On Paofi 12 alarming news went forth from various Egyptian temples.
During a few preceding days an altar was overturned in the temple of
Horus; in the temple of Isis a statue of the goddess shed tears. In
the temple of Amon at Thebes, and from the tomb of Osiris in Dendera,
omens of much evil were given. The priests inferred from infallible
signs that some dreadful misfortune would threaten Egypt before the
month had ended. Hence Herhor and Mefres, the high priests, commanded
processions around the temples and sacrifice in houses.
On Paofi 13 there was a great procession in Memphis: the god Ptah
issued from his temple, and the goddess Isis from hers. Both
divinities moved toward the centre of the city with a very small
assembly of believers, mainly women. But they were forced to withdraw,
for Egyptians reviled them and foreigners went so far as to hurl
stones at the sacred boats of the divinities.
In presence of these abuses the police bore themselves with
indifference, some of them even took part in unseemly jests. During
the afternoon unknown persons told the crowd that the priests would
not permit relief to be given the people and desired a rebellion
against the pharaoh.
Toward evening laborers gathered in crowds at the temples, where they
hissed the priests and abused them. Meanwhile stones were hurled at
the gate, and some criminals openly beat off the nose of Horus who was
on guard at his own entrance.
A couple of hours after sunset the high priests and their most
faithful adherents assembled in the temple of Ptah. The worthy Herhor
was there; so were Mefres, Mentezufis, three nomarchs, and the highest
judge.
"Terrible times!" said the judge. "I know to a certainty that the
pharaoh wishes to rouse a rabble to attack temples."
"I have heard," said the nomarch of Sebes, "that an order has been
sent to Nitager to hurry at the earliest with new troops, as if those
here were insufficient."
"Communication between Upper and Lower Egypt is interrupted since
yesterday," added the nomarch of Aa. "On the roads are posted troops,
and the galleys of his holiness examine every barge sailing on the
river."
"Rameses XIII. is not 'holiness,'" said Mefres, dryly, "for he has not
received a crown from the gods yet."
"All this would be a trifle," said the judge. "Treason is worse. We
have indications that many of the younger priests are favorable to the
pharaoh and inform him of everything."
"There are some even who have undertaken to facilitate the occupation
of the temples by troops," added Herhor.
"Are troops to enter the temples?" exclaimed the nomarch of Sebes.
"They have such an order at least for the 23d," replied Herhor.
"And dost thou speak of this, worthiness, quietly?" inquired the
nomarch of Ament.
Herhor shrugged his shoulders, while the nomarchs exchanged glances.
"I do not understand this," said the nomarch of Aa, almost in anger.
"There are barely a few hundred warriors at the temples, some priests
are traitors, the pharaoh cuts us off from Thebes and is rousing the
people, while the worthy Herhor speaks as though we were invited to a
banquet. Either let us defend ourselves, if that be still possible,
or--"
"Shall we yield to 'his holiness?'" inquired Mefres, with irony.
"We shall have time for that always!"
"But we should like to learn about means of defence," said the nomarch
of Sebes.
"The gods will save those who are faithful to them," answered Herhor.
The nomarch of Aa wrung his hands.
"If I am to open my heart, I must say that I too am astonished at thy
indifference," said the judge. "Almost all the people are against us."
"The common people are like barley in the field, they incline with the
wind."
"But the army?"
"What army will not fall before Osiris?"
"I know," replied the nomarch of Aa, with impatience, "but I see
neither Osiris nor that wind which is to turn the people toward us.
Meanwhile, the pharaoh has attached them by promises, and he will
appear with gifts to-morrow."
"Fear is stronger than promises and gifts," replied Herhor.
"What have they to fear? Those three hundred soldiers of ours?"
"They will fear Osiris."
"But where is he?" asked the indignant nomarch of Aa.
"Ye will see him. But happy the man who will be blind on that day."
Herhor spoke with such calm solemnity that silence settled on the
assembly.
