Warren sheaf., 1905-10-26
CHAPTER XII,

..,.- CHAPTER XII.
THE SON OF THE ROYAL ARCHITECT.
II EIARCH and April had passed and
V now 1t was the 1st of May
Five days before the ceremony
~ of installation had been held
for the murket and the cupbearer, and
for four days thereafter the new OH
GERS passed through initiatory formal
tiles. But on the fifth day the rites
of investiture had been brought to an
end, and Mentu and Nechutes entered
on the routine of service. =
TO Mentu fell the dignif1ed congratu
lations of his own world Of sedate old
mobiles and stately women, but Ne
chutes was younger and we'll beloved
by youthful Memphis, so on the night
Of The fifth day the house of Senci was
aglow and in her banquet room there
was much young revel in his honor
Aromatic torches faring in sconces
lighted the frieze of lotus, the painted
Daneling on the wall and the clustered
pillars that upheld the ceiling Of the
chamber. The tables had been removed,
the musicians and tumblers common
to such occasions were not present, for
the rout was small and sufficient unto
itself for entertainment.
Gathered about a central figure
which must needs be the one Of high
est rank-and in this instance it was
RameseS, the crown prince-were the
young guests. They were noblemen
and gentlewomen of Memphis, freed
pretentious affairs and spared the awe
some repression Of potentates and mon
itors -..
Hotep was host, and these were his
guests. -
First, there was Rameses, Ianguid.
cynical, sumptuous and enthroDed in
a capacious fauteuil, significantly up
holstered in purple and god. In
Close beside him and similarly en-
throned was Ta-user. She wore dou-
bic robe of transparent linen, very
fine and clinging in it's texture The
overdress was simply white gauze,
striped with narrow lines Of green and
gold. From the fillet of royalty about
her forehead an emerald depended be-.
tween her eyes. Her zone was broad
braid Of golden cords, girdling her be-
meath the breast, encompassing her
again about the hips and fastened at
last in front by a diamond shaped
buckle Of clustered emeralds Her san
dals were mere jeweled straps of white
gazelle hide, passing under the heel
and ball Of the foot. She was as dar-
ingly dressed as lissom dancing girl.
On taboret at her right was Seti,
the little prince. Although he was
nearly sixteen, he looked to be Of even
tenderer years. In him the charms Of
the Egyptian countenance had been so
emphasized and it's defects so reduced
that his iboyish beauty~was unequaled
among his countrymen.
At his feet was 10, playing at dice
with Ta-meri and Nechutes. Ta-meri
was more than usually brilliant, and
Nechutes, flushed with her favor, was
playing splendidly and rejoicing be-
yond reason over his gains.
Opposite this group was another, the
center of which was Masanath. She
sat in the richest seat in the house OF
Senci. 1t was ivory tricked with gold,
but, small and young as the fan bear
er's daughter was, there was none in
that assembly who might queen 1T as
royalty as she from it's imperial depths.
By her side was the boon companion
-
named 'the Bland" captain of the roy
al guard. a most amiable soldier and
chiefly remarkable because of. all the
princes world he was the only one
that could tell the truth to Rameses,
and tell it without offense.
On the floor between Masanath and
Menes was the son of Anon meses, the
Prince Siptah. He was a typical ori-
entail. bronze in hue, lean Of frame,
brilliant of eye, white of teeth, intense
in temperament and fierce in his loves
and hates Religion comforted him
through his appetites. In his sight
craft was virtue, intrigue was pol
itics and love was fury. His eyes
never left Ta-user for long, and his
every word seemed to be inspired Dy
some overweening emotion.
Aside from these there were others IN
the group. Some were sons and daugh-
tiers Of royalty, cousins Of the Phara-
obs sons and of Ta-user and S1ptah;
many were children of the kings min
listers. and all were noble.
Senci and Hoteps older sister, the
LADY Belts, dark eyed matron Of
thirty. presided in duenna-like guard
1anship over the rout. They sat In
diphros apart from the young reyelers.
Kenkenes was momently expected.
For the past two months he had been
seen every evening wherever there was
high class revel in Memphis. But he
had laughed perfunctorily and lapsed
into pEeoeeupatlon when none spoke to