That night when the feast was ended Merytra, Pharaoh's favouredwaiting-maid, did not return with the rest of the royal retinue tothe temple where he lodged. As they went from the hall in state shewhispered a few words into the ear of the chief Butler of the Householdwho, knowing that she had the royal pass to come in and out as shewould, answered that the gate should be opened to her, and let her go.
So covering her head with a dark cloak Merytra slipped behind a certainstatue in the ante-hall and waited till presently a tall figure, alsowrapped in a dark cloak, appeared and beckoned to her. She followed itdown sundry passages and up a narrow stair that seemed almost endless,until, at length, the figure unlocked a massive door, and when they hadpassed it, locked it again behind them.
Now Merytra found herself in a very richly furnished room lit byhanging-lamps, that evidently was the abode of one who watched thestars and practised magic, for all about were strange-looking brazeninstruments and rolls of papyrus covered with mysterious signs, andsuspended above the table a splendid divining ball of crystal. Merytrasank into a chair, throwing off her dark cloak.
"Of a truth, friend Kaku," she said, so soon as she had got her breath,"you dwell very near the gods."
"Yes, dear Merytra," he answered with a dry chuckle, "I keep a kind ofhalf-way house to heaven. Perched here in my solitude I see and makenote of what goes on above," and he pointed to the skies, "and retailthe information, or as much of it as I think fit, to the groundlingsbelow."
"At a price, I suppose, Kaku."
"Most certainly at a price, and I may add, a good price. No one thinksmuch of the physician who charges low fees. Well, you have managed toget here, and after all these years I am glad to see you again, lookingalmost as young and pretty as ever. Tell me your secret of eternalyouth, dear Merytra."
Merytra, who was vain, smiled at this artful flattery, although, intruth, it was well deserved, for at an age when many Egyptians are old,she remained fresh and fair.
"An excellent conscience," she answered, "a good appetite and thevirtuous, quiet life, which is the lot of the ladies of Pharaoh'sCourt--there you have the secret, Kaku. I fear that you keep too latehours, and that is why you grow white and withered like a mummy--not butthat you look handsome enough in those long robes of yours," she addedto gild the pill.
"It is my labours," he replied, making a wry face, for he too was vain."My labours for the good of others, also indigestion and the draughtsin this accursed tower where I sit staring at the stars, which give merheumatism. I have got both of them now, and must take some medicine,"and filling two goblets from a flask, he handed her one of them, saying,"drink it, you don't get wine like that in Thebes."
"It is very good," said Merytra when she had drunk, "but heavy. If Itook much of that I think I should have 'rheumatism,' too. Now tell me,old friend, am I safe, in this place? No, not from Pharaoh, he trustsme and lets me go where I will upon his business--but from his royalbrother. He used to have a long memory, and from the look of him I donot think that his temper has improved. You may remember a certain slapin the face and how I paid him back for it."
"He never knew it was you, Merytra. Being a mass of self-conceit, hethought that you ran away because he had banished you from his royalpresence and presented you--to me."
"Oh, he thought that, did he! What a vain fool!"
"It was a very dirty trick you played me, Merytra," went on Kaku withindignation, for the rich wine coursing through his blood revived thesting of his loss. "You know how fond I always was of you, and indeed amstill," he added, gazing at her admiringly.
"I felt that I was not worthy of so learned and distinguished a man,"she replied, looking at him with her dark eyes. "I should only havehampered your life, dear Kaku, so I went into the household of that poorcreature, Pharaoh, instead--Pharaoh's Nunnery we call it. But you willnot explain the facts to Abi, will you?"
"No, I think not, Merytra, if we continue to get on as well as we doat present. But now you are rested, so let us come to business, forotherwise you will have to stop here all night and Pharaoh would beangry."
"Oh, to Set with Pharaoh! Though it is true that he is a good paymaster,and knows the value of a clever woman. Now, what is this business?"
The old astrologer's face grew hard and cunning. Going to the door hemade sure that it was locked and drew a curtain over it. Then he took astool and sat himself down in front of Merytra, in such a position thatthe light fell on her face while his own remained in shadow.
"A big business, Merytra, and by the gods I do not know that I shouldtrust you with it. You tricked me once, you have tricked Pharaoh foryears; how do I know that you will not play the same game once moreand earn me an order to cut my own throat, and so lose life and soultogether?"
"If you think that, Kaku, perhaps you will unlock the door and give mean escort home, for we are only wasting time."
