Six days had gone by, and Queen Neter-Tua starved in the pylon tower.
Till now the water had held out for there was a good supply of it
in jars, but at last it was done, while, as for food, they had eaten
nothing except a store of honey which Asti took at night from the bees
that hived among the topmost pylon stones. That day the honey was done
also, and if had not been, without water to wash it down they could have
swallowed no more of the sickly stuff. Indeed, although in after years
in memory of its help, Neter-Tua chose the bee as her royal symbol,
never again could she bring herself to eat of the fruit of its labours.
"Come, Nurse," said Tua, "let us go to the roof, and watch the setting
of Ra, perhaps for the last time, since I think that we follow him
through the Western Gates."
So they went, supporting each other up the steps, for they grew weak.
From this lofty place they saw that save on the Nile side of it which
was patrolled by the warships of Abi, all the temple was surrounded by a
double ring of soldiers, while beyond the soldiers, on the square where
the great fight had been, were gathered thousands of the people who
knew that the starving Queen was wont to appear thus upon the pylon at
sunset.
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