"He turned and left me and went to the Prince, who this time sent a
message to the captain of the vessel bidding him wait till the morrow.
The next morning he sent for me to be brought to the palace in which he
lived beside the sea. I was taken to his chamber, and there he asked
me how long it was I had been on this journey. I answered five months,
but he doubted me, asking where were the edicts of Amen-Ra which ought
to be in my hands, and where was the letter of the high-priest? I told
him that I had given them to other princes. He was angered, and said
that I came with no proofs, and what was there to hinder him ordering
the captain of the vessel to kill me? Again I answered that I had come
from Egypt for wood for the sacred barque. And then he told how formerly
those from Egypt had come in state to visit his city. After a long
altercation with the Prince, and when I had told him that if he executed
the commands of Amen-Ra much good would be his, he still hesitated. Then
I asked for a messenger to take a letter from me to the other Princes,
Smendes and Tantamounou, and he would see how they would do my bidding
and succour me.
"It seemed that the Prince had changed his mind, for after he had given
my letter to his messenger he ordered a ship to be loaded with wood,
seven pieces in all, and to be taken to Egypt.
"His messenger went to Egypt and returned to me in the first month of
the winter. And soon the Princes Smendes and Tantamounou sent me ships
laden with many gifts. Seeing this, the Prince was rejoiced, and soon
he commanded much wood to be hewn for me. And when it was finished he
came saying that he had done as his fathers had done before him, and
giving orders that the wood should be loaded on a vessel. He also said
that I had not been treated as were the envoys of Khamoîs, who had lived
seventeen years in the country and died there. Turning to his courtier,
he bade him show me their tomb. But I had no desire to see it, and said
so. I also said, 'The envoys of Khamoîs were but men of his household; I
came as the messenger of the great god Amen-Ra.'
"Then I bade him erect a stele and this inscription to be engraved
thereon:
"'Amen-Ra, the great god of the gods, sent me a divine messenger,
together with Ounamounou as his human ambassador, for the wood wherewith
his sacred barque should be fashioned. I cut down trees for this and
loaded them, furnishing the vessels by which it was carried into Egypt.
I did this that I may obtain immortal life from the great god Amen.'
"'And,' I continued, 'a messenger shall come from the land of Egypt who
shall read your name upon the stele, and you shall receive the water of
Amenti even as the gods.'
"He said, 'This is a wonderful thing you tell me.' Then I told him that
when I returned I should acquaint the high-priest of Amen of how he, the
Prince, had done all as he was commanded, and that he should assuredly
receive the gifts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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