"But what shall we do?" asked the judge after a while.
"The pharaoh," said Herhor, "wishes the people to attack the temple on
the 23d. We must make them attack us on the 20th of Paofi."
"The gods live through eternity!" cried the nomarch of Aa, raising his
hands. "But why should we bring misfortune on our heads, and besides
two days earlier?"
"Listen to Herhor," said Mefres with a voice of decision; "try by all
means that the attack be made on the morning of the 20th."
"But if they beat us in fact?" inquired the judge in confusion.
"If Herhor's spells fail I will call the gods to assist us," replied
Mefres, and in his eyes was an ominous glitter.
"Ah, ye high priests have secrets which ye may not explain to us. We
will do what ye command; we will cause the attack on the 20th. But
remember, on your heads be our blood and the blood of our children."
"So be it! So be it!" cried both high priests together.
Then Herhor added: "For ten years we have governed the state, and
during that time no wrong has happened to any of you, and we have kept
every promise; so be patient and faithful for a few days. Ye will see
the might of the gods and receive your reward."
The nomarchs took farewell of the high priests, not trying even to
hide their own grief and alarm. Only Herhor and Mefres remained. After
a long silence Herhor said,--
"Yes, that Lykon was good as long as he counterfeited the maniac. But
that it should be possible to show him instead of Rameses--"
"If the mother did not detect him," answered Mefres, "the man must
resemble Rameses remarkably. As to sitting on the throne and saying a
few words to those present, he will do that. Moreover, we shall be
there."
"A terribly stupid comedian!" sighed Herhor, rubbing his forehead.
"He is wiser than millions of other men, for he has second sight and
he may render the state immense service."
"Thou art speaking continually, worthiness, of that second sight. Let
me convince myself of it certainly."
"Dost thou wish to do so?" inquired Mefres. "Well, come with me. But by
the gods, Herhor, mention not, even before thy own heart, what thou
shalt witness."
They went beneath the temple of Ptah and entered a large vault where a
lamp was then gleaming. By the feeble light Herhor saw a man sitting
at a table; he was eating. The man wore a coat of the pharaoh's
guardsmen.
"Lykon," said Mefres, "the highest dignitary of the state wishes
evidence of those powers with which the gods have gifted thee."
"Cursed be the day in which the soles of my feet touched your land!"
muttered Lykon, pushing away a plate with food on it. "I should rather
labor in the quarries, and be beaten--"
"There will be time for that always," interrupted Herhor, severely.
The Greek was silent, and trembled suddenly when he saw a dark crystal
globe in the hand of Mefres. He grew pale, his sight became dim, large
drops of sweat came out on his face. His eyes were fixed on one point,
as if fastened to that ball of crystal.
"He is sleeping," said Mefres. "Is this not wonderful?"
"If he is not feigning."
"Punch him, stick him, burn him even," said Mefres.
Herhor drew from under his white robe a dagger and pointed it as if
to strike Lykon between the eyes, but the Greek did not move, even his
eyelids did not quiver.
"Look!" said Mefres, holding the crystal up to Lykon. "Dost thou see
the man who carried off Kama?"
The Greek sprang from his chair, his fists were clenched, and there
was saliva on his lips.
"Let me go!" cried he with a hoarse voice. "Let me go and drink his
blood."
"Where is he now?" inquired Mefres.
"In the villa at the side of the garden next the river. A beautiful
woman is with him."
"Her name is Hebron, and she is the wife of Tutmosis," added Herhor.
"Confess, Mefres, that second sight is not needed to know that."
Mefres closed his thin lips tightly.
"If this does not convince thee, worthiness, I will show something
better," said he at length. "Lykon, find now the traitor who is
seeking the way to the treasure of the labyrinth."
The sleeping Greek looked for a while at the crystal intently, and
answered,--
"I see him--he is dressed in the rags of a beggar."
"Where is he?"
"In the court of the last inn before the labyrinth. He will be there
in the morning."
