Chapter 35

When Ramses on the following morning visited his son, he found Sarah weeping. He asked what the cause was. She answered at first that nothing troubled her; then she said that she was sad. At last she fell at his feet and cried bitterly.

"My lord," whispered she, "I know that Thou hast ceased to love me, but at least avoid danger."

"Who said that I have ceased to love thee?" asked Ramses, astonished.

"Thou hast in thy house three new women, ladies of high family."

"Ah, so that is the trouble?"

"Besides, Thou art exposing thyself for a fourth, a wicked Phoenician."

The prince was confused. Whence could Sarah know of Kama, and know that she was wicked?

"As dust squeezes into caskets, so scandals work into the quietest houses," said Ramses. "Who has spoken to thee of a Phoenician?"

"Do I know who? My heart and an evil omen."

"Then are there omens?"

"Terrible. One old priestess learned, I suppose from a crystal ball, that we shall all perish through Phoenicians, especially I and my son," burst out Sarah.

"And Thou who believest in One, in Jehovah, fearest the fictions of some stupid old woman who is perhaps intriguing? Where is thy great Deity?"

"My God is only mine, but those others are thine; so I must revere them."

"Then that old woman spoke to thee of Phoenicians?" asked Ramses.

"She told me long ago, while in Memphis, that I should guard against a Phoenician woman," answered Sarah. "Here all are speaking of a Phoenician priestess. I cannot tell; maybe it is only something wandering in my troubled head."

"People say even that were it not for her spell Thou wouldst not have sprung into the arena. Oh, if the bull had killed thee! Even today, when I think of the evil which might have happened, the heart grows cold in my bosom."

"Laugh, Sarah," interrupted Ramses, joyously. "She whom I take to myself stands so high that no fear should reach her, still less, stupid scandal."

"But misfortune? Is there a mountain top so high that the missile of misfortune may not reach it?"

"Thy sickness has wearied thee, and fever has disturbed thy mind; that is why Thou art troubled without reason. Be quiet, and watch over my son. A man," said he, in deep thought, "be he Greek or Phoenician, can harm only beings like himself, but not us, who are gods of this world."

"What didst Thou say of a Greek? What Greek?" asked Sarah, alarmed.

"Did I say Greek? I know nothing of a Greek. Such a word may have slipped from me; perhaps Thou didst not hear correctly."

He kissed Sarah and his son, and took farewell of them; but he did not expel fear.

"We must say once, and decisively," thought he, "that in Egypt no secret is hidden. The priests and my attendants follow me, even when they are drunk, or pretend to be, and the serpent eyes of Phoenicia are gazing at Kama. If they have not hidden her before me thus far, they must have small regard for her virtue. Moreover, before whom? Before me, to whom they themselves discovered the deceptions of their own temple. Kama will belong to me. They are too much involved in this to think of bringing my auger on their heads by opposition."

A couple of days later the holy Mentezufis, assistant of the worthy Herhor, came to the erpatr. Ramses, looking at the pale face and downcast eyes of the prophet, divined that he too knew of the Phoenician woman, and perhaps wished, as a priest, to reprimand the viceroy. But this time Mentezufis did not mention affairs touching the heart of the heir.

When he had greeted the prince, with an official mien, the prophet took the seat indicated, and began,

"From the Memphis palace of the lord of eternity they have informed me that in recent days the Chaldean high priest Istubar, the court astrologer and counselor of his grace King Assar, has come to Pi-Bast."

The prince desired to tell Mentezufis the reason of Istubar's coming, but he bit his lips and was silent.

"The renowned Istubar," continued the priest, "has brought documents in virtue of which the worthy Sargon, a satrap, and a relative of King Assar, remains with us as ambassador of that mighty sovereign."

The prince was near bursting into laughter. The seriousness with which Mentezufis had thought fit to lay bare a small part of the secrets long known to Ramses filled him with contempt and delight also.

"This trickster," thought the prince, "has not an inkling in his heart that I know all their villainy."

"The worthy Sargon and the revered Istubar," continued Mentezufis, "will go to Memphis to kiss the feet of his holiness. But first, worthiness, thou, as viceroy, wilt be pleased to receive both these dignitaries graciously, and their suite also."

"Very willingly," answered the prince, "and on that occasion I shall ask them when Assyria will pay the arrears of tribute?"

