Sowewenttothegreatporticoofthepalace，passinginandoutthroughthepaintedpillars，towardsmyownapartments，whenceI
purposedtosendamessagetothePrince。Asitchancedthiswasneedless，sincepresentlywesawhimseatedinalittlebayoutofreachofthesun。ByhissidewasMerapi，andonawovenrugbetweenthemlaytheirsleepinginfant，atwhombothofthemgazedadoringly。
“Strangethatthismother’sheartshouldhidemoremightthancanbeboastedbyallthegodsofEgypt。Strangethatthosemother’seyescanrivetheancientgloryofAmonintodust!“KisaidtomeinsolowavoicethatitalmostseemedasthoughIheardhisthoughtandnothiswords，whichperhapsindeedIdid。
Nowwestoodinfrontofthesethree，andthesunbeingbehindus，foritwasstillearly，theshadowofthecloakedKifelluponababeandlaythere。Ahatefulfancycametome。Itlookedliketheevilformofanembalmerbendingoveronenewdead。Thebabefeltit，openeditslargeeyesandwailed。Merapisawit，andsnatchedupherchild。Setitoorosefromhisseat，exclaiming，“Whocomes？“
Thereon，tomyamazement，KiprostratedhimselfandutteredthesalutationwhichmayonlybegiventotheKingofEgypt：“Life!Blood!
Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“
“Whodaresutterthosewordstome？“saidSeti。“Ana，whatmadmandoyoubringhere？“
“MayitpleasethePrince，/he/brought/me/here，“Irepliedfaintly。
“Fellow，tellmewhobadeyousaysuchwords，thanwhichnonewereeverlesswelcome。“
“ThosewhomIserve，Prince。“
“Andwhomdoyouserve？“
“ThegodsofEgypt。“
“Then，man，Ithinkthegodsmustneedyourcompany。PharaohdoesnotsitatMemphis，andwerehetohearofthem-“
“Pharaohwillneverhearthem，Prince，untilhehearsallthings。“
Theystaredateachother。Then，asIhaddonebythegateSetirubbedhiseyes，andsaid：
“SurelythisisKi。Why，then，didyoulookotherwisejustnow？“
“Thegodscanchangethefashionoftheirmessengerathousandtimesinaflash，ifsotheywill，OPrince。“
NowSeti’sangerpassed，andturnedtolaughter。
“Ki，Ki，’hesaid，“youshouldkeepthesetricksforCourt。But，sinceyouareinthemood，whatsalutationhaveyouforthisladybymyside？“
Kiconsideredher，tillshewhoeverfearedandhatedhimshrankbeforehisgaze。
“CrownofHathor，Igreetyou。BelovedofIsis，shineonperfectinthesky，sheddinglightandwisdomereyouset。“
Nowthissayingpuzzledme。Indeed，IdidnotfullyunderstandituntilBakenkhonsuremindedmethatMerapi’snamewasMoonofIsrael，thatHathor，goddessoflove，iscrownedwiththemooninallherstatues，thatIsisisthequeenofmysteriesandwisdom，andthatKiwhothoughtMerapiperfectinloveandbeauty，alsothegreatestofallsorceresses，waslikeninghertothese。
“Yes，“Ianswered，“butwhatdidhemeanwhenhetalkedabouthersetting？“
“Doesnotthemoonalwaysset，andisitnotsometimeseclipsed？“heaskedshortly。
“Sodoesthesun，“Ianswered。
“True；sodoesthesun!Youaregrowingwise，verywiseindeed，friendAna。Oho——ho!“
Toreturn：WhenSetiheardthesewords，helaughedagain，andsaid：
“Imustthinkthatsayingover，butitisclearthatyouhaveaprettyturnforpraise。Isitnotso，Merapi，CrownofHathor，andHolderofthewisdomofIsis？“
ButMerapi，who，Ithink，understoodmorethaneitherofus，turnedpale，andshrankfurtheraway，butoutwardsintothesunshine。
“Well，Ki，“wentonSeti，“finishyourgreetings。Whatforthebabe？“
Kiconsidereditalso。
“Nowthatitisnolongerintheshadow，IseethatthisshootfromtheroyalrootofPharaohgrowssofastandtallthatmyeyescannotreachitscrest。Heistoohighandgreatforgreetings，Prince。“
ThenMerapiutteredalittlecry，andborethechildaway。
“Sheisafraidofmagiciansandtheirdarksayings，“saidSeti，lookingafterherwithatroubledsmile。
“Thatsheshouldnotbe，Prince，seeingthatsheisthemistressofallourtribe。“
“TheladyMerapiamagician？Well，afterafashion，yes——wheretheheartsofmenareconcerned，doyounotthinkso，Ana？Butbemoreplain，Ki。Itisstillearly，andIloveriddlesbestatnight。“
“WhatothercouldhaveshatteredthestrongandholyhousewherethemajestyofAmondwellsonearth？NoteventhoseprophetsoftheHebrewsasIthink。WhatothercouldfencethisgardenroundagainstthecursesthathavefallenuponEgypt？“askedKiearnestly，fornowallhismockingmannerhaddeparted。
