Sowewenttothegreatporticoofthepalace，passinginandoutthroughthepaintedpillars，towardsmyownapartments，whenceI
　　purposedtosendamessagetothePrince。Asitchancedthiswasneedless，sincepresentlywesawhimseatedinalittlebayoutofreachofthesun。ByhissidewasMerapi，andonawovenrugbetweenthemlaytheirsleepinginfant，atwhombothofthemgazedadoringly。
　　“Strangethatthismother’sheartshouldhidemoremightthancanbeboastedbyallthegodsofEgypt。Strangethatthosemother’seyescanrivetheancientgloryofAmonintodust!“KisaidtomeinsolowavoicethatitalmostseemedasthoughIheardhisthoughtandnothiswords，whichperhapsindeedIdid。
　　Nowwestoodinfrontofthesethree，andthesunbeingbehindus，foritwasstillearly，theshadowofthecloakedKifelluponababeandlaythere。Ahatefulfancycametome。Itlookedliketheevilformofanembalmerbendingoveronenewdead。Thebabefeltit，openeditslargeeyesandwailed。Merapisawit，andsnatchedupherchild。Setitoorosefromhisseat，exclaiming，“Whocomes？“
　　Thereon，tomyamazement，KiprostratedhimselfandutteredthesalutationwhichmayonlybegiventotheKingofEgypt：“Life!Blood!
　　Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“
　　“Whodaresutterthosewordstome？“saidSeti。“Ana，whatmadmandoyoubringhere？“
　　“MayitpleasethePrince，/he/brought/me/here，“Irepliedfaintly。
　　“Fellow，tellmewhobadeyousaysuchwords，thanwhichnonewereeverlesswelcome。“
　　“ThosewhomIserve，Prince。“
　　“Andwhomdoyouserve？“
　　“ThegodsofEgypt。“
　　“Then，man，Ithinkthegodsmustneedyourcompany。PharaohdoesnotsitatMemphis，andwerehetohearofthem-“
　　“Pharaohwillneverhearthem，Prince，untilhehearsallthings。“
　　Theystaredateachother。Then，asIhaddonebythegateSetirubbedhiseyes，andsaid：
　　“SurelythisisKi。Why，then，didyoulookotherwisejustnow？“
　　“Thegodscanchangethefashionoftheirmessengerathousandtimesinaflash，ifsotheywill，OPrince。“
　　NowSeti’sangerpassed，andturnedtolaughter。
　　“Ki，Ki，’hesaid，“youshouldkeepthesetricksforCourt。But，sinceyouareinthemood，whatsalutationhaveyouforthisladybymyside？“
　　Kiconsideredher，tillshewhoeverfearedandhatedhimshrankbeforehisgaze。
　　“CrownofHathor，Igreetyou。BelovedofIsis，shineonperfectinthesky，sheddinglightandwisdomereyouset。“
　　Nowthissayingpuzzledme。Indeed，IdidnotfullyunderstandituntilBakenkhonsuremindedmethatMerapi’snamewasMoonofIsrael，thatHathor，goddessoflove，iscrownedwiththemooninallherstatues，thatIsisisthequeenofmysteriesandwisdom，andthatKiwhothoughtMerapiperfectinloveandbeauty，alsothegreatestofallsorceresses，waslikeninghertothese。
　　“Yes，“Ianswered，“butwhatdidhemeanwhenhetalkedabouthersetting？“
　　“Doesnotthemoonalwaysset，andisitnotsometimeseclipsed？“heaskedshortly。
　　“Sodoesthesun，“Ianswered。
　　“True；sodoesthesun!Youaregrowingwise，verywiseindeed，friendAna。Oho——ho!“
　　Toreturn：WhenSetiheardthesewords，helaughedagain，andsaid：
　　“Imustthinkthatsayingover，butitisclearthatyouhaveaprettyturnforpraise。Isitnotso，Merapi，CrownofHathor，andHolderofthewisdomofIsis？“
　　ButMerapi，who，Ithink，understoodmorethaneitherofus，turnedpale，andshrankfurtheraway，butoutwardsintothesunshine。
　　“Well，Ki，“wentonSeti，“finishyourgreetings。Whatforthebabe？“
　　Kiconsidereditalso。
　　“Nowthatitisnolongerintheshadow，IseethatthisshootfromtheroyalrootofPharaohgrowssofastandtallthatmyeyescannotreachitscrest。Heistoohighandgreatforgreetings，Prince。“
　　ThenMerapiutteredalittlecry，andborethechildaway。
　　“Sheisafraidofmagiciansandtheirdarksayings，“saidSeti，lookingafterherwithatroubledsmile。
　　“Thatsheshouldnotbe，Prince，seeingthatsheisthemistressofallourtribe。“
　　“TheladyMerapiamagician？Well，afterafashion，yes——wheretheheartsofmenareconcerned，doyounotthinkso，Ana？Butbemoreplain，Ki。Itisstillearly，andIloveriddlesbestatnight。“
　　“WhatothercouldhaveshatteredthestrongandholyhousewherethemajestyofAmondwellsonearth？NoteventhoseprophetsoftheHebrewsasIthink。WhatothercouldfencethisgardenroundagainstthecursesthathavefallenuponEgypt？“askedKiearnestly，fornowallhismockingmannerhaddeparted。
