This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of thefile for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making anentire meal of them. D.W.]
By Georg Ebers
The cloudless vault of heaven spread over the plain of Pelusium, thestars were bright, the moon threw her calm light over the thousands oftents which shone as white as little hillocks of snow. All was silent,the soldiers and the Egyptians, who had assembled to welcome the king,were now all gone to rest.
There had been great rejoicing and jollity in the camp; three enormousvats, garlanded with flowers and overflowing with wine, which spilt withevery movement of the trucks on which they were drawn by thirty oxen,were sent up and down the little streets of tents, and as the eveningclosed in tavern-booths were erected in many spots in the camp, at whichthe Regent's servants supplied the soldiers with red and white wine. Thetents of the populace were only divided from the pavilion of the Pharaohby the hastily-constructed garden in the midst of which it stood, and thehedge which enclosed it.
The tent of the Regent himself was distinguished from all the others byits size and magnificence; to the right of it was the encampment of thedifferent priestly deputations, to the left that of his suite; among thelatter were the tents of his friend Katuti, a large one for her own use,and some smaller ones for her servants. Behind Ani's pavilion stood atent, enclosed in a wall or screen of canvas, within which old Hekt waslodged; Ani had secretly conveyed her hither on board his own boat. OnlyKatuti and his confidential servants knew who it was that lay concealedin the mysteriously shrouded abode.
While the banquet was proceeding in the great pavilion, the witch wassitting in a heap on the sandy earth of her conical canvas dwelling; shebreathed with difficulty, for a weakness of the heart, against which shehad long struggled, now oppressed her more frequently and severely; alittle lamp of clay burned before her, and on her lap crouched a sick andruffled hawk; the creature shivered from time to time, closing the filmylids of his keen eyes, which glowed with a dull fire when Hekt took himup in her withered hand, and tried to blow some air into his hooked beak,still ever ready to peck and tear her.
At her feet little Scherau lay asleep. Presently she pushed the childwith her foot. "Wake up," she said, as he raised himself still halfasleep. "You have young ears—it seemed to me that I heard a womanscream in Ani's tent. Do you hear any thing?"
"Yes, indeed," exclaimed the little one. "There is a noise like crying,and that—that was a scream! It came from out there, from Nemu's tent."
"Creep through there," said the witch, "and see what is happening!"
The child obeyed: Hekt turned her attention again to the bird, which nolonger perched in her lap, but lay on one side, though it still tried touse its talons, when she took him up in her hand.
"It is all over with him," muttered the old woman, "and the one I calledRameses is sleeker than ever. It is all folly and yet—and yet! theRegent's game is over, and he has lost it. The creature is stretchingitself—its head drops—it draws itself up—one more clutch at my dress—now it is dead!"
She contemplated the dead hawk in her lap for some minutes, then she tookit up, flung it into a corner of the tent, and ex