Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-25
CHAPTER v.
The Heir to the Throne.

moned the truStieSt priest In the Drotner-
| hood of ministers to Amen and babe him
conduct The ceremonies of the evening. Then
| he sent 70 the temple stores, put into serv-
| ice another boat and was ferried over to
| the Libyun suburb of Thebes. He had him
self borne in litter to the greater palace
of Rameses II, and asked an audience with
Meneptah.
The king was at prayers in the temple OF
! his father. close to the palace, and the dusk
| of twilight was settling on the valley of the
| Nile, before Loi was summoned to the coun-
| Gil chamber.
| Behind solid panel of carved cedar
| which hedged the royal dais, stood Menep-
| tah
| Below, with the light of the torch waver-
| ing up and down his robust figure, which Har-
| hat, Meneptah'5 greatest general and now
| the new fan-bearer. To the kings right, be-
| side the daiS, with hand resting on the
| back of a cathedra. or great chair. was the
| crown prince, RameSeS. The old courtlers
of the dead grandsire, visiting the court OF
Neneptah, flung up their hands and gaSped
when they beheld the heir to the double
| crown of Egypt. They !, ,ked upon the old
Pharaoh, renewed in Youth and strength.
There were the same narrow temples with
| the slopng brow, the same haWked nose,
the same full lips the same heavy eye with
the smoldering ember in its duSky depths.
He was twenty-five years old now and had
proved that no alien nature had been nous
| ed in the old Pharaoh'S shape. he mad
never met repulse or defeat; he had never
entered the presence of his peer; he had
never loved; he had never prayed. he was
solitary power, who admitted death as his
Only equal, and defied even him.
The other counselors were minor members
OF the cabinet, who had been summoned,
but expected only to hear and keep silence
while the great powers-the king, the prince,
the priest and the an-bearer-conferred.
Loi entered, bowling and walking with
palsied step. At a sign from the king,
who had already sunk into his throne,
the old man sat.
Thou bringest US tidings, holy father?"
Even so, o Son of Ptah
Say on"
The priest moved a little uncomfortably
and glanced at the ministers grouped In the
shadows.
Save for the worthy Har-hat and cur
prince. o my king thou hast no need of
great council" he said.
Meneptah raised his hand and the super
numerary ministers left the chamber. When
they were gone, Loi unwrapped the roll
Kenkenes had brought and began to read:
ITO Loi, the most high servant of Amen,
Lord of Tape. the servant Of Ra, at On,
sends greeting:
"The gods lend me composure to speak
calmly with thee, Brother. And let the
dismay which is mine explain the lack OF
ceremony in this writing
'.It Is not likely that thou hast forgotten
the good Queen Neferari Thermuthis' f0s-
ter son-the Hebrew Mesu (MoseS) whom
she found adrift in basket on Mus. Eut
lest the years have driven the memory or
his misdeeds from thy mind, L tell again
the story. Thou knowest he was initiated
a priest of Isis, and scarce had the last or
the mysteries been disclosed to MIN, ere IL
was seen that the brotherhood had taken an
apostate unto itself.
"Rv the grace of the gods, he inter-
fered in a brawl at Pithom and killed an
Egyptian Before he could be taken he
fled into indian. and the secrets OF our Or
der were safe, for a time.
lone by one our fellows have entered
Osiris The young who knew hot nave
filled their places. Thou and l, bniy, are
1eft-and the Hebrew, He hath returned!
"The gods make strong our hands against
birnr He went away as menace, but he
returneth as a pestilence. The demons OF
Amenti are with him, and his hour is most
Israelitish pool here in the north, and he
will breathe therefrom such vapors as may
destroy gypt-faith-state-aH!
",The bond-people are already in ferment.
There was mutiny at Pa-Ramesu recently,
when three hundred were chosen to work
the ouarries Moreover the taskmasters
are corrupt. The commander one Atsu by
name appointed when the chief Merenra
became monarch over Bubastis. hath DIS
armed the underdrivers, removed the wom-
en- from toll and restored many privileges
which are ruinous to law and order Tne
whole Delta is in commotion- The nomad
tribes near the GOSnen country are dsltdt l.
ed; communities of Egyptian shepherds
have been won over to the Hebrews cause,
and now the Israelitish renegade needs but
to betray the secrets to bring such calamity
upon Egypt as never befell nation.
But, brother, he is within reach of an
avenging hand! Commission us, l pray
thee, to protect the mysteries after any
manner that to us seemeth good.
Dispatch is urgent. He may fly again.
Give us thine answer as We have sent
this to thee-by a nobleman-a swift,
and trusty one. and the blessings of the
Radiant Three be upon thy head.
Thy servant the Servant of Ra,
When the priest finished the king was
sitting upright, his face flushed with
feeling.
when the three before him kept silence,
have we no word to say?
His eyes rested on Har-hat, with an
imperious expectation in them. The fan
bearer bent low before he answered.
with thy gracious permission, o Son
of Ptah," he said, Il would suggest that
it were wise to cool an insurrection in
the simmering. The disaffection seems to
be Of great extent. But the Rameside
army assembled the ground might
check an open Instruction. Furthermore
thou hast seen the salutary effect of thy
visit to Tape when she forgot her duty to
her sovereign. Thy presence in the Delta
would undoubtedly expedite the suppress
sion Of the rebellion likewise"
"Oh, aye" Meneptah declared. Il must
go to Tanis. 1t seems that l must hasten
hither and thither over Egypt pursuing
sedition like a scent-hunting jackal. Hast
thou any simpler plan to offer, holy
father"
The old priest shifted little before he
answered.
The mysteries of the faith are in pos
session of Mesu," he began at last. The
writing saith he hath exerted great inf1u-
ence over the bond-people-in truth he
hath entered a peaceful land and stirred
1t up-and time Is but needed to bring
the unrest to open warfare. Ye know
that we hold the faith by scant tenure in
the respect of the people. Ye know the
perversity of humanity. So If 1t were to
come over the spirit of this Hebrew to
betray the mysteries, to scout the faith
and overturn the gods, he would have
rabble Egypt following at his heels. The
rabble without leader is harmless. Cut
off the head of Mesu and the insurrection
will subside utterly"
''Mesu. though Hebrew, an infidel and
a malefactor," replied Meneptah, lis a
prince of the realm, my foster
Neferaris favorite son. Nay. he shall not
die by hand of mine" The prelate raised
his head and met the eyes of the king
After he read what lay therein the dis
satisfaction that had begun to show on
his ancient face faded.
The Pharaoh settled back into his seat
and his brow cleared as II the problem had
been settled. But suddenly he sat up.
What have I profited by this council?"
He str nad N, inf v anA frtru IN