"I don't know what to think, for you are as cunning as you arebeautiful. Listen, woman," he continued in a savage whisper, andclasping her by the wrist. "If you are false, I tell you that you shalldie horribly, for if the knife and poison fail, I am no charlatan, Ihave arts. I can make you turn loathsome to the sight and waste away, Ican haunt you at nights so that you may never sleep a wink, save infull sunshine, and I will do it all and more. If I die, Merytra, we gotogether. Now will you swear to be true, will you swear it by the oathof oaths?"
The spy looked about her. She knew Kaku's power which was famousthroughout Egypt, and that it was said to be of the most evil sort, andshe feared him.
"It seems that this is a dangerous affair," she replied uneasily, "and Ithink that I can guess your aim. Now if I help you, Kaku, what am _I_ toget?"
"Me," he answered.
"I am flattered, but what else?"
"After Pharaoh the greatest place and the most power in Egypt, as thewife of Pharaoh's Vizier."
"The wife? Doubtless from what I have heard of you, Kaku, there would beother wives to share these honours."
"No other wife--upon the oath, none, Merytra."
She thought a moment, looking at the wizened but powerful-faced oldmagician, then answered:
"I will take the oath and keep my share of it. See that you keep yours,Kaku, or it will be the worse for you, for women have their own evilpower."
"I know it, Merytra, and from the beginning the wise have held that thespirit dwells, not in the heart or brain or liver, but in the femaletongue. Now stand up."
She obeyed, and from some hidden place in the wall Kaku produced a book,or rather a roll of magical writings, that was encased in iron, themetal of the evil god, Typhon.
"There is no other such book as this," he said, "for it was written bythe greatest of wizards who lived before Mena, when the god-kings ruledin Egypt, and I, myself, took it from among his bones, a terrible taskfor his Ka rose up in the grave and threatened me. He who can read inthat book, as I can, has much strength, and let him beware who breaks anoath taken on that book. Now press it to your heart, Merytra, and swearafter me."
Then he repeated a very terrible oath, for should it be violated itconsigned the swearer to shame, sickness and misfortune in this world,and to everlasting torments in the next at the claws and fangsof beast-headed demons who dwell in the darkness beyond the sun,appointing, by name, those beings who should work the torments, andsummoning them as witnesses to the bond.
Merytra listened, then said,
"You have left out your part of the oath, Friend, namely, that youpromise that I shall be the only wife of Pharaoh's Vizier and hold equalpower with him."
"I forgot," said Kaku, and added the words.
Then they both swore, touching their brows with the book, and as shelooked up again, Merytra saw a strange, flame-like light pulse inthe crystal globe that hung above her head, which became presentlyinfiltrated with crimson flowing through it as blood might flow from awound, till it glowed dull red, out of which redness a great eye watchedher. Then the eye vanished and the blood vanished, and in place of themQu
een Neter-Tua sat in glory on her throne, while the nations worshippedher, and by her side sat a man in royal robes whose face was hidden in acloud.
"What do you see?" asked Kaku, following her gaze to the crystal.
She told him, and he pondered a while, then answered doubtfully:
"I think it is a good omen; the royal consort sits beside her. Only whywas his face hidden?"
"I am sure I do not know," answered Merytra. "I think that strong, redwine of yours was doctored and has got into my head. But, come, we havesworn this oath, which I dare say will work in more ways than we guess,for such accursed swords have two edges to them. Now out with the plot,and throw a cloth over that crystal for I want to see no more pictures."
"It seems a pity since you have such a gift of vision," replied Kaku inthe same dubious voice. Yet he obeyed, tying up the shining ball in apiece of mummy wrapping which he used in his spells.
"Now," he said, "I will be brief. My fat master, Abi, means to bePharaoh of Egypt, and it seems that the best way to do so is by climbinginto his niece's throne, where most men would like to sit."
"You mean by marrying her, Kaku."
"Of course. What else? He who marries the Queen, rules in right of theQueen."
"Indeed. Do you know anything of Neter-Tua?"
"As much as any other man knows; but what do you mean?"
"I mean that I shall be sorry for the husband who marries her againsther will, however beautiful and high-placed she may be. I tell you thatwoman is a flame. She has more strength in her than all the magiciansin Egypt, yourself among them. They say she is a daughter of Amen, and Ibelieve it. I believe that the god dwells in her, and woe be to him whomshe may chance to hate, if he comes to her as a husband."
"That is Abi's business, is it not? Our business, Merytra, is to get himthere. Now we may take it this will not be with her consent."
"Certainly not, Kaku," she answered. "The gossip goes that she is inlove with young Count Rames, who fought and killed the Prince of Keshbefore her eyes, and now has gone to make amends to the king his fatherat the head of an army."
