Ramses was delighted at this outburst of patriotism in Mentezufis. He seized him by the hand, and said,
"Then, if we are able to have such an army, why do we not attack Babylon? Is not the great warrior Nitager imploring us for years to do so? Is not his holiness alarmed by the movement in Assyria? If we let them concentrate their forces, the struggle will be most difficult; but if we begin ourselves."
The priest interrupted him,
"Dost Thou know, prince, what a war is to which one must go through a desert? Who will assure us that before we could reach the Euphrates half our army and carriers would not perish from hardship?"
"That would be cured by one battle," interrupted Ramses.
"A battle!" repeated the priest. "But does the prince know what a battle is?"
"I hope so!" replied the heir, striking his sword.
Mentezufis shrugged his shoulders.
"But I say, lord, that Thou dost not know what a battle is; Thou hast even an entirely false idea of it from maneuvers at which Thou hast always been the victor, though more than once Thou shouldst have been conquered."
The prince frowned. The priest put his hand beneath his robe, and said quickly,