“We have bidden you to come hither,” she said, “that you might, oh great Poet and Lawgiver of Israel, speak with the freedom of a friend to us, of that, which has brought you back after many years into Egypt.”
It was Aaron who spoke. Yet while his sweet, strong voice told the story, the eyes of all were fixed upon the silent lips of Moses.
“Great Queen of Egypt,” began Aaron (and all remembered that to the poor idiot he addressed never a word). “There stands before you on this day, an instrument of the Almighty. One who by the will of the All Powerful, shall in time, rear out of ruins and ashes, out of ignorant, broken-spirited slaves, a great and enduring nation; a people that shall live with the riches of this globe when Egypt is but a faded memory. Of this glory that is to be, Moses is promised no portion, and no place, and being meekest of all men that are upon the face of the earth, he is satisfied to be the humblest servant of his Lord. There is for him no glory but the glory of God. Moses has dwelt always, in spirit, in Egypt. He has never day or night ceased to think upon the bondage of his people. And who knows the purposes of Mizram better than this son of Israel that stands before you. He is the adopted son of Pharaoh’s great daughter. Aye it is from out of the tenderness of his heart for his adopted mother, and his adopted kinsmen, that he has pleaded with the God of Israel to stay His hand, that he might warn Egypt of the woes that shall before long befall her if she still holds Israel in thrall. Therefore he asks, oh gracious Queen, that thou loosen the cords, and open the gates, and bid thy bondsmen depart in peace.”
“Spare thy prayer.” It was the King’s brother that spoke. “We fear not thy one God, so hurl thy threats quickly that we may laugh them to scorn.”
There was no look of anger in the gentle face, and no tone of bitterness in the strong, sweet voice that said:
“Our God hath thus spoken to Moses, His Prophet: ‘Oh thou, who feedest thy flocks beside the green pastures, and the still waters, arise and get thee down into Egypt, and take with thee Aaron, thy brother, that he may speak for thee, and say thou, unto her, who holds the hearts of her people in the hollow of her woman’s hand: “Hear, oh Egypt, harken unto the voice of the God of Israel. Lo! behold! the cry of Israel has reached the Mercy Seat and the wailing must cease.” Thus saith the Lord. “Or most surely Egypt shall learn the power of the Most High.”’
“Hark, ye, oh Queen, an army shall fall upon Egypt and devour her substance; its ranks shall be unseen; its warriors shall be called famine, fever, pestilence and death. Take thou our challenge, oh stubborn of heart, for we two standing unarmed, save for our shepherd’s staffs, shall alone abide unharmed in your midst when the will of our God shall be accomplished to the uttermost. Aye, not one hair of our heads shall ye touch for we are the anointed of Heaven. Listen, oh Queen, the princes of this world come to naught! Kingdoms fall and are forgotten, but the glory of the God of Israel remaineth forever. Once, yet again, for the love he bears the home of his youth, for the land that heard his first cry, does Moses plead: Oh Mizram, loose thy vain pride and let Israel go.”
“And who is thy God?” (It was Alric who spoke.) “Show us some sign by which we may be convinced of his power.”
Then the silent Moses lifted a small, lithe rod, which he held in one of his hands, and, lo! it was a rod no longer; but a serpent, the enemy of man! And it gazed with hungry eyes and spake with a hissing tongue! Then Alric drew from out his tunic a similar rod and it, too, changed into a scorpion, larger and fiercer than that, which the man Moses had created, and these two accursed objects, viewing each other, forgot man, and engaged in mortal combat the one with the other, and, lo! the serpent of Moses swallowed the serpent of Alric, and so doing, vanished.
With a laugh Alric threw down his wand.