“Pharaoh!“saidtheman。“WehavesuretidingsthatPharaohandhisarmiesareslainbywizardryinthesea。“
“Fool!“thunderedthePrince，“Pharaohneverdies。PharaohAmenmesesiswithOsirisbutthegoodgodSetiMeneptahwho/is/Pharaohbidsyouopen。“
Thenthebronzegatesrolledback，andthosewhoguardedthemprostratedthemselvesinthedust。
“Man，“Icalledtothecaptain，“whatmeansyondershouting？“
“Sir，“heanswered，“Idonotknow，butIamtoldthatthewitchwhohasbroughtwoeonEgyptandbymagiccausedthedeathofPharaohAmenmesesandhisarmies，diesbyfireintheplacebeforethetemple。“
“Bywhosecommand？“Icriedagainasthecharioteerfloggedthehorses，butnoanswerreachedourears。
Werushedonupthewidestreettothegreatplacethatwaspackedwithtensofthousandsofthepeople。Wedrovethehorsesatthem。
“WayforPharaoh!WayfortheMightyOne，thegoodgod，SetiMeneptah，KingoftheUpperandtheLowerLand!“shoutedtheescort。
ThepeopleturnedandsawthetallshapeofthePrincestillcladintherobesofstatewhichhehadwornwhenhestoodbeforeAmenmesesinthepavilionbythesea。
“Pharaoh!Pharaoh!HailtoPharaoh!“theycried，prostratingthemselves，andthecrypassedonthroughMemphislikeawind。
Nowwewerecometothecentreoftheplace，andthereinfrontofthegreatgatesofthetempleburnedavastpyreofwood。Beforethepyremovedfigures，inoneofwhomIknewKidressedinhismagician’srobe。Outsideofthesetherewasadoublecircleofsoldierswhokeptthepeopleback，whichtheseneeded，fortheyravedlikemadmenandshooktheirfists。Agroupofpriestsnearthefireseparated，andI
sawthatamongthemstoodamanandawoman，thelatterwithdishevelledhairandtornrobesasthoughshehadbeenroughlyhandled。Atthismomentherstrengthseemedtofailherandshesanktotheground，liftingherfaceasshedidso。ItwasthefaceofMerapi，MoonofIsrael。
Soshewasnotdead。Themanathersidestoopedasthoughtoliftherup，butastonethrownoutoftheshadowstruckhiminthebackandcausedhimtostraightenhimself，whichhedidwithacurseatthethrower。Iknewthevoiceatonce，althoughthespeakerwasdisguised。
ItwasthatofLabantheIsraelite，hewhohadbeenbetrothedtoMerapi，andhadstriventomurderusinthelandofGoshen。Whatdidhehere？Iwondereddimly。
Kiwasspeaking。“HarkhowtheHebrewcatspits，“hesaid。“Well，thecausehasbeentriedandtheverdictgiven，andIthinkthatthefamiliarshouldfeedtheflamesbeforethewitch。Watchhimnow，andperhapshewillchangeintosomethingelse。“
Allthishesaid，smilinginhisusualpleasantfashion，evenwhenhemadeasigntocertainblacktempleslaveswhostoodnear。Theyleaptforward，andIsawthefirelightshoneupontheircopperarmletsastheygrippedLaban。Hefoughtfuriously，shouting：
“Whereareyourarmies，Egyptians，andwhereisyourdogofaPharaoh？
GodigthemfromtheSeaofReeds。Farewell，MoonofIsrael。Lookhowyourroyallovercrownsyouatthelast，Ofaithless-“
Hesaidnomore，foratthismomenttheslaveshurledhimheadlongintotheheartofthegreatfire，whichblackenedforalittleandburnedbrightagain。
ThenitwasthatMerapistruggledtoherfeetandcriedinaringingvoicethoseverywordswhichthePrinceandIhadseemedtohearherspeakfarawaybytheSeaofReeds——“/Oh!helpmemylordSeti!Helpme，mylordSeti!/“Yes，thesamewordswhichhadechoedinourearsdaysbeforetheypassedherlips，orsowebelieved。
Nowallthiswhileourchariotshadbeenforcingtheirwayfootbyfootthroughthewallofthewatchingcrowd，perhapswhileamanmightcountahundred，nomore。Astheechoesofhercrydiedawayatlengthwewerethroughandleapingtotheground。
“Thewitchcallsononewhosupsto-nightattheboardofOsiriswithPharaohandhishost，“sneeredKi。“Well，lethergotoseekhimthereiftheguardiangodswillsufferit，“andagainhemadeasigntotheblackslaves。
ButMerapihadseenorfeltSetiadvancingfromtheshadowsandseeingflungherselfuponhisbreast。Hekissedheronthebrowbeforethemall，thenbademeholdherupandturnedtofacethepeople。
“Bowdown。Bowdown。Bowdown!“criedthedeepvoiceofBakenkhonsu。
“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“andwhathesaidtheescortechoed。
Thenofasuddenthemultitudeunderstood。Totheirkneestheyfellandfromeverysiderosetheancientsalutation。Setihelduphishandandblessedthem。Watching，IsawKisliptowardsthedarkness，andwhisperedawordtotheguards，whospranguponhimandbroughthimback。
