would not let the Hebrews go, perhaps because he had
vowed as much to Meneptah who set him on the throne, or perhaps for
those other reasons, or one of them, which Ki had given to the Prince.

Then came the curse of sores afflicting man, woman, and child throughout
the land, save those who dwelt in the household of Seti. Thus the
watchman and his family whose lodge was without the gates suffered, but
the watchman and his family who lived within the gates, not twenty paces
away, did not suffer, which caused bitterness between their women.
In the same way Ki, who resided as a guest of the Prince at Memphis,
suffered from no sores, whereas those of his College who remained at
Tanis were more heavily smitten than any others, so that some of them
died. When he heard this, Ki laughed and said that he had told them
it would be so. Also Pharaoh himself and even her Highness Userti were
smitten, the latter upon the cheek, which made her unsightly for a
while. Indeed, Bakenkhonsu heard, I know not how, that so great was her
rage that she even bethought her of returning to her lord Seti, in whose
house she had learned people were safe, and the beauty of her successor,
Moon of Israel, remained unscarred and was even greater than before,
tidings that I think Bakenkhonsu himself conveyed to her. But in the end
this her pride, or her jealousy, prevented her from doing.

Now the heart of Egypt began to turn towards Seti in good earnest.
The Prince, they said, had opposed the policy of the oppression of the
Hebrews, and because he could not prevail had abandoned his right to the
throne, which Pharaoh Amenmeses had purchased at the price of accepting
that policy whereof the fruits had been proved to be destruction.
Therefore, they reasoned, if Amenmeses were deposed, and the Prince
reigned, their miseries would cease. So they sent deputations to him
secretly, praying him to rise against Amenmeses and promising him
support. But he would listen to none of them, telling them that he was
happy as he was and sought no other state. Still Pharaoh grew jealous,
for all these things his spies reported to him, and set about plots to
destroy Seti.

Of the first of these Userti warned me by a messenger, but the second
and worse Ki discovered in some strange way, so that the murderer was
trapped at the gate and killed by the watchman, whereon Seti said that
after all he had been wise to give hospitality to Ki, that is, if to
continue to live were w