United States or Tanzania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Bent-Anat threw herself between the man and the stripling, who was hardly more than a boy, once more declared her name, and this time her brother's also, and commanded Paaker to make peace among the boatmen.
Before he was permitted to pass the fortifications, which lay across the isthmus which parts the Mediterranean from the Red Sea, and which were intended to protect Egypt from the incursions of the nomad tribes of the Chasu, he was subjected to a strict interrogatory, and among other questions was asked whether he had nowhere met with the traitor Paaker, who was minutely described to him.
"But Paaker surely is governed by the demon you describe?" asked the dwarf. "May be," replied his mother; "but he is self-willed to madness. He would simply give his life for the thing because it is denied him. If your mistress Nefert were his, perhaps he might be easier; but what is the use of chattering?
By this time the soldier had rejoined Pentaur, and both listened for a few minutes; then the poet whispered to his guide: "They are speaking Egyptian, I caught a few words." "All the better," said Kaschta. "Paaker or some of his people are in there; the door is there still, and shut. If we give four hard and three gentle knocks, it will be opened. Can you understand what they are saying?"
"He instructs the elder pupils of the high-school in grammar and eloquence; he is also an excellent observer of the starry heavens, and a most skilled interpreter of dreams," replied Gagabu. "But here he is again. To whom is Paaker conducting our stammering physician and his assistant?" "To the daughter of the paraschites, who has been run over," answered Pentaur.
Paaker, accustomed to solitude, became absorbed in thought, forgetting everything that surrounded him; even the widow herself, who had sunk on to a couch, and was observing him in silence. He gazed into vacancy, while a crowd of sensations rushed confusedly through his brain.
Paaker went up to him, and abused him violently, and threatened him with his fist; the priest raised his arms in prayer, just as I saw him yesterday at the festival but not in devotion, but to seize Paaker, and wrestle with him.
"There," said the Mohar, pointing to two huts close to the left cliff of the valley, built of bricks made of dried Nile-mud, "there, the neatest, next the cave in the rock." Bent-Anat went towards the solitary hovel with a beating heart; Paaker let the ladies go first. A few steps brought them to an ill-constructed fence of canestalks, palm-branches, briars and straw, roughly thrown together.
Do you no longer remember how I cried with you over your tales of the bad boys in the school; and over your father's severity? Then my uncle died; then you went to Asia." "And you," interrupted Paaker, hardly and drily, "you broke your bethrothal vows, and became the wife of the charioteer Mena. I know it all; of what use is talking?"
At last once more through her choking tears she called his name, opened her arms wide and exclaimed: "Here I am here I am! Come to my heart, only give up these hideous thoughts of revenge." But Paaker did not move, he did not look up at her, he did not speak, he only shook his head in negation. Setchem's hands fell, and she said softly: "What did your father teach you out of the scriptures?
Word Of The Day