"Well," said the priest, "his holiness might give me half these treasures and make my son a nomarch and surely he will do so, for he is a magnanimous sovereign."
When he had rendered the lower hall safe in this way Samentu returned to the treasure chamber, and hence went to the upper hall. There also were various inscriptions on the walls, numerous columns and in them pots provided with cords and filled with kernels which burst when fire touched them. Samentu cut the cords, removed the pots from the interior of the columns, and tied up in a rag one pinch of the sand. Then being wearied he sat down to rest. Six of his torches were burnt now. The night must have been nearing its end.
"I never should have supposed," said he to himself, "that those priests had such a wonderful agent. Why, with it they could overturn Assyrian fortresses! Well, we will not tell our own pupils everything either."
The wearied man fell to thinking. Now he was certain that he would hold the highest position in Egypt, a position higher than that held by Herhor. What would he do? Very much.
He would secure wealth and wisdom to his posterity. He would try to gain their secrets from all the temples and this would increase his power immensely; he would secure to Egypt preeminence above Assyria.
The young pharaoh jeered at the gods, that would facilitate to Samentu the establishment of the worship of one god, Osiris, for example; and the union of Phoenicians, Jews, Greeks, and Libyans in one state with Egypt.
Together they would make the canal to join the Red Sea and the
Mediterranean. Along that canal they would build fortresses and
concentrate a numerous army all the trade with unknown nations of the
Orient and the West would fall into the hands of Egyptians.
They would require an Egyptian fleet and Egyptian sailors. But above all was the need to crush Assyria, which was growing each year more dangerous. It was imperative to stop priestly greed and excesses. Let priests be sages, let them have a sufficiency, but let them serve the state instead of using it for their own profit as at present.
"In the month Hator," thought Samentu, "I shall be ruler of Egypt! The young lord loves women and warriors too well to labor at governing. And if he has no son, then my son, my son."
He came to himself. One more torch had burnt out; it was high time to leave those underground chambers.