"Wouldst Thou do that, worthiness?" asked the priest, looking him in the eyes.

"That first of all; our treasury needs tribute."

Mentezufis rose suddenly from his seat, and said, in solemn though lowered accents,

"O viceroy of our lord, and giver of life, in the name of his holiness I forbid thee to speak with anyone of tribute, but, above all, with Sargon, Istubar, or any man of their suite."

The prince grew pale.

"Priest," said he, standing up also, "on what basis dost Thou speak to me as a superior?"

Mentezufis drew aside his robe, and took from his neck a chain on which was one of the pharaoh's rings.

The viceroy looked at the ring, kissed it with devotion, returned it to the priest, and answered,

"I will fulfill the command of his holiness, my lord and father."

Again both sat down, and the prince asked the priest,

"Canst Thou explain to me, worthiness, why Assyria should not pay us tribute which would save the state treasury from embarrassment?"

"Because we have not the power to force Assyria to pay us tribute," answered Mentezufis, coldly. "We have an army of a hundred and twenty thousand, Assyria has three hundred thousand warriors. I say this to thee, worthiness, in perfect confidence, as to a high state official."

"I understand. But why did the ministry of war, in which Thou servest, decrease our valiant army sixty thousand men?"

"To increase the income of his holiness twenty thousand talents," replied the priest.

"Aha! Tell me, then, worthiness," continued the prince, "with what object is Sargon going to the feet of the pharaoh?"

"I know not."

"Aha! But why should I not know, I, who am heir to the throne?"

"Because there are state secrets which barely a few dignitaries know."

"And which even my most worthy father may not know?"

"Assuredly he may not, for there are things which even his holiness may not know, since he does not possess the highest priestly consecration."

"It is wonderful!" said the prince, after some thought. "Egypt is the property of the pharaoh, and still things may be done in it which are unknown to him. Explain this to me, worthiness."

"Egypt is first of all, and even only and exclusively, the property of Amon," said the priest. "There is absolute need, therefore, that only those should know the highest secrets to whom Amon has declared his plans and purposes."

The prince, while listening, felt as if people were turning him on a bed of dagger points under which fire was burning.

Mentezufis wished to rise; Ramses detained him.

"One word more," said he, mildly. "Is Egypt so weak that she cannot even mention the Assyrian tribute?"

He panted.

"If Egypt is so wretched," continued he, "then what assurance is there that Assyria will not attack us?"

"We may assure ourselves by a treaty," answered the priest.

The heir waved his hand.

"There are no treaties for the weak!" said he. "Silver tablets inscribed with agreements will not guard boundaries unless spears and swords stand behind them."

"But who has told thee, worthiness, that they will not stand on our land?"

"Thou thyself. One hundred and twenty thousand men must yield before three hundred thousand. Were Assyrians to come here, Egypt would be turned into a desert."

Mentezufis eyes flashed.

"If they were to invade us," cried he, "their bones would never touch their own country! We should arm all the nobles, all the regiments of laborers, even convicts in the quarries. We should take the treasures from all temples. And Assyria would meet five hundred thousand Egyptian warriors."

Ramses was delighted at this outburst of patriotism in Mentezufis. He seized him by the hand, and said,

"Then, if we are able to have such an army, why do we not attack Babylon? Is not the great warrior Nitager imploring us for years to do so? Is not his holiness alarmed by the movement in Assyria? If we let them concentrate their forces, the struggle will be most difficult; but if we begin ourselves."

The priest interrupted him,

"Dost Thou know, prince, what a war is to which one must go through a desert? Who will assure us that before we could reach the Euphrates half our army and carriers would not perish from hardship?"

"That would be cured by one battle," interrupted Ramses.

"A battle!" repeated the priest. "But does the prince know what a battle is?"

"I hope so!" replied the heir, striking his sword.

Mentezufis shrugged his shoulders.

"But I say, lord, that Thou dost not know what a battle is; Thou hast even an entirely false idea of it from maneuvers at which Thou hast always been the victor, though more than once Thou shouldst have been conquered."

The prince frowned. The priest put his hand beneath his robe, and said quickly,

"Guess what I have in my hand, worthiness."

"What?" repeated Ramses, with astonishment.

"Guess quickly and truly," insisted the priest, "for if Thou art mistaken two of thy regiments perish."

