Chapter 30

NEXT day Tutmosis, with a great suite of officers and attendants, paid a visit to the Phoenician prince, and invited him to the viceroy.

In the afternoon Hiram appeared before the palace in a simple litter borne by eight poor Egyptians to whom he gave alms. He was surrounded by the most notable Phoenician merchants, and that same throng of people who stood before his house daily.

Ramses greeted with a certain astonishment the old man out of whose eyes wisdom was gazing and in whose whole bearing there was dignity. He bowed gravely before the viceroy, and raising his hands above his head, pronounced a short blessing. Those present were deeply affected.

When the viceroy indicated an armchair and commanded his courtiers to withdraw, Hiram said,

"Yesterday thy servant Dagon informed me that the prince needs a hundred talents. I sent out my couriers at once to Sabne-Chetam, Sethroe, Pi-Uto, and other cities where there are Phoenician ships, asking them to land all their goods. I think that in a day or two Thou wilt receive this small sum."

"Small!" interrupted Ramses, with a smile. "Thou art happy if Thou call a hundred talents a small sum."

Hiram nodded.

"Thy grandfather, worthiness," said he, after a while, "the eternally living Ramses-sa-Ptah, honored me with his friendship; I know also his holiness, thy father may he live through eternity! and I will even try to lay before him my homage, if I be permitted."

"Whence could a doubt arise?" interrupted the prince.

"There are persons," replied the guest, "who admit some to the face of the pharaoh and refuse others but never mind them. Thou art not to blame for this; hence I venture to lay before thee one question, as an old friend of thy father and his father."

"I am listening."

"What means it," asked Hiram, slowly, "that the heir to the throne and a viceroy must borrow a hundred talents when more than a hundred thousand are due Egypt?"

"Whence?" cried Ramses.

"From the tribute of Asiatic peoples. Phoenicia owes five thousand; well, Phoenicia will pay, I guarantee that, unless some events happen. But, besides, Israel owes three thousand, the Philistines and the Moabites each two thousand, the Hittites thirty thousand. Finally, I do not remember details, but I know that the total reaches a hundred and three or a hundred and five thousand talents."

Ramses gnawed his lips, but on his vivacious countenance helpless anger was evident. He dropped his eyes and was silent.

"It is true," said Hiram, on a sudden, and looking sharply at the viceroy. "Poor Phoenicia but also Egypt."

"What dost Thou say?" asked the prince, frowning. "I understand not thy questions."

"Prince, Thou knowest what it is of which I speak, since Thou dost not answer my question," replied Hiram; and he rose as if to withdraw. "Still, I withdraw not my promise. Thou wilt receive a hundred talents."

He made a low bow, but the viceroy forced him to sit down again.

"Thou art hiding something," said Ramses, in a voice in which offence was evident. "I would hear thee explain what danger threatens Egypt or Phoenicia."

"Hast Thou not heard?" asked Hiram, with hesitation.

"I know nothing. I have passed more than a month in the temple."

"That is just the place in which to learn everything."

"Tell me, worthiness," said the viceroy, striking the table with his fist. "I am not pleased when men are amused at my expense."

"Give a great promise not to betray me to any one and I will tell, though I cannot believe that they have not informed the heir of this."

"Dost Thou not trust me?" asked the astonished prince.

"In this affair I should require a promise from the pharaoh himself," answered Hiram, with decision.

"If I swear on my sword, and the standards of my troops, that I will tell no man."

"Enough," said Hiram.

"I am listening."

"Does the prince know what is happening at this moment in Phoenicia?"

"I know nothing of that, even," interrupted the irritated viceroy.

"Our ships," whispered Hiram, "are coming home from all parts of the earth to convey at the first signal our people and treasures to some place beyond the sea to the west."

"Why?" asked the astounded viceroy.

"Because Assyria is to take us under her dominion."

"Thou hast gone mad, worthy man!" exclaimed Ramses. "Assyria to take Phoenicia! But we? Egypt what would we say to that?"

"Egypt has consented already."

Blood rushed to the prince's head.

"The heat has disturbed thy mind, aged man," said he, in a calm voice. "Thou hast forgotten, even, that such an affair could not take place without the pharaoh's permission and mine."

"That will follow. Meanwhile the priests have concluded a treaty."

"With whom? What priests?"

"With Beroes, the high priest of Chaldea, at commission of King Assar," said Hiram. "And who from your side? I will not state to a certainty. But it seems to me that his worthiness Herhor, his worthiness Mefres, and the holy prophet Pentuer."

The prince became pale.

"Consider, Phoenician," said he, "that Thou art accusing of treason the highest dignitaries of Egypt."

"Thou art mistaken, prince, this is no treason: the high priest of Egypt and the minister of his holiness have the right to make treaties with neighboring states. Besides, how dost Thou know, worthiness, that all this is not done with consent of the pharaoh?"

Ramses was obliged to confess in his soul that such a treaty would not be treason, but disregard toward him, the erpatr.

