Oneday，however，along-beardedoldman，withagold-tippedwandofoffice，whohadabull’sheadembroideredonhisrobe，stoppedinfrontofmeand，callingmeawhite-headedcrow，askedmewhatIwasdoinghoppingdaybydayaboutthechambersofthepalace。Itoldhimmynameandbusinessandhetoldmehis，whichitseemedwasPambasa，oneofthePrince’schamberlains。WhenIaskedhimtotakemetothePrince，helaughedinmyfaceandsaiddarklythattheroadtohisHighness’spresencewaspavedwithgold。Iunderstoodwhathemeantandgavehimagiftwhichhetookasreadilyasacockpickscorn，sayingthathewouldspeakofmetohismasterandthatImustcomebackagain。
　　Icamethriceandeachtimethatoldcockpickedmorecorn。AtlastI
　　grewenragedand，forgettingwhereIwas，begantoshoutathimandcallhimathief，sothatfolksgatheredroundtolisten。Thisseemedtofrightenhim。Atfirsthelookedtowardsthedoorasthoughtosummontheguardtothrustmeout；thenchangedhismind，andinagrumblingvoicebademefollowhim。Wewentdownlongpassages，pastsoldierswhostoodatwatchinthemstillasmummiesintheircoffins，tillatlengthwecametosomebroideredcurtains。HerePambasawhisperedtometowait，andpassedthroughthecurtainswhichheleftnotquiteclosed，sothatIcouldseetheroombeyondandhearallthattookplacethere。
　　Itwasasmallroomliketothatofanyscribe，foronthetableswerepalettes，pensofreed，inkinalabastervases，andsheetsofpapyruspinneduponboards。Thewallswerepainted，notasIwaswonttopainttheBooksoftheDead，butafterthefashionofanearliertime，suchasIhaveseenincertainancienttombs，withpicturesofwildfowlrisingfromtheswampsandoftreesandplantsastheygrow。Againstthewallshungracksinwhichwerepapyrusrolls，andonthehearthburnedafireofcedar-wood。
　　BythisfirestoodthePrince，whomIknewfromhisstatues。Hisyearsappearedfewerthanminealthoughwewerebornuponthesameday，andhewastallandthin，veryfairalsoforoneofourpeople，perhapsbecauseoftheSyrianbloodthatraninhisveins。HishairwasstraightandbrownliketothatofnorthernfolkwhocometotradeinthemarketsofEgypt，andhiseyesweregreyratherthanblack，setbeneathsomewhatprominentbrowssuchasthoseofhisfather，Meneptah。Hisfacewassweetasawoman’s，butmadecuriousbycertainwrinkleswhichranfromthecornersoftheeyestowardstheears。I
　　thinkthatthesecamefromthebendingofthebrowinthought，butotherssaythattheywereinheritedfromanancestressonthefemaleside。Bakenkhonsumyfriend，theoldprophetwhoservedunderthefirstSetianddiedbuttheotherday，havinglivedahundredandtwentyyears，toldmethatheknewherbeforeshewasmarried，andthatsheandherdescendant，Seti，mighthavebeentwins。
　　InhishandthePrinceheldanopenroll，averyancientwritingasI，whoamskilledinsuchmattersthathavetodowithmytrade，knewfromitsappearance。Liftinghiseyessuddenlyfromthestudyofthisroll，hesawthechamberlainstandingbeforehim。
　　“Youcameatagoodtime，Pambasa，“hesaidinavoicethatwasverysoftandpleasant，andyetmostmanlike。“Youareoldanddoubtlesswise。Say，areyouwise，Pambasa？“
　　“Yes，yourHighness。IamwiselikeyourHighness’suncle，Khaemuasthemightymagician，whosesandalsIusedtocleanwhenIwasyoung。“
　　“Isitso？Thenwhyareyousocarefultohideyourwisdomwhichshouldbeopenlikeaflowerforuspoorbeestosuckat？Well，Iamgladtolearnthatyouarewise，forinthisbookofmagicthatIhavebeenreadingIfindproblemsworthyofKhaemuasthedeparted，whomI
　　onlyrememberasabrooding，black-browedmanmuchlikemycousin，Amenmeseshisson——savethatnoonecancallAmenmeseswise。“
　　“WhyisyourHighnessglad？“
　　“Becauseyou，beingbyyourownaccounthisequal，cannowinterpretthematterasKhaemuaswouldhavedone。Youknow，Pambasa，thathadhelivedhewouldhavebeenPharaohinplaceofmyfather。Hediedtoosoon，however，whichprovestomethattherewassomethinginthistaleofhiswisdom，sincenoreallywisemanwouldeverwishtobePharaohofEgypt。“
　　Pambasastaredwithhismouthopen。
　　“NotwishtobePharaoh!“hebegan——
　　“Now，PambasatheWise，“wentonthePrinceasthoughhehadnotheardhim。“Listen。Thisoldbookgivesacharm’toemptytheheartofitsweariness，’thatitsaysistheoldestandmostcommonsicknessintheworldfromwhichonlykittens，somechildren，andmadpeoplearefree。
　　Itappearsthatthecureforthissickness，sosaysthebook，istostandonthetopofthepyramidofKhufuatmidnightatthatmomentwhenthemoonislargestinthewholeyear，anddrinkfromthecupofdreams，recitingmeanwhileaspellwrittenhereatlengthinlanguagewhichIcannotread。“