"Thou hast a ring," said the heir, who had grown joyous.

Mentezufis opened his hand; there was a bit of papyrus in it.

"But what have I now?" asked the priest again.

"A ring."

"Well, not a ring, but an amulet of the divine Hator. Dost see, lord, that is a battle? In time of battle Fate holds out her hand every moment, and commands us to guess at the very quickest the surprise enclosed in it. We succeed, or we fail; but woe to the man who fails oftener than he guesses; and a hundredfold more to those on whom Fate turns her back and forces into blunders."

"But still I believe, and I feel here," cried the heir, striking his breast, "that Assyria must be trampled."

"Oh, that the god Amon might speak through thy mouth," said Mentezufis. "What Thou sayst is true; Assyria will be humbled, perhaps even with thy hands, but not immediately not immediately."

The priest took farewell; Ramses remained alone. In his head and his heart raged a hurricane.

"So Hiram was right in saying that they deceive us," thought he. "I am certain now that our priests have made a treaty with the Chaldeans which his holiness will be forced to sanction. Has anyone ever heard of a thing so monstrous? He, the lord of the living, and of the western world, must sign a treaty invented by intriguers!"

Breath failed him.

"The holy Mentezufis has betrayed himself. It is true, then, that in case of need Egypt can put forth an army of half a million? I did not even dream of such forces. Still they think that I fear their fables about fate, which commands us to solve riddles. Only let me have two hundred thousand men, trained like Greek and Libyan regiments, and I would undertake to solve all riddles on earth and in the heavens."

"That is a hot head," thought the worthy Mentezufis, while returning to his cell, "a woman hunter, an adventurer, but strong. After the weak pharaoh of today he reminds us rather of Ramses the Great. In ten years the stars may change; he will ripen and crush Assyria. Of Nineveh there will remain only ruins, sacred Babylon will find its true place, and the one supreme God, the God of Egyptian and Chaldean prophets, will reign from the Libyan desert to the sacred Ganges."

"If our youth would not make himself ridiculous by night pilgrimages to the Phoenician priestess; if he should be seen in the garden of Astaroth, or if people should think that the erpatr was inclining his ear to the faith of Phoenicia. Not much is needed in Lower Egypt to reject the ancient gods. What a mixture there is of nations here!"

Some days later the worthy Sargon informed the viceroy officially of his position as ambassador, declared the wish to salute him, and begged for an Egyptian escort which might conduct him with all safety and honor to the feet of the pharaoh.

The prince deferred his answer two days, and appointed an audience to Sargon at the expiration of two other days. The Assyrian, accustomed to eastern delay in journeys and business, was offended in no way, and wasted no time. He drank from morning till evening, played dice with Hiram and other rich men from Asia. In free moments he slipped away, like Ramses, to Kama.

As an elderly and a practical man, he offered the priestess rich presents at every visit. His feelings he explained as follows:

"O Kama, why sit in Pi-Bast and grow thin here? While young, the service of Astaroth may please thee; but when old, a wretched fate will present itself. They will take thy costly robes from thee, and put a younger woman in the temple; Thou wilt earn, then, a handful of roasted barley by telling fortunes, or by nursing women in childbirth. Had the gods in punishment created me a woman, I should choose to be the mother and not the nurse attending her."

"Hence I say," continued Sargon, "leave the temple and join my household. I will give thee ten talents in gold; I will give forty cows, and of wheat a hundred measures. The priests will fear chastisement from the gods, so as to gain from me a better bargain. But I shall not yield a drachma; I may add, at most, a few sheep to let them celebrate a solemn service. The heavenly Astaroth will appear then, and will free thee from vows if I add a gold chain or a goblet."

While listening to these statements Kama bit her lips to restrain laughter; and he continued,

"If Thou go with me to Nineveh, Thou wilt be a great lady. Thou shalt have a palace; I will give thee also horses, a litter, slaves, and servants. In one month Thou wilt pour out on thy person more perfume than Thou offerest here in one year to thy goddess. And who knows," concluded he, "Thou mayst please King Assar; if so, he would take thee to his palace. Thou wouldst be the happiest of women, and I should get back what I had spent on thee."

At the palace of the heir, on the day appointed to receive Sargon, Egyptian troops were drawn up, and a throng of people were standing near, eager for spectacles.

