“Bow down.  Bow down.  Bow down!” cried the deep voice of Bakenkhonsu.  “Life!  Blood!  Strength!  Pharaoh!  Pharaoh!  Pharaoh!” and what he said the escort echoed.

Then of a sudden the multitude understood.  To their knees they fell and from every side rose the ancient salutation.  Seti held up his hand and blessed them.  Watching, I saw Ki slip towards the darkness, and whispered a word to the guards, who sprang upon him and brought him back.

Then the Prince spoke: 

“Ye name me Pharaoh, people of Memphis, and Pharaoh I fear I am by descent of blood to-day, though whether I will consent to bear the burdens of government, should Egypt wish it of me, as yet I know not.  Still he who wore the double crown is, I believe, dead in the midst of the sea; at the least I saw the waters overwhelm him and his army.  Therefore, if only for an hour, I will be Pharaoh, that as Pharaoh I may judge of certain matters.  Lady Merapi, tell me, I pray you, how came you to this pass?”

“My lord,” she answered, in a low voice, “after you had gone to warn the army of Pharaoh because of that dream I dreamed, Ki, who departed on the same day, returned again.  Through one of the women of the household, over whom he had power, or so I think, he obtained access to me when I was alone in my chamber.  There he made me this offer: 

“‘Give me,’ he said, ’the secret of your magic that I may be avenged upon the wizards of the Hebrews who have brought about my downfall, and upon the Hebrews themselves, and also upon all my other enemies, and thus once more become the greatest man in Egypt.  In turn I will fulfil all your desires, and make you, and no other, Queen of Egypt, and be your faithful servant, and that of your lord Seti who shall be Pharaoh, until the end of your lives.  Refuse, and I will stir up the people against you, and before ever the Prince returns, if he returns at all, they who believe you to be an evil sorceress shall mete out to you the fate of a sorceress.’

“My lord, I answered to Ki what I have often told him before, that I had no magic to reveal to him, I who knew nothing of the black arts of sorcery, seeing that it was not I who destroyed the statue of Amon in the temple at Tanis, but that same Power which since then has brought all the plagues on Egypt.  I said, too, that I cared nothing for the gifts he offered to me, as I had no wish to be Queen of Egypt.  My lord, he laughed in my face, saying I should find that he was one ill to mock, as others had found before me.  Then he pointed at me with his wand and muttered some spell over me, which seemed to numb my limbs and voice, holding me helpless till he had been gone a long while, and could not be found by your servants, whom I commanded in your name to seize, and keep him till your return.