Chapter 29

THE prince journeyed on horseback in company with a number of officers to Pi-Bast, the famous capital of the province of Habu.

The month Paoni had passed, Epiphi was beginning (April and May). The sun stood high, heralding the most violent season of heat for Egypt. A mighty wind from the desert had blown in repeatedly; men and beasts fell because of heat, and on fields and trees a gray dust had begun to settle under which vegetation was dying.

Roses had been harvested and turned into oil; wheat had been gathered as well as the second crop of clover. The sweeps and buckets moved with double energy, irrigating the earth with dirty water to fit it for new seed. Men had begun to gather grapes and figs. The Nile had fallen, water in canals was low and of evil odor. Above the whole country a fine dust was borne along in a deluge of burning sun-rays.

In spite of this Prince Ramses rode on and felt gladsome. The life of a penitent in the temple had grown irksome; he yearned for feasts, uproar, and women.

Meanwhile the country, intersected with a net of canals, though flat and monotonous, was pleasing. In the province of Habu lived people of another origin: not the old Egyptians, but descendants of the valiant Hyksos, who on a time had conquered Egypt and governed that laud for a number of generations.

The old Egyptians despised this remnant of a conquering race expelled from power afterward, but Ramses looked on them with satisfaction. They were large and strong, their bearing was proud, and there was manly energy in their faces. They did not fall prostrate before the prince and his officers, like Egyptians, but looked at him without dislike, but also without timidity. Neither were their shoulders covered with scars from beating; the scribes respected them because they knew that if a Hyksos were beaten he would return the blows, and might kill the man who gave them. Moreover the Hyksos enjoyed the pharaoh's favor, for their people furnished the choicest warriors.

As the retinue of the heir approached Pi-Bast, whose temples and palaces were visible through the haze of dust, as through a veil of muslin, the neighborhood grew more active. Along the broad highway and the canals men were taking to market cattle, wheat, fruit, wine, flowers, bread, and a multitude of other articles of daily consumption. The torrent of people and goods moving toward the city was as noisy and dense as that outside Memphis in the holiday season. Around Pi-Bast reigned throughout the whole year the uproar of a market-day, which ceased only in the night time.

The cause of this was simple. In that city stood the renowned and ancient temple of Astarte. This temple was revered throughout Western Asia and attracted throngs of pilgrims. It could be said without exaggeration that outside Pi-Bast thirty thousand strangers camped daily, Arabs, Phoenicians, Jews, Philistines, Hittites, Assyrians, and others. The Egyptian government bore itself kindly toward these pilgrims, who brought it a considerable income; the priests endured them, and the people of neighboring provinces carried on an active trade with them.

For the space of an hour's journey from Pi-Bast the mud huts and tents of strangers covered the open country. As one neared the city, those huts increased in number and transient inhabitants swarmed more and more densely around them. Some were preparing food under the open sky, others were purchasing provisions which came in continually, still others were going in procession to the temple. Here and there were large crowds before places of amusement, where beast-tamers, serpent- charmers, athletes, female dancers, and jugglers exhibited their adroitness.

Above all this multitude of people were heat and uproar.

Before the gate of the city Ramses was greeted by his court and by the nomarch of Habu surrounded by his officials. But the greeting, despite cordiality, was so cold that the astonished viceroy, whispered to Tutmosis,

"What does this mean, that he looks on me as if I had come to measure out punishment?"

"Because Thou hast the face of a man who has been associating with divinity."

He spoke truth. Whether because of ascetic life, or the society of priests, or of long meditation, the prince had changed greatly. He had grown thin, his complexion had darkened, and in his face and bearing much dignity was evident. In the course of weeks he had grown some years older.

On one of the main streets of the city there was such a dense throng of people that the police had to open a way for the heir and his retinue. But these people did not greet the prince; they had merely gathered around a small palace as if waiting for some person.

"What is this?" asked Ramses of the nomarch, for this indifference of the throng touched the prince disagreeably.

