Againhewassilentforawhilestaringthroughtheopendoorsattheskybeyond。Thenhesaid：
“Whatwouldyemore，ProphetsofJahveh？Justicehasbeendoneuponmyofficerwhoslewthemanofyourpeople。Alifehasbeentakenforalifeaccordingtothestrictletterofthelaw。Thematterisfinished。Unlessyouhaveaughttosay，getyougone。“
“BythecommandoftheLordourGod，“answeredtheprophet，“wehavethistosaytoyou，OPharaoh。LifttheheavyyokefromofftheneckofthepeopleofIsrael。Bidthattheyceasefromthelabourofthemakingofbrickstobuildyourwallsandcities。“
“AndifIrefuse，whatthen？“
“ThenthecurseofJahvehshallbeonyou，Pharaoh，andwithplagueuponplagueshallhesmitethislandofEgypt。“
NowasuddenrageseizedMeneptah。
“What!“hecried。“Doyoudaretothreatenmeinmyownpalace，andwouldyecauseallthemultitudeofthepeopleofIsraelwhohavegrownfatinthelandtoceasefromtheirlabours？Hearken，myservants，and，scribes，writedownmydecree。GoyetothecountryofGoshenandsaytotheIsraelitesthatthebrickstheymadetheyshallmakeasaforetimeandmoreworkshalltheydothanaforetimeinthedaysofmyfather，Rameses。Onlynomorestrawshallbegiventothemforthemakingofthebricks。Becausetheyareidle，letthemgoforthandgatherthestrawthemselves；letthemgatheritfromthefaceofthefields。“
Therewassilenceforawhile。Thenwithonevoiceboththeprophetsspoke，pointingwiththeirwandstoPharaoh：
“IntheNameoftheLordGodwecurseyou，Pharaoh，whosoonshalldieandmakeanswerforthissin。ThepeopleofEgyptwecursealso。Ruinshallbetheirportion；deathshallbetheirbreadandbloodshalltheydrinkinagreatdarkness。Moreover，atthelastPharaohshallletthepeoplego。“
Then，waitingnoanswer，theyturnedandstrodeawaysidebyside，nordidanymanhinderthemintheirgoings。Againtherewassilenceinthehall，thesilenceoffear，forthesewereawfulwordsthattheprophetshadspoken。Pharaohknewit，forhischinsankuponhisbreastandhisfacethathadbeenredwithrageturnedwhite。Usertihidhereyeswithherhandasthoughtoshutoutsomeevilvision，andevenSetiseemedillateaseasthoughthatawfulcursehadfoundahomewithinhisheart。
AtamotionofPharaoh’shandtheVizierNehesistruckthegroundthricewithhiswandofofficeandpointedtothedoor，thusgivingtheaccustomedsignthattheCourtwasfinished，whereonallthepeopleturnedandwentawaywithbentheadsspeakingnowordsonetoanother。PresentlythegreathallwasemptiedsavefortheofficersandguardsandthosewhoattendeduponPharaoh。WheneveryonehadgoneSetithePrinceroseandbowedbeforethethrone。
“OPharaoh，“hesaid，“bepleasedtohearken。WehaveheardveryevilwordsspokenbytheseHebrewmen，wordsthatthreatenyourdivinelife，OPharaoh，andcalldownacurseupontheUpperandtheLowerLand。Pharaoh，thesepeopleofIsraelholdthattheysufferwrongandareoppressed。Nowgiveme，yourson，awritingunderyourhandandseal，byvirtueofwhichIshallhavepowertogodowntotheLandofGoshenandinquireofthismatter，andafterwardsmakereportofthetruthtoyou。Then，ifitseemstoyouthatthePeopleofIsraelareunjustlydealtby，youmaylightentheirburdenandbringthecurseoftheirprophetstonothing。Butifitseemstoyouthatthetalestheytellareidlethenyourwordsshallstand。“
Now，listening，I，Ana，thoughtthatPharaohwouldoncemorebeangry。
Butitwasnotso，forwhenhespokeagainitwasinthevoiceofonewhoiscrushedbygrieforweariness。
“Haveyourwill，Son，“hesaid。“Onlytakewithyouagreatguardofsoldierslestthesehook-noseddogsshoulddoyoumischief。Itrustthemnot，who，liketheHyksoswhosebloodrunsinmanyofthem，wereeverthefoesofEgypt。DidtheynotconspirewiththeNinebowBarbarianswhomIcrushedinthegreatbattle，anddotheynotnowthreatenusinthenameoftheiroutlandgod？Still，letthewritingbepreparedandIwillsealit。Andstay。Ithink，Seti，thatyou，whowereevergentle-natured，havesomewhattoosoftahearttowardstheseshepherdslaves。ThereforeIwillnotsendyoualone。Amenmesesyourcousinshallgowithyou，butunderyourcommand。Itisspoken。“
“Life!Blood!Strength!“saidbothSetiandAmenmeses，thusacknowledgingtheking’scommand。
NowIthoughtthatallwasfinished。Butitwasnotso，forpresentlyPharaohsaid：
“Lettheguardswithdrawtotheendofthehallandwiththemtheservants。LettheKing’scouncillorsandtheofficersofthehouseholdremain。“
