THE FIFTH PAPYRUS

I, King Balthazar of Moxoene, having been victorious once again over a barbarian people, and being wounded in battle, but not excessively, dictate these words to Empedokles, my scribe, to pass the time.

Having seen, therefore, the vast white hall in the secret subterranean temple at Thebes teeming full of the whole hierarchy of the gods of Khem with all their relative appanages; and, having watched these holy ones departing with the indicible pomp and splendour of their coming; and, having heard the mystic voice which told me the meaning of these manifestations, warning me of my connection with the same: anon, I was left to ponder all these admirable happenings.

Now the hall was flooded with soft white light, as it had been when I first entered it with Amenemhat. And, as I meditated, standing strongly at my ease by the altar of blood-red porphyry, I was ware that white carpets of silk (covered with silver embroideries) were looped from column to column all round the immense circle, between each pair of pillars a carpet hanging from capitals to bases. But the embroideries represented the Assessors of Amentet: throned in state they were; and they judged the dead, allotting some to the blissful abodes, and others to the flaming house of Set who gnawed them with his teeth ever champing in expectation of fresh meals. And, while I gazed on these things, I remembered how that Amenemhat had spoken of similar carpets. But, when I thought of that priest of Tanis, I was moved to hold a council with the mind in my dear breast concerning many things. For it seemed good to me to recall events in order, so that (knowing the past precisely) I might understand the present and proceed securely to the future. Wherefore, I reminded myself of my godlike dismissal of Amenemhat at a time when I awfully needed a friend, of the ordeal of the scorching staff, of the overwhelming and wily inquisitiveness which impelled me to persist in spite of failure, of the mind-delighting reward promised to my perseverance, of the flying whirling wheels which swept me back through panoramas of Time, of the apparition of the godlike company of Khem. And I considered all these things, fully and turn by turn, before I laid them away in the cells of my memory, as sedulous squirrels store nuts in hollow trees, making provision for winter. But, when, at length, I was satisfied, I came down the steps from the purple altar; and, gathering my priestly robe from the floor where I had cast it at the beginning of the ordeal, I clothed myself, and proceeded to the cloistral antechambers in search of the truck of baggage which Amenemhat had trundled, from the outer future world, into that arena of untimed immortality. For I was convinced that I no longer stood in time where I had been, but rather more than nineteen hundred years prior to the life which I had left. But, of this, I had no particular or human certainty, but only a general or divine one, for my watch told me that barely eleven hours had elapsed since my entrance into the place; and I firmly prepared myself to find that those eleven hours included nineteen centuries, and that the land of Egypt (which I had left flourishing under the rule of Victory queen of the stalwart stately Anglicans) was now cowering beneath the talons of Roman Eagles. But, having wound-up my watch, and feeling very hungry, I refreshed my body with the provisions in my baggage, leaving nothing for mice. Thus I did, in the cloister behind the embroidered carpets.

Afterward, it seemed good to me to take such matters as would be useful to me in my new life, and to dispose of the rest, before emerging into activity in the sweet sunlight. Accordingly, under my linen robe, I buckled on my belt of beautiful death-parcels with my death-spitter in its proper sling. And, above that belt, I buckled on my broad belt with the well-placed pockets, so that the two belts (one above another) became like a thorax protecting my vitals. But, in the well-sewn pockets of the broad belt, I bestowed my watch, and a box of wax-matches,⁠[14] and my gold and silver money, and my pocket-book with its beautiful pencil,⁠[15] and my Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen,⁠[16] and my Foreign Office Passport,⁠[17] with the circular notes from my bankers, and eight notes⁠[18] each worth twenty-five ounces of gold. Thus having prepared myself, I laced the strong sandals on my feet, arranging the pleats of my robe conveniently to conceal what was underneath, yet leaving all things ready to be snatched-at in case of necessity. But there was nothing left, excepting my magic apparatus, and the truck and lanthorn which had come with me to the place.

But, on pondering the thing again, I was ware (from the carpets between the columns, and from a certain aspect of the porphyry altar), that the temple in which I stood was no longer a deserted temple, forgotten because buried by the lapse of ages, but actually a temple in daily use. From which portent, I also was ware that it behoved me to be ready to inflict my presence upon anyone (or at least to explain it plausibly to anyone) who by chance might totter in my direction, and, indeed, not to wait for such discovery, but to go at once in search of the society of articulately-speaking men, and to take my share in life as I should find it on the grain-giving earth.

For these reasons, then, I set my cabinet of essences and quintessences in a darkish recess, hiding it, in case I should need it again: but it remains there to this day. But I retraced my steps toward the causeway, recrossing the dark river; and, coming there, I broke my truck and lanthorn into pieces, and committed them to the swiftly-flowing stream. But I went on toward the light of the outer world, having the crystal orb (silver-banded with adornments of rose-crystals and blue moonstones) hanging by its chain from my neck, and the silver divination-cup in my left hand, and in my right the magic staff with its silver chain twisted round my wrist. Thus, I passed majestically through the antechambers; and a fold of my robe inshrouded my head, lest my silver hair and beard should bewray me to the shaveling priests guarding every portal. But they, seeing me emerging from the holy place with a holy and even mind and wearing priestly habiliments, were unperturbed; and, beside, the sight of the very beautiful instruments in my hands, and the Word of Silence in the ancient tongue of Khem which I gave them in my passage, prevented any doubts of me from afflicting their ingenious minds. But also, of course, I was receiving favour from the gods.

