So it came about that at dawn Prince Abi, clad in magnificent robes, andaccompanied by Councillors, among them Kaku, and by a small guard, wascarried in a litter to the gates of the old temple of Sekhet, being tooheavy to walk so far, and there descended. As there were none to defendthem these gates were opened easily enough, and they passed through,leaving the guard without. When they came to the inner court, Abistopped and asked where they should search.
"In one place only, your Highness," answered Kaku, "that pylon towerwhich overlooks the Nile, for there her Majesty starves with Asti."
"Pylon tower," grumbled Abi. "Have I not climbed enough steps thisnight? Still, lead on."
So they went to the narrow stair, up which the thin Kaku ran like a cat,while the officers pushed and led the huge Abi behind him. On the thirdlanding they all halted at Abi's command.
"Hurry not," he said in a thick whisper. "Her Majesty dwells on the nextfloor of this hateful tower, and since Asti is with her she cannot besurprised. Beware, then, of frightening her by your sudden appearance,lest she should run to the top of the pylon, and hurl herself into theNile, as she has sworn that she will do. Halt now, and I will call toher when I have got my breath."
So after a while he called, saying:
"O Queen, cease to starve yourself in this miserable abode, and comedown to dwell in plenty with your faithful subject."
He called it once, and twice, and thrice, but there was no answer. NowAbi grew afraid.
"She must have perished," he said, "and Egypt will demand her blood atmy hands. Kaku, go up and see what has happened. You are a magician, andhave nothing to fear."
But the astrologer thought otherwise, and hesitated, till Abi in a ragelifted his cedar wand to strike him on the back. Then he went, step bystep, slowly, pausing at each step to address prayers and praises to herMajesty of Egypt. At length he came to the door of the Queen's chamber,and kneeling down, peeped into it, to see that it was quite empty. Nexthe crawled across the landing to the chamber opposite, that whichhad been Asti's, and found it empty also. Then, made bold by fear, heascended to the pylon roof. But here, too, there was no one to be seen.So he returned, and told Abi, who shouted:
"By Ptah, great Lord of Memphis! either she has escaped to raise Egypton me, or she has sought death in the Nile to raise the gods upon me,which is worse. So much for your interpretation of dreams, O Cheat."
"Wait till you are sure before you call me such names, Prince," repliedKaku indignantly. "Let us search the temple, she may be elsewhere."
So they searched it court by court, and chamber by chamber, till theycame to that inner hall in front of the Sanctuary where Pharaoh had setup his throne while he sojourned at Memphis. This hall was a dark place,into which light flowed only through the gratings in the clerestory,being roofed in with blocks of granite laid upon its lotus-shapedcolumns. Now, at the hour of sunrise, the gloom in it was still deep,so deep that the searchers felt their way from pillar to pillar, seeingnothing. Presently, however, a ray of light from the rising sun spedthrough the opening shaped like the eye of Osiris in the eastern wall,and as it had done for thousands of years, struck upon the shrine ofthe goddess, and the throne that was set in front of it, revealing thethrone, and seated thereon Neter-Tua, her Majesty of Egypt.
Glorious she looked indeed, a figure of flame set in the midst ofdarkness. The royal robe she wore glittered in the sunlight, glitteredher sceptre, her jewels, and the _uraei_ on her Double Crown, but morethan all of them glittered her fierce and splendid eyes. Indeed,there was something so terrible in those eyes that the beholders whodiscovered them thus suddenly, shrank back, whispering to each otherthat here sat a goddess, not a woman. For in her calmness, her proudbeauty and her silence, she seemed like an immortal, one victorious whohad triumphed over death, not a woman who for seven days had starvedwithin a tower.
They shrank back, they huddled themselves together in the doorway, andthere remained whispering till the growing light fell on them also. Butthe figure on the throne took no heed, only stared over their heads asthough it were lost in mystery and thought.
At length Kaku, gathering courage, said to Abi:
"O Prince, there is your bride, such a bride as never man had before. Gonow and take her," and all the others echoed:
"Go now, O Prince, and take her."
Thus adjured for very shame's sake Abi advanced, looking often behindhim, till he came to the foot of the throne, and stood there bowing.
For a long while he stood bowing thus, till he grew weary indeed, forhe knew not what to say. Then suddenly a clear and silvery voice spokeabove him, asking:
"What do you here, Lord of Memphis? Why are you not in the cell wherePharaoh bound you? Oh! I remember--the footstool-bearer, Merytra, yourpaid spy, let you out, did she not? Why is she not here with Kaku theSorcerer, who fashioned the enchanted image that did Pharaoh to death?Is it because she stays to doctor those false lips of hers that werecut last night before you went to ask yonder Kaku to interpret a certaindream which came to you?"
"How did you learn these things? Have you spies in my palace, O Queen?"
"Yes, my uncle, I have spies in your palace and everywhere. What Amensees his daughter knows. Now you have come to lead me away to be yourwife, have you not? Well, I await you, I am ready. Do it if you dare!"
