“Looknowuponthatthroneandtellmewhatyouseethere。“
　　IobeyedhimbecauseImust，staringupthehallattheemptythrone。
　　AtfirstIsawnothing。Thenfiguresseemedtoflitaroundit。FromamongthesefiguresemergedtheshapeoftheCountAmenmeses。Hesatuponthethrone，lookingabouthimproudly，andInotedthathewasnolongercladasaprincebutasPharaohhimself。Presentlyhook-nosedmenappearedwhodraggedhimfromhisseat。Hefell，asIthought，intowater，foritseemedtosplashupabovehim。NextSetithePrinceappearedtomountthethrone，ledthitherbyawoman，ofwhomIcouldonlyseetheback。Isawhimdistinctlywearingthedoublecrownandholdingasceptreinhishand。HealsomeltedawayandotherscamewhomIdidnotknow，thoughIthoughtthatoneofthemwasliketothePrincessUserti。
　　NowallweregoneandIwastellingBakenkhonsueverythingIhadwitnessedlikeamanwhospeaksinhissleep，notbyhisownwill。
　　SuddenlyIwokeupandlaughedatmyownfoolishness。Buttheothertwodidnotlaugh；theyregardedmeverygravely。
　　“Ithoughtthatyouweresomethingofaseer，“saidtheoldpriest，“orratherKithoughtit。IcouldnotquitebelieveKi，becausehesaidthattheyoungpersonwhomIshouldfindwiththePrinceherethismorningwouldbeonewholovedhimwithalltheheart，anditisonlyawomanwholoveswithalltheheart，isitnot？Orsotheworldbelieves。Well，IwilltalkthematteroverwithKi。Hush!Pharaohcomes。“
　　Ashespokefromfarawayroseacryof——
　　“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“
　　L
　　“Life!Blood!Strength!“echoedeveryoneinthegreathall，fallingtotheirkneesandbendingtheirforeheadstotheground。EventhePrinceandtheagedBakenkhonsuprostratedthemselvesthusasthoughbeforethepresenceofagod。And，indeed，PharaohMeneptah，passingthroughthepatchofsunlightattheheadofthehall，wearingthedoublecrownuponhisheadandarrayedinroyalrobesandornaments，lookedlikeagod，noless，asthemultitudeofthepeopleofEgyptheldhimtobe。Hewasanoldmanwiththefaceofonewornbyyearsandcare，butfromhispersonmajestyseemedtoflow。
　　Withhim，walkingasteportwobehind，wentNehesihisVizier，ashrivelled，parchment-facedofficerwhosecunningeyesrolledabouttheplace，andRoytheHigh-priest，andHoratheChamberlainoftheTable，andMeranutheWasheroftheKing’sHands，andYuytheprivatescribe，andmanyotherswhomBakenkhonsunamedtomeastheyappeared。
　　Thentherewerefan-bearersandagorgeousbandoflordswhowerecalledKing’sCompanionsandHeadButlersandIknownotwhobesides，andaftertheseguardswithspearsandhelmsthatshonelikegod，andblackswordsmenfromthesouthernlandofKesh。
　　ButonewomanaccompaniedhisMajesty，walkingaloneimmediatelybehindhiminfrontoftheVizierandtheHigh-priest。ShewastheRoyalDaughter，thePrincessUserti，wholooked，Ithought，prouderandmoresplendidthananythere，thoughsomewhatpaleandanxious。
　　Pharaohcametothestepsofthethrone。TheVizierandtheHigh-
　　priestadvancedtohelphimupthesteps，forhewasfeeblewithage。
　　Hewavedthemaside，andbeckoningtohisdaughter，restedhishanduponhershoulderandbyheraidmountedthethrone。Ithoughtthattherewasmeaninginthis；itwasasthoughhewouldshowtoalltheassemblythatthisprincesswasthepropofEgypt。
　　ForalittlewhilehestoodstillandUsertisatherselfdownonthetopmoststep，restingherchinuponherjewelledhand。Therehestoodsearchingtheplacewithhiseyes。Heliftedhissceptreandallrose，hundredsandhundredsofthemthroughoutthehall，theirgarmentsrustlingastheyroselikeleavesinasuddenwind。Heseatedhimselfandoncemorefromeverythroatwentuptheregalsalutationthatwastheking’salone，of——
　　“Life!Blood!Strength!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!Pharaoh!“
　　InthesilencethatfollowedIheardhimsay，tothePrincess，I
　　think：
　　“AmenmesesIsee，andothersofourkin，butwhereismysonSeti，thePrinceofEgypt？“
　　“Watchingusnodoubtfromsomevestibule。Mybrotherlovesnotceremonials，“answeredUserti。
　　Then，withalittlesigh，Setisteppedforward，followedbyBakenkhonsuandmyself，andatadistancebyothermembersofhishousehold。Ashemarchedupthelonghallalldrewtothissideorthat，salutinghimwithlowbows。Arrivinginfrontofthethronehebenttillhiskneetouchedtheground，saying：
　　“Igivegreeting，OKingandFather。“
　　“Igivegreeting，OPrinceandSon。Beseated，“answeredMeneptah。
　　Setiseatedhimselfinachairthathadbeenmadereadyforhimatthefootofthethrone，andonitsright，andinanotherchairtotheleft，butsetfartherfromthesteps，Amenmesesseatedhimselfalso。
　　AtamotionfromthePrinceItookmystandbehindhischair。
