V
MERIAMUN THE QUEEN
Strange news flies fast. It was not long before the Pharaoh, who thenwas with his Court in Tanis, the newly rebuilded city, heard how therehad come to Khem a man like a god, wearing golden armour, and cruisingalone in a ship of the dead. In these years the white barbarians of thesea and of the isles were wont to land in Egypt, to ravage the fields,carry women captive, and fly again in their ships. But not one of themhad dared to sail in the armour of the Aquaiusha, as the Egyptiansnamed the Achaeans, right up the river to the city of Pharaoh. The King,therefore, was amazed at the story, and when he heard that the strangerhad taken sanctuary in the Temple of Heracles, he sent instantly for hischief counsellor. This was his Master Builder, who bore a high title inthe land, an ancient priest named Rei. He had served through the longreign of the King's father, the divine Rameses the Second, and he wasbeloved both of Meneptah and of Meriamun his Queen. Him the King chargedto visit the Sanctuary and bring the stranger before him. So Rei calledfor his mule, and rode down to the Temple of Heracles beyond the walls.
When Rei came thither, a priest went before him and led him to thechamber where the warrior chanced to be eating the lily bread of theland, and drinking the wine of the Delta. He rose as Rei entered, and hewas still clad in his golden armour, for as yet he had not any changeof raiment. Beside him, on a bronze tripod, lay his helmet, the Achaeanhelmet, with its two horns and with the bronze spear-point still fast inthe gold.
The eyes of Rei the Priest fell on the helmet, and he gazed so strangelyat it that he scarcely heard the Wanderer's salutation. At length heanswered, courteously, but always his eyes wandered back to the brokenspear-point.
"Is this thine, my son?" he asked, taking it in his hand, while hisvoice trembled.
"It is my own," said the Wanderer, "though the spear-point in itwas lent me of late, in return for arrows not a few and certainsword-strokes," and he smiled.
The ancient priest bade the Temple servants retire, and as they wentthey heard him murmuring a prayer.
"The Dead spoke truth," he muttered, still gazing from the helmet in hishand to the Wanderer; "ay, the Dead speak seldom, but they never lie."
"My son, thou hast eaten and drunk," then said Rei the Priest and MasterBuilder, "and may an old man ask whence thou camest, where is thy nativecity, and who are thy parents?"
"I come from Alybas," answered the Wanderer, for his own name was toowidely known, and he loved an artful tale. "I come from Alybas; I am theson of Apheidas, son of Polypemon, and my own name is Eperitus."
"And wherefore comest thou here alone in a ship of dead men, and withmore treasure than a king's ransom?"
"It was men of Sidon who laboured and died for all that cargo," said theWanderer; "they voyaged far for it, and toiled hard, but they lost itin an hour. For they were not content with what they had, but made me aprisoner as I lay asleep on the coast of Crete. But the Gods gave me theupper hand of them, and I bring their captain, and much white metal andmany swords and cups and beautiful woven stuffs, as a gift to your King.And for thy courtesy, come with me, and choose a gift for thyself."
Then he led the old man to the treasure-chambers of the Temple, whichwas rich in the offerings of many travellers, gold and turquoise andfrankincense from Sinai and Punt, great horns of carved ivory from theunknown East and South; bowls and baths of silver from the Khita, whowere the allies of Egypt. But amidst all the wealth, the stranger'scargo made a goodly show, and the old priest's eyes glittered as helooked at it.
"Take thy choice, I pray thee," said the Wanderer, "the spoils of foemenare the share of friends."
The priest would have refused, but the Wanderer saw that he looked everat a bowl of transparent amber, from the far-off Northern seas, that wasembossed with curious figures of men and gods, and huge fishes, such asare unknown in the Midland waters. The Wanderer put it into the hands ofRei.
"Thou shalt keep this," he said, "and pledge me in wine from it when Iam gone, in memory of a friend and a guest."
Rei took the bowl, and thanked him, holding it up to the light to admirethe golden colour.
"We are always children," he said, smiling gravely. "See an old childwhom thou hast made happy with a toy. But we are men too soon again;the King bids thee come with me before him. And, my son, if thou wouldstplease me more than by any gift, I pray thee pluck that spear-head fromthy helmet before thou comest into the presence of the Queen."
"Pardon me," said the Wanderer. "I would not harm my helmet by tearingit roughly out, and I have no smith's tools here. The spear-point, myfather, is a witness to the truth of my tale, and for one day more, ortwo, I must wear it."
Rei sighed, bowed his head, folded his hands, and prayed to his GodAmen, saying:
"O Amen, in whose hand is the end of a matter, lighten the burden ofthese sorrows, and let the vision be easy of accomplishment, and I praythee, O Amen, let thy hand be light on thy daughter Meriamun, the Ladyof Khem."
