“BecauseofacertaindreamthataladyofmyhouseholdwhoisHebrewhasdreamed，whichdreamforetellsdestructiontoyouandthearmyofEgypt，unlessyouhearkentothesewordsofmine。“
“Ithinkthatweknowofthissnakewhomyouhavetakentodwellinyourbosom，whenceitmayspitpoisonuponEgypt。ItisnamedMerapi，MoonofIsrael，isitnot？“
“Thatisthenameoftheladywhodreamedthedream，“repliedSetiinacoldvoice，thoughIfelthimtremblewithangeratmyside，“thedreamthatifPharaohwillsmycompanionshereshallsetoutwordforwordtohismagicians。“
“Pharaohdoesnotwillit，“shoutedAmenmesessmitingtheboardwithhisfist，“becausePharaohknowsthatitisbutanothertricktosavethesewizardsandthievesfromthedoomthattheyhaveearned。“
“AmIthenaworkeroftricks，OPharaoh？IfIhadbeensuch，whyhaveIjourneyedhithertogivewarning，whenbysittingyonderatMemphisto-morrow，Imightoncemorehavebecomeheirtothedoublecrown？Forifyouwillnothearkentome，Itellyouthatverysoonyoushallbedead，andwithyouthese“——andhepointedtoallthosewhosatattable——“andwiththemthegreatarmythatlieswithout。Ereyouspeak，tellme，whatisthatblackcloudwhichstandsbeforethecampoftheHebrews？Istherenoanswer？ThenIwillgiveyoutheanswer。Itisthepallthatshallwrapthebonesofeveryoneofyou。“
Nowthecompanyshiveredwithfear，yes，eventhepriestsandthemagiciansshivered。ButPharaohwentmadwithrage。Springingfromhisseat，hesnatchedatthedoublecrownuponhishead，andhurledittotheground，andInotedthatthegoldenur？usbandaboutit，rolledaway，andresteduponSeti’ssandalledfoot。Hetorehisrobesandshouted：
“Atleastourfateshallbeyourfate，Renegade，whohavesoldEgypttotheHebrewwitchinpaymentofherkisses。Seizethismanandhiscompanions，andwhenwegodowntobattleagainsttheseIsraelitesto-morrowafterthedarknesslifts，letthembesetwiththecaptainsofthevan。Soshallthetruthbeknownatlast。“
ThusPharaohcommanded，andSeti，answeringnothing，foldedhisarmsuponhisbreastandwaited。
MenrosefromtheirseatsasthoughtoobeyPharaohandsankbacktothemagain。Guardsstartedforwardandyetremainedstandingwheretheywere。ThenBakenkhonsuburstintooneofhisgreatlaughs。
“O-ho-ho，“helaughed，“PharaohshaveIseencomeandgo，oneandtwoandthree，andfourandfive，butneveryethaveIseenaPharaohwhomnoneofhiscouncillorsorguardscouldobeyhowevermuchtheywilledit。WhenyouarePharaoh，PrinceSeti，mayyourluckbebetter。Yourarm，Ana，myfriend，andleadon，RoyalHeirofEgypt。Thetruthisshowntoblindeyesthatwillnotsee。Thewordisspokentodeafearsthatwillnothearken，andthedutydone。Nightfalls。Sleepyewell，yebiddenofOsiris，sleepyewell!“
Thenweturnedandwalkedfromthatpavilion。AtitsentranceIlookedback，andinthelowlightthatprecedesthedarkness，itseemedtomeasthoughallseatedtherewerealreadydead。Blueweretheirfacesandhollowshonetheireyes，andfromtheirlipstherecamenoword。
Onlytheystaredatusaswewent，andstaredandstaredagain。
Withoutthedoorofthepavilion，bycommandofthePrince，IcalledaloudthesubstanceoftheladyMerapi’sdream，andwarnedallwithinearshottoceasefrompursuingthepeopleofIsrael，iftheywouldcontinuetolivetolookuponthesun。Yetevennow，althoughtospeakthuswastreasonagainstPharaoh，noneliftedahandagainstthePrince，oragainstmehisservant。OftensincethenIhavewonderedwhythiswasso，andfoundnoanswertomyquestionings。Mayhapitwasbecauseofthemajestyofmymaster，whomallknewtobethetruePharaoh，andlovedatheart。MayhapitwasbecausetheyweresurethathewouldnothavetravelledsofarandplacedhimselfinthepowerofAmenmesessavetoworkthearmiesofEgyptgood，andnotill，andtobringthemamessagethathadbeenspokenbythegodsthemselves。
OrmayhapitwasbecausehewasstillhedgedaboutbythatprotectionwhichtheHebrewshadvowedtohimthroughtheirprophetswiththevoiceofJabez。Atleastsoithappened。Pharaohmightcommand，buthisservantswouldnotobey。Moreover，thestoryspread，andthatnightmanydesertedfromthehostofPharaohandencampedaboutus，orfledbacktowardsthecitieswhencetheycame。AlsowiththemwerenotafewcouncillorsandpriestswhohadtalkedsecretlywithBakenkhonsu。SoitchancedthatevenifPharaohdesiredtomakeanendofus，asperhapshepurposedtodointhemidnightwatches，hethoughtitwisesttoletthematterlieuntilhehadfinishedwiththepeopleofIsrael。
Itwasaverystrangenight，silent，withaheavy，stirlessair。Therewerenostars，butthecurtainofblackcloudwhichseemedtohangbeyondthecampoftheEgyptianswasalivewithlightningswhichappearedtoshapethemselvestolettersthatIcouldnotread。
