“He has committed murder!” cried Ani.  “More than one murder.  He is worthy of death.”

“He acted under pressure of necessity,” replied Ameni.  “And a man so favored by the Gods as he, is not to be lightly given up because an untimely impulse of generosity prompted him to rash conduct.  I know—­I can see that you wish him ill.  Promise me, as you value me as an ally, that you will not attempt his life.”

“Oh, willingly!” smiled the Regent, giving the high-priest his hand.

“Accept my sincere thanks,” said Ameni.  “Pentaur was the most promising of my disciples, and in spite of many aberrations I still esteem him highly.  When he was telling us of what had occurred to-day, did he not remind you of the great Assa, or of his gallant son, the Osirian father of the pioneer Paaker?”

“The likeness is extraordinary,” answered Ani, “and yet he is of quite humble birth.  Who was his mother?”

“Our gate-keeper’s daughter, a plain, pious, simple creature.”

“Now I will return to the banqueting hall,” said Ani, after a fete moments of reflection.  “But I must ask you one thing more.  I spoke to you of a secret that will put Paaker into our power.  The old sorceress Hekt, who has taken charge of the paraschites’ wife and grandchild, knows all about it.  Send some policeguards over there, and let her be brought over here as a prisoner; I will examine her myself, and so can question her without exciting observation.”

Ameni at once sent off a party of soldiers, and then quietly ordered a faithful attendant to light up the so-called audience-chamber, and to put a seat for him in an adjoining room.

CHAPTER XXX.

While the banquet was going forward at the temple, and Ameni’s messengers were on their way to the valley of the kings’ tombs, to waken up old Hekt, a furious storm of hot wind came up from the southwest, sweeping black clouds across the sky, and brown clouds of dust across the earth.  It bowed the slender palm-trees as an archer bends his bow, tore the tentpegs up on the scene of the festival, whirled the light tent-cloths up in the air, drove them like white witches through the dark night, and thrashed the still surface of the Nile till its yellow waters swirled and tossed in waves like a restless sea.

Paaker had compelled his trembling slaves to row him across the stream; several times the boat was near being swamped, but he had seized the helm himself with his uninjured hand, and guided it firmly and surely, though the rocking of the boat kept his broken hand in great and constant pain.  After a few ineffectual attempts he succeeded in landing.  The storm had blown out the lanterns at the masts—­the signal lights for which his people looked—­and he found neither servants nor torch-bearers on the bank, so he struggled through the scorching wind as far as the gate of his house.  His big dog had always been wont to announce his return home to the door-keeper with joyful barking; but to-night the boatmen long knocked in vain at the heavy doer.  When at last he entered the court-yard, he found all dark, for the wind had extinguished the lanterns and torches, and there were no lights but in the windows of his mother’s rooms.