Tutmosis looked at the guest. He was a man rather young, with a face as if carved out of wood. He said that he had come to the pharaoh from Samentu.
Ramses received the priest, who prostrated himself and gave the pharaoh a ring, at sight of which his holiness grew pallid.
"What does this mean?" asked he.
"Samentu is no longer alive," replied the priest.
Ramses could not recover his voice for a time. At last he asked,
"How has this happened?"
"It appears," replied the priest, "that Samentu was discovered in one of the halls of the labyrinth, and that he poisoned himself to escape torture. It seems that Mefres discovered him through the aid of a certain Greek, who, as they tell us, resembles thee, holiness."
"Again Mefres and Lykon!" exclaimed Tutmosis in anger. "O lord," said he, turning to Ramses, "wilt Thou never free thyself from those traitors?"
The pharaoh summoned a confidential council again. He called in Hiram, also the priest who had brought the ring from Samentu. Pentuer did not wish to take part in the council, but the worthy queen went herself to it.
"I see," whispered Hiram to Tutmosis, "that after the expulsion of priests women are to govern Egypt."