"How does he look?"
"He has red hair and beard," answered Lykon.
"Well?" inquired Mefres of Herhor.
"Thou hast good police, worthiness," replied Herhor.
"But the overseers of the labyrinth guard it poorly!" said Mefres in
anger. "I will go there to-night with Lykon to warn the local priests.
But if I succeed in saving the treasure of the gods, thou wilt permit
me to become its overseer, worthiness?"
"As thou wishest," answered Herhor with indifference. But in his heart
he added: "The pious Mefres begins at last to show his claws and
teeth. He desires to become only overseer of the labyrinth, and his
ward, Lykon, he would make only--pharaoh! Indeed, to satisfy the greed
of my assistants the gods would have to make ten Egypts."
When both dignitaries had left the vault, Herhor, in the night,
returned on foot to the temple of Isis where he had a dwelling, but
Mefres commanded to make ready a couple of litters on horses. In one
of these the younger priests placed the sleeping Lykon with a bag on
his head; in the other the high priest himself took his place and,
surrounded by a party of horsemen went at a sharp trot in the
direction of Fayum.
On the night between the 14th and 15th Paofi the high priest Samentu,
according to the promise given Rameses, entered the labyrinth by a
corridor known to himself only. He had in his hand a bundle of
torches, one of which was burning, and on his back he carried tools in
a small basket.
Samentu passed very easily from hall to hall, from corridor to
corridor, pushing back with a touch stone slabs in columns and in
walls where there were secret doors. Sometimes he hesitated, but then
he read mysterious signs on the walls and compared them with signs on
the beads which he bore on his neck.
After a journey of half an hour he found himself in the treasure
room,--whence by pushing aside a slab in the pavement he reached a
hall in the lower story. The hall was spacious and its ceiling rested
on a number of short thick columns.
Samentu put down his basket and, lighting two torches, began by the
light of them to read inscriptions on the walls.
"Despite my wretched figure," declared one inscription, "I am a real
son of the gods, for my anger is terrible.
"In the open air I turn to a column of fire, and I am lightning.
Confined I am thunder and destruction, and no building can resist me.
"Nothing can weaken me but sacred water which takes my force away. But
my anger is roused as well by the smallest spark as by a flame.
"In my presence everything is twisted and broken. I am like Typhon,
who overturns the highest trees and lifts rocks from their places."
"In one word, every temple has its secret which others do not know,"
thought Samentu.
He opened one column and took a large pot from it. The pot had a
cover sealed with wax, also an opening through which passed a long
slender cord; it was unknown where this cord ended inside the column.
Samentu cut off a piece, touched the torch with it and saw that the
cord gave out a hiss and burned quickly. Then with a knife he removed
the cover very carefully and saw inside the pot as it were sand and
pebbles of an ashen color. He took out a couple of the pebbles and
going aside touched them with the torch. In one moment a flame burst
forth and the pebbles vanished leaving thick smoke behind and a
disagreeable odor. Samentu took some of the ash-colored sand, poured
it on the pavement, put in the middle of it a piece of the cord which
he had found at the pot, covered all with a heavy stone. Then he
touched the cord with his torch, the cord burned and after a while the
stone sprang up in a flame.
"I have that son of the gods now!" said Samentu smiling. "The treasure
will not be lost."
He went from column to column to open slabs and take out hidden pots.
In each pot was a cord which Samentu cut, the pots he left at one
side.
"Well," said the priest, "his holiness might give me half these
treasures and make my son a nomarch--and surely he will do so, for he
is a magnanimous sovereign."
When he had rendered the lower hall safe in this way Samentu returned
to the treasure chamber, and hence went to the upper hall. There also
were various inscriptions on the walls, numerous columns and in them
pots provided with cords and filled with kernels which burst when fire
touched them. Samentu cut the cords, removed the pots from the
interior of the columns, and tied up in a rag one pinch of the sand.