So, at last, I stepped up through the secret trap-door on to the sandy plain under the full blaze of radiant Ra. And I at once perceived a difference. For the plain, with its low pillar on the spit of pebbles, was the same, but infinitely smaller; and, below me, where I had left desolate ruins, was a city heaped with mighty fanes and splendid palaces. I, Nicholas Crabbe, liegeman of Victory queen of the stalwart stately Anglicans, gazed with my live well-seeing eyes, not a puny Luxor, but on Thebes of the Hundred Gates, Menes’ Thebes, Thotmes’ Thebes, the capital of the Upper Land, the great metropolis of the south, in glory inconceivable, and yet not yet in its greatest glory.

For a time, I stood, musing at the wonder to which my wiles had brought me, and contriving many plans. For, it appeared to me, that (though I had done very well as a priest of Isis in extricating myself from the temple) the mind in my lordly breast was yearning for a wider more-strenuous life, in which my wisdom and my power (but now considerable) might be used and (if possible) augmented. And, for this reason, it seemed well to seek yet another guise before entering the city.

But a certain remembrance set me searching the rock-strewn plain; and, by chance, about an hour before sunset, by favour of some god, I came to the cavity under certain boulders, where I had seen fit to hide a small teak-wood chest lined with aluminium, when I came to that place with my familiar Amenemhat. Now I am ignorant of the reason why I found it there, for the time when I hid it there is even now very far in the future. But, as I had found my baggage in the secret hall, with the food (which I brought from the era of Victory queen of the stalwart stately Anglicans) still sweet and fresh more than nineteen centuries before its actual confection, I was not then, and I am not now, disposed to vibrate the air with explanations of what no one can understand. It is enough that I found my teak-wood chest in the place where some day I shall no doubt hide it, and that its contents provided me with easy and beautiful garments wherewith I promptly indued myself, namely, a pair of brown leather boots, with a flannel jacket and trousers, and a silk shirt and socks, all of a very pale grey colour, and a soft felt hat of the same hue but of the shape affected by Hermes.⁠[19] But when I had clothed myself in these well-cut garments, I buckled my revolver-belt outside them, and hanged a leathern satchel, containing my crystal orb and my divination-cup, over my wide shoulders. But I kept the magic staff in my right hand to twirl and flourish by the way; and, so, I set out for the city.

A well-carved open chariot passed by; and the slave, driving, gazed curiously on my strange form. Around me, on both sides of the wide white road, brick-red tillers of the soil toiled with bent backs amid the emerald crops. Another chariot passed me; and halted a little further on for the naked charioteer to gaze upon me with jaw-dropped amazement. At the gate of the city, I saw fierce Makedonians on guard, clothed (as was the fashion of their race) with copper armour blazing like red gold, and kirtles of the well-cured skins of ponies, and great crested helmets on their heads, and long spears of tough ashwood in their hands, very brave to look upon. And, as I came near, one (the most righteous of men) said to his fellows: “I say, here is well-hatted Hermes!”

“Aye:” responded another: “and the godly youth goeth attired for this hot land in grey cloud-garments, shielding his tender skin from Helios his rays.”

“Ho, stranger!” cried a third. “Stand thou, and say whether thou art god or man, and what contraband thou bearest in thy bag, and whether thou art friendly to the Pharoah.”

Now while the usual dirty little boys and loafers and inquisitive women were assembling, I realized that I had to do with Argyraspides, seeing that the shields of the soldiers were laminated with silver; and, moreover, I perceived that they were offering me the Sign of the Shield-rim.⁠[20] But I used wiles, answering: “First tell ye me who the Pharoah is, and why ye Argives serve the lord of Khem.”

Thus I spoke: but deep-seated indignation swept from their hearts across their faces, even as Sihor’s stream inundates the thirsty land in flood-time. And anon one chirruped: “O thou silly fellow! The divine Ayletes is the Pharoah whom we serve.”

“Ayletes?” I cried. “Is, then, Ptolemaios Dionysos the Piper lord of sacred Khem? And are ye Makedonians minions of the Lagidai?”

“Aye, stranger:” the blameless guard responded: “Makedonians we are, but no slaves of that Flute-player. Of our own will we serve Ptolemaios, for pay and for promotion. But, who art thou?” he continued. “Who art thou, who seemest first to know nothing and then to know everything? And why art thou thus garbed? And what bearest thou there?”

Then, indeed, I was wily: for I made them the Countersign of the Shieldnavel;⁠[21] and I said, in a parable which he who has a grain of sense may read: “I am Karkinos Gampsonyx called Oypogonos, son of Kallikhronos, born of Nomadikos, begotten by Eypator son of Eygenes who sprang from the great race of the Selenidai. And I go thus garbed because I have a lordly mind to go thus garbed. And, in my hand, I bear that which is Life. And, on my thigh, I bear that which is death.”