“BeholdtheBookofFatewritteninfirebythehandofGod!“saidBakenkhonsu，ashewatched。
Aboutmidnightamightyeastwindbegantoblow，sostronglythatwemustlieuponourfacesundertheleaofthechariots。Thenthewinddiedawayandweheardtumultandshoutings，bothfromthecampofEgypt，andfromthecampofIsraelbeyondthecloud。Nexttherecameashockasofearthquake，whichthrewthoseofuswhowerestandingtotheground，andbyablood-redmoonthatnowappearedweperceivedthatallthearmyofPharaohwasbeginningtomovetowardsthesea。
“Whithergothey？“IaskedofthePrincewhoclungtomyarm。
“Todoom，Ithink，“heanswered，“buttowhatdoomIdonotknow。“
Afterthiswesaidnomore，becauseweweretoomuchafraid。
Dawncameatlast，showingthemostawfulsightthatwaseverbeheldbytheeyeofman。
Thewallofcloudhaddisappeared，andintheclearlightofthemorning，weperceivedthatthedeepwatersoftheSeaofReedshaddividedthemselves，leavingaraisedroadwaythatseemedtohavebeenclearedbythewind，orperchancetohavebeenthrownupbytheearthquake。Whocansay？NotIwhoneversetfootuponthatpathofdeath。AlongthiswideroadstreamedthetensofthousandsoftheIsraelites，passingbetweenthewaterontherighthand，andthewaterontheleft，andafterthemfollowedallthearmyofPharaoh，savethosewhohaddeserted，andstoodorlayaroundus，watching。WecouldevenseethegoldenchariotsthatmarkedthepresenceofPharaohhimself，andofhisbodyguard，deepintheheartofthebrokenhostthatstruggledforwardwithoutdisciplineororder。
“Whatnow？Oh!whatnow？“murmuredSeti，andashespoketherewasasecondshockofearthquake。Thentothewestontheseatherearoseamightywave，whereofthecrestseemedtobehighasapyramid。Itrolledforwardwithacurvedandfoaminghead，andinthehollowofitforamoment，nomore，wesawthearmyofEgypt。YetinthatmomentI
seemedtoseemightyshapesfleeinglandwardsalongthecrestofthewave，whichshapesItooktobethegodsofEgypt，pursuedbyaformoflightandglorythatdrovethemaswithascourge。Theycame，theywent，accompaniedbyasoundofwailing，andthewavefell。
Butbeyondit，thehordesofIsraelstillmarched——uponthefurthershore。
Densegloomfollowed，andthroughthegloomIsaw，orthoughtIsaw，Merapi，MoonofIsrael，standingbeforeuswithatroubledfaceandheardorthoughtIheardhercry：
“/Oh!helpme，mylordSeti!Helpme，mylordSeti!/“
Thenshetoowasgone。
“Harnessthechariots!“criedSeti，inahollowvoice。
Fastasspedourhorses，rumour，orratherthetruth，carriedbythosewhohadgonebeforeus，flewfaster。Oh!thatjourneywasasadreambegottenbytheevilgods。Onwegallopedthroughthedayandthroughthenightandlo!ateverytownandvillagewomenrusheduponuscrying：
“Isittrue，Otravellers，isittruethatPharaohandhishostareperishedinthesea？“
ThenoldBakenkhonsuwouldcallinanswer：
“Itistruethathewho/was/Pharaohandhishostareperishedinthesea。Butlo!hereishewho/is/Pharaoh，“andhepointedtothePrince，whotooknoheedandsaidnothing，save：
“On!On!“
Thenforwardwewouldplungeagaintilloncemorethesoundofwailingdiedintosilence。
Itwassunset，andatlengthwedrewneartothegatesofMemphis。ThePrinceturnedtomeandspoke。
“HeretoforeIhavenotdaredtoask，“hesaid，“buttellme，Ana。Inthegloomafterthegreatcliffofwaterfellandtheshapesofterrorsweptby，didyouseemtoseeawomanstandbeforeusanddidyouseemtohearherspeak？“
“Idid，OPrince。“
“Whowasthatwomanandwhatdidshesay？“
“Shewasonewhoboreachildtoyou，OPrince，whichchildisnot，andshesaid，’Oh!helpme，mylordSeti。Helpme，mylordSeti!’“
Hisfacegrewashenevenbeneathitsveilofdust，andhegroaned。
“Twowholovedherhaveseenandtwowholovedherhaveheard，“hesaid。“Thereisnoroomfordoubt。Ana，sheisdead!“
“Ipraythegods-“
“Praynot，forthegodsofEgyptarealsodead，slainbythegodofIsrael。Ana，whohasmurderedher？“
WithmyfingerIwhoamadraughtsmandrewinthethickdustthatlayontheboardofthechariotthebrowsofamanandbeneaththemtwodeepeyes。Thegiltontheboardwherethesuncaughtitlookedlikelightintheeyes。
ThePrincenoddedandsaid：
“NowweshalllearnwhethergreatmagicianssuchasKicandielikeothermen。Yes，ifneedbe，tolearnthatIwillputonPharaoh’scrown。“
WehaltedatthegatesofMemphis。Theywereshutandbarred，butfromwithinthevastcityroseasoundoftumult。
“Open!“criedthePrincetotheguard。
“Whobidsmeopen？“answeredthecaptainofthegatepeeringatus，forthelowsunlaybehind。
“Pharaohbidsyouopen。“