Now the eyes of the Council were turned on Kaku the Vizier, and they perceived that he was much disturbed.

“Look,” he said, pointing with a trembling finger towards the skies.

They looked, and saw hanging just above the evening glow a very bright and wonderful star, and near to it, another, paler star which presently it seemed to cover.

“The Star of Amen,” gasped Kaku in a voice that shook, “and your star, O Pharaoh.  The Star of Amen eats it up, your star goes out, and will never be seen again by living man.  Oh!  Abi, that which I foresaw years and years ago has come to pass.  Your day is done, and your night is at hand, O Abi.”

“If so,” shouted Abi in his rage and terror, “be sure of this, Dog—­that you shall share it.”

As he spoke a sound of screams drew near, and presently into the midst of them rushed Merytra, the wife of Kaku.

“The vengeance of the gods,” she screamed, “the vengeance of the gods!  Listen, Abi.  But now this very evening as I slept in my pavilion, who can never sleep at night, there appeared to me the spirit of dead Pharaoh, of Pharaoh whom we slew by magic, and he said:  ’Tell the murderer, Abi, and the wizard-rogue, Kaku, your husband, that I summon both of them to meet me ere another sun is set, and Woman, come you with them.’  Death is at our door, Abi, death and the terrible vengeance of the god!” and Merytra fell down foaming in a fit.

Now Abi went mad in the extremity of his fear.

“They are sorcerers,” he shouted, “who would bewitch me.  Take them and keep them safe, and let Kaku be beaten with rods till he comes to his right mind again.  To-morrow, when I have slain Rames, I will hang this magician at my mast-head.”

But the Queen only laughed and repeated after him: 

“Yes, yes, my good Lord, to-morrow, when you have killed Rames, this magician shall hang at your mast-head.  Fear not, whatever chances I will see that it is done.”

Merytra, recovered from her madness, lay upon a bed, when a woman entered and stood over her.  Looking up she saw it was the Queen.

“Hearken to me,” said the Queen in an icy voice, “and tell the words I speak to Abi.  The time is accomplished, and I leave him.  If he would look again upon Neter-Tua, Morning Star of Amen, the Great Lady of Egypt, let him seek her in the camp of Rames.  There he shall find her in the temple of Amen, which is set upon the mountain in the midst of the camp.”

Then she was gone.

Merytra rose from the bed, and called to the guards to lead her to Abi.  So loudly did she call, saying that she had a message for him which must not be delayed, that at length one went and told him of her words, and he came to her.

“What is it now, Sorceress?” he asked.  “Have you dreamed more ill-omened dreams?”

“Nay, Pharaoh,” she answered, “but the Queen has fled to Rames,” and word for word she repeated what had been told her.