Part 32 (1/2)
”You departed fro that never would you return unless I, Amada the priestess, called you, and I told you that I should never call You said, uerdon, and I told you that never would I give myself to you as doubly sworn to Isis Yet now I call and now I say that if you come and conquer and I yet live, then, if you still will it, I aypt with an arainst him unaided and alone He comes to make of her a slave, to kill her children, to burn her temples, to sack her cities and to defile her Gods with blasphe me away to shame in his House of Woypt's sake and for my own, I pray you come and save us Moreover I still love you, Shabaka, yes, h whether you still love me I know not For that love's sake, therefore, I aeance, if she should desire to be avenged uponthat it may fall on my head and not on yours This will I do by the counsel of the holy Tanofir, by coh priests of Egypt
”Now I, Amada, have written Choose, Shabaka, beloved of my heart”
Such was the letter that caused my head to swi, but thrust it intoin his roll, looked up and spoke, saying,
”Are you minded to see arrows fly and swords shi+ne in war, Brother?
If so, here is opportunity Pharaoh writes to ypt and Ethiopia He says that the King of kings invades hiypt he has sworn to travel on and conquer Ethiopia also, since he learns that it is now ruled by a certain dho once stole his White Signet, and by a certain Egyptian who once killed his Satrap, Idernes”
”What says the Karoon?” I asked
Bes rolled his eyes and turning to Karema, asked,
”What says the Karoon's wife?”
Kare and answered,
”She says that she has received a command from her master the holy Tanofir to wait upon him forthwith, for reasons that he will explain when she arrives, or to brave his curse upon her, her children, her country and her husband, and not only his but that of the spirits who serve hi to mock at,” said Bes, ”as I who revere him, knoell as any ypt as soon as may be It seems that my sister is dead, this year past, and the holy Tanofir has no one to hold his cup”
”And what shall I do?” asked Bes
”That is for you to say, Husband But if you will, you can stay here and guard our children, giving the command of your army to the lord Shabaka”
Now, for ere alone, Bes twisted hi as he used to do before he became Karoon of Ethiopia
”O-ho-ho! Wife,” he said, ”so you are to go to Egypt, leaving me to play the nurse to babes, andme to look after the old men and the women Nay, I think otherwise I think that I shall come also, that is if my brother wishes it Did he not save my life and is it not his and with it all I have? Oh! have done Once more ill stand side by side in the battle, Brother, and afterwards let Fate do as it ith us Tell me nohat is the tale of archers and of swords hom, like you, I have a score to settle?”
”Seventy and five thousand,” I answered
”Good! On the fifth day froypt”
CHAPTER XVI TANOFIR FINDS HIS BROKEN CUP
March we did, but on the fifteenth day, not the fifth, since there was much to make ready First the Council of the Ethiopians inning there was trouble over the ainst a distant war, and this even after Bes had urged that it was better to attack than wait to be attacked For they answered, and justly, that here in Ethiopia distance and the desert were their shi+elds, since the King of kings, however great his strength, would be weary and famished before he set foot within their borders
In the end the knot was cut with a sword, for when the arenerals down to the common soldiers, every man clamoured to be led to war, since, as I have said, these Ethiopians were fighters all of them, and near at hand there were none left hoht So when the Council came to see that they ave way, bargaining only that the children of the Karoon should not leave the land so that if aught befell him, there would be some of the true blood left to succeed