"Sit here," said the prince, without rising. "Knowest thou, I am today
convinced that our priests have concluded an infamous treaty with
Assyria; without war, without demands even from the other side! Canst
Thou imagine what we are losing?"
"Dagon told me that the Assyrians wished to take Phoenicia. But the Phoenicians are now less alarmed, for King Assar has a war on the northeastern boundaries. A very valiant and numerous people inhabit that region; hence it is unknown what the end of this affair may be. The Phoenicians will have peace for a couple of years in every case, time in which to prepare defense and find allies."
The prince waved his hand impatiently.
"See," said he, interrupting Tutmosis, "even Phoenicia is arming her own people, and perhaps all the neighbors who surround her; in every case, we lose the unpaid tribute of Asia, which reaches hast Thou heard the like? more than a hundred thousand talents."
"A hundred thousand talents," repeated the prince. "O gods! but such a sum would fill the treasury of the pharaoh. And were we to attack Assyria at the right season, in Nineveh alone, in the single palace of Assar, we should find inexhaustible treasures. Think how many slaves we could take, half a million a million, people of gigantic strength, and so wild that captivity in Egypt with the hardest labor on canals or in quarries would seem play to them. The fertility of the land would be increased; in the course of a few years our people, now wretched, would rest, and before the last Assyrian slave had died, the state would regain its ancient might and well-being. And the priests are destroying all this by the aid of a few silver tablets, and a few bricks marked with arrow-headed signs understood by no Egyptian."
When he had heard the complaints of the prince, Tutmosis rose from the armchair and looked carefully through the adjoining chambers to see if some one in them were listening; then he sat down again near Ramses, and whispered,
"Be of good heart, lord. As far as I know, the entire aristocracy, all the nomarchs, all the higher officers have heard something of this treaty and are indignant. Only give the sign and we will break these brick treaties on the head of Sargon, even on the head of King Assar."
"But that would be rebellion against his holiness," replied the prince, also in a whisper. Tutmosis put on a sad face.
"I should not like," said he, "to make thy heart bleed, but thy father, who is equal to the highest god, has a grievous illness."
"That is not true!" said the prince, springing up. "It is true; but let not people see that Thou knowest this. His holiness is greatly wearied by his stay on earth, and desires to leave it. But the priests hold him back, and do not summon thee to Memphis, so that the treaty with Assyria may be signed without opposition."