emphis very pleasant, free too
from the sicknesses which just now seem to be so common in Egypt; so why
should not I do the same, Ana?"

I looked at his round, ripe face, on which was fixed a smile unchanging
as that worn by the masks on mummy coffins, from which I think he must
have copied it, and at the cold, deep eyes above, and shivered a
little. To tell truth I feared this man, whom I felt to be in touch with
presences and things that are not of our world, and thought it wisest to
withstand him no more.

"That is a question which you had best put to my master Seti who owns
this house. Come, I will lead you to him," I said.

So we went to the great portico of the palace, passing in and out
through the painted pillars, towards my own apartments, whence I
purposed to send a message to the Prince. As it chanced this was
needless, since presently we saw him seated in a little bay out of reach
of the sun. By his side was Merapi, and on a woven rug between them lay
their sleeping infant, at whom both of them gazed adoringly.

"Strange that this mother's heart should hide more might than can be
boasted by all the gods of Egypt. Strange that those mother's eyes can
rive the ancient glory of Amon into dust!" Ki said to me in so low a
voice that it almost seemed as though I heard his thought and not his
words, which perhaps indeed I did.

Now we stood in front of these three, and the sun being behind us, for
it was still early, the shadow of the cloaked Ki fell upon a babe and
lay there. A hateful fancy came to me. It looked like the evil form
of an embalmer bending over one new dead. The babe felt it, opened its
large eyes and wailed. Merapi saw it, and snatched up her child. Seti
too rose from his seat, exclaiming, "Who comes?"

Thereon, to my amazement, Ki prostrated himself and uttered the
salutation which may only be given to the King of Egypt: "Life! Blood!
Strength! Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Pharaoh!"

"Who dares utter those words to me?" said Seti. "Ana, what madman do you
bring here?"

"May it please the Prince, _he_ brought _me_ here," I replied faintly.

"Fellow, tell me who bade you say such words, than which none were ever
less welcome."

"Those whom I serve, Prince."

"And whom do you serve?"

"The gods of Egypt."

"Then, man, I think the gods must need your company. Pharaoh does not
sit at Memphis, and were he to hear of them----"

"Pharaoh will never hear them, Prince, until he hears all things."