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 afternoon shadows were already growing long, when a splendid chariotdrew up to the gates of the terrace-temple. Paaker, the chief pioneer,stood up in it, driving his handsome and fiery Syrian horses. Behind himstood an Ethiopian slave, and his big dog followed the swift team withhis tongue out.
As he approached the temple he heard himself called, and checked the paceof his horses. A tiny man hurried up to him, and, as soon as he hadrecognized in him the dwarf Nemu, he cried angrily:
"Is it for you, you rascal, that I stop my drive? What do you want?"
"To crave," said the little man, bowing humbly, "that, when thy businessin the city of the dead is finished, thou wilt carry me back to Thebes."
"You are Mena's dwarf?" asked the pioneer.
"By no means," replied Nemu. "I belong to his neglected wife, the ladyNefert. I can only cover the road very slowly with my little legs, whilethe hoofs of your horses devour the way-as a crocodile does his prey."
"Get up!" said Paaker. "Did you come here on foot?"
"No, my lord," replied Nemu, "on an ass; but a demon entered into thebeast, and has struck it with sickness. I had to leave it on the road.The beasts of Anubis will have a better supper than we to-night."
"Things are not done handsomely then at your mistress's house?" asked
Paaker.
"We still have bread," replied Nemu, "and the Nile is full of water.Much meat is not necessary for women and dwarfs, but our last cattle takea form which is too hard for human teeth."
The pioneer did not understand the joke, and looked enquiringly at thedwarf.
"The form of money," said the little man, "and that cannot be chewed;soon that will be gone too, and then the point will be to find a recipefor making nutritious cakes out of earth, water, and palm-leaves. Itmakes very little difference to me, a dwarf does not need much—but thepoor tender lady!"
Paaker touched his horses with such a violent stroke of his whip thatthey reared high, and it took all his strength to control their spirit.
"The horses' jaws will be broken," muttered the slave behind. "What ashame with such fine beasts!"
"Have you to pay for them?" growled Paaker. Then he turned again to thedwarf, and asked:
"Why does Mena let the ladies want?"
"He no longer cares for his wife," replied the dwarf, casting his eyesdown sadly. "At the last division of the spoil he passed by the gold andsilver; and took a foreign woman into his tent. Evil demons have blindedhim, for where is there a woman fairer than Nefert?"
"You love your mistress."
"As my very eyes!"
During this conversation they had arrived at the terrace-temple. Paakerthrew the reins to the slave, ordered him to wait with Nemu, and turnedto the gate-keeper to explain to him, with the help of a handful of gold,his desire of being conducted to Pentaur, the chief of the temple.
The gate-keeper, swinging a censer before him with a hasty action,admitted him into the sanctuary. You will find him