Then being wearied he sat down to rest. Six of his torches were burnt
now. The night must have been nearing its end.
"I never should have supposed," said he to himself, "that those
priests had such a wonderful agent. Why, with it they could overturn
Assyrian fortresses! Well, we will not tell our own pupils everything
either."
The wearied man fell to thinking. Now he was certain that he would
hold the highest position in Egypt, a position higher than that held
by Herhor. What would he do? Very much. He would secure wealth and
wisdom to his posterity. He would try to gain their secrets from all
the temples and this would increase his power immensely; he would
secure to Egypt preëminence above Assyria.
The young pharaoh jeered at the gods, that would facilitate to Samentu
the establishment of the worship of one god, Osiris, for example; and
the union of Phoenicians, Jews, Greeks, and Libyans in one state with
Egypt.
Together they would make the canal to join the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean. Along that canal they would build fortresses and
concentrate a numerous army--all the trade with unknown nations of the
Orient and the West would fall into the hands of Egyptians.
They would require an Egyptian fleet and Egyptian sailors. But above
all was the need to crush Assyria, which was growing each year more
dangerous. It was imperative to stop priestly greed and excesses. Let
priests be sages, let them have a sufficiency, but let them serve the
state instead of using it for their own profit as at present.
"In the month Hator," thought Samentu, "I shall be ruler of Egypt! The
young lord loves women and warriors too well to labor at governing.
And if he has no son, then my son, my son--"
He came to himself. One more torch had burnt out; it was high time to
leave those underground chambers.
He rose, took his basket and left the hall above the treasure.
"I need no assistance," thought he, laughing. "I have secured
everything--I alone--I, the despised priest of Set!"
He had passed a number of tens of chambers and corridors when he
halted on a sudden. It seemed to him that on the pavement of the hall
to which he was going he saw a small streak of light.
In one moment such dreadful fear seized the man that he put out his
torch. But the streak of light on the pavement had vanished. Samentu
strained his hearing, but he heard only the throbbing of his own
temples.
"That only seemed to me!" said he.
With a trembling hand he took out of the basket a small vessel in
which punk was burning slowly, and he lighted the torch again.
"I am very drowsy," thought he. Looking around the chamber he went to
a wall in which a door was hidden. He pushed a nail; the door did not
slip back. A second, a third pressure--no effect.
"What does this mean?" thought Samentu in amazement.
He forgot now the streak of light. It seemed to him that a new thing,
unheard of, had met him. He had opened in his life so many hundreds of
secret doors, he had opened so many in the labyrinth, that he could
not understand simply the present resistance. Terror seized him a
second time. He ran from wall to wall and tried secret doors
everywhere. At last one opened. He found himself in an immense hall,
filled as usual with columns. His torch lighted barely a part of the
space, the remainder of it was lost in thick darkness.
The darkness, the forest of columns, and above all the strangeness of
the hall gave the priest confidence. At the bottom of his fear a spark
of naive hope was roused then. It seemed to him that since he did not
know the place himself no one else knew it, and that no man would meet
him in that labyrinth.
He was pacified somewhat and felt that his legs were bending under
him; so he sat down. But again he sprang up and looked around, as if
to learn whether danger was really threatening, and whence. From which
of those dark corners would it come out to rush at him?
Samentu was acquainted as no other man in Egypt with subterranean
places, with going astray, and with darkness. He had passed also
through many alarms in his life. But that which he experienced then
was something perfectly new and so terrible that the priest feared to
give its own name to it.
At last, with great effort, he collected his thoughts, and said,--
"If indeed I have seen a light--if indeed some one has closed the
doors, I am betrayed. In that case what?"
"Death!" whispered a voice hidden in the bottom of his soul somewhere.
"Death?"
Sweat came out on his face, his breath stopped. All at once the
madness of fear mastered him. He ran through the chamber and struck
his fist against the wall, seeking an exit. He forgot where he was and
how he had got there; he lost his direction, and even the power of
taking bearings with the bead-string.