ThenthePrincespoke：
“YenamemePharaoh，peopleofMemphis，andPharaohIfearIambydescentofbloodto-day，thoughwhetherIwillconsenttobeartheburdensofgovernment，shouldEgyptwishitofme，asyetIknownot。
Stillhewhoworethedoublecrownis，Ibelieve，deadinthemidstofthesea；attheleastIsawthewatersoverwhelmhimandhisarmy。
Therefore，ifonlyforanhour，IwillbePharaoh，thatasPharaohI
mayjudgeofcertainmatters。LadyMerapi，tellme，Iprayyou，howcameyoutothispass？“
“Mylord，“sheanswered，inalowvoice，“afteryouhadgonetowarnthearmyofPharaohbecauseofthatdreamIdreamed，Ki，whodepartedonthesameday，returnedagain。Throughoneofthewomenofthehousehold，overwhomhehadpower，orsoIthink，heobtainedaccesstomewhenIwasaloneinmychamber。Therehemademethisoffer：
“’Giveme，’hesaid，’thesecretofyourmagicthatImaybeavengeduponthewizardsoftheHebrewswhohavebroughtaboutmydownfall，andupontheHebrewsthemselves，andalsouponallmyotherenemies，andthusoncemorebecomethegreatestmaninEgypt。InturnIwillfulfilallyourdesires，andmakeyou，andnoother，QueenofEgypt，andbeyourfaithfulservant，andthatofyourlordSetiwhoshallbePharaoh，untiltheendofyourlives。Refuse，andIwillstirupthepeopleagainstyou，andbeforeeverthePrincereturns，ifhereturnsatall，theywhobelieveyoutobeanevilsorceressshallmeteouttoyouthefateofasorceress。’
“Mylord，IansweredtoKiwhatIhaveoftentoldhimbefore，thatI
hadnomagictorevealtohim，Iwhoknewnothingoftheblackartsofsorcery，seeingthatitwasnotIwhodestroyedthestatueofAmoninthetempleatTanis，butthatsamePowerwhichsincethenhasbroughtalltheplaguesonEgypt。Isaid，too，thatIcarednothingforthegiftsheofferedtome，asIhadnowishtobeQueenofEgypt。Mylord，helaughedinmyface，sayingIshouldfindthathewasoneilltomock，asothershadfoundbeforeme。Thenhepointedatmewithhiswandandmutteredsomespelloverme，whichseemedtonumbmylimbsandvoice，holdingmehelplesstillhehadbeengonealongwhile，andcouldnotbefoundbyyourservants，whomIcommandedinyournametoseize，andkeephimtillyourreturn。
“Fromthathourthepeoplebegantothreatenme。Theycrowdedaboutthepalacegatesinthousands，cryingdayandnightthattheyweregoingtokillme，thewitch。Iprayedforhelp，butfromme，asinner，heavenhasgrownsofarawaythatmyprayersseemtofallbackunhearduponmyhead。Eventheservantsinthepalaceturnedagainstme，andwouldnotlookuponmyface。Igrewmadwithfearandloneliness，sinceallfledbeforeme。AtlastonenighttowardsthedawnIwentontotheterrace，andsincenogodwouldhearme，IturnedtowardsthenorthwhitherIknewthatyouhadgone，andcriedtoyoutohelpmeinthosesamewordswhichIcriedagainjustnowbeforeyouappeared。“
HerethePrincelookedatmeandIAnalookedathim。“Thenitwasthatfromamongthebushesofthegardenappearedaman，hiddeninalong，sheepskincloak，sothatIcouldnotseehisface，whosaidtome：
“’MoonofIsrael，IhavebeensentbyhisHighness，thePrinceSeti，totellyouthatyouareindangerofyourlife，asheisindangerofhis，whereforehecannotcometoyou。Hiscommandisthatyoucometohim，thattogetheryoumayfleeawayoutofEgypttoalandwhereyouwillbothbesafeuntilallthesetroublesarefinished。’
“’HowknowIthatyouoftheveiledfaceareatruemessenger？’I
asked。’Givemeasign。’
“Thenheheldouttomethatscarab？usoflapis-lazuliwhichyourHighnessgavetomefarawayinthelandofGoshen，thesamethatyouaskedbackfrommeasalovetokenwhenweplightedtroth，andyougavemeyourroyalring，whichscarab？usIhadseeninyourrobewhenyoudroveawaywithAna。“
“IlostitonourjourneytotheSeaofReeds，butsaidnothingofittoyou，Ana，becauseIthoughttheomenevil，havingdreamedinthenightthatKiappearedandstoleitfromme，“whisperedthePrincetome。
“’Itisnotenough，’Ianswered。’Thisjewelmayhavebeenthievedaway，orsnatchedfromthedeadbodyofthePrince，ortakenfromhimbymagic。’
“Thecloakedmanthoughtawhileandsaid，’Thisnight，notanhourago，PharaohandhischariotswereoverwhelmedintheSeaofReeds。
Letthatserveasasign。’
“’Howcanthisbe？’Ianswered，’sincetheSeaofReedsisfaraway，andsuchtidingscannottravelthenceinanhour。Getyougone，falsetempter。’
“’Yetitisso，’heanswered。
“’Whenyouproveittome，Iwillbelieve，andcome。’
“’Good，’hesaid，andwasgone。