"At the desire, therefore, of his holiness," continued Mentezufis, "and
of the supreme council, Thou art to take troops from Lower Egypt and
annihilate the rebels."

"Where is the order?"

Mentezufis drew forth from his bosom a parchment provided with seals,
and gave it to the viceroy.

"From this moment then I command, and am the supreme power in this
province," said the viceroy.

"It is as Thou hast said."

"And I have the right to hold a military council with you?"

"Of course," replied Mefres. "Even this moment

"Sit down," interrupted the prince.

Both priests obeyed his command.

"I ask because in view of my plans I must know why the Libyan regiments
were disbanded."

"Others too will be disbanded," caught up Mentezufis. "The supreme
council desires to disband twenty thousand of the most expensive
warriors, so that the treasury of his holiness may save four thousand
talents yearly, without which want may soon threaten the court of the
pharaoh."

"A thing which does not threaten the most wretched of Egyptian
priests," added Ramses.

"Thou forgettest, worthiness, that it is not proper to call a priest
wretched," replied Mentezufis. "And if want threatens none of them, the
merit is found in their moderate style of living."

"In that case the statues drink the wine which is carried every day to
the temples, while stone gods dress their wives in gold and jewels,"
jeered Ramses. "But no more about your abstemiousness. Not to fill the
treasury of the pharaoh has the council of priests disbanded twenty
thousand troops and opened the gates of Egypt to bandits."

"But why?"

"This is why: to please King Assar. And since his holiness would not
agree to give Phoenicia to Assyria, ye wish to weaken the state in
another way, by disbanding hired troops and rousing war on our western
boundary."

"I take the gods to witness that Thou dost astonish us, worthiness,"
cried Mentezufis.

"The shades of the pharaohs would be more astonished if they heard that
in this same Egypt in which the power of the pharaoh is hampered, some
Chaldean trickster is influencing the fate of the nation."

"I do not believe my own ears," replied Mentezufis. "What dost Thou say
of some Chaldean?"

The viceroy laughed sneeringly.

"I speak of Beroes. If thou, holy man, hast not heard of him, ask the
revered Mefres, and if he has forgotten turn then to Herhor and
Pentuer."

"That is a great secret of our temples

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