All at once he felt that in him were two persons, so to speak: one
really bewildered, the other wise and self-possessed. This wise man
explained to himself that all might be imagination, that no one had
discovered him, that no one was searching, and that he could escape if
he would recover somewhat. But the first, the bewildered man, would
not listen to the voice of wisdom; on the contrary, he gained on his
internal antagonist every moment.
Oh, if he could only hide in some column! Let them seek then-- Though
surely no one would seek, and no one would find him, while
self-command would come again to him.
"What can happen to me here?" said he, shrugging his shoulders. "If I
calm myself they can chase me through the whole labyrinth. To cut off
all the roads there would have to be many thousand persons, and to
indicate what cell I am in a miracle would be needed! But let us
suppose that they seize me. Then what? I will take this little vial
here, put it to my lips, and in one moment I shall flee away so that
no one could catch me--not even a divinity."
But in spite of reasoning, such terrible fear seized the man again
that he put out the torch a second time, and trembling, his teeth
chattering, he pushed up to one of the columns.
"How was it possible--how could I decide to come in here?" thought
Samentu. "Had I not food to eat, a place on which to lay my head? It
is a simple thing, I am discovered! The labyrinth has a multitude of
overseers as watchful as dogs, and only a child, or an idiot, would
think of deceiving them. Property--power! Where is the treasure for
which it would be worth while for a man to give one day of his life?
And here, I, a man in the bloom of existence, have exposed myself."
It seemed to him that he heard heavy knocking. He sprang up and in the
depth of the chamber he saw a gleam of light.
Yes!--a real gleam of light, not an illusion. At a distant wall,
somewhere at the end, stood an open door through which at that moment
armed men were coming in carefully with torches.
At sight of this the priest felt a chill in his feet, in his heart, in
his head. He doubted no longer that he was not merely discovered, but
hunted and surrounded.
Who could have betrayed him? Of course only one man: the young priest
of Set, whom he had acquainted minutely enough with his purposes. The
traitor, if alone, would have had to look almost a month for the way
to the treasure, but if he had agreed with the overseers they might in
one day track out Samentu.
At that moment the high priest felt the impressions known only to men
who are looking at death face to face. He ceased to fear since his
imagined alarms had now vanished before real torches. Not only did he
regain self-command, but he felt immensely above everything living. In
a short time he would be threatened no longer by danger of any sort.
The thoughts flew through his head with lightning clearness and speed.
He took in the whole of his existence: his toils, his perils, his
hopes, his ambitions, and all of those seemed to him a trifle. For
what would it serve him to be at that moment the pharaoh, or to own
every treasure in all kingdoms? They were vanity, dust, and even
worse--an illusion. Death alone was all-mighty and genuine.
Meanwhile the torch-bearers were examining columns most carefully, and
also every corner; they had passed through half the immense hall.
Samentu saw even the points of their lances, and noted that the men
hesitated and advanced with alarm and repulsion. A few steps behind
them was another group of persons to whom one torch gave light.
Samentu did not even feel aversion toward them, he was only curious as
to who could have betrayed him. But even that point did not concern
him over-much, for incomparably more important then seemed the
question: Why must he die, and why had he been brought into existence?
For with death present as a fact a whole lifetime is shortened into
one painful minute even though that life were the longest of all and
the richest in experience.
"Why was he alive? For what purpose?"
He was sobered by the voice of one of the armed men,--
"There is no one here, and cannot be."
They halted. Samentu felt that he loved those men, and his heart
thumped within him.
The second group of persons came up; among them there was a
discussion,--
"How can even thou, worthiness, suppose that some one has entered?"
asked a voice quivering with anger. "All the entrances are guarded,
especially now. And even if any one stole in it would be only to die
here of hunger."
"But, worthiness, see how this Lykon bears himself," answered another
voice. "The sleeping man looks all the time as if he felt an enemy
near him."