　　TheformalbusinessoftheCourtbegan。Atthebeckoningofanusherpeopleofallsortsappearedsinglyandhandedinpetitionswrittenonrolled-uppapyri，whichtheVizierNehesitookandthrewintoaleathernsackthatwasheldopenbyablackslave。Insomecasesananswertohispetition，whereofthiswasonlytheformaldelivery，washandedbacktothesuppliant，whotouchedhisbrowwiththerollthatperhapsmeanteverythingtohim，andbowedhimselfawaytolearnhisfate。Thenappearedsheiksofthedeserttribes，andcaptainsfromfortressesinSyria，andtraderswhohadbeenharmedbyenemies，andevenpeasantswhohadsufferedviolencefromofficers，eachtomakehisprayer。Ofallofthesesupplicationsthescribestooknotes，whiletosometheVizierandcouncillorsmadeanswer。ButasyetPharaohsaidnothing。Therehesatsilentonhissplendidthroneofivoryandgold，likeagodofstoneabovethealtar，staringdownthelonghallandthroughtheopendoorsasthoughhewouldreadthesecretsoftheskiesbeyond。
　　“Itoldyouthatcourtswerewearisome，friendAna，“whisperedthePrincetomewithoutturninghishead。“DoyounotalreadybegintowishthatyouwerebackwritingtalesatMemphis？“
　　BeforeIcouldanswersomemovementinthethrongattheendofthehalldrewtheeyesofthePrinceandofallofus。Ilooked，andsawadvancingtowardsthethroneatall，beardedmanalreadyold，althoughhisblackhairwasbutgrizzledwithgrey。Hewasarrayedinawhitelinenrobe，overwhichhungawoollencloaksuchasshepherdswear，andhecarriedinhishandalongthornwoodstaff。Hisfacewassplendidandveryhandsome，andhisblackeyesflashedlikefire。Hewalkedforwardslowly，lookingneithertotheleftnortheright，andthethrongmadewayforhimasthoughhewereaprince。Indeed，I
　　thoughtthattheyshowedmorefearofhimthanofanyprince，sincetheyshrankfromhimashecame。Norwashealone，forafterhimwalkedanothermanwhowasveryliketohim，butasIjudged，stillolder，forhisbeard，whichhungdowntohismiddle，wassnow-whiteaswasthehaironhishead。Healsowasdressedinasheepskincloakandcarriedastaffinhishand。Nowawhisperroseamongthepeopleandthewhispersaid：
　　“TheprophetsofthemenofIsrael!TheprophetsofthemenofIsrael!“
　　ThetwostoodbeforethethroneandlookedatPharaoh，makingnoobeisance。Pharaohlookedatthemandwassilent。Foralongspacetheystoodthusinthemidstofagreatquiet，butPharaohwouldnotspeak，andnoneofhisofficersseemedtodaretoopentheirmouths。
　　Atlengththefirstoftheprophetsspokeinaclear，coldvoiceassomeconquerormightdo。
　　“Youknowme，Pharaoh，andmyerrand。“
　　“Iknowyou，“answeredPharaohslowly，“aswellImay，seeingthatweplayedtogetherwhenwewerelittle。YouarethatHebrewwhommysister，shewhosleepsinOsiris，tooktobeasasontoher，givingtoyouanamethatmeans’drawnforth’becauseshedrewyouforthasaninfantfromamongthereedsofNile。Aye，Iknowyouandyourbrotheralso，butyourerrandIknownot。“
　　“Thisismyerrand，Pharaoh，orrathertheerrandofJahveh，GodofIsrael，forwhomIspeak。Haveyounothearditbefore？Itisthatyoushouldlethispeoplegotodosacrificetohiminthewilderness。“
　　“WhoisJahveh？IknownotJahvehwhoserveAmonandthegodsofEgypt，andwhyshouldIletyourpeoplego？“
　　“JahvehistheGodofIsrael，thegreatGodofallgodswhosepoweryoushalllearnifyouwillnothearken，Pharaoh。Asforwhyyoushouldletthepeoplego，askitofthePrinceyoursonwhositsyonder。Askhimofwhathesawinthestreetsofthiscitybutlastnight，andofacertainjudgmentthathepassedupononeoftheofficersofPharaoh。Orifhewillnottellyou，learnitfromthelipsofthemaidenwhoisnamedMerapi，MoonofIsrael，thedaughterofNathantheLevite。Standforward，Merapi，daughterofNathan。“
　　ThenfromthethrongatthebackofthehallcameforwardMerapi，cladinawhiterobeandwithablackveilthrownaboutherheadintokenofmourning，butnotsoastohideherface。UpthehallsheglidedandmadeobeisancetoPharaoh，asshedidso，castingoneswiftlookatSetiwherehesat。Thenshestoodstill，looking，asIthought，wonderfullybeautifulinthatsimplerobeofwhiteandtheevilofblack。
　　“Speak，woman，“saidPharaoh。
　　Sheobeyed，tellingallthetaleinherlowandhoneyedvoice，nordidanyseemtothinkitlongorwearisome。Atlengthsheended，andPharaohsaid：
　　“Say，Setimyson，isthistruth？“
　　“Itistruth，OmyFather。ByvirtueofmypowersasGovernorofthiscityIcausedthecaptainKhuakatobeputtodeathforthecrimeofmurderdonebyhimbeforemyeyesinthestreetsofthecity。“
　　“Perchanceyoudidrightandperchanceyoudidwrong，SonSeti。Atleastyouarethebestjudge，andbecausehestruckyourroyalperson，thisKhuakadeservedtodie。“