　　“Idonotthinkshedoesthesethings，Ki。IthinksomePowerdoesthemthroughher，andIknowthatshedaredtofaceAmoninhistemplebecauseshewasbiddensotodobythepriestsofherpeople。“
　　“Prince，“heansweredwithashortlaugh，“awhileagoIsentyouamessagebyAna，whichperhapsotherthoughtsmayhavedrivenfromhismemory。ItwasastothenatureofthatPowerofwhichyouspeak。InthatmessageIsaidthatyouwerewise，butnowIperceivethatyoulackwisdomliketherestofus，forifyouhadit，youwouldknowthatthetoolwhichcarvesisnottheguidinghand，andthelightningwhichsmitesisnotthesendingstrength。Sowiththisfairloveofyours，andsowithmeandallthatworkmarvels。Wedonotthethingsweseemtodo，whoarebutthetoolandthelightning。WhatIwouldknowiswhoorwhatguidesherhandandgivesherthemighttoshieldortodestroy。“
　　“Thequestioniswide，Ki，orsoitseemstomewho，asyousay，havelittlewisdom，andwhoevercanansweritholdsthekeyofknowledge。
　　Yourmagicisbutasmallthingwhichseemsgreatbecausesofewcanhandleit。Whatmiracleisitthatmakestheflowertogrow，thechildtobeborn，theNiletorise，andthesunandstarstoshineinheaven？Whatcausesmantobehalfabeastandhalfagodandtogrowdownwardtothebeastorupwardtothegod——orboth？Whatisfaithandwhatisunbelief？Whomadethesethings，throughthemtodeclarethepurposesoflife，ofdeath，andofeternity？Youshakeyourhead，youdonotknow；howthencanIknowwho，asyoupointout，ambutfoolish？GogetyouranswerfromtheladyMerapi’sself，onlymayhapyouwillfindyourquestionscountered。“
　　“I’lltakemychance。ThankstoMerapi’slord!Aboon，OPrince，sinceyouwillnotsufferthatothernamewhichcomeseasiesttothelipsofonetowhomthePresentandtheFuturearesometimesmuchalike。“
　　Setilookedathimkeenly，andforthefirsttimewithatingeoffearinhiseyes。
　　“LeavetheFuturetoitself，Ki，“heexclaimed。“WhatevermaybethemindofEgypt，justnowIholdthePresentenoughforme，“andheglancedfirstatthechairinwhichMerapihadbeenseatedandthenattheclothuponwhichhissonhadlain。
　　“Itakebackmywords。ThePrinceiswiserthanIthought。Magiciansknowthefuturebecauseattimesitrushesdownuponthemandtheymust。Itisthatwhichmakesthemlonely，sincewhattheyknowtheycannotsay。Butonlyfoolswillseekit。“
　　“Yetnowandagaintheyliftacorneroftheveil，Ki。ThusIremembercertainsayingsofyourownastoonewhowouldfindagreattreasureinthelandofGoshenandthereaftersuffersometemporalloss，and——I
　　forgettherest。Man，ceasesmilingatmewithyourfaceandpiercingmethroughwithyoursword-likeeyes。Youcancommandallthings，whatboonthendoyouseekfromme？“
　　“Tolodgeherealittlewhile，Prince，inthecompanyofAnaandBakenkhonsu。Hearken，IamnomoreKherheb。IhavequarrelledwithPharaoh，perhapsbecausealittlebreathfromthatgreatwindofthefutureblowsthroughmysoul；perhapsbecausehedoesnotrewardmeaccordingtomymerits——whatdoesitmatterwhich？AtleastIhavecometobeofonemindwithyou，OPrince，andthinkthatPharaohwoulddowelltolettheHebrewsgo，andthereforenolongerwillI
　　attempttomatchmymagicagainsttheirs。Butherefuses，sowehaveparted。“
　　“Whydoesherefuse，Ki？“
　　“Perhapsitiswrittenthathemustrefuse。Orperhapsbecause，thinkinghimselfthegreatestofallkingsinsteadofbutaplaythingofthegods，pridelocksthedoorsofhisheartthatinadaytocomethetempestoftheFuture，whereofIhavespoken，maywreckthehousewhichholdsit。Idonotknowwhyherefuses，butherHighnessUsertiismuchwithhim。“
　　“Foronewhodoesnotknow，youhavemanyreasonsandallofthemdifferent，OinstructedKi，“saidSeti。
　　Thenhepaused，walkingupanddowntheportico，andIwhoknewhismindguessedthathewaswonderingwhetherhewoulddowelltosufferKi，whomattimeshefearedbecausehisobjectsweresecretandneverchanged，toabideinhishouse，orwhetherheshouldsendhimaway。Kialsoshiveredalittle，asthoughhefelttheshadowcold，anddescendedfromtheporticointothebrightsunshine。Hereheheldouthishandandagreatmothdroppedfromtheroofandlituponit，whereonitliftedittohislips，whichmovedasthoughheweretalkingtotheinsect。