"Your Majesty has done strange things to-night," said Asti in her quiet voice.
Tua turned her head and looked at her, then answered:
"Very strange, Nurse. You see, the G.o.ds and that troublesome son of yours and Pharaoh"s sudden sickness threw the strings of Fate into my hand, and--I pulled them. I always had a fancy for the pulling of strings, but the chance never came my way before."
"It seems to me that for a beginner your Majesty pulled somewhat hard,"
said Asti drily.
"Yes, Nurse, so hard that I think I have pulled your son off the scaffold into a place of some honour, if he knows how to stay there, though it was the Council and the lords and the ladies, who thought that _they_ pulled. You see one must commence as one means to go on."
"Your Majesty is very clever; you will make a great Queen--if you do not overpull yourself."
"Not half so clever as you were, Asti, when you made that monkey come out of the vase," answered Tua, laughing somewhat hysterically. "Oh! do not look innocent, I know it was your magic, for I could feel it pa.s.sing over my head. How did you do it, Asti?"
"If your Majesty will tell me how you made the lords of Egypt consent to the sending of an armed expedition to Napata under the command of a lad, a mere captain who had just killed its heir-apparent before their eyes, which decree, if I know anything of Rames, will mean a war between Kesh and Egypt, I will tell you how I made the monkey come out of the vase."
"Then I shall never learn, Nurse, for I can"t because I don"t know. It came into my mind, as music comes into my throat, that is all. Rames should have been beheaded at once, shouldn"t he, for not letting that black boar tusk him? Do you think he poured the wine over Amathel"s head on purpose?" and again she laughed.
"Yes, I suppose that he should have been killed, as he would have been if your Majesty had not chanced to be so fond----"
"Talking of wine," broke in Tua, "give me a cup of it. The divine Prince of Kesh who was to have been my husband--did you understand, Asti, that they really meant to make that black barbarian my husband?--I say that the divine Prince, who now sups with Osiris, drank so much that I could not touch a drop, and I am tired and thirsty, and have still some things to do to-night."
Asti went to a table where stood a flagon of wine wreathed in vine leaves, and by it cups of gla.s.s, and filling one of them brought it to Tua.
"Here"s to the memory of the divine prince, and may he have left the table of Osiris before I come there. And here"s to the hand that sent him thither," said Tua recklessly. Then she drained the wine, every drop of it, and threw the cup to the marble floor where it shattered into bits.
"What G.o.d has entered into your Majesty to-night?" asked Asti quietly.
"One that knows his own mind, I think," replied Tua. "There, I feel strong again, I go to visit Pharaoh. Come with me, Asti."
When Tua arrived at the bedside of Pharaoh she found that the worst of the danger was over. Fearing for his life the physicians had bled him, and now the fit had pa.s.sed away and his eyes were open, although he was unable to speak and did not know her or anyone. She asked whether he would live or die, and was told that he would live, or so his doctors believed, but that for a long while he must lie quite quiet, seeing as few people as possible, and above all being troubled with no business, since, if he were wearied or excited, the fit would certainly return and kill him. So, rejoicing at this news which was better than she had expected, Tua kissed her father and left him.
"Now will your Majesty go to bed?" asked Asti when she had returned to her own apartments.
"By no means," answered Tua, "I wear Pharaoh"s shoes and have much business left to do to-night. Summon Mermes, your husband."
So Mermes came and stood before her. He was still what he had been in the old days when Tua played as an infant in his house, stern, n.o.ble-looking and of few words, but now his hair had grown white and his face was drawn with grief, both for the sake of Rames, whose hot blood had brought him into so much danger, and because Pharaoh, who was his friend, lay between life and death.
Tua looked at him and loved him more than ever, for now that he was troubled some new likeness to Rames appeared upon his face which she had never seen before.
"Take heart, n.o.ble Mermes," she said gently, "they say that Pharaoh stays with us yet a while."
"I thank Amen," he answered, "for had he died, his blood would have been upon the hands of my House."
"Not so, Mermes; it would have been upon the hands of the G.o.ds. You spring from a royal line; say, what would you have thought of your son if after being struck by that fat Nubian, he had cowered at his feet and prayed for his life like any slave?"
Mermes flushed and smiled a little, then said:
"The question is rather---What would you have thought, O Queen?"
"I?" answered Tua. "Well, as a queen I should have praised him much, since then Egypt would have been spared great trouble, but as a woman and a friend I should never have spoken to him again. Honour is more than life, Mermes."