"Here dwells Hiram," answered the nomarch, "a prince of Tyre, a man of great charity. Every day he distributes bountiful alms, therefore poor people rush to him."

Ramses turned on his horse, looked, and said,

"I see there laborers of the pharaoh. So they too go for alms to the rich Phoenician?"

The nomarch was silent. Happily they approached the official palace, and the prince forgot Hiram.

Feasts in honor of the viceroy continued a number of days in succession, but they did not please him. Gladness was lacking and disagreeable incidents happened.

One day a favorite of the prince was dancing before him; she burst into tears. Ramses seized her in his arms, and asked what her trouble was.

At first she hesitated, but emboldened by the kindness of her lord, she answered, shedding tears in still greater abundance,

"We are thy women, O ruler, we come from great families, and respect is due to us."

"Thou speakest truth," said Ramses.

"Meanwhile thy treasurer stints us in allowance, and would deprive us of serving-maids, without whom we cannot bathe or dress our hair."

Ramses summoned his treasurer, and commanded sternly that his women should have all that belonged to their birth and position. The treasurer fell on his face before the prince, and promised to carry out all commands of the women. A couple of days later, a rebellion broke out among the court slaves, who complained that their wine had been taken. The heir ordered to give them wine. But during a review two days later a deputation from the regiments came to the viceroy with a most humble complaint, that their rations of meat and bread were diminished. The prince commanded that those petitioners be satisfied.

Still, two days later a great uproar at the palace roused him in the morning. Ramses inquired what the cause was; the officer on duty explained that the pharaoh's laborers had assembled and asked for arrears due them.

They summoned the treasurer, whom the prince attacked in great anger.

"What is going on here?" cried he. "Since my return there is no day without complaints of injustice. If anything like this is repeated, I shall order an inquiry and put an end to thy management."

The trembling treasurer fell on his face again, and groaned,

"Slay me, lord! But what am I to do when thy treasury, thy granaries, and thy storehouses are empty?"

In spite of his anger the prince thought that the treasurer might be innocent. He commanded him to withdraw, and then summoned Tutmosis.

"Listen to me," said Ramses to the favorite, "things are done here which I do not understand, and to which I am not accustomed. My women, the slaves, the army, the pharaoh's workmen do not receive what is due them, or their supplies are curtailed. When I asked the treasurer what this means, he answered that the treasury and the storehouses are empty."

"He told truth."

"How is that?" burst out the prince. "For my journey his holiness assigned two hundred talents in gold and goods. Can it be that all this is expended?"

"Yes," answered Tutmosis.

"How is that?" cried the viceroy. "Did not the nomarchs entertain us all the way?"

"Yes, but we paid them for doing so."

"Then they are rogues and robbers if they receive us as guests and then plunder us."

"Be not angry, and I will explain."

"Sit down."

Tutmosis took a seat.

"Dost Thou know," asked he, "that for a month past I have eaten food from thy kitchen, drunk wine from thy pitchers, and dressed from thy wardrobe?"

"Thou hast a right to that privilege."

"But I have never acted thus hitherto. I have lived, dressed, and amused myself at my own expense, so as not to burden thy treasury. It is true that Thou hast paid my debts more than once, but that was only a part of my outlay."

"Never mind the debts!"

"In a similar condition," continued Tutmosis, "are some tens of noble youths of thy court. They maintained themselves so as to uphold the splendor of the government; but now, like myself, they live at thy expense, for they have nothing to pay with."

"Sometime I will reward them."

"Now," continued Tutmosis, "we take from thy treasury, for want is oppressing us; the nomarchs do the same. If they had means they would give feasts and receptions at their own cost; but as they have not the means they receive recompense. Wilt Thou call them rogues now?"

"I condemned them too harshly. Anger, like smoke, covered my eyes," said Ramses. "I am ashamed of my words; none the less I wish that neither courtiers, soldiers, nor working men should suffer injustice. But since my means are exhausted it will be necessary to borrow. Would a hundred talents suffice? What thinkest thou?"

