At the same instant the wall seemed to open, and they saw a mass of Nile mud in which crocodiles and snakes twined round each other, while a hippopotamus trampled threateningly with its forefeet.
Amram was alarmed, but Phater took out an amulet in the shape of a scarabaeus, and, holding it as a shield in front of him, he passed through the terrible shapes, which dissolved like smoke, while Amram followed him.
“The magician only cheats our eyes,” said Phater, and as he waved his hand the whole appearance vanished.
Now they stood again in the first hall, and, pointing to the Nilometer, Amram said, “Famine!”
“There is no doubt of that. Therefore all superfluous mouths should be stopped.”
“What!”
Phater saw that he had made a slip of the tongue.
“I mean,” he said, “Pharaoh must consider how to get corn.”
“He would find a Joseph useful just now.”
“Why?” broke in Phater more vehemently than he intended. “Don’t you know that Joseph the son of Jacob brought the Egyptians to be Pharaoh’s bond-slaves. Your chronicles and ours relate that he made the peasants mortgage their land in return for help during the seven lean years, and that, by his doing so, Pharaoh became sole possessor of all the land of Egypt.”