"Prince Seti," he said, "after all that I have heard, I find this report of yours strange reading. Moreover, the tenor of it is different indeed to that of those of the Count Amenmeses and the officers. You counsel me to let these Israelites go where they will, because of certain hardships that they have suffered in the past, which hardships, however, have left them many and rich. That counsel I am not minded to take. Rather am I minded to send an army to the land of Goshen with orders to despatch this people, who conspired to murder the Prince of Egypt, through the Gateway of the West, there to worship their G.o.d in heaven or in h.e.l.l.
Aye, to slay them all from the greybeard down to the suckling at the breast."
"I hear Pharaoh," said Seti, quietly.
"Such is my will," went on Meneptah, "and those who accompanied you upon your business, and all my councillors think as I do, for truly Egypt cannot bear so hideous a treason. Yet, according to our law and custom it is needful, before such great acts of war and policy are undertaken, that he who stands next to the throne, and is destined to fill it, should give consent thereto. Do you consent, Prince of Egypt?"
"I do not consent, Pharaoh. I think it would be a wicked deed that tens of thousands should be ma.s.sacred for the reason that a few fools waylaid a man who chanced to be of royal blood, because by inadvertence, he had desecrated their sanctuary."
Now I saw that this answer made Pharaoh wroth, for never before had his will been crossed in such a fashion. Still he controlled himself, and asked:
"Do you then consent, Prince, to a gentler sentence, namely that the Hebrew people should be broken up; that the more dangerous of them should be sent to labour in the desert mines and quarries, and the rest distributed throughout Egypt, there to live as slaves?"
"I do not consent, Pharaoh. My poor counsel is written in yonder roll and cannot be changed."
Meneptah"s eyes flashed, but again he controlled himself, and asked:
"If you should come to fill this place of mine, Prince Seti, tell us, here a.s.sembled, what policy will you pursue towards these Hebrews?"
"That policy, O Pharaoh, which I have counselled in the roll. If ever I fill the throne, I shall let them go whither they will, taking their goods with them."
Now all those present stared at him and murmured. But Pharaoh rose, shaking with wrath. Seizing his robe where it was fastened at the breast, he rent it, and cried in a terrible voice:
"Hear him, ye G.o.ds of Egypt! Hear this son of mine who defies me to my face and would set your necks beneath the heel of a stranger G.o.d. Prince Seti, in the presence of these royal ones, and these my councillors, I----"
He said no more, for the Princess Userti, who till now had remained silent, ran to him, and throwing her arms about him, began to whisper in his ear. He hearkened to her, then sat himself down, and spoke again:
"The Princess brings it to my mind that this is a great matter, one not to be dealt with hastily. It may happen that when the Prince has taken counsel with her, and with his own heart, and perchance has sought the wisdom of the G.o.ds, he will change the words which have pa.s.sed his lips.
I command you, Prince, to wait upon me here at this same hour on the third day from this. Meanwhile, I command all present, upon pain of death, to say nothing of what has pa.s.sed within these walls."
"I hear Pharaoh," said the Prince, bowing.
Meneptah rose to show that the Council was discharged, when the Vizier Nehesi approached him, and asked:
"What of the Hebrew prisoners, O Pharaoh, those murderers who were captured in the pa.s.s?"
"Their guilt is proved. Let them be beaten with rods till they die, and if they have wives or children, let them be seized and sold as slaves."
"Pharaoh"s will be done!" said the Vizier.
CHAPTER IX
THE SMITING OF AMON
That evening I sat ill at ease in my work-chamber in Seti"s palace, making pretence to write, I who felt that great evils threatened my lord the Prince, and knew not what to do to turn them from him. The door opened, and old Pambasa the chamberlain appeared and addressed me by my new t.i.tles, saying that the Hebrew lady Merapi, who had been my nurse in sickness, wished to speak with me. Presently she came and stood before me.
"Scribe Ana," she said, "I have but just seen my uncle Jabez, who has come, or been sent, with a message to me," and she hesitated.
"Why was he sent, Lady? To bring you news of Laban?"
"Not so. Laban has fled away and none know where he is, and Jabez has only escaped much trouble as the uncle of a traitress by undertaking this mission."
