"Yes, yes; but its jaw has fallen," answered they at the entrance.
"All one give it up here, for Isis must go to the city an hour from now."
After a while the golden boat with the dead pharaoh was raised by means of ropes to an internal balcony.
From the entrance it went into a great hall, painted in the color of the sky, and ornamented with golden stars. Through the whole length of the hall, from one wall to the other, was fixed a balcony in the form of an arch the ends of which were one story high and the centre a story and a half.
The hall represented the dome of heaven, the balcony the road of the sun in the sky. The late pharaoh was to represent Osiris, or the sun, which passes from the east to the west.
On the pavement of the hall stood a throng of priests and priestesses who, while waiting for the solemnity, conversed about indifferent subjects.
"Ready!" cried they from the balcony.
Conversation ceased. Above was heard the sound of a metal plate beaten thrice and on the balcony appeared the golden boat of the sun in which the late pharaoh was advancing.
Below sounded the hymn in honor of the sun:
"Behold he appears in a cloud to separate the sky from the earth, and later to connect them.