"Lykon?" thought Samentu. "Ah, that Greek who is like the pharaoh.
What do I see? Mefres has brought him!"
At this moment the sleeping Greek rushed forward and stopped at the
column behind which Samentu was hidden. The armed men ran after him,
and the gleam of their torches threw light on the dark figure of
Samentu.
"Who is here?" cried, with a hoarse voice, the leader.
Samentu stood forth. The sight of him made such a powerful impression
that the torch-bearers withdrew. He might have passed out between
them, so terrified were they, and no one would have detained him; but
the priest thought no longer of rescue.
"Well, has my man with second sight been mistaken?" said Mefres,
pointing at his victim. "There is the traitor!"
Samentu approached him with a smile, and said,--
"I recognize thee by that cry, Mefres. When thou canst not be a cheat,
thou art merely an idiot."
Those present were astounded. Samentu spoke with calm irony.
"Though it is true that at this moment thou art both cheat and fool. A
cheat, for thou art trying to persuade the overseers of the labyrinth
that this villain has the gift of second sight; and a fool, for thou
thinkest that they believe thee. Better tell them that in the temple
of Ptah there are detailed plans of the labyrinth."
"That is a lie!" cried Mefres.
"Ask those men whom they believe: thee, or me? I am here because I
found plans in the temple of Set; thou hast come by the grace of the
immortal Ptah," concluded Samentu, laughing.
"Bind that traitor and liar!" cried Mefres.
Samentu moved back a couple of steps, drew forth quickly from under
his garment a vial, and said, while raising it to his lips,--
"Mefres, thou wilt be an idiot till death. Thou hast wit only when it
is a question of money."
He placed the vial between his lips and fell to the pavement.
The armed men rushed to the priest and raised him, but he had slipped
through their fingers already.
"Let him stay here, like others," said the overseer of the labyrinth.
The whole retinue left the hall and closed the open doors carefully.
Soon they issued forth from the edifice.
When the worthy Mefres found himself in the court he commanded the
priests to make ready the mounted litters, and rode away with the
sleeping Lykon to Memphis.
The overseers of the labyrinth, dazed by the uncommon events, looked
now at one another, and now at the escort of Mefres, which was
disappearing in a yellow dust cloud.
"I cannot believe," said the chief overseer, "that in our days there
was a man who could break into the labyrinth."
"Your worthiness forgets that this day there were three such,"
interrupted one of the younger priests looking askance at him.
"A--a--true!" answered the high priest. "Have the gods disturbed my
reason?" said he, rubbing his forehead and pressing the amulet on his
breast.
"And two have fled," added the younger priest.
"Why didst thou not turn my attention to that in the labyrinth?" burst
out the superior.
"I did not know that things would turn out as they have."
"Woe is on my head!" cried the high priest. "Not chief should I be at
this edifice, but gatekeeper. We were warned that some one was
stealing in, but now we have let out two of the most dangerous, who
will bring now whomever it may please them--O woe!"
"Thou hast no need, worthiness, to despair," said another priest. "Our
law is explicit. Send four or six of our men to Memphis, and provide
them with sentences. The rest will be their work."
"I have lost my reason," complained the high priest.
"What has happened is over," interrupted the young priest, with irony.
"One thing is certain: that men who not only reach the vaults, but
even walk through them as through their own houses, may not live."
"Then select six from our militia."
"Of course! It is necessary to end this," confirmed the overseers.
"Who knows if Mefres did not act in concert with the most worthy
Herhor?" whispered some one.
"Enough!" exclaimed the high priest. "If we find Herhor in the
labyrinth we will act as the law directs. But to make guesses, or
suspect, any one is not permitted. Let the secretaries prepare
sentences for Mefres and Lykon. Let those chosen hurry after them, and
let the militia strengthen the watch. We must also examine the
interior of the edifice and discover how Samentu got into it, though I
am sure that he will have no followers in the near future."
A couple of hours later six men had set out for Memphis.