“Idonotthinkshedoesthesethings，Ki。IthinksomePowerdoesthemthroughher，andIknowthatshedaredtofaceAmoninhistemplebecauseshewasbiddensotodobythepriestsofherpeople。“
“Prince，“heansweredwithashortlaugh，“awhileagoIsentyouamessagebyAna，whichperhapsotherthoughtsmayhavedrivenfromhismemory。ItwasastothenatureofthatPowerofwhichyouspeak。InthatmessageIsaidthatyouwerewise，butnowIperceivethatyoulackwisdomliketherestofus，forifyouhadit，youwouldknowthatthetoolwhichcarvesisnottheguidinghand，andthelightningwhichsmitesisnotthesendingstrength。Sowiththisfairloveofyours，andsowithmeandallthatworkmarvels。Wedonotthethingsweseemtodo，whoarebutthetoolandthelightning。WhatIwouldknowiswhoorwhatguidesherhandandgivesherthemighttoshieldortodestroy。“
“Thequestioniswide，Ki，orsoitseemstomewho，asyousay，havelittlewisdom，andwhoevercanansweritholdsthekeyofknowledge。
Yourmagicisbutasmallthingwhichseemsgreatbecausesofewcanhandleit。Whatmiracleisitthatmakestheflowertogrow，thechildtobeborn，theNiletorise，andthesunandstarstoshineinheaven？Whatcausesmantobehalfabeastandhalfagodandtogrowdownwardtothebeastorupwardtothegod——orboth？Whatisfaithandwhatisunbelief？Whomadethesethings，throughthemtodeclarethepurposesoflife，ofdeath，andofeternity？Youshakeyourhead，youdonotknow；howthencanIknowwho，asyoupointout，ambutfoolish？GogetyouranswerfromtheladyMerapi’sself，onlymayhapyouwillfindyourquestionscountered。“
“I’lltakemychance。ThankstoMerapi’slord!Aboon，OPrince，sinceyouwillnotsufferthatothernamewhichcomeseasiesttothelipsofonetowhomthePresentandtheFuturearesometimesmuchalike。“
Setilookedathimkeenly，andforthefirsttimewithatingeoffearinhiseyes。
“LeavetheFuturetoitself，Ki，“heexclaimed。“WhatevermaybethemindofEgypt，justnowIholdthePresentenoughforme，“andheglancedfirstatthechairinwhichMerapihadbeenseatedandthenattheclothuponwhichhissonhadlain。
“Itakebackmywords。ThePrinceiswiserthanIthought。Magiciansknowthefuturebecauseattimesitrushesdownuponthemandtheymust。Itisthatwhichmakesthemlonely，sincewhattheyknowtheycannotsay。Butonlyfoolswillseekit。“
“Yetnowandagaintheyliftacorneroftheveil，Ki。ThusIremembercertainsayingsofyourownastoonewhowouldfindagreattreasureinthelandofGoshenandthereaftersuffersometemporalloss，and——I
forgettherest。Man，ceasesmilingatmewithyourfaceandpiercingmethroughwithyoursword-likeeyes。Youcancommandallthings，whatboonthendoyouseekfromme？“
“Tolodgeherealittlewhile，Prince，inthecompanyofAnaandBakenkhonsu。Hearken，IamnomoreKherheb。IhavequarrelledwithPharaoh，perhapsbecausealittlebreathfromthatgreatwindofthefutureblowsthroughmysoul；perhapsbecausehedoesnotrewardmeaccordingtomymerits——whatdoesitmatterwhich？AtleastIhavecometobeofonemindwithyou，OPrince，andthinkthatPharaohwoulddowelltolettheHebrewsgo，andthereforenolongerwillI
attempttomatchmymagicagainsttheirs。Butherefuses，sowehaveparted。“
“Whydoesherefuse，Ki？“
“Perhapsitiswrittenthathemustrefuse。Orperhapsbecause，thinkinghimselfthegreatestofallkingsinsteadofbutaplaythingofthegods，pridelocksthedoorsofhisheartthatinadaytocomethetempestoftheFuture，whereofIhavespoken，maywreckthehousewhichholdsit。Idonotknowwhyherefuses，butherHighnessUsertiismuchwithhim。“
“Foronewhodoesnotknow，youhavemanyreasonsandallofthemdifferent，OinstructedKi，“saidSeti。
Thenhepaused，walkingupanddowntheportico，andIwhoknewhismindguessedthathewaswonderingwhetherhewoulddowelltosufferKi，whomattimeshefearedbecausehisobjectsweresecretandneverchanged，toabideinhishouse，orwhetherheshouldsendhimaway。Kialsoshiveredalittle，asthoughhefelttheshadowcold，anddescendedfromtheporticointothebrightsunshine。Hereheheldouthishandandagreatmothdroppedfromtheroofandlituponit，whereonitliftedittohislips，whichmovedasthoughheweretalkingtotheinsect。