Fragmentary clouds toward
the sunrise became apparent, tinted, silvered and at last, like flakes
of gold, scattered down to a point of intensest brilliance on the
horizon. A lark sprang out of the wet, wind-mown grass of a meadow and
shot up, up till it was lost in radiance and only a few of its
exquisite notes filtered down to earth again.
A brazen rim showed redly on the horizon and the next instant the sun
bounded above the sky-line.
It was the morning after the Passover, and Kenkenes, the son of Mentu,
was the only Egyptian first-born that lived to see it break.
CHAPTER XLII
EXPATRIATION
At sunrise, Kenkenes drew up his horse and took counsel with himself.
By steady riding he could reach Tanis shortly, but once within the
capital of the Pharaoh, he was near to Har-hat and within reach of the
fan-bearer's potent hand. When he entered the city he must be mentally
and physically alert. He had not slept since the last daybreak, and he
was weary and heavy-headed.
Ahead of him was a squat hamlet, set on the very border of Goshen. It
was the same village that Seti had designated in his appointment with
Moses. Here he might have found a hospitable roof and a pallet of
matting, but the accompanying gratuity of curiosity and comment would
have outweighed the small advantage of a bed indoors over a bed in the
meadows.
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