I must follow, who have
no desire to wander in the wilderness with your Hebrew folk. Well, it
seems that as you do not wish to leave Memphis and will not come with
me, I must stay with you."

Ki fixed his piercing eyes upon the pair of them.

"Let the Prince forgive me," he said, "but I swear it by the gods that
never did I think to live to hear the Prince Seti Meneptah set a woman's
whims before his honour."

"Your words are rough," said Seti, drawing himself up, "and had they
been spoken in other days, mayhap, Ki----"

"Oh! my lord," said Ki prostrating himself till his forehead touched the
ground, "bethink you then how great must be the need which makes me dare
to speak them. When first I came hither from the court of Tanis, the
spirit that is within me speaking through my lips gave certain titles
to your Highness, for which your Highness was pleased to reprove me.
Yet the spirit in me cannot lie and I know well, and bid all here make
record of my words, that to-night I stand in the presence of him who ere
two moons have passed will be crowned Pharaoh."

"Truly you were ever a bearer of ill-tidings, Ki, but if so, what of
it?"

"This your Highness: Were it not that the spirits of Truth and Right
compel me for their own reasons, should I, who have blood that can be
shed or bones that can be broken, dare to hurl hard words at him who
will be Pharaoh? Should I dare to cross the will of the sweet dove who
nestles on his heart, the wise, white dove that murmurs the mysteries
of heaven, whence she came, and is stronger than the vulture of Isis and
swifter than the hawk of Ra; the dove that, were she angry, could rend
me into more fragments than did Set Osiris?"

Now I saw Bakenkhonsu begin to swell with inward laughter like a frog
about to croak, but Seti answered in a weary voice:

"By all the birds of Egypt with the sacred crocodiles thrown in, I do
not know, since that mind of yours, Ki, is not an open writing which can
be read by the passer-by. Still, if you would tell me what is the reason
with which the goddesses of Truth and Justice have inspired you----"

"The reason is, O Prince, that the fate of all Egypt's army may be
hidden in your hand. The time is short and I will be plain. Deny it as
she will this lady here, who seems to be but a thing of love and beauty,
is the greatest sorceress in Egypt, as I whom she has mastered know
well. She matched herself against the high god of Egypt and smote him to
th