Moon of Israel: A Tale of the ExodusHaggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
History
Moon of Israel: A Tale of the Exodus
Haggard, H. Rider (Henry Rider)
Exodus, The -- Fiction; Jews -- History -- To 70 A.D. -- Fiction
Then Ki came, I know not whence, and having made his peace with Seti as
to the dressing of Merapi in the robes of Isis which, he vowed, was
done by the priests against his wish, told us that Pharaoh and a great
host had started to pursue the Israelites. The Prince asked him why he
had not gone with the host, to which he replied that he was no soldier,
also that Pharaoh hid his face from him. In return he asked the Prince
why _he_ had not gone.
Seti answered, because he had been deprived of his command with his
other officers and had no wish to take share in this business as a
private citizen.
“You are wise, as always, Prince,” said Ki.
It was on the following night, very late, while the Prince, Ki,
Bakenkhonsu and I, Ana, sat talking, that suddenly the lady Merapi
broke in upon us as she had risen from her bed, wild-eyed, and with her
hair flowing down her robes.
“I have dreamed a dream!” she cried. “I dreamed that I saw
all the thousands of my people following after a flame that burned from
earth to heaven. They came to the edge of a great water and behind them
rushed Pharaoh and all the hosts of the Egyptians. Then my people ran
on to the face of the water, and it bore them as though it were sound
land. Now the soldiers of the Pharaoh were following, but the gods of
Egypt appeared, Amon, Osiris, Horus, Isis, Hathor, and the rest, and
would have turned them back. Still they refused to listen, and dragging
the gods with them, rushed out upon the water. Then darkness fell, and
in the darkness sounds of wailing and of a mighty laughter. It passed,
the moon rose, shining upon emptiness. I awoke, trembling in my limbs.
Interpret me this dream if you can, O Ki, Master of Magic.”
“Where is the need, Lady,” he answered, awaking as though from
sleep, “when the dreamer is also the seer? Shall the pupil venture to
instruct the teacher, or the novice to make plain the mysteries to the
high-priestess of the temple? Nay, Lady, I and all the magicians of
Egypt are beneath your feet.”
“Why will you ever mock me?” she said, and as she spoke, she
shivered.
Then Bakenkhonsu opened his lips, saying:
“The wisdom of Ki has been buried in a cloud of late, and gives no
light to us, his disciples. Yet the meaning of this dream is plain,
though whether it be also true I do not know. It is that all the host
of Egypt, and with it the gods of Egypt, are threatened with
destruction because of the Israelites, unless one to whom they will
hearken can be found to turn them from some purpose that I do not
understand. But to whom will the mad hearken, oh! to whom will they
hearken?” and lifting his great head, he looked straight at the
Prince.
“Not to me, I fear, who now am no one in Egypt,” said Seti.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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