第24章

"O Prince," I began, "I swear to you that never has one word passed my lips of aught----""I know it, friend," broke in the Prince, "but it seems there are some who do not wait for words but can read the Book of Thought. Therefore it is not well to meet them too often, since all have thoughts that should be known only to them and God. Magician, what is your business with me? Speak on as though we were alone.""This, Prince. You go upon a journey among the Hebrews, as all have heard. Now, Bakenkhonsu and I, also two seers of my College, seeing that we all love you and that your welfare is much to Egypt, have separately sought out the future as regards the issue of this journey.

Although what we have learned differs in some matters, on others it is the same. Therefore we thought it our duty to tell you what we have learned.""Say on, Kherheb."

"First, then, that your Highness's life will be in danger.""Life is always in danger, Ki. Shall I lose it? If so, do not fear to tell me.""We do not know, but we think not, because of the rest that is revealed to us. We learn that it is not your body only that will be in danger. Upon this journey you will see a woman whom you will come to love. This woman will, we think, bring you much sorrow and also much joy.""Then perhaps the journey is worth making, Ki, since many travel far before they find aught they can love. Tell me, have I met this woman?""There we are troubled, Prince, for it would seem--unless we are deceived--that you have met her often and often; that you have known her for thousands of years, as you have known that man at your side for thousands of years."Seti's face grew very interested.

"What do you mean, Magician?" he asked, eyeing him keenly. "How can Iwho am still young have known a woman and a man for thousands of years?"Ki considered him with his strange eyes, and answered:

"You have many titles, Prince. Is not one of them 'Lord of Rebirths,'

and if so, how did you get it and what does it mean?""It is. What it means I do not know, but it was given to me because of some dream that my mother had the night before I was born. Do /you/tell /me/ what it means, since you seem to know so much.""I cannot, Prince. The secret is not one that has been shown to me.

Yet there was an aged man, a magician like myself from whom I learned much in my youth--Bakenkhonsu knew him well--who made a study of this matter. He told me he was sure, because it had been revealed to him, that men do not live once only and then depart hence for ever. He said that they live many times and in many shapes, though not always on this world, and that between each life there is a wall of darkness.""If so, of what use are lives which we do not remember after death has shut the door of each of them?""The doors may open again at last, Prince, and show us all the chambers through which our feet have wandered from the beginning.""Our religion teaches us, Ki, that after death we live eternally elsewhere in our own bodies, which we find again on the day of resurrection. Now eternity, having no end, can have no beginning; it is a circle. Therefore if the one be true, namely that we live on, it would seem that the other must be true, namely that we have always lived.""That is well reasoned, Prince. In the early days, before the priests froze the thought of man into blocks of stone and built of them shrines to a thousand gods, many held that this reasoning was true, as then they held that there was but one god.""As do these Israelites whom I go to visit. What say you of their god, Ki?""That /he/ is the same as our gods, Prince. To men's eyes God has many faces, and each swears that the one he sees is the only true god. Yet they are wrong, for all are true.""Or perchance false, Ki, unless even falsehood is a part of truth.

Well, you have told me of two dangers, one to my body and one to my heart. Has any other been revealed to your wisdom?""Yes, Prince. The third is that this journey may in the end cost you your throne.""If I die certainly it will cost me my throne.""No, Prince, if you live."

"Even so, Ki, I think that I could endure life seated more humbly than on a throne, though whether her Highness could endure it is another matter. Then you say that if I go upon this journey another will be Pharaoh in my place.""We do not say that, Prince. It is true that our arts have shown us another filling your place in a time of wizardry and wonders and of the death of thousands. Yet when we look again we see not that other but you once more filling your own place."Here I, Ana, bethought me of my vision in Pharaoh's hall.

"The matter is even worse than I thought, Ki, since having once left the crown behind me, I think that I should have no wish to wear it any more," said Seti. "Who shows you all these things, and how?""Our /Kas/, which are our secret selves, show them to us, Prince, and in many ways. Sometimes it is by dreams or visions, sometimes by pictures on water, sometimes by writings in the desert sand. In all these fashions, and by others, our /Kas/, drawing from the infinite well of wisdom that is hidden in the being of every man, give us glimpses of the truth, as they give us who are instructed power to work marvels.""Of the truth. Then these things you tell me are true?""We believe so, Prince."

"Then being true must happen. So what is the use of your warning me against what must happen? There cannot be two truths. What would you have me do? Not go upon this journey? Why have you told me that I must not go, since if I did not go the truth would become a lie, which it cannot? You say it is fated that I should go and because I go such and such things will come about. And yet you tell me not to go, for that is what you mean. Oh! Kherheb Ki and Bakenkhonsu, doubtless you are great magicians and strong in wisdom, but there are greater than you who rule the world, and there is a wisdom to which yours is but as a drop of water to the Nile. I thank you for your warnings, but to-morrow I go down to the land of Goshen to fulfil the commands of Pharaoh. If I come back again we will talk more of these matters here upon the earth. If I do not come back, perchance we will talk of them elsewhere. Farewell."