At a sign given by the minister of war, a number of officials ran in: one brought sandals and put them on Nitager's feet; others put down costly stools for the minister and leaders.

When the three dignitaries were seated, Rameses XII. said,--

"Tell me, Nitager, dost thou think that my son will be a leader?--But tell pure truth."

"By Amon of Thebes, by the glory of my ancestors in whom was blood royal, I swear that thy heir, Prince Rameses, will be a great leader, if the G.o.ds permit," replied Nitager. "He is a young man, a lad yet; still he concentrated his regiments, eased their march, and provided for them. He pleased me most of all by this, that he did not lose his head when I cut off the road before him, but led his men to the attack. He will be a leader, and will conquer the a.s.syrians, whom we must vanquish to-day if they are not to be seen on the Nile by our grandchildren."

"What dost thou say to that?" inquired the pharaoh of Herhor.

"As to the a.s.syrians, I think that the worthy Nitager is concerned about them too early. We must strengthen ourselves well before we begin a new war. As to the heir, Nitager says justly that the young man has the qualities of a leader: he is as keen as a fox, and has the energy of a lion. Still he made many blunders yesterday."

"Who among us has not made them?" put in Patrokles, silent thus far.

"The heir," continued the minister, "led the main corps wisely, but he neglected his staff; through this neglect we marched so slowly and in such disorder that Nitager was able to cut off the road before us."

"Perhaps Rameses counted on your dignity," said Nitager.

"In government and war we must count on no man: one unreckoned little stone may overturn everything," said the minister.

"If thou, worthiness," answered Patrokles, "had not pushed the columns from the road because of those scarabs--"

"Thou, worthiness, art a foreigner and an unbeliever," retorted Herhor, "hence this speech. But we Egyptians understand that when the people and the soldiers cease to reverence the scarabs, their sons will cease to fear the ureus (the serpent). From contempt of the G.o.ds is born revolt against the pharaohs."

"But what are axes for?" asked Nitager. "Whoso wishes to keep a head on his shoulders let him listen to the supreme commander."

"What then is your final opinion of the heir?" asked the pharaoh of Herhor.

"Living image of the sun, child of the G.o.ds," replied the minister.

"Command to anoint Rameses, give him a grand chain and ten talents, but do not appoint him yet to command the corps in Memphis. The prince is too young for that office, too pa.s.sionate and inexperienced. Can we recognize him as the equal of Patrokles, who has trampled the Ethiopians and the Libyans in twenty battles? Or can we place him at the side of Nitager, whose name alone brings pallor to our northern and eastern enemies?"

The pharaoh rested his head on his hand, meditated, and said,--

"Depart with my favor and in peace. I will do what is indicated by wisdom and justice."

The dignitaries bowed low, and Rameses XII., without waiting for his suite, pa.s.sed to remoter chambers.

When the two leaders found themselves alone in the entrance hall, Nitager said to Patrokles,--

"Here priests rule as in their own house. I see that. But what a leader that Herhor is! He vanquished us before we spoke; he does not grant a corps to the heir."

"He praised me so that I dared not utter a word," said Patrokles.

"He is far seeing, and does not tell all he thinks. In the wake of the heir various young lords who go to war taking singers would have shoved themselves into the corps, and they would occupy the highest places. Naturally old officers would fall into idleness from anger, because promotion had missed them; the exquisites would be idle for the sake of amus.e.m.e.nt, and the corps would break up without even meeting an enemy. Oh, Herhor is a sage!"

"May his wisdom not cost thee more than the inexperience of Rameses,"

whispered Patrokles.

Through a series of chambers filled with columns and adorned with paintings, where at each door priests and palace officials gave low obeisances before him, the pharaoh pa.s.sed to his cabinet. That was a lofty hall with alabaster walls on which in gold and bright colors were depicted the most famous events in the reign of Rameses XII., therefore homage given him by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, the emba.s.sy from the King of Buchten, and the triumphal journey of the G.o.d Khonsu through the land of that potentate.

In this hall was the malachite statue of the bird-headed Horus, adorned with gold and jewels. In front of the statue was an altar shaped as a truncated pyramid, the king's armor, costly armchairs and stools, also tables covered with trifles and small objects.

When the pharaoh appeared, one of the priests burnt incense before him, and one of the officials announced Prince Rameses, who soon entered and bowed low before his father. On the expressive face of the prince feverish disquiet was evident.

"Erpatr, I rejoice," said the pharaoh, "that thou hast returned in good health from a difficult journey."

"Mayst thou live through eternity, holiness, and thy affairs fill the two worlds!" replied Rameses.

"My military advisers have just informed me of thy labor and prudence."

The heir's face quivered and changed. He fixed great eyes on the pharaoh and listened.

"Thy deeds will not remain without reward. Thou wilt receive ten talents, a great chain, and two Greek regiments with which thou wilt exercise."

Rameses was amazed, but after a while he asked with a stifled voice,--

"But the corps in Memphis?"

"In a year we will repeat the manuvres, and if thou make no mistake in leading the army thou wilt get the corps."

"I know that Herhor did this!" cried the prince, hardly restraining his anger.

He looked around, and added, "I can never be alone with thee, my father; strangers are always between us."

The pharaoh moved his brows slightly, and his suite vanished, like a crowd of shadows.

"What hast thou to tell me?"

"Only one thing, father. Herhor is my enemy. He accused me to thee and exposed me to this shame!"

In spite of his posture of obedience the prince gnawed his lips and balled his fists.

"Herhor is thy friend and my faithful servant. It was his persuasion that made thee heir to the throne. But--I--will not confide a corps to a youthful leader who lets himself be cut off from his army."

"I joined it," answered the crushed heir; "but Herhor commanded to march around two beetles."

"Dost thou wish that a priest should make light of religion in the presence of the army?"

"My father," whispered Rameses, with quivering voice, "to avoid spoiling the journey of the beetles a ca.n.a.l was destroyed, and a man was killed."

"That man raised his own hands on himself."

"But that was the fault of Herhor."

"In the regiments which thou didst concentrate near Pi-Bailos thirty men died from over-exertion, and several hundred are sick."

The prince dropped his head.

"Rameses," continued the pharaoh, "through thy lips is speaking not a dignitary of the state who is thinking of the soundness of ca.n.a.ls and the lives of laborers, but an angry person. Anger does not accord with justice any more than a falcon with a dove."