The Assyrian retinue appeared about midday, the hour when heat is greatest. In front inarched policemen armed with swords and sticks; behind them a number of naked swift runners, and three horses. Those were trumpeters and a herald. At the corner of each street the trumpeters sounded a signal, and the herald called in a loud voice: "Behold, Sargon is approaching; the ambassador of the mighty Assar, a relative of the king, a lord of immense wealth, a conqueror in battles, a ruler of provinces. Give him, O people, due homage as a friend of the ruler of Egypt!"

After the trumpeters rode Assyrian cavalry, with pointed caps, in narrow skirts and jackets. Their shaggy and enduring horses had on their foreheads and breasts bronze armor patterned as fish-scales. Next appeared infantry in helmets, and long mantles reaching the earth. One division was armed with heavy clubs, the next with bows, the third with spears and shields. Each man had, besides, a sword, and was armored.

After the soldiers came Sargon's horses, chariots, and litters, surrounded by servants in white, red, and green garments. After them came five elephants with litters on their backs; on one rode Sargon, on another the Chaldean priest Istubar.

The procession was closed by warriors on horseback and on foot, and by harsh Assyrian music, produced by trumpets, drums, metallic plates, and pipes squealing shrilly.

Prince Ramses, surrounded by priests, nobility, and officers, dressed in various colors, and richly, was awaiting the ambassador in the great hall of audience, which was open on all sides. The heir was gladsome, knowing that the Assyrians were bringing gifts which, in the eyes of Egyptians, might pass as tribute. But when he heard the immense voice of a herald in the court praising the might of Sargon, he frowned. "When the expression flew to his ears, that King Assar was the friend of the pharaoh, he grew angry. His nostrils dilated like those of an angry bull, and sparks flashed in his eyeballs. Seeing this, the officers and nobility began to assume threatening faces, and put hands to their sword-hilts. The holy Mentezufis noted their looks, and cried,

"In the name of his holiness, I command nobles and officers to receive the worthy Sargon with the respect due a great king's ambassador!"

The heir frowned, and strode impatiently along the raised platform where his viceregal chair was standing. But the disciplined officers and the nobles grew silent, knowing that they could not trifle with the assistant of the war minister.

Meanwhile, in the court the immense and heavily armed Assyrian warriors stood in three ranks, opposite the half naked and slender warriors of Egypt. The two sides looked at each other like a band of tigers at a herd of rhinoceroses. In the hearts of each ancient hatred was smoldering. But command towered above hatred.

At that moment the elephants entered, the Egyptian and Assyrian trumpets roared, the troops of both armies raised their weapons, the people fell on their faces, while the Assyrian dignitaries, Sargon and Istubar, were descending from their litters.

In the hall Prince Ramses sat on an elevated chair beneath a baldachin, while at the entrance door appeared the herald.

"Most worthy lord," said he, turning to the heir, "the ambassador of the great King Assar, the renowned Sargon, and his associate, the pious prophet Istubar, desire to salute thee and render thee honor as viceroy and heir to the pharaoh, may he live through eternity!"

"Ask those dignitaries to enter and comfort my heart by the sight of their persons," answered the viceroy.

Sargon entered the hall with a clattering and clinking. He was dressed in a long green robe, thickly embroidered with gold. At his side, in a snow-white mantle, walked the devout Istubar, and behind them stately Assyrian lords carried gifts for the viceroy.

Sargon approached the elevation, and said in the Assyrian language, which an interpreter repeated in Egyptian immediately,

"I, Sargon, a leader, a satrap, and a relative of the most mighty King Assar, come to salute thee, O viceroy of the most mighty pharaoh, and in sign of eternal friendship I offer gifts to thee."

The heir rested his palms on his knees, and sat as motionless as the statues of his ancestors.

"Interpreter," said Sargon, "hast Thou repeated badly to the prince my kindly greeting?"

Mentezufis, standing near the elevation, turned toward Ramses.

"Prince," whispered he, "the Lord Sargon is waiting for a gracious answer."

"Then answer him that I do not understand by what right he speaks to me as if he were my equal in dignity."

Mentezufis was confused, which still more angered the prince, whose lips began to tremble; and again his eyes flashed. But the Chaldean, Istubar, understanding Egyptian, said quickly to Sargon,

"Let us fall on our faces."

"Why should I fall on my face?" inquired the indignant Sargon.

