Peroa laid the pieces of the chain together and observed the workmanship which was Eastern and rare. Then he clapped his hands, at which sign armed men of his household entered from behind him.
"It is the same," he said. "Butler of Idernes, you are a common thief."
The man strove to answer, but could not for the deed was proved against him.
"Then, O Prince," asked Bes, "what is the punishment of those thieves who attack passers–by with violence in the streets of Memphis, for such I demand on him?"
"The cutting off of the right hand and scourging," answered Peroa, at which words the butler turned to fly. But Bes leapt on him like an ape upon a bird, and held him fast.
"Seize that thief," said Peroa to his servants, "and let him receive fifty blows with the rods. His hand I spare because he must travel."
They laid the man down and the rods having been fetched, gave him the blows until at the thirtieth he howled for mercy, crying out that it was true and that it was he who had captained the robbers, words which Peroa caused to be written down. Then he asked him why he, a messenger from the Satrap, had robbed in the streets of Memphis, and as he refused to answer, commanded the officer of justice to lay on. After three more blows the man said,
"O Prince, this was no common robbery for gain. I did what I was commanded to do, because yonder noble had about him the ancient White Seal of the Great King which he showed to certain of the Satrap's servants by the banks of the canal. That seal is a holy token, O Prince, which, it is said, has descended for twice a thousand years in the family of the Great King, and as the Satrap did not know how it had come into the hands of the noble Shabaka, he ordered me to obtain it if I could."
"And the pearls too, Butler?"
"Yes, O Prince, since those gems are a great possession with which any Satrap could buy a larger satrapy."
"Let him go," said Peroa, and the man rose, rubbing himself and weeping in his pain.
"Now, Butler," he went on, "return to your master with a grateful heart, since you have been spared much that you deserve. Say to him that he cannot steal the Signet, but that if he is wise he will obey it, since otherwise his fate may be worse than yours, and to all his servants say the same. Foolish man, how can you, or your master, guess what is in the mind of the Great King, or for what purpose the Signet of signets is here in Egypt? Beware lest you fall into a pit, all of you together, and let Idernes beware lest he find himself at the very bottom of that pit."
"O Prince, I will beware," said the humbled butler, "and whatever is written over the seal, that I will obey, like many others."
"You are wise," answered Peroa; "I pray for his own sake that the Satrap Idernes may be as wise. Now begone, thanking whatever god you worship that your life is whole in you and that your right hand remains upon your wrist."
So the butler and those with him prostrated themselves before Peroa and bowed humbly to me and even to Bes because in their hearts now they believed that we were clothed by the Great King with terrible powers that might destroy them all, if so we chose. Then they went, the butler limping a little and with no pride left in him.
"That was good work," said Peroa to me afterwards when we were alone, "for now yonder knave is frightened and will frighten his master."
"Yes," I answered, "you played that pipe well, Prince. Still, there is no time to lose, since before another moon this will all be reported in the East, whence a new light may arise and perchance a new signet."
"You say you stole the White Seal?" he asked.
"Nay, Prince, the truth is that Bes bought it—in a certain fashion—and I used it. Perhaps it is well that you should know no more at present."
"Perhaps," he answered, and we parted, for he had much to do.
That afternoon the Council met again. At it I gave over the gold and by help of it all was arranged. Within a week ten thousand armed men would be in Memphis and a hundred ships with their crews upon the Nile; also a great army would be gathering in Upper Egypt, officered for the most part by Greeks skilled in war. The Greek cities too at the mouths of the Nile would be ready to revolt, or so some of their citizens declared, for they hated the Great King bitterly and longed to cast off his yoke.
For my part, I received the command of the bodyguard of Peroa in which were many Greeks, and a generalship in the army; while to Bes, at my prayer, was given the freedom of the land which he accepted with a smile, he who was a king in his own country.
At length all was finished and I went out into the palace garden to rest myself before I rode into the desert to see my great uncle, the holy Tanofir. I was alone, for Bes had gone to bring our horses on which we were to ride, and sat myself down beneath a palm–tree, thinking of the great adventure on which we had entered with a merry heart, for I loved adventures.
Next I thought of Amada and was less merry. Then I looked up and lo! she stood before me, unaccompanied and wearing the dress, not of a priestess, but of an Egyptian lady with the little circlet of her rank upon her hair. I rose and bowed to her and we began to walk together beneath the palms, my heart beating hard within me, for I knew that my hour had come to speak.
Yet it was she who spoke the first, saying,
"I hear that you have been playing a high part, Shabaka, and doing great things for Egypt."
"For Egypt and for you who are Egypt," I answered.
"So I should have been called in the old days, Cousin, because of my blood and the rank it gives, though now I am but as any other lady of the land."
"And so you shall be called in days to come, Amada, if my sword and wit can win their way."
"How so, Cousin, seeing that you have promised certain things to my uncle Peroa and his son?"
"I have promised those things, Amada, and I will abide by my promise; but the gods are above all, and who knows what they may decree?"
"Yes, Cousin, the gods are above all, and in their hands we will let these matters rest, provoking them in no manner and least of all by treachery to our oaths."
We walked for a little way in silence. Then I spoke.
"Amada, there are more things than thrones in the world."
"Yes, Cousin, there is that in which all thrones end—death, which it seems we court."
"And, Amada, there is that in which all thrones begin—love, which I court from you."
"I have known it long," she said, considering me gravely, "and been grateful to you who are more to me than any man has been or ever will be. But, Shabaka, I am a priestess bound to set the holy One I serve above a mortal."
"That holy One was wed and bore a child, Amada, who avenged his father, as I trust that we shall avenge Egypt. Therefore she looks with a kind eye upon wives and mothers. Also you have not taken your final vows and can be absolved."
"Yes," she said softly.
"Then, Amada, will you give yourself into my keeping?"
"I think so, Shabaka, though it has been in my mind for long, as you know well, to give myself only to learning and the service of the heavenly Lady. My heart calls me to you, it is true, day and night it calls, how loudly I will not tell; yet I would not yield myself to that alone. But Egypt calls me also, since I have been shown in a dream while I watched in the sanctuary, that you are the only man who can free her, and I think that this dream came from on high. Therefore I will give myself, but not yet."
"Not yet," I said dismayed. "When?"
"When I have been absolved from my vows, which must be done on the night of the next new moon, which is twenty–seven days from this. Then, if nothing comes between us during those twenty–seven days, it shall be announced that the Royal Lady of Egypt is to wed the noble Shabaka."