, all of you, lest this embassy should hide some trick of war.
Come, Queen, it is to you that they should speak, and not to me, who am
but a general of your province, Kesh," and he followed her to the inner
court, where, in front of the sanctuary, was a chair, on which, at his
prayer, she seated herself, as a mighty Queen should do.

Now, conducted by his own officers, the embassy entered, bearing with
them three closed litters, and Tua and Rames noted that among that
embassy were the greatest generals, and the most holy priests of Egypt.
At a given sign they prostrated themselves before the glory of the
Queen, all save the soldiers who bore the litters. Next, from among
their ranks out stepped the venerable High-Priest of Amen at Thebes, and
stood before Tua with bowed head till, with a motion of her hand, she
commanded him to speak.

"O Morning-Star of Amen," he began, "after you left our camp last night
a messenger came to us from the Father of the Gods----"

"Stay, O High-Priest," broke in Tua. "I did not leave your camp who
never tarried there, and who for two long years have set no foot upon
the holy soil of Egypt. No, not since I fled from Memphis to save myself
from death, or what is worse--the defilement of a forced marriage with
Abi, my Uncle, and Pharaoh's murderer."

Now the High-Priest turned and stared at those behind him, and all who
were present stared at the Queen.

"Pardon me," he said, "but how can this thing be, seeing that for those
two years we have seen your Majesty day by day living among us as the
wife of Abi?"

Now Tua looked at Asti, who stood at her side, and the tall and noble
Asti looked at the High-Priest, saying:

"You know me, do you not?"

"Aye, Lady," he answered, "we know you. You were the wife of Mermes,
the last shoot of a royal tree, and you are the mother of the Lord
Rames yonder, against whom we came out to make war. We know you well,
O greatest of all the seers in Egypt, Mistress of Secret Things. But we
believed that you had perished in the temple of Sekhet at Memphis, that
temple where Pharaoh died. Now we understand that, being a magician, you
only vanished thence."

"What bear you there?" asked Asti, glancing at the litters.

"Bring forth the prisoners," said the High-Priest.

Then the curtains were drawn, and the soldiers lifted from the litters
Abi, Kaku, and Merytra, who were bound with cords, and stood them on
their feet before the Queen.

"These are the v