"Fall, unless Thou wish to lose the favor of King Assar, and perhaps thy head also."

Thus speaking, Istubar lay on the floor at full length, and Sargon next to him.

"Why should I lie on my belly before that stripling?" muttered Sargon, indignantly.

"Because he is viceroy," answered Istubar.

"Have I not been viceroy of my lord?"

"But he will be king, and Thou wilt not."

"What are the ambassadors of the most mighty King Assar discussing?" inquired the prince, now satisfied, of the interpreter.

"This: whether they are to show thy worthiness the gifts intended for the pharaoh, or only to give those sent to thee," replied the dexterous interpreter.

"I wish to see the gifts intended for his holiness my father," said the prince, "and I permit the ambassadors to rise."

Sargon rose, purple from rage or weariness, and sat down on the floor cross-legged.

"I knew not," said he, "that I, a relative and an ambassador of the great Assar, should be forced to wipe with my garments dust from the pavement of an Egyptian viceroy."

Mentezufis knew Assyrian, and commanded, without asking Ramses, to bring immediately two benches covered with cushions, on which sat at once the panting Sargon and the calm Istubar.

When Sargon had puffed himself quiet, he gave command to produce a great glass goblet, a steel sword, and to lead up before the entrance two horses decked with gold housings. When his command was obeyed he rose and, inclining, addressed Ramses,

"My lord, King Assar sends thee, O prince, two wonderful horses, may they bear thee only to victory! He sends also a goblet, may gladness always flow to thy heart from it! and a sword the like of which Thou wilt not find in the armory of the mightiest ruler."

He drew from its scabbard a rather long sword, shining like silver, and bent it. The sword bent like a bow, and then sprang out straight again.

"A wonderful weapon, indeed," said Ramses.

"If Thou permit, O viceroy, I will show thee another of its qualities," said Sargon, who, with the chance to praise Assyrian arms, which at that time were excellent, forgot his anger.

At his request one of the Egyptian officers unsheathed a bronze sword and held it as if to attack. Then Sargon raised his steel blade, struck and cut a slice from the weapon of the other man.

In the hall rose a murmur of astonishment, and an intense flush came out on the face of Ramses.

"That foreigner," thought he, "took the bull from me in the circus, he wishes to marry Kama, and now he shows a sword which cuts our blades into shavings."

And he felt a still deeper hatred toward King Assar, toward all Assyrians in general, and toward Sargon especially. But he endeavored to command himself, and with politeness begged the envoy to show those gifts intended for the pharaoh.

They brought immediately immense packs made of fragrant wood; from one of these the higher Assyrian officials took articles, goblets, pitchers, steel weapons, bows made of goat horns, gilded weapons, and shields set with jewels.

But the most splendid gift was a model of King Assar's palace in gold and silver. It looked like three edifices, the second smaller than the first, the third smaller than the second; the second built upon the first, the third upon the second. Each was surrounded thickly by columns, and instead of a roof had a flat pavement. Each entrance was guarded by lions or winged bulls with human heads. On both sides of the stairs stood statues of vassals of the king, bearing gifts; on both sides of the entrance were carved horses in various positions. Sargon removed one wall of the model, and showed rich chambers filled with priceless furniture. Special wonder was roused by the audience hall, where were figures representing the king on a lofty throne, and near him courtiers, warriors, and vassals giving homage.

The entire model was as long as twice the height of a man, and almost as high as the height of one man. The Egyptians whispered that that gift alone was worth a hundred and fifty talents.

When the packs were carried out, the heir invited the ambassadors and their retinue to a feast, during which abundant gifts were bestowed on the Assyrians. Ramses pushed his politeness so far that when one of the women pleased Sargon the prince presented her to the ambassador, of course with her consent and the permission of her mother.

The prince was polite and bountiful, but his face was still clouded. And when Tutmosis asked him if King Assar had not a beautiful palace, the prince answered,

"Its ruins on the ashes of Nineveh would be more beautiful to my eyes."

At that feast the Assyrians were very abstemious. Notwithstanding the abundance of wine, they drank little, and did not shout greatly. Sargon did not even once burst into loud laughter, though that was his custom; he cast down his eyes and thought deeply.

But the two priests Istubar, the Chaldean, and Mentezufis, the Egyptian were calm, like men to whom the future is known, and who command it.