"Certainly honour is more than life," replied Mermes, staring at the ceiling, perhaps to hide the look upon his face, "and for a little while Rames seems to be in the way of it. But those who are set high have far to fall, O Queen, and--forgive me--he is my only child. Now when Pharaoh recovers----"
"Rames will be far away," broke in Tua. "Go, bring him here at once, and with him the Vizier and the chief scribe of the Council. Take this ring, it will open all doors," and she drew the signet from her finger and handed it to him.
"At this hour, your Majesty?" said Mermes in a doubtful voice.
"Have I not spoken," she answered impatiently. "When the welfare of Egypt is at stake I do not sleep."
So Mermes bowed and went, and while he was gone Tua caused Asti to smooth her hair and change her robe and ornaments for others which, although she did not say so, she thought became her better. Then she sat her down in a chair of state in her chamber of audience, and waited, while Asti stood beside her asking no questions, but wondering.
At length the doors were opened, and through them appeared Mermes and the Vizier and the chief of the scribes, both of them trying to hide their yawns, for they had been summoned from their beds who were not wont to do state business at such hours. After them limped Rames, for his wound had grown stiff, who looked bewildered, but otherwise just as he had left the feast.
Now, without waiting for the greetings of ceremony, Tua began to question the Vizier as to what steps had been taken in furtherance of her decrees, and when he a.s.sured her that the business was on foot, went into its every detail with him, as to the ships and the officers and the provisioning of the men, and so forth. Next she set herself to dictate despatches to the captains and barons who held the fortresses on the Upper Nile, communicating to them Pharaoh"s orders on this matter, and the commission of Rames, whereby he, whose hands had done the ill, was put in command of the great emba.s.sy that went to make amends.
These being finished, she sent away the scribe to spend the rest of the night in writing them in duplicate, bidding him bring them to her in the early morning to be sealed. Next addressing Rames, she commanded him to start on the morrow with those troops which were ready to Takensit above the first Cataract of the Nile, which was the frontier fortress of Egypt, and there wait until the remainder of the soldiers joined them, bearing with them her presents to the King of Kesh, and the embalmed body of the Prince Amathel.
Rames bowed and said that her orders should be obeyed, and the audience being finished, still bowing and supported by Mermes, began to walk backwards towards the door, his eyes fixed upon the face of Tua, who sat with bent head, clasping the arms of her chair like one in difficulty and doubt. When he had gone a few steps she seemed to come to some determination, for with an effort she raised herself and said:
"Return, Count Rames, I have a message to give you for the King of Kesh who, unhappy man, has lost his son and heir, and it is one that no other ears must hear. Leave me a while with this captain, O Mermes and Asti, and see that none listen to our talk. Presently I will summon you to conduct him away."
They hesitated, for this thing seemed strange, then noting the look she gave them, departed through the doors behind the royal seat.
Now Rames and the Queen were left alone in that great, lighted chamber.
With bent head and folded arms he stood before her while she looked at him intently, yet seemed to find no words to say. At length she spoke in a sweet, low voice.
"It is many years since we were playmates in the courts of the temple yonder, and since then we have never been alone together, have we, Rames?"
"No, Great Lady," answered Rames, "for you were born to be a queen, and I am but a humble soldier who cannot hope to consort with queens."
"Who cannot hope! Would you wish to then if you could?"
"O Queen," answered Rames, biting his lips, "why does it please you to make a mock of me?"
"It does not please me to do any such thing, for by my father Amen, Rames, I wish that we were children once more, for those were happy days before they separated us and set you to soldiering and me to statecraft."
"You have learnt your part well, Star of the Morning," said Rames, glancing at her quickly.
"Not better than you, playmate Rames, if I may judge from your sword-play this night. So it seems that we both of us are in the way of becoming masters of our trades."
"What am I to say to your Majesty? You have saved my life when it was forfeit----"
"As once you saved mine when it was forfeit, and at greater risk. Look at your hand, it will remind you. It was but t.i.t for tat. And, friend Rames, this day I came near to being eaten by a worse crocodile than that which dwells in the pool yonder."
"I guessed as much, Queen, and the thought made me mad. Had it not been for that I should only have thrown him down. Now that crocodile will eat no more maidens."
"No," answered Tua, rubbing her chin, "he has gone to be eaten by Set, Devourer of Souls, has he not? But I think there may be trouble between Egypt and Kesh, and what Pharaoh will say when he recovers I am sure I do not know. May the G.o.ds protect me from his wrath."