What sayest thou?"
The old woman looked at him quietly for a moment.
"Is this place safe?" she asked.
"The forty-two demons of Amenti could not drive an Egyptian into this
tomb."
"How comes it that thou art not afraid?"
"I have no belief in spirits."
"Nor have we. Why need we go hence? We shall abide here till thou
shalt return."
"In this place!" Kenkenes exclaimed, recoiling. "Nay! I shall be gone
sixteen days at least."
"We shall not fear to live in a tomb, we who have defied untombed death
daily. We shall remain here."
"This hole--this cave of death!"
"We have shelter, and by thine own words, none will molest us here. We
are not spoiled with soft living, nor would we take peril to any.
Without are fowls, herbs, roots, water--within, security, meat and
wine. We shall not fear the dead whom, living, Joseph rebuked. We
shall be content and well housed."
"But thou art wounded," he essayed.
She scouted his words with heroic scorn. "Nay, let us have no more.
If thou canst accomplish this thing for Rachel, do it with a light
heart, for we shall be safe. If thou art successful, Israel will rise
up and call thee blessed; if thou failest, the sons of Abraham will
still remember thee with respect.
Pages:
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339