Then the old man led the Wanderer out, and bade the priests make readya chariot for him; and so they went through Tanis to the Court ofMeneptah. Behind them followed the priests, carrying gifts that theWanderer had chosen from the treasures of the Sidonians, and themiserable captain of the Sidonians was dragged along after them, boundto the hinder part of a chariot. Through the gazing crowd they allpassed on to the Hall of Audience, where, between the great pillars,sat Pharaoh on his golden throne. Beside him, at his right hand, wasMeriamun, the beautiful Queen, who looked at the priests with wearyeyes, as if at a matter in which she had no concern. They came inand beat the earth with their brows before the King. First came theofficers, leading the captain of the Sidonians for a gift to Pharaoh,and the King smiled graciously and accepted the slave.
Then came others, bearing the cups of gold fashioned like the heads oflions and rams, and the swords with pictures of wars and huntings echoedon their blades in many-coloured gold, and the necklets of amber fromthe North, which the Wanderer had chosen as gifts for Pharaoh's Queenand Pharaoh. He had silks, too, embroidered in gold, and needlework ofSidonian women, and all these the Queen Meriamun touched to show heracceptance of them, and smiled graciously and wearily. But the covetousSidonian groaned, when he saw his wealth departing from him, the gainsfor which he had hazarded his life in unsailed seas. Lastly, Pharaohbade them lead the Wanderer in before his presence, and he cameunhelmeted, in all his splendour, the goodliest man that had ever beenseen in Khem. He was of no great height, but very great of girth, and ofstrength unmatched, and with the face of one who had seen what few haveseen and lived. The beauty of youth was gone from him, but his face hadthe comeliness of a warrior tried on sea and land; the eyes were of avalour invincible, and no woman could see him but she longed to be hislove.
As he entered murmurs of amazement passed over all the company, and alleyes were fixed on him, save only the weary and wandering eyes of thelistless Meriamun. But when she chanced to lift her face, and gaze onhim, they who watch the looks of kings and queens saw her turn grey asthe dead, and clutch with her hand at her side. Pharaoh himself sawthis though he was not quick to mark what passed, and he asked her ifanything ailed her, but she answered:--
"Nay, only methinks the air is sick with heat and perfume. Greet thouthis stranger." But beneath her robe her fingers were fretting all thewhile at the golden fringes of her throne.
"Welcome, thou Wanderer," cried Pharaoh, in a deep and heavy voice,"welcome! By what name art thou named, and where dwell thy people, andwhat is thy native land?"
Bowing low before Pharaoh, the Wanderer answered, with a feigned tale,that his name was Eperitus of Alybas, the son of Apheidas. The rest ofthe story, and how he had been taken by the Sidonians, and how he hadsmitten them on the seas, he told as he had told it to Rei. And hedisplayed his helmet with the spear-point fast in it. But when she sawthis Meriamun rose to her feet as if she would be gone, and then fellback into her seat even paler than before.
"The Queen, help the Queen, she faints," cried Rei
the Priest, whoseeyes had never left her face. One of her ladies, a beautiful woman,ran to her, knelt before her, and chafed her hands, till she came toherself, and sat up with angry eyes.
"Let be!" she said, "and let the slave who tends the incense be beatenon the feet. Nay, I will remain here, I will not to my chamber. Let be!"and her lady drew back afraid.
Then Pharaoh bade men lead the Sidonian out, and slay him in themarket-place for his treachery; but the man, whose name was Kurri, threwhimself at the feet of the Wanderer, praying for his life. The Wandererwas merciful, when the rage of battle was over, and his blood was cool.
"A boon, O Pharaoh Meneptah," he cried. "Spare me this man! He savedmy own life when the crew would have cast me overboard. Let me pay mydebt."
"Let him be spared, as thou wilt have it so," spoke Pharaoh, "butrevenge dogs the feet of foolish mercy, and many debts are paid ere allis done."
Thus it chanced that Kurri was given to Meriamun to be her jewellerand to work for her in gold and silver. To the Wanderer was allotted achamber in the Royal Palace, for the Pharaoh trusted that he would bea leader of his Guard, and took great pleasure in his beauty and hisstrength.
As he left the Hall of Audience with Rei, the Queen Meriamun lifted hereyes again, and looked on him long, and her ivory face flushed rosy,like the ivory that the Sidonians dye red for the trappings of thehorses of kings. But the Wanderer marked both the sudden fear and theblush of Meriamun, and, beautiful as she was, he liked it ill, and hisheart foreboded evil. When he was alone with Rei, therefore, he spoke tohim of this, and prayed the old man to tell him if he could guess at allthe meaning of the Queen.
"For to me," he said, "it was as if the Lady knew my face, and evenas if she feared it; but I never saw her like in all my wanderings.Beautiful she is, and yet--but it is ill speaking in their own land ofkings and queens!"
At first, when the Wanderer spoke thus, Rei put it by, smiling. But theWanderer, seeing that he was troubled, and remembering how he had prayedhim to pluck the spear-point from his helmet, pressed him hard withquestions. Thus, partly out of weariness, and partly for love of him,and also because a secret had long been burning in his heart, the oldman took the Wanderer into his own room in the Palace, and there he toldhim all the story of Meriamun the Queen.