So then the priests treated him in this way, him who might be the pharaoh a year hence? That is why Pentuer criticized war, and Mefres supported him.

"When could that have happened, and where?" asked the prince.

"Very likely they concluded the treaty at night in the temple of Set at Memphis," answered Hiram. "And when? I know not exactly, but it seems to me that it took place when Thou wert setting out from Memphis."

"The wretches!" thought the viceroy. "That is how they respect my position! Some kind god made me doubt in the temple of Hator."

After a time of internal conflict he added,

"Impossible! I shall not believe till proof be given."

"Proof there will be," replied Hiram. "One of these days a great lord will come to Pi-Bast from Assyria, Sargon, the friend of King Assar. He will come under pretext of a pilgrimage to the temple of Astaroth, he will bring gifts to thee and to his holiness; then he will make a treaty. Ye will in fact put seals to that which the priests have determined to the ruin of Phoenicia, and perhaps to your own great misfortune."

"Never! What return could Assyria give Egypt?"

"That speech is worthy of a pharaoh. What return would Egypt get? Every treaty is good for a state if only something be gained through it. I am astonished specially by this," continued Hiram, "that Egypt should conclude a bad transaction: besides Phoenicia, Assyria will take almost all Asia, and to you will be left, in the form of a favor, the Israelites, the Philistines, and the peninsula of Sinai. In that case the tributes belonging to Egypt will be lost, and the pharaoh will never receive those hundred and five thousand talents."

The viceroy shook his head.

"Thou dost not know Egyptian priests," said he; "not one of them would accept such a treaty."

"Why not? The Phoenician proverb says: 'Better barley in the granary than gold in the desert.' Should Egypt feel very weak she might prefer Sinai and Palestine to a war with Assyria. But this is what sets me to thinking: Not Egypt, but Assyria, is easy to conquer. Assyria has a quarrel on the northwest; Assyria has few troops, and those of poor quality. Were Egypt to attack she would destroy Assyria, seize immense treasures in Babylon and Nineveh, and establish her authority in Asia at once and securely."

"Such a treaty cannot exist, as Thou seest," interrupted Ramses.

"In one case alone could I understand such a treaty," continued Hiram. "If 'tis the plan of the priests to set aside kingly power in Egypt; and toward this, O prince, they have been striving since the days of thy grandfather."

"Thou art speaking aside from the question," said Ramses, but he felt alarm in his heart.

"Perhaps I am mistaken," answered Hiram, looking into his eyes quickly. "But hear me out, worthiness."

He moved up his armchair to the prince, and said in a lowered voice,

"If the pharaoh should make war on Assyria, he would have a great army attached to his person; a hundred thousand talents of tribute in arrears, about two hundred thousand talents from Nineveh and Babylon, finally about a hundred thousand talents yearly from conquered countries. Such immense wealth would enable him to redeem the property mortgaged to the priests, and put an end at once and forever to their meddling."

The prince's eyes glittered, and Hiram continued,

"Today the army depends on Herhor, and therefore on the priests; remove the foreign regiments, and the pharaoh, in case of war, could not depend on his warriors.

"Besides, the royal treasury is empty, and the greater part of the pharaoh's property belongs to the temples. He must contract new debts yearly even to maintain his household; and since there will be no Phoenicians among you, ye must borrow of the temples. In this way, when ten years have passed, his holiness may he live through eternity! will lose what is left of his property, and then what?"

On the forehead of Ramses perspiration came out in drops.

"Thou seest then, worthy lord," continued Hiram, "the priests might and even would be forced in one case to accept the most disgraceful treaty with Assyria: if they are working to lower and destroy the power of the pharaoh well, there may be another case: if Egypt were so weak as to need peace at any price."

The prince sprang up.

"Silence!" cried he. "I should prefer treason on the part of my most faithful servants, to such weakness in the country. Egypt yield to Assyria why, a year later Egypt herself would fall under the yoke of Assyria, for by subscribing to such infamy she would confess her own helplessness."

He walked up and down the room, with indignation, while Hiram looked at him with compassion or with sympathy.

All at once Ramses halted before the Phoenician,

"This is false! Some adroit villain has deceived thee, O Hiram, with the semblance of truth, and Thou hast believed him. If such a treaty existed, they would have kept it in the closest secrecy. In the present case one of the four priests whom Thou hast mentioned is a traitor, not only to his own sovereign, but to his co-conspirators."

"There might have been some fifth man who overheard them," interrupted Hiram.

"And who sold the secret to thee?"

"It is a wonder to me," said Hiram, "that the prince has not discovered the power of gold."

"But stop, worthiness, our priests have more gold than thou, though Thou art wealthy beyond the wealthy!"

"Still I am not angry when a drachma comes to me. Why should others refuse a talent?"

"They would because they are servants of the gods," said the prince, passionately; "they would fear divine punishment."

The Phoenician laughed.