　　“Thereisnovirtueinspells，Prince，ifanyonecanreadthem。“
　　“Andnouse，itwouldseem，iftheycanbereadbynone。“
　　“Moreover，howcananyoneclimbthepyramidofKhufu，whichiscoveredwithpolishedmarble，eveninthedayletaloneatmidnight，yourHighness，andtheredrinkofthecupofdreams？“
　　“Idonotknow，Pambasa。AllIknowisthatIwearyofthisfoolishness，andoftheworld。Tellmeofsomethingthatwilllightenmyheart，foritisheavy。“
　　“Therearejugglerswithout，Prince，oneofwhomsayshecanthrowaropeintotheairandclimbupituntilhevanishesintoheaven。“
　　“Whenhehasdoneitinyoursight，Pambasa，bringhimtome，butnotbefore。Deathistheonlyropebywhichweclimbtoheaven——orbeloweredintohell。ForrememberthereisagodcalledSet，afterwhom，likemygreat-grandfather，Iamnamedbytheway——thepriestsaloneknowwhy——aswellasonecalledOsiris。“
　　“Thentherearethedancers，Prince，andamongthemsomeveryfinelymadegirls，forIsawthembathinginthepalacelake，suchaswouldhavedelightedtheheartofyourgrandfather，thegreatRameses。“
　　“Theydonotdelightmyheartwhowantnonakedwomenprancinghere。
　　Tryagain，Pambasa。“
　　“Icanthinkofnothingelse，Prince。Yet，stay。ThereisascribewithoutnamedAna，athin，sharp-nosedmanwhosaysheisyourHighness’stwininRa。“
　　“Ana!“saidthePrince。“HeofMemphiswhowritesstories？Whydidyounotsaysobefore，youoldfool？Lethimenteratonce，atonce。“
　　NowhearingthisI，Ana，walkedthroughthecurtainsandprostratedmyself，saying，“Iamthatscribe，ORoyalSonoftheSun。“
　　“HowdareyouenterthePrince’spresencewithoutbeingbidden-“
　　beganPambasa，butSetibrokeinwithasternvoice，saying，“Andhowdareyou，Pambasa，keepthislearnedmanwaitingatmydoorlikeadog？Rise，Ana，andceasefromgivingmetitles，forwearenotatCourt。Tellme，howlonghaveyoubeeninTanis？“
　　“Manydays，OPrince，“Ianswered，“seekingyourpresenceandinvain。“
　　“Andhowdidyouwinitatlast？“
　　“Bypayment，OPrince，“Iansweredinnocently，“asitseemsisusual。
　　Thedoorkeepers-“
　　“Iunderstand，“saidSeti，“thedoorkeepers!Pambasa，youwillascertainwhatamountthislearnedscribehasdisbursedto’thedoorkeepers’andrefundhimdouble。Begonenowandseetothematter。“
　　SoPambasawent，castingapiteouslookatmeoutofthecornerofhiseye。
　　“Tellme，“saidSetiwhenhewasgone，“youwhomustbewiseinyourfashion，whydoesaCourtalwaysbreedthieves？“
　　“Isupposeforthesamereason，OPrince，thatadog’sbackbreedsfleas。Fleasmustlive，andthereisthedog。“
　　“True，“heanswered，“andthesepalacefleasarenotpaidenough。IfeverIhavepowerIwillseetoit。Theyshallbefewerbutbetterfed。Now，Ana，beseated。Iknowyouthoughyoudonotknowme，andalreadyIhavelearnedtoloveyouthroughyourwritings。Tellmeofyourself。“
　　SoItoldhimallmysimpletale，towhichhelistenedwithoutaword，andthenaskedmewhyIhadcometoseehim。Irepliedthatitwasbecausehehadsentforme，whichhehadforgotten；alsobecauseI
　　broughthimastorythatIhaddaredtodedicatetohim。ThenIlaidtherollbeforehimonthetable。
　　“Iamhonoured，“hesaidinapleasedvoice，“Iamgreatlyhonoured。
　　IfIlikeitwell，yourstoryshallgotothetombwithmeformyKatoreadandre-readuntilthedayofresurrection，thoughfirstIwillstudyitintheflesh。DoyouknowthiscityofTanis，Ana？“
　　IansweredthatIknewlittleofit，whohadspentmytimeherehauntingthedoorsofhisHighness。
　　“ThenwithyourleaveIwillbeyourguidethroughitthisnight，andafterwardswewillsupandtalk。“
　　Ibowedandheclappedhishands，whereonaservantappeared，notPambasa，butanother。
　　“Bringtwocloaks，“saidthePrince，“Igoabroadwiththescribe，Ana。LetaguardoffourNubians，nomore，followus，butatadistanceanddisguised。Letthemwaitattheprivateentrance。“
　　Themanbowedanddepartedswiftly。
　　Almostimmediatelyablackslaveappearedwithtwolonghoodedcloaks，suchascamel-driverswear，whichhehelpedustoputon。Then，takingalamp，heledusfromtheroomthroughadoorwayoppositetothatbywhichIhadentered，downpassagesandanarrowstairthatendedinacourtyard。Crossingthiswecametoawall，greatandthick，inwhichweredoubledoorssheathedwithcopperthatopenedmysteriouslyatourapproach。Outsideofthesedoorsstoodfourtallmen，alsowrappedincloaks，whoseemedtotakenonoteofus。Still，lookingbackwhenwehadgonealittleway，Iobservedthattheywerefollowingus，asthoughbychance。