Instantlyallsalutedandwithdrewoutofhearing。I，too，madereadytogo，butthePrincesaidtome：
“Stay，thatyoumaytakenoteofwhatpasses。“
Pharaoh，watching，sawifhedidnothear。
“Whoisthatman，Son？“heasked。
“HeisAnamyprivatescribeandlibrarian，OPharaoh，whomItrust。
Itwashewhosavedmefromharmbutlastnight。“
“Yousayit，Son。Lethimremaininattendanceonyou，knowingthatifhebetraysourcouncilhedies。“
Usertilookedupfrowningasthoughshewereabouttospeak。Ifso，shechangedhermindandwassilent，perhapsbecausePharaoh’swordoncespokencouldnotbealtered。BakenkhonsuremainedalsoasaCouncilloroftheKingaccordingtohisright。
WhenallhadgonePharaoh，whohadbeenbrooding，liftedhisheadandspokeslowlybutinthevoiceofonewhogivesajudgmentthatmaynotbequestioned，saying：
“PrinceSeti，youaremyonlysonbornofQueenAst-Nefert，royalSister，royalMother，whosleepsinthebosomofOsiris。Itistruethatyouarenotmyfirst-bornson，sincetheCountRamessu“——herehepointedtoastoutmild-facedmanofpleasing，ratherfoolishappearance——“isyourelderbytwoyears。But，asheknowswell，hismother，whoisstillwithus，isaSyrianbybirthandofnoroyalblood，andthereforehecanneversituponthethroneofEgypt。Isitnotso，mysonRamessu？“
“Itisso，OPharaoh，“answeredtheCountinapleasantvoice，“notdoIseekevertosituponthatthrone，whoamwellcontentwiththeofficesandwealththatPharaohhasbeenpleasedtoconferuponme，hisfirst-born。“
“LetthewordsoftheCountRamessubewrittendown，“saidPharaoh，“andplacedinthetempleofPtahofthiscity，andinthetemplesofPtahatMemphisandofAmonatThebes，thathereaftertheymayneverbequestioned。“
Thescribesinattendancewrotedownthewordsand，atasignfromthePrinceSeti，Ialsowrotethemdown，settingthepapyrusIhadwithmeonmyknee。WhenthiswasfinishedPharaohwenton。
“Therefore，OPrinceSeti，youaretheheirofEgyptandperhaps，asthoseHebrewprophetssaid，willerelongbecalledupontositinmyplaceonitsthrone。“
“MaytheKingliveforever!“exclaimedSeti，“forwellheknowsthatIdonotseekhiscrownanddignities。“
“Idoknowitwell，myson；sowellthatIwishyouthoughtmoreofthatcrownandthosedignitieswhich，ifthegodswill，mustcometoyou。Iftheywillitnot，nextintheorderofsuccessionstandsyourcousin，theCountAmenmeses，whoisalsoofroyalbloodbothonhisfather’sandhismother’sside，andafterhimIknownotwho，unlessitbemydaughterandyourhalf-sister，theroyalPrincessUserti，LadyofEgypt。“
NowUsertispoke，veryearnestly，saying：
“OPharaoh，surelymyrightinthesuccession，accordingtoancientprecedent，precedesthatofmycousin，theCountAmenmeses。“
Amenmeseswasabouttoanswer，butPharaohliftedhishandandhewassilent。
“Itismatterforthoselearnedinsuchloretodiscuss，“Meneptahrepliedinasomewhathesitatingvoice。“IpraythegodsthatitmayneverbeneedfulthatthishighquestionshouldbeconsideredintheCouncil。Nevertheless，letthewordsoftheroyalPrincessbewrittendown。Now，PrinceSeti，“hewentonwhenthishadbeendone，“youarestillunmarried，andifyouhavechildrentheyarenotroyal。“
“Ihavenone，OPharaoh，“saidSeti。
“Isitso？“answeredMeneptahindifferently。“TheCountAmenmeseshaschildrenIknow，forIhaveseenthem，butbyhiswifeUnuri，whoalsoisoftheroyalline，hehasnone。“
HereIheardAmenmesesmutter，“Beingmyauntthatisnotstrange，“asayingatwhichSetismiled。
“Mydaughter，thePrincess，isalsounmarried。Soitseemsthatthefountainoftheroyalbloodisrunningdry-“
“Nowitiscoming，“whisperedSetibelowhisbreathsothatonlyI
couldhear。
“Therefore，“continuedPharaoh，“asyouknow，PrinceSeti，fortheroyalPrincessofEgyptbymycommandwenttospeaktoyouofthismatterlastnight，Imakeadecree-“
“Pardon，OPharaoh，“interruptedthePrince，“mysisterspoketomeofnodecreelastnight，savethatIshouldattendatthecourthereto-day。“
“BecauseIcouldnot，Seti，seeingthatanotherwaspresentwithyouwhomyourefusedtodismiss，“andshelethereyesrestonme。
“Itmattersnot，“saidPharaoh，“sincenowIwillutteritwithmyownlipswhichperhapsisbetter。Itismywill，Prince，thatyouforthwithwedtheroyalPrincessUserti，thatchildrenofthetruebloodoftheRamessidesmaybeborn。Hearandobey。“