"That may be true, Merytra. Why not? He is her foster-brother and ofroyal blood, bold, too, and handsome, they say. Well, queens have nobusiness to be in love. That is the privilege of humbler folk like youand me, Merytra. Say, is she suspicious--about Prince Abi, I mean?"
"I do not know, but Asti, her nurse and favourite lady, the wife ofMermes and mother of Rames, is suspicious enough. She is a greatermagician than you are, Kaku, and if she could have had her way Pharaohwould never have set foot in Memphis. But I got your letter andover-persuaded him, the poor fool. You see he thinks me faithful tohis House, and that is why I am allowed to be here to-night, to collectinformation."
"Ah! Well, what Asti knows the Queen will know, and she is stronger thanPharaoh, and notwithstanding all Abi's ships and soldiers, may breakaway from Memphis and make war upon him. So it comes to this--Pharaohmust stay here, for his daughter will not desert him."
"How will you make him stay here, Kaku? Not by----" and she glancedtowards the shrouded crystal.
"Nay, no blood if it can be helped. He must not even seem to be aprisoner, it is too dangerous. But there are other ways."
"What ways? Poison?"
"Too dangerous again. Now, if he fell sick, and he has been sick before,and could not stir, it would give us time to bring about the marriage,would it not? Oh! I know that he is well at present--for him, but lookhere, Merytra, I have something to show you."
Then going to a chest Kaku took from it a plain box of cedar wood whichwas shaped like a mummy case, and, lifting off its lid, revealed withinit a waxen figure of the length of a hand. This figure was beautifullyfashioned to the living likeness of Pharaoh, and crowned with the doublecrown of Egypt.
"What is it?" asked Merytra, shrinking back. "An _ushapti_ to be placedin his tomb?"
"No, woman, a magic Ka fashioned with many a spell out of yonder ancientroll, that can bring _him_ to the tomb if it be rightly used, as youshall use it."
"I!" she exclaimed, starting. "How?"
"Thus: You, as one of Pharaoh's favourite ladies, have charge of thechamber where he sleeps. Now you must make shift to enter there aloneand lay this figure in his bed, that the breath of Pharaoh may enterinto it. Then take it from the bed and say these words, 'Figure, figure,I command thee by the power within thee and in the name of the Lordif Ill, that as thy limbs waste, so shall the limbs of him in whoselikeness thou art fashioned waste also.' Having spoken thus, hold thelegs of the image over the flame of a lamp until it be half melted, andconvey the rest of it away to your own sleeping-place and hide it there.So it shall come about that during that night the nerves and musclesin the legs of Pharaoh will wither and grow useless to him, and he beparalysed and unable to stir. Afterwards, if it be needful, I will tellyou more."
Now, bold though she was, Merytra grew afraid.
"I cannot do it," she said, "it is black sorcery against one who isa god, and will bring my soul to hell. Find some other instrument, orplace the waxen imp in the bed of Pharaoh yourself, Kaku."
The face of the magician grew fierce and cruel.
"Come with me, Merytra," he said, and taking her by the wrist he led herto the open window-place whence he observed the stars.
So giddy was the height at the top of this lofty tower that the housesbeneath looked small and far away, and the sky quite near.
"Behold Memphis and the Nile, and the wide lands of Egypt gleaming inthe moonlight, and the Pyramids of the ancient kings. You wish to ruleover all these, like myself--do you not, Merytra?--and if you obey meyou shall do so."
"And if I do not obey?"
"Then I will throw my spell upon you, and your senses shall leave youand you shall fall headlong to that white line, which is a street, andbefore to-morrow morning the dogs will have picked your broken bones,so that none can know you, for you have heard too much to go hence aliveunless it be to do my bidding. Oh, no! Think not to say 'I will' andafterwards deceive me, for that image which you take with you is myservant, and will keep watch on you and make report to me and to thegod, its master. Now choose."
"I will obey," said Merytra faintly, and as she spoke she thought thatshe heard a laugh in the air outside the window.
"Good. Now hide the box beneath your cloak and drop it not, for if sothat which is within will call aloud after you, and they will kill youfor a sorceress. Unless my word come to you, lay the figure in Pharaoh'sbed to-morrow evening, and at the hour of moonrise hold its limbs inthe flame in your own chamber, and hide it away, and afterwards bring itback to me that I may enchant it afresh, if there be any need. Now come,and I will guard you to the gates of the old temple of Sekhet, wherePharaoh dwells."