The priest paused and Meneptah stroked the polished coping of the panel before him with a nervous hand.  There was complete silence for a moment, broken at last by the king.

“Mesu, though a Hebrew, an infidel and a malefactor, is a prince of the realm, my foster-brother—­Neferari’s favorite son.  I can not rid myself of him on provocation as yet misty and indirect.”

“Nay,” he added after another pause, “he shall not die by hand of mine.”  The prelate raised his head and met the eyes of the king.  After he read what lay therein, the dissatisfaction that had begun to show on his ancient face faded.

The Pharaoh settled back into his seat and his brow cleared as if the problem had been settled.  But suddenly he sat up.

“What have I profited by this council?  Shall I take the army or leave it distributed over Egypt?” He stopped abruptly and turned to the crown prince.  “Help us, my Rameses,” he said in a softer tone.  “We had well-nigh forgotten thee.”

Rameses raised himself from the back of his cathedra, against which he lounged, and moved a step forward.

“A word, my father,” he said calmly.  “Thy perplexity hath not been untangled for thee, nor even a thread pulled which shall start it raveling.  The priesthood can kill Mesu,” he said to Loi, “and it will do them no hurt.  And thou, my father, canst countenance it and seem no worse than any other monarch that loved his throne.  Thus ye will decapitate the monster.  But there be creatures in the desert which, losing one head, grow another.  Mesu is not of such exalted or supernatural villainy that they can not fill his place.  Wilt thou execute Israel one by one as it raises up a leader against thee?  Nay; and wilt thou play the barbarian and put two and a half million at once to the sword?”

The trio looked uncomfortable, none more so than the Pharaoh.  The prince went on mercilessly.

“Are the Hebrews warriors?  Wouldst thou go against a host of trowel-wielding slaves with an army that levels lances only against free-born men?  And yet, wilt thou wait till all Israel shall crowd into thy presence and defy thee before thou actest?  And again, wilt thou descend on them with arms now when they may with Justice cry ’What have we done to thee?’ Thou art beset, my father.”

The Pharaoh opened his lips as if to answer, but the level eye of the prince silenced him.

“Thou hast not fathomed the Hebrew’s capabilities, my father,” Rameses continued.  “In him is a wealth, a power, a magnificence that thy fathers and mine built up for thee, and the time is ripe for the garnering of thy profit.  What monarch of the sister nations hath two and a half millions of hereditary slaves—­not tributary folk nor prisoners of war—­but slaves that are his as his cattle and his flocks are his?  What monarch before thee had them?  None anywhere, at any time.  Thou art rich in bond-people beyond any monarch since the gods reigned.”