o them that the troops of Rames
had appeared, and occupied the mountains on the right bank of the Nile,
being encamped around that temple of Amen which had stood there for
thousands of years.

"Good," said the Queen. "To-morrow Pharaoh will go up against him and
make an end of this matter. Is it not so, Pharaoh?" and she looked at
him with her glittering eyes.

"Yes, yes," answered Abi, "the sooner the better, for I am worn out, and
would return to Thebes. Yet," he added in a weak, uncertain voice, "I
misdoubt me of this war, I know not why. What is it that you stare at in
the heavens so fixedly, O Kaku?"

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