"May thou perish at once!" answered the gracious Prince Hiram, extending his hand. "But thou wilt not keep up a malignant heart toward me because of those two little flat boats?" Dagon sighed. "I will work to forget. But--what a property I should have now if thou hadst not driven them off at that time!" "Enough!" interrupted Rabsun; "talk of Phœnicia." "Through whom wilt thou learn of Beroes and the treaty?" asked Hiram of Dagon. "Let that drop. It is dangerous to speak of it, for priests will be involved in the matter." "And through whom couldst thou ruin the treaty?" "I think--I think that perhaps through the heir to the throne. I have many notes of his." Hiram raised his hand, and replied,-- "The heir--very well, for he will be pharaoh, perhaps even soon--" "Pst!" interrupted Dagon, striking the table with his fist. "May thou lose speech for such language!" "Here is a wild boar for thee!" cried Rabsun, threatening the banker's nose. "And thou art a dull huckster," answered Dagon, with a reviling laugh. "Thou, Rabsun, shouldst sell dried fish and water on the streets, but not mix up in questions between states. An ox hoof rubbed in Egyptian mud has more sense than thou, though thou art living five years in the capital of light! Oh that pigs might devour thee!" "Quiet! quiet!" called Hiram. "Ye do not let me finish." "Speak, for thou art wise and my heart understands thee," said Rabsun. "If thou, Dagon, hast influence over the heir, that is well," continued Hiram. "For if the heir wishes to have a treaty with Assyria there will be a treaty, and besides one written with our blood on our own skins. But if the heir wishes war with Assyria, he will make war, though the priests were to summon all the gods against him." "Pst!" interrupted Dagon. "If the priests wish greatly, there will be a treaty. But perhaps they will not wish." "Therefore, Dagon, we must have all the military leaders with us," said Hiram. "We can." "And the nomarchs." "We can have them too." "And the heir," continued Hiram. "But if thou alone urge him to war with Assyria, that is nothing. A man, like a harp, has many strings, and to play on them fingers are needed, while thou, Dagon, art only one finger." "But I cannot tear myself into ten parts." "Thou mayst be like one hand which has five fingers. Thou must so act that no one may suspect that thou art for war, but every cook in the heir's kitchen must want war, every barber of his must want war, all the bath men, and litter-bearers, scribes, officers, charioteers must want war with Assyria; the heir should hear war from morning till night, and even when he is sleeping." "That will be done." "But dost thou know his mistresses?" asked Hiram. Dagon waved his hand. "Stupid girls!" said he. "They think only about dressing, painting, and perfuming themselves; but whence these perfumes come, and who brings them to Egypt, they know not." "We must give him a favorite who will know."