"What is the mission?"
"To pray me, if I would save myself from death and the vengeance of G.o.d, to work upon the heart of his Highness, which I know not how to do----"
"Yet I think you might find means, Merapi."
"----save through you, his friend and counsellor," she went on, turning away her face. "Jabez has learned that it is in the mind of Pharaoh utterly to destroy the people of Israel."
"How does he know that, Merapi?"
"I cannot say, but I think all the Hebrews know. I knew it myself though none had told me. He has learned also that this cannot be done under the law of Egypt unless the Prince who is heir to the throne and of full age consents. Now I am come to pray you to pray the Prince not to consent."
"Why not pray to the Prince yourself, Merapi----" I began, when from the shadows behind me I heard the voice of Seti, who had entered by the private door bearing some writings in his hand, saying:
"And what prayer has the lady Merapi to make to me? Nay, rise and speak, Moon of Israel."
"O Prince," she pleaded, "my prayer is that you will save the Hebrews from death by the sword, as you alone have the power to do."
At this moment the doors opened and in swept the royal Userti.
"What does this woman here?" she asked.
"I think that she came to see Ana, wife, as I did, and as doubtless you do. Also being here she prays me to save her people from the sword."
"And I pray you, husband, to give her people to the sword, which they have earned, who would have murdered you."
"And been paid, everyone of them, Userti, unless some still linger beneath the rods," he added with a shudder. "The rest are innocent--why should they die?"
"Because your throne hangs upon it, Seti. I say that if you continue to thwart the will of Pharaoh, as by the law of Egypt you can do, he will disinherit you and set your cousin Amenmeses in your place, as by the law of Egypt he can do."
"I thought it, Userti. Yet why should I turn my back upon the right over a matter of my private fortunes? The question is--is it the right?"
She stared at him in amazement, she who never understood Seti and could not dream that he would throw away the greatest throne in all the world to save a subject people, merely because he thought that they should not die. Still, warned by some instinct, she left the first question unanswered, dealing only with the second.
"It is the right," she said, "for many reasons whereof I need give but one, for in it lie all the others. The G.o.ds of Egypt are the true G.o.ds whom we must serve and obey, or perish here and hereafter. The G.o.d of the Israelites is a false G.o.d and those who worship him are heretics and by their heresy under sentence of death. Therefore it is most right that those whom the true G.o.ds have condemned should die by the swords of their servants."
"That is well argued, Userti, and if it be so, mayhap my mind will become as yours in this matter, so that I shall no longer stand between Pharaoh and his desire. But is it so? There"s the problem. I will not ask you why you say that the G.o.ds of the Egyptians are the true G.o.ds, because I know what you would answer, or rather that you could give no answer. But I will ask this lady whether her G.o.d is a false G.o.d, and if she replies that he is not, I will ask her to prove this to me if she can. If she is able to prove it, then I think that what I said to Pharaoh to-day I shall repeat three days hence. If she is not able to prove it, then I shall consider very earnestly of the matter. Answer now, Moon of Israel, remembering that many thousands of lives may hang on what you say."
"O your Highness," began Merapi. Then she paused, clasped her hands and looked upwards. I think that she was praying, for her lips moved. As she stood thus I saw, and I think Seti saw also, a very wonderful light grow on her face and gather in her eyes, a kind of divine fire of inspiration and resolve.
"How can I, a poor Hebrew maiden, prove to your Highness that my G.o.d is the true G.o.d and that the G.o.ds of Egypt are false G.o.ds? I know not, and yet, is there any one G.o.d among all the many whom you worship, whom you are prepared to set up against him?"
"Of a surety, Israelite," answered Userti. "There is Amon-Ra, Father of the G.o.ds, of whom all other G.o.ds have their being, and from whom they draw their strength. Yonder his statue sits in the sanctuary of his ancient temple. Let your G.o.d stir him from his place! But what will you bring forward against the majesty of Amon-Ra?"
"My G.o.d has no statues, Princess, and his place is in the hearts of men, or so I have been taught by his prophets. I have nothing to bring forward in this war save that which must be offered in all wars--my life."