Part 19 (1/2)
A box was brought and opened In it was a slab of wood on which was an i's seal in wax, surrounded by those of other seals certifying that it was genuine Also there was a writing describing the appearance of the seal I handed the signet to Peroa who, having co, fitted it to the impress on the wax
”It is the same,” he said ”See, all of you”
They looked and nodded Then he would have given it back to ,
”It is not well that thisabout the neck of a private ht be murdered for its sake,” interrupted Peroa
”Yes, Prince Therefore take it and hide it in the safest and most secret place in the palace, and with it these pearls that are too priceless to be flaunted about the streets of Meht, unless indeed----” and I turned to look for Aone
So the seal and the pearls were taken and locked in the box with the impress and borne away Nor was I sorry to see the last of them, wisely as it happened Then I bade the Prince and his co homeith Bes in the chariot
Our way led us past soe houses once occupied by officers of the Court of Pharaoh, but now that there was no Court, fallen into ruins
Suddenly frouised as common robbers, whose faces were hidden by cloths with eye-holes cut in them They seized the horses by the bridles, and before we could do anything, leapt upon us and held us fast Then a tall n accent, said,
”Search that officer and the dwarf Take froold chain and a rope of rose-hued pearls which they have stolen But do them no har and, aided by others, holding Bes who struggled with theht of theThe tall n they left us and ran away
”That was a wise thought of mine, Bes, which caused me to leave certain ornaments in the palace,” I said ”As it is they have taken nothing”
”Yes, Master,” he answered, ”though I have taken so that I did not understand at the time ”Those Easterns e met by the canal told Idernes about the seal, and he ordered this to be done That tall ht to the palace”
”Then why did they not kill us, Bes?”
”Because ly business, that is easily tracked dohereas thieves are many in Memphis and who troubles about them when they have failed? Oh! the Grasshopper, or Aht although I said nothing, for since we had come off scatheless, what did it net of the Great King was indeed to be dreaded and coveted, even here in Egypt If Idernes could get it into his possession, what ht he not do with it? Cause himself to be proclaimed Pharaoh perhaps and become the forefather of an independent dynasty Why not, when the Ereat war elsewhere? And if this was so why should not Peroa do the saypt, ht before I slept, but after Bes and I had hidden away the bags of gold by burying them beneath the clay floor, I laid the whole matter before mylittle, then said,
”The business is very dangerous, and of its end I will not speak until I have heard the counsel of your great-uncle, the holy Tanofir Still, things having gone so far, it seereat King has his Grecian wars to deal with, and whatever he ypt yet awhile Therefore if Peroa is able to overcome Idernes and his arypt free if only for a time”
”Such is my mind, Mother”
”Not all your , ”for you think h policies, at any rate to-night Well, h I misoband thinks so ypt should become free, as it was for thousands of years, you will be the next heir to the throne as husband of the Great Royal Lady”
”How can that be, Mother, seeing that Peroa has a son?”
”A vain youth with no more in him than a child's rattle If once Ain to think about her throne, especially if she has children But all this is far away and for the present I aot those pearls, though perhaps they ht be safer here than where they are
And now, , not even Amada, who for her part will dream of Isis, if at all I ake you before the dawn”
So I went, being too tired to talk more, and slept like a crocodile in the sun, till, as it see overthat it was tih, but refreshed, washed and dressed un to appear Then I ate so Bes, made ready to start for the palace