Mentezufis wished to rise; Rameses detained him. "One word more," said he, mildly. "Is Egypt so weak that she cannot even mention the Assyrian tribute?" He panted. "If Egypt is so wretched," continued he, "then what assurance is there that Assyria will not attack us?" "We may assure ourselves by a treaty," answered the priest. The heir waved his hand. "There are no treaties for the weak!" said he. "Silver tablets inscribed with agreements will not guard boundaries unless spears and swords stand behind them." "But who has told thee, worthiness, that they will not stand on our land?" "Thou thyself. One hundred and twenty thousand men must yield before three hundred thousand. Were Assyrians to come here, Egypt would be turned into a desert." Mentezufis' eyes flashed. "If they were to invade us," cried he, "their bones would never touch their own country! We should arm all the nobles, all the regiments of laborers, even convicts in the quarries. We should take the treasures from all temples. And Assyria would meet five hundred thousand Egyptian warriors." Rameses was delighted at this outburst of patriotism in Mentezufis. He seized him by the hand, and said,-- "Then, if we are able to have such an army, why do we not attack Babylon? Is not the great warrior Nitager imploring us for years to do so? Is not his holiness alarmed by the movement in Assyria? If we let them concentrate their forces, the struggle will be most difficult; but if we begin ourselves--" The priest interrupted him,-- "Dost thou know, prince, what a war is to which one must go through a desert? Who will assure us that before we could reach the Euphrates half our army and carriers would not perish from hardship?" "That would be cured by one battle," interrupted Rameses. "A battle!" repeated the priest. "But does the prince know what a battle is?" "I hope so!" replied the heir, striking his sword. Mentezufis shrugged his shoulders. "But I say, lord, that thou dost not know what a battle is; thou hast even an entirely false idea of it from manœuvres at which thou hast always been the victor, though more than once thou shouldst have been conquered." The prince frowned. The priest put his hand beneath his robe, and said quickly,-- "Guess what I have in my hand, worthiness." "What?" repeated Rameses, with astonishment. "Guess quickly and truly," insisted the priest, "for if thou art mistaken two of thy regiments perish." "Thou hast a ring," said the heir, who had grown joyous. Mentezufis opened his hand; there was a bit of papyrus in it. "But what have I now?" asked the priest again. "A ring."