"I thank you, pious men," said he aloud, "for showing me these precious things, the great value of which does not prevent me from being one among the poorest of sovereigns. And now I beg you to lead me hence by the shortest way possible and the most convenient."
"We wish thee, holiness, to double the wealth of the labyrinth. As to the road, there is only one, we must return as we came."
One of the priests gave Ramses dates, another a flask of wine mixed with some invigorating substance. Then the pharaoh recovered strength and went forward cheerfully.
"I would give much," said he, laughing, "to know all the turns of this wonderful passage."
The guiding priest stopped,
"I assure thee, holiness, that we ourselves do not understand or remember this road, though each one of us has entered a number of times by it."
"Then how do ye manage?"
"We have certain indications, but if one of these were to fail us, even at this moment we should die here of hunger."
They reached the antechamber at last and through it the courtyard.
Ramses looked around and drew one breath of relief after another.
"For all the treasures of the labyrinth I would not guard them!" cried he. "Terror falls on my breast when I think that it is possible to die in those stone prisons."