Part 163 (1/2)

”I must restore to my favor the sages who investigate stars,” said the pharaoh to himself.

The darkness increased quickly. The horses of the Asiatics grew restive, flocks of birds flew into the garden, and occupied all the trees, with noisy twitter.

”Rouse up!” cried Kalippos to the Greeks.

The drums beat, the flutes sounded, and to this accompaniment the Greek soldiers sang a dancing song of the priest's daughter who was so timid that she could sleep only in the barracks.

Meanwhile an ominous shade fell on the tawny Libyan hills, and covered Memphis, the Nile, and the palace gardens with lightning swiftness.

Night embraced the earth, and in the heavens appeared a ball as black as coal surrounded by a rim of brightness.

An immense uproar drowned the song of the Greek regiment. This was caused by the Asiatics, who raised a military shout as they sent a cloud of arrows toward the sky to frighten the evil spirit which was gulping the sun down.

”Dost say that that black ball is the moon?” inquired the pharaoh of Pentuer.

”That is what Menes a.s.serts.”

”He is a great sage! And will the darkness end soon?”

”To a certainty.”

”And if this moon should tear itself away and fall to the earth?”

”That cannot be. Here is the sun!” cried Pentuer, with delight.

The a.s.sembled regiments raised a shout in honor of Rameses XIII.

The pharaoh embraced Pentuer. ”Indeed,” said he, ”we have seen a most wonderful event. But I should not like to see it a second time. I feel that if I had not been a warrior fear would have mastered me.”

Hiram approached Tutmosis, and whispered,--

”Send couriers, worthiness, to Memphis immediately, for I fear that the high priests have done something evil.”

”Dost thou think so?”

Hiram nodded.

”They would not have managed the kingdom so long,” said he, ”they would not have buried eighteen dynasties if they had not known how to use events like the present.”

When Rameses had thanked the troops for good bearing in presence of the strange phenomenon, he returned to his villa. He continued thoughtful, he spoke calmly, even mildly, but on his shapely face doubt was evident.

In the pharaoh's soul there was indeed a grievous struggle. He had begun to understand that the priests possessed powers which he not only had not weighed, but had not noted; he had not even wished to hear of them. In a few moments the priests who followed the movements of stars rose in his eyes immensely, and he said to himself that in every case he should learn this wonderful wisdom which confuses people's plans so terribly.

Courier after courier flew from the palace to Memphis to learn what had happened during the eclipse. But the couriers did not return, and uncertainty spread its black wings above the retinue of the pharaoh.

No one doubted that something evil had happened at the temple of Ptah.

More than that, no man dared to draw his own conclusions. It seemed as though the pharaoh and his intimate counsellors were glad when a minute pa.s.sed without tidings. Meanwhile Queen Nikotris sat down at the pharaoh's side, and whispered,--

”Let me act, Rameses. Women have served this state more than once.

Only remember Queen Nikotris in the sixth dynasty, or Makara who created a fleet on the Red Sea. In our s.e.x there is no lack of mind or of energy, so let me act. If the temple of Ptah is not taken, and the priests are not wronged I will reconcile thee with Herhor. Thou wilt take his daughter as wife, and thy reign will be full of glory.