Thus I spoke. But the sentinels cowered before me, muttering among themselves: “He knoweth the great Countersign: Yet he is not of us, neither of present-born men, victims not masters of life and of death: but he is some god or hero out of the Netherworld.” But to me they said: “Pass freely, O Karkinos Oypogonos of the multitudinous paternity, who art lord of life and death. And the Piper may stop thee if he will: but we will have nothing to do with it.”

But I went smoothly into the city. And men cast wondering looks at me, because of my strange aspect; but, because I had been able to cause the insolent soldiers of the corrupt Lagidai to shrink from me, I was sufficiently admired. Now the sun was near his setting; and the mind in my breast earnestly desired to seek a small place of my own, near water, where I might rest awhile, watching for an opportunity of mingling advantageously with mortal men. For, indeed, I have ever had a natural longing to be near water, and useful to men. Wherefore, having found my way to the river, I addressed myself to an Argive colonist, and he was a master of barges, who (by chance) was seeing his barks laid up for the night. And from him I demanded the hire of a convenient barge, intending to sail downstream to the Delta, that (during the voyage) I might tranquilly estimate the wisdom which I had, and perhaps acquire more, and also take part in such adventures as the gods might assign to my treatment.

But the bargeman answered me, saying: “No barges, O lord, can pass down Sihor to the Delta, now. For the wild mercenaries of the Pharoah have mutinied at Anteiopolis for an increase of wages.”

“I know,” I said, “that there are masterless hounds everywhere.”

“But these, lord, are not masterless: for they serve Pyrrhos, one of themselves, a ruddy-locked barbarian, who has made Thebes (the sacred city of the ram-headed god) a byword through the Upper Land and the Lower, requiring of us (as tribute) whole meals of the milk of mice as well as a ransom of much gold.”

“But the guards of the Lagidai—” I began.

He interrupted me: “Lord, they league with Pyrrhos; and a share of his spoils keeps them in their quarters while he bites our necks.”

“But, why do not ye, Thebans, resist this freebooter?”

“There is no strength left to us, lord, since the dread Pharoah Ptolemaios Lathyros sacked Thebes: whom may Set snatch, and his heart be eaten alive by slow-worms, hornets, and interminably-tongued chameleons——”

“Peace, fellow!” I snarled. “Nor soil thine Argive mouth with barbaric imprecations. And know that I will sail for the Delta, though a myriad of outlaws be between here and there.”

“Then, lord, thou wilt go alone: for no boatman will risk his life.”

“Not for gold?” I inquired, shewing a handful of coins.

Then, indeed, the man wavered, curiously examining the money. But he said: “Oh, where were these well-minted pieces struck? For they are over-round and too well-stamped to come from a barbaric mint. And, O lord, who art thou?”

But, being aware that he was as much in my power as though the knuckles of my first and second blooming fingers clutched the tender nose of him, and being desirous at length to make an end of bargaining, I answered him, saying: “Whom I am, thou shalt know on a fitting occasion: but, that I am to be obeyed, thou shalt know now. Let therefore thine eyes gaze in this direction.”

With which words, I stretched out my magic staff to the life-giving river, whispering a certain Spell of Summons. And the sons of slime surged up with great swirlings, the many-fanged far-sweeping crocodiles, while I slowly swayed my staff in rhythm with the inchantment which sang within me. But they came in cohorts from far and near, with huge eddyings of the dark-brown water; and they lay winking in close lines by the jetty, expecting orders from me their summoner.

But the heart of the bargeman became like dripping in a hot pan; and he said: “Lord, I perceive that thou art the Divine Hermes at least, with that wonderful wand: for none but thou, and only thou on a very important message from All-father Zeys, could do this thing.”

To whom I gave a stern word, saying: “Be ware of opposing the counsels of Zeys, or of hindering Hermes. For the minions of Pyrrhos have no more power over me than had the Makedonians of the Lagidai. But, even as I command these sons of slime, so am I superior to all earth-stamping men.”

“Dreadful lord,” he answered at once, “take the best of my barges: for Nesamun my brother-in-law, who has more skill in boatmanship than I, shall indeed go with thee this minute in his own barge.”

Having succeeded in my wile, I dismissed the Argive to see to the business. But I waited, watching the crocodiles having their teeth cleaned and blinking luxuriously, till I was tired of their musky exhalations. And, having given them leave, they returned to their stations in the slime. And anon, seeing that the barge was being prepared very speedily, I bade the bargeman that his brother-in-law should visit me; and to him I gave order that he should take a stock of provisions, buying also a slave-boy of lusty form and a mind incapable of fear, with other things which were necessary. Furthermore, I said that all was to be ready for sailing at dawn. And, having offered two quarter-ounces of gold of Victory queen of the stalwart stately Anglicans to the bargeman for his charges, he foolishly refused the same, abasing himself to the earth as before a god. But I, having ascended the gangway, entered my cabin, where I ate a melon and some cheeses and pigeons; and betook myself to slumber.

These things I did in Thebes of the Hundred Gates.

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