"I have seen," said he, "many temples of various nations, and in those temples great and small statues, of wood, stone, and gold even. But gods I have never met."

"Blasphemer!" exclaimed Ramses. "I have seen a divinity, I have felt its hand on my person, I have heard its voice."

"In what place?"

"In the temple of Hator, in its hall of entrance, and in my cell."

"In the daytime?"

"In the night," replied the prince; and he stopped.

"At night the prince heard speeches of the gods, and felt their hands," replied the Phoenician, emphasizing word after word. "At night it is possible to see many things. What happened?"

"In the temple I was seized by the head, by the shoulders, by the legs; and I swear

"Phst!" interrupted Hiram, with a smile. "It is not proper to swear in vain."

He looked fixedly at Ramses with his quick and wise eyes, and seeing that doubt was rising in the young man, he continued,

"I will tell thee something, lord. Thou art inexperienced, though surrounded by a net of intrigues, but I have been the friend of thy grandfather and thy father. Now I will render thee a service: Come in the night to the temple of Astaroth, but bind thyself to keep the secret. Come alone, and Thou wilt be convinced as to who the gods are who speak in the temples and touch us."

"I will come," said Ramses, after some meditation.

"Forewarn me, prince, on the morning of the day, and I will give thee the evening password; Thou wilt be admitted. Only betray neither me nor thyself," said the Phoenician, with a kindly smile. "Men never pardon betrayal of their secrets, though gods pardon sometimes." He bowed, raised his eyes and hands, while he whispered a blessing.

"Deceivers!" cried the prince. "Thou prayest to gods, and dost not believe in them."

Hiram finished the blessing, and said,

"It is true that I have no belief in Egyptian or Assyrian, or even in Phoenician gods, but I believe in One who dwells not in temples and whose name is unknown to us."

"Our priests believe also in One," said Ramses.

"So do the Chaldeans, but they and your priests have conspired against us. There is no truth in this world, prince."

After Hiram's departure the heir shut himself up in the most remote chamber under pretext of reading sacred papyruses.

Almost in the twinkle of an eye the information received recently arranged itself in the fiery imagination of Ramses, and he formed a plan. First of all, he understood that a secret battle for life and death was raging between the priests and the Phoenicians. About what? Naturally about wealth and influence. Hiram said truly, that should the Phoenicians be expelled from Egypt, all the estates of the pharaoh, and even of the nomarchs and the entire aristocracy, would pass into possession of the temples.

Ramses had never liked the priests, and he had known and seen for a long time that the greater part of Egypt belonged to them, that their cities were the richest, their fields the best tilled, their people satisfied. He understood too that one-half the treasures which belonged to the temples would suffice to rescue the pharaoh from ceaseless troubles and give back power to him.

The prince knew this, and more than once he had said so with bitterness. But when through the influence of Herhor he became viceroy and received the corps in Memphis, he grew reconciled with the priests and stifled his previous dislike of them.

All that dislike had revived again.

Not only had the priests not told him of their negotiations with Assyria, they had not even forewarned him of the embassy of Sargon. This question might indeed be the great secret of the state and the temples. But why did they conceal the amount of tributes from various Asiatic nations, unpaid thus far? One hundred thousand talents why, that was a sum which might restore immediately the financial status of the pharaoh! Why had they concealed from him that which even a prince of Tyre knew, a man who was of the council in that city .'

What a shame for him, the heir to the throne, and the viceroy, that his eyes were first opened by foreigners! But there was something worse still: Pentuer and Mef res had proved to him in every way that Egypt must avoid war. In the temple of Hator that emphasis had seemed to him suspicious, since a war might obtain for the state thousands of legions of slaves, and raise the general prosperity of the country. Today this seemed the more necessary since Egypt ought to receive unpaid sums and gain still more tribute.

The prince rested his arms on the table and calculated,

"We," thought he, "should receive a hundred thousand talents. Hiram calculates that the plunder of Nineveh and Babylon would give about two hundred thousand; together, three hundred thousand. With such a sum we might cover the cost of the mightiest war, and there would remain besides several hundred thousand as profit, and captives and a hundred thousand yearly tribute from newly conquered regions. After that," concluded the prince, "we could reckon with the priesthood!"

Ramses was excited. Still reflection came to him,

"But if Egypt was unable to wage a victorious war against Assyria?" His blood boiled at this question. "How Egypt? Why should Egypt not trample Assyria, when he appeared at the head of its armies, he a descendant of Ramses the Great, who had hurled himself single-handed on the Hittite war chariots and scattered them."

The prince could understand everything save this, that man might conquer him and that he could not snatch victory from the greatest enemy. He felt in himself endless daring, and he would have been astounded if any enemy whatever had not fled at sight of his steeds in full onrush. Did not the gods themselves stand on the war-chariot of the pharaoh to defend his shield and smite with heavenly bolts his enemies?

"But what did this Hiram say to me about gods?" thought the prince. "And what will he show me in the temple of Astaroth? We shall see."