Over
this he slung the water-bottle, which the priest had filled in the
meantime, fixed the falchion at his side and put on the horse-hide
sandals.
"When hast thou broken thy fast?" the priest asked next.
"At sunset yesterday."
The priest turned with a sign to the young man to follow him and,
passing through the shrine, led the way out of the sanctuary into the
house of the sorcerer. Here, shortly, Kenkenes was served by a slave,
with a haunch of gazelle-meat, lettuce, white bread and wine.
While he ate, the priest informed him of the situation he might expect
to find at the end of his journey.
"The Israelites departed in the early hours of this morning taking the
Wady Toomilat, east, toward the gates of the Rameside wall. It was the
going forth of a multitude,--the exodus of a nation! And they will
travel at the pace of their slowest lambs. Thus Meneptah can gather
his legions and make ready to pursue ere they have reached the wall."
The priest had begun calmly, but the thought of pursuit excited him.
"He must not follow!" he continued. "They are unarmed, but the Pharaoh
deals with a wizard and a strange God--no common foe. And if these
were all who have evil intents against him, but there is
another--another!"
He came to the young man's side, saying in an excited whisper:
"There is another, I say, within the king's affections--a scorpion
cherished in his bosom!"
The old man's vehemence and his words fired Kenkenes.
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