"I think that no one would lend us a hundred talents," whispered Tutmosis.

The viceroy looked at him haughtily.

"Is that a fit answer to the son of a pharaoh?" asked he.

"Dismiss me from thy presence," said Tutmosis, sadly, "but I have told the truth. At present no one will make us a loan, for there is no one to do so."

"What is Dagon for?" wondered the prince. "He is not near my court; is he dead?"

"Dagon is in Pi-Bast, but he spends whole days with other Phoenician merchants in the temple of Astarte in prayer and penance."

"Why such devotion? Is it because that I was in a temple that my banker thinks he too should take counsel of the gods?"

Tutmosis turned on the stool.

"The Phoenicians," said he, "are alarmed; they are even crushed by the news."

"About what?"

"Some one has spread the report, worthiness, that when Thou shalt mount the throne all Phoenicians will be expelled and their property confiscated."

"Well, they have time enough before that," laughed Ramses.

Tutmosis hesitated further. "They say," continued he, in a lowered voice, "that in recent days the health of his holiness may he live through eternity! has failed notably."

"That is untrue!" interrupted the prince, in alarm. "I should know of it."

"But the priests are performing religious services in secret for the return of health to the pharaoh. I know this to a certainty.'"'

The prince was astonished.

"How! my father seriously ill, the priests are praying for him, but tell me nothing?"

"They say that the illness of his holiness may last a year."

"Oh, Thou hearest fables and art disturbing me. Better tell me about the Phoenicians."

"I have heard," said Tutmosis, "only what every one has heard, that while in the temple Thou wert convinced of the harm done by Phoenicians, and didst bind thyself to expel them."

"In the temple?" repeated the heir. "But who knows what that is of which I convinced myself in the temple, and what I decided to do?"

Tutmosis shrugged his shoulders, and was silent.

"Was there treason, too, in the temple?" thought the prince. "Summon Dagon in every case," said he, aloud. "I must know the source of these lies, and by the gods, I will end them."

"Thou wilt do well, for all Egypt is frightened. Even today there is no one to lend money, and if those reports continue all commerce will cease. Our aristocracy have fallen into trouble from which none see the issue, and even thy court is in want. A month hence the same thing may happen in the palace of his holiness."

"Silence!" interrupted the prince, "and call Dagon this moment."

Tutmosis ran out, but the banker appeared no earlier than evening. Around a white mantle he wore a black belt.

"Hast Thou gone mad?" cried the heir, at sight of this. "I will drive off thy sadness immediately. I need a hundred talents at once. Go, and show thyself not till Thou bring them."

The banker covered his face and wept.

"What does this mean?" asked the prince, quickly.

"Lord," exclaimed Dagon, as he fell on his knees, "seize all my property, sell me and my family. Take everything, even our lives but a hundred talents where could I find wealth like that? Neither in Egypt nor Phoenicia," continued he, sobbing.

"Set has seized thee, O Dagon," laughed the heir. "Couldst Thou believe that I thought of expelling thy Phoenicians?"

The banker fell at the prince's feet a second time.

"I know nothing I am a common merchant, and thy slave as many days as there are between the new and the full moon would suffice to make dust of me and spittle of my property."

"But explain what this means," said the prince, again impatient.

"I cannot explain anything, and even were I able I have a great seal on my lips. I do nothing now but pray and lament."

"Do the Phoenicians pray also?" thought the prince.

"Unable to render any service," continued Dagon, "I will give good counsel at least. There is here in Pi-Bast a renowned Syrian, Prince Hiram, an old man, wise and tremendously wealthy. Summon him, Erpatr, ask of him a hundred talents; perhaps he will be able to gratify thee."

Since Ramses could get no explanations from the banker, he dismissed him, and promised to send an embassy to Hiram.