But I got your letter and
over-persuaded him, the poor fool. You see he thinks me faithful to
his House, and that is why I am allowed to be here to-night, to collect
information."
"Ah! Well, what Asti knows the Queen will know, and she is stronger than
Pharaoh, and notwithstanding all Abi's ships and soldiers, may break
away from Memphis and make war upon him. So it comes to this--Pharaoh
must stay here, for his daughter will not desert him."
"How will you make him stay here, Kaku? Not by----" and she glanced
towards the shrouded crystal.
"Nay, no blood if it can be helped. He must not even seem to be a
prisoner, it is too dangerous. But there are other ways."
"What ways? Poison?"
"Too dangerous again. Now, if he fell sick, and he has been sick before,
and could not stir, it would give us time to bring about the marriage,
would it not? Oh! I know that he is well at present--for him, but look
here, Merytra, I have something to show you."
Then going to a chest Kaku took from it a plain box of cedar wood which
was shaped like a mummy case, and, lifting off its lid, revealed within
it a waxen figure of the length of a hand.
Pages:
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196