries to enter and comfort my heart by the sight of
their persons," answered the viceroy.
Sargon entered the hall with a clattering and clinking. He was dressed
in a long green robe, thickly embroidered with gold. At his side, in a
snow-white mantle, walked the devout Istubar, and behind them stately
Assyrian lords carried gifts for the viceroy.
Sargon approached the elevation, and said in the Assyrian language,
which an interpreter repeated in Egyptian immediately,--
"I, Sargon, a leader, a satrap, and a relative of the most mighty King
Assar, come to salute thee, O viceroy of the most mighty pharaoh, and
in sign of eternal friendship I offer gifts to thee."
The heir rested his palms on his knees, and sat as motionless as the
statues of his ancestors.
"Interpreter," said Sargon, "hast thou repeated badly to the prince my
kindly greeting?"
Mentezufis, standing near the elevation, turned toward Rameses.
"Prince," whispered he, "the Lord Sargon is waiting for a gracious
answer."
"Then answer him that I do not understand by what right he speaks to
me as if he were my equal in dignity."
Mentezufis was confused, which still more angered the prince, whose
lips began to tremble; and again his eyes flashed. But the Chaldean,
Istubar, understanding Egyptian, said quickly to Sargon,--
"Let us fall on our faces."
"Why should I fall on my face?" inquired the indignant Sargon.
"Fall, unless thou wish to lose the favor of King Assar, and perhaps
thy head also."
Thus speaking, Istubar lay on the floor at full length, and Sargon
next to him.
"Why should I lie on my belly before that stripling?" muttered Sargon,
indignantly.
"Because he is viceroy," answered Istubar.
"Have I not been viceroy of my lord?"
"But he will be king, and thou wilt not."
"What are the ambassadors of the most mighty King Assar discussing?"
inquired the prince, now satisfied, of the interpreter.
"This: whether they are to show thy worthiness the gifts intended for
the pharaoh, or only to give those sent to thee," replied the dextrous
interpreter.
"I wish to see the gifts intended for his holiness my father," said
the prince, "and I permit the ambassadors to rise."
Sargon rose, purple from rage or weariness, and sat down on the floor
cross-legged.
"I knew not," said he, "that I, a relative and an ambassador of the
great Assar, should be forced to wipe with my garments dust from the
pavement of an Egyptian viceroy."
Mentezufis knew Assyrian, and commanded, without asking Rameses, to
bring immediately two benches covered with cushions, on which sat at
once the panting Sargon and the calm Istubar.
When Sargon had puffed himself quiet, he gave command to produce a
great glass goblet, a steel sword, and to lead up before the entrance
two horses decked with gold housings. When his command was obeyed he
rose and, inclining, addressed Rameses,--
"My lord, King Assar sends thee, O prince, two wonderful horses,--may
they bear thee only to victory! He sends also a goblet,--may gladness
always flow to thy heart from it!--and a sword the like of which thou
wilt not find in the armory of the mightiest ruler."
He drew from its scabbard a rather long sword, shining like silver,
and bent it. The sword bent like a bow, and then sprang out straight
again.
"A wonderful weapon, indeed," said Rameses.
"If thou permit, O viceroy, I will show thee another of its
qualities," said Sargon, who, with the chance to praise Assyrian arms,
which at that time were excellent, forgot his anger.
At his request one of the Egyptian officers unsheathed a bronze sword
and held it as if to attack. Then Sargon raised his steel blade,
struck and cut a slice from the weapon of the other man.
In the hall rose a murmur of astonishment, and an intense flush came
out on the face of Rameses.
"That foreigner," thought he, "took the bull from me in the circus, he
wishes to marry Kama, and now he shows a sword which cuts our blades
into shavings."
And he felt a still deeper hatred toward King Assar, toward all
Assyrians in general, and toward Sargon especially. But he endeavored
to command himself, and with politeness begged the envoy to show those
gifts intended for the pharaoh.
They brought immediately immense packs made of fragrant wood; from one
of these the higher Assyrian officials took articles,--goblets,
pitchers, steel weapons, bows made of goat horns, gilded weapons, and
shields set with jewels.
But the most splendid gift was a model of King Assar's palace in gold
and silver. It looked like three edifices,--the second smaller than
the first, the third smaller than the second; the second built upon
the first, the third upon the second. Each was surrounded thickly by
columns, and instead of a roof had a flat pavement. Each entrance was
guarded by lions or winged bulls with human heads. On both sides of
the stairs stood statues of vassals of the king, bearing gifts; on
both sides of the entrance were carved horses in various positions.
Sargon removed one wall of the model, and showed rich chambers filled
with priceless furniture. Special wonder was roused by the audience
hall, where were figures representing the king on a lofty throne, and
near him courtiers, warriors, and vassals giving homage.
The entire model was as long as twice the height of a man, and almost
as high as the height of one man. The Egyptians whispered that that
gift alone was worth a hundred and fifty talents.
When the packs were carried out, the heir invited the ambassadors and
their retinue to a feast, during which abundant gifts were bestowed on
the Assyrians. Rameses pushed his politeness so far that when one of
the women pleased Sargon the prince presented her to the ambassador,
of course with her consent and the permission of her mother.
The prince was polite and bountiful, but his face was still clouded.
And when Tutmosis asked him if King Assar had not a beautiful palace,
the prince answered,--.
"Its ruins on the ashes of Nineveh would be more beautiful to my
eyes."
At that feast the Assyrians were very abstemious. Notwithstanding the
abundance of wine, they drank little, and did not shout greatly.
Sargon did not even once burst into loud laughter, though that was his
custom; he cast down his eyes and thought deeply.
But the two priests--Istubar, the Chaldean, and Mentezufis, the
Egyptian--were calm, like men to whom the future is known, and who
command it.