"If I dare? Why should I not dare, O Queen?" asked Abi in a doubtfulvoice.
"Surely that question is one for you to answer, Count of Memphis and itssubject nomes. Yet tell me this--why did the magic crystal burst asunderwithout cause in the chamber of Kaku last night, and why do you supposethat Kaku interpreted to you all the meaning of your dream--he who willnever tell the truth unless it be beneath the rods?"
"I do not know, Queen," answered Abi, "but with Kaku I can speaklater, if need be after the fashion you suggest," and he glanced at themagician wrathfully.
"No, Prince Abi, you know nothing, and Kaku knows nothing, save thatrods break the backs of snakes, unless they can find a wall to hide in,"and she pointed to the astrologer slinking back into the shadow. "Noone knows anything save me, to whom Amen gives wisdom with sight of thefuture, and what I know I keep. Were it otherwise, O Abi, I could tellyou things that would turn your grey hair white, and to Kaku and Merytrathe spy, promise rewards that would make the torture-chamber seem a bedof down. But it is not lawful, nor would they sound pleasant in thisbridal hour."
Now while Kaku between his chattering teeth muttered the words ofProtection in the shadow, Abi and his courtiers stared at this terriblequeen as boys seeking wild fowls' eggs in the reeds, and stumbling ona lion, stare ere they fly. Twice, indeed, the Prince turned lookingtowards the door and the pleasant light without, for it seemed to himthat he was entering on a dark and doubtful road. Then he said:
"Your words, O Queen, cut like a two-edged sword, and methinks theyleave a poison in the wound. Say now, if you are human, how it comesabout that after seven days of want your flesh is not minished nor hasyour beauty waned. Say also who brought to you those glorious robes youwear here in this empty temple, and where is your foster-mother, Asti?"
"The gods fed me," answered the Queen gently, "and brought me theserobes that I might seem the more worthy of you, O Prince. And as forAsti, I sent her to Cyprus to fetch a scent they make there and nowhereelse. No, I forgot, it was yesterday she went to bring the scent fromCyprus that now is on my hair; to-day she is in Thebes, seeing to abusiness of mine. That is no secret, I will tell it you--it is as tothe carving of all the history of his murder and betrayal in the firstchamber of the Pharaoh's tomb."
Now at these magical and ill-omened words the courage of the companyleft them, so that they began to walk backwards towards the door, Abigoing with them.
"What!" cried the Queen in a voice of sorrow that yet seemed ladenwith mockery. "Would you leave me here alone? Do my power and my wisdomfrighten you? Alas! I cannot help them, for when the full vase is tiltedthe wine will run out, and when light is set behind alabaster, then thewhite sto
ne must shine. Yet am I one meet to adorn the palace of theKing, even such a king as you shall be, O Abi, whom Osiris loves. See,now, I will dance and sing to you as once I sang to the Prince of Keshbefore the sword of Rames took away his life, so that you may judge ofme, Abi, you, who have looked upon so many lovely women."
As she spoke, very slowly, so slowly that they could scarcely see hermove, she glided from the throne, and standing before them, began tomove her feet and body, and to chant a song.
What were the words of that song none could ever remember, but to everyman there present it opened a door in his heart, and brought back theknowledge of youth. She whom he had loved best danced before him, hertender hands caressed him; the words she sang were sighs which the deadhad whispered in his ears. Even to Abi, old, unwieldy and steeped incunning, these soft visions came, although it is true that it seemed tohim that this lovely singer led him to a precipice, and that when sheceased her song and appeared to vanish, to seek her he leapt into theclouds that rushed beneath.
Now the dance was done, and the last echoes of the music died awayagainst the ancient walls whence the images of Sekhet the cat-headedwatched them with her cruel smile of vengeance. The dance was done, andthe beautiful dancer stood before them unflushed, unheated, but laughinggently.
"Now go, divine Prince," she said, "and you his followers, go, all ofyou, and leave me to my lonely house, until Pharaoh sends for me toshare that new realm which he inherits beyond the West."
But they would not go and could not if they would, for some power boundthem to her, while, as for Abi he scarce could take his eyes from her,but heedless of who heard them, babbled out his passion at her feet,while the rest glowered on him jealously. She listened always smilingthat same smile that was so sweet, yet so inhuman. Then when he stoppedexhausted, at last she spoke, saying:
"What! do you love now more greatly than you fear, as the divine Princeof Kesh loved after Amen's Star had sung to him. May your fate behappier, O noble Abi, but that, since it is not lawful that I shouldtell it to you, you shall discover. Abi, there shall be a royal marriagein Memphis of such joy and feasting as has not been known in the historyof the Northern or the Southern Land, and for your allotted span youshall sit by the side of Egypt's Queen and shine in her light. Have younot earned the place by right of blood, O conqueror of Pharaoh, and didnot Pharaoh promise it to you in your sleep? Come, the sun of this newday shines, let us walk in it, and bid farewell to shadows."