After a while an answer was sent to the chief that the high priests were awaiting him in the sacred chamber of the statue of their divinity. The chief left the agents before the gate, took by the arm the man dressed in the bag, and, conducted by a priest, went to the sacred chamber. When he entered, he found Mefres and Sem arrayed as high priests, with silver plates on their bosoms. He fell before them on the pavement, and said,-- "In accordance with your commands, I bring to you, holy fathers, the criminal Lykon. Do ye wish to see his face?" When they assented, the chief rose, and pulled the bag from the man standing near him. Both high priests cried out with astonishment. The Greek was really so like Rameses that it was impossible to resist the deception. "Thou art Lykon, the singer from the temple of Astaroth?" asked the holy Sem of the bound Greek. Lykon smiled contemptuously. "And didst thou kill the child of the prince?" added Mefres. The Greek grew blue from rage, and strove to tear off his bonds. "Yes!" cried he, "I killed the whelp, for I could not find the wolf, his father,--may heaven's blazes burn him!" "In what has the prince offended thee, criminal?" asked the indignant Sem. "In what? He seized from me Kama, and plunged her into a disease for which there is no remedy. I was free, I might have fled with life and property, but I resolved to avenge myself, and now ye have me. It was his luck that your gods are mightier than my hatred. Now ye may kill me; the sooner ye do so, the better." "This is a great criminal," said Sem. Mefres was silent and gazed into the Greek's eyes, which were burning with rage. He admired his courage, and fell to thinking. All at once he said to the chief,-- "Worthy sir, thou mayst go, this man belongs to us." "This man," replied the chief, who was indignant, "belongs to me. I seized him and I shall receive a reward from Prince Rameses." Mefres rose and drew forth from under his mantle a gold medal. "In the name of the supreme council, of which I am a member," said he, "I command thee to yield this man to us. Remember that his existence is among the highest state secrets, and indeed it would be a hundred times better for thee to forget that thou hast left him here." The chief fell again to the pavement, and went out repressing his anger. "Our lord the prince will repay you when he is the pharaoh!" thought he. "And he will pay you my part--ye will see." "Where is the prisoner?" asked the agents standing before the gate. "In prison," answered the chief; "the hands of the gods have rested on him." "And our reward?" asked the elder agent. "The hands of the gods have rested on your reward also. Imagine then to yourselves that ye saw that prisoner only in a dream, ye will be safer in health and in service." The agents dropped their heads in silence. But in their hearts they swore vengeance against the priests, who had taken a handsome reward from them.