t crocodile will eat
no more maidens."

"No," answered Tua, rubbing her chin, "he has gone to be eaten by Set,
Devourer of Souls, has he not? But I think there may be trouble between
Egypt and Kesh, and what Pharaoh will say when he recovers I am sure I
do not know. May the gods protect me from his wrath."

"Tell me, if it pleases your Majesty, what is my fate? I have been
named General of this expedition over the heads of many, I who am but
a captain and a young man and an evil-doer. Am I to be killed on the
journey, or am I to be executed by the King of Kesh?"

"If any kill you on the journey, Rames, they shall render me an account,
be it the gods themselves, and as for the vengeance of the King of
Kesh--well, you will have two thousand picked men with you and the means
to gather more as you go. Listen now, for this is not in the decree or
in the letters," she added, bending towards him and whispering. "Egypt
has spies in Kesh, and, being industrious, I have read their reports.
The people there hate the upstart race that rules them, and the king,
who alone is left now that Amathel is dead, is old and half-witted, for
all that family drink too much. So if the worst comes to the worst, do
you think that you need be killed, you," she added meaningly, "who, if
the House of Amathel were not, would by descent be King of Kesh, as, if
I and my House were not, you might be Pharaoh of Egypt?"

Rames studied the floor for a little, then looked up and asked:

"What shall I do?"

"It seems that is for you to find out," replied Tua, in her turn
studying the ceiling. "Were I in your place, I think that, if driven to
it, _I_ should know what to do. One thing, however, I should _not_ do.
Whatever may be the judgment of the divine King of Kesh upon you, and
that can easily be guessed, I should not return to Egypt with my escort,
until I was quite sure of my welcome. No, I think that I should stop in
Napata, which I am told is a rich and pleasant city, and try to put its
affairs in order, trusting that Egypt, to which it once belonged, would
in the end forgive me for so doing."

"I understand," said Rames, "that whatever happens, I alone am to
blame."

"Good, and of course there are no witnesses to this talk of ours. Have
you also been taking lessons in statecraft in your spare hours, Rames,
much as I have tried to learn something of the art of war?"

Rames made no answer, only these two strange conspirators looked at each
ot