United States or Papua New Guinea ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
The messenger of the late Samentu?" repeated the officials in concern. "That is true where can he be?" Men were sent to search the garden. They searched every path, but there was no priest. This circumstance made a bad impression on the dignitaries. Each one sat in silence, sunk in alarming thoughts.
And the walls which one cannot break through, and the depth, and those hundreds of ways in which he who enters must lose himself. Believe me, Samentu, a battle with men is amusement, but a conflict with darkness and doubt that is dreadful." "Holiness," answered Samentu, smiling, "Thou dost not know my life. At the age of twenty-five I was a priest of Osiris."
"Nothing can weaken me but sacred water which takes my force away. But my anger is roused as well by the smallest spark as by a flame. "In my presence everything is twisted and broken. I am like Typhon, who overturns the highest trees and lifts rocks from their places." "In one word, every temple has its secret which others do not know," thought Samentu.
But an Egyptian prophet who has tried power and luxury Thou wilt win with nothing, only his death or thine can end the conflict." "Samentu speaks truth," said Tutmosis. "Happily not his holiness, but we, the warriors, will decide the ancient struggle between the priests and the pharaoh." On Paofi 12 alarming news went forth from various Egyptian temples.
"What does this mean?" thought Samentu in amazement. He forgot now the streak of light. It seemed to him that a new thing, unheard of, had met him. He had opened in his life so many hundreds of secret doors, he had opened so many in the labyrinth, that he could not understand simply the present resistance. Terror seized him a second time. He ran from wall to wall and tried secret doors everywhere.
"But who, on the death of Amenhotep, became his heir?" asked Ramses, looking quickly into the eyes of the priest. Samentu answered, calmly, "Events show that Amenhotep was incompetent, more occupied in honoring Re than in governing Egypt." "Indeed, Thou art a real sage!" said Ramses. "At thy service, holiness." "I appoint thee my counselor," said the pharaoh.
"Samentu," said the sovereign, "I esteem thy marvelous daring and thy wisdom; Thou hast told me so many curious things that indeed I myself have conceived a wish to examine caves, and some time I will even go with thee to Sinai. Still I have fears as to thy conquest of the labyrinth, and in every event I will summon an assembly of Egyptians to empower me to use its treasures."
Ramses made a movement of displeasure. "Samentu," said he, "it seems to me that Thou didst visit thy caves in a dream." "I swear to thee, holiness, by the life of my children!" exclaimed the priest, "that I speak truth. Yes; that monster in the skin of a reptile covered with a scaly armor, if lying on the ground, would with its tail be fifty paces long.
Finally, dress this monster in armor covered on the back with carved spikes. Now imagine that figure standing on its feet with arms and breast resting against a cliff." "That was something very ugly," put in Ramses; "I should have killed it immediately." "It was not ugly," answered Samentu, shaking himself. "For think, lord, that monster was as tall as an obelisk."
He, lord, will render more service than I. He knows many secrets and many iniquities of the priesthood." "I promise," answered the pharaoh. "This priest is Samentu. He is a great sage, but needs money, and he is very ambitious. And since the high priests degrade him he will overturn the order of priests; for he knows many secrets oh, many!" Ramses meditated.
Word Of The Day