THE ANCIENT WORLD SERIES - Complete Haggard Edition. Henry Rider Haggard
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army marched across the plains and deserts, as the progress of so vast a host was slow, till at length it drew near to the borders of Egypt. Then it was that Tau heard from his spies and skirmishers that Apepi with all his strength, a mighty power, had built a line of forts upon his boundary and in front of these was preparing to give battle to the Babylonians. These tidings he took to Nefra who sat in her chariot armed in glittering mail like some young war goddess, surrounded by a bodyguard under the command of Ru.
"It is well," she said indifferently. "The sooner we fight the sooner it will be over and the sooner I shall be avenged upon the Shepherds of the blood of him whom I have lost." For having received no tidings of Khian, now she had become almost sure that he was dead.
"Do not run to meet evil, Niece," said Tau sadly. "Is there not enough of it at hand that you must go to seek out more? Have I not told you that I believe the Prince to be alive?"
"Then where is he, Uncle? How comes it that you under whose command is all the might of Babylon cannot spare some few thousands to seek him out?"
"Perchance I am seeking, Niece," Tau answered gently.
As he spoke a slave ran up, saying:
"Letters from the King of Kings! Letters from Babylon!" and having touched his forehead with the roll, he gave it to Tau who opened and read. Within was another roll, a little crumpled roll such as might have been hidden in a headdress or a shoe.
Tau glanced at the contents of this second roll and gave it to Nefra.
"A writing for you, Niece," he said quietly.
Seizing it, she read. It was brief and ran thus:
"Again, O Lady, a certain one whose name you may guess writes to say that save for a hurt to his leg which cripples him he is well in health. This he does because he has learned that the enemies who surround the place where he lies may have cut off former messengers. Should he who bears this come safely to you at Babylon or elsewhere, he will tell you all. More I dare not write.
"Signed with the sign of the Dawn which you yourself taught me how to shape."
Nefra finished reading, then fell rather than leapt from the chariot into the arms of Tau.
"He lives!" she gasped. "Or he lived. Where is the messenger?"
As she spoke the words a guard appeared escorting an officer who was travel-stained and weary.
"One who craves audience with you, Prince Abeshu, and at once," said the leader of the guard.
Tau looked at the officer and knew him again. It was he whom the King had sent from Babylon to search for the missing outpost.
"Your report," he said, and waited with fear in his heart.
"Prince," answered the man, saluting, "we won through to the outpost and found all well there, since it is so strongly placed that the Shepherd skirmishers have not dared attack. Also we found those travellers who were missing."
Again Nefra paled and leaned against the chariot, for she could not speak.
"What of them?" asked Tau.
"Prince, the priest is well. Four brethren who travelled with them were slain one by one in a certain pass; they died nobly defending those in their charge. The lord whose name is not spoken, who escaped with the priest, is still sick, that is, he is wounded in the left knee and the wound runs. He cannot walk, and though now it is believed that his leg will be saved, always he must be lame, for the knee is stiff."
"Did you see him?" asked Tau.
"Yes, Prince, I and another of my company saw him. While the rest of us, pretending to retreat, drew off the Shepherds horsemen, we two won our way to the camp which is on a plain surrounded by hills, not to be reached except through two passes, one to the west and one to the east. There we found the garrison, well though weary, for of food they have enough, also the priest and the other traveller who is hurt. These told us how they came to the place and of the death of their four guides, which is a great story."
"Then repeat it afterwards," said Tau. "It seems that you escaped. Why did you not bring these travellers with you?"
"Prince, how could the two of us carry a man who cannot walk, down a mountain path, even with the help of the priest? Moreover, if we could have brought him to the plain, it was full of enemies all mounted on good horses through whom it would scarcely have been possible to bear him safely, while the garrison had received no orders to attempt to leave its post. Therefore it was determined that he should remain where he is safe enough, until a sufficient force could be sent to bring him away."
Then the captain went on to tell how he and his companion had rejoined their men at night and fought their way through the horsemen of Apepi who watched the stronghold, though with loss; how also they had learned from some desert wanderers that the army of the Great King was marching upon Egypt by a road that ran not more than thirty leagues from where they were, and how therefore they had ridden for the army, instead of returning to report at Babylon.
"You have done wisely," said Tau. "Had you attempted to bring that wounded lord with you, doubtless he would have been killed or captured."
Then he went away to give certain orders, leaving the officer with Nefra, who had many questions to put to him.
When Tau returned an hour later Nefra was still questioning him. Tau looked at them and asked:
"Friend, how long is it since you slept?"
"Four nights, Prince," answered the officer.
"And how long is it since you and your companions ate?"
"Forty-eight hours, Prince. Indeed, if we might crave a cup of water and a bite of bread, who have ridden hard and done some fighting----"
"These await you, Captain, when it pleases her Majesty of Egypt to dismiss you."
Then Nefra reddened and turned away ashamed. When the men had gone to eat and rest, humbly enough she asked Tau what was his plan.
"My plan is, Niece, to send five thousand mounted men, though we can ill spare them, to clear the desert between this place and the stronghold where he who was named the Scribe Rasa lies wounded--/not/ dead, as you feared, Niece, and to bring him with our brother Temu and the garrison of the camp to join the army on its march which, travelling in a chariot or a litter, he should do within some six days."
"A good plan," said Nefra, clapping her hands. "I will go with the five thousand and in command of them. Kemmah can accompany me."
"No, Niece, you shall not go. You stay here with the army."
"Shall not! Shall not!" exclaimed Nefra, biting her lip as was her fashion when crossed. "Why?"
"For many reasons, Niece, of which the first is that it would not be safe. We cannot tell how many troops Apepi has between here and that stronghold, but we know he would risk much to capture his son now that the great war has begun; also the Lady Kemmah could not bear such a journey."
"If it is not safe for me who am sound and well, neither is it safe for Khian who is wounded, and if things be thus then let the whole army turn and march to the stronghold."
"It cannot be, Niece. This army is a trust placed in my hands and its business is to push on and give battle to Apepi, not to wander away into the desert where perhaps it may be overcome by thirst or other disasters."
"Cannot be! I say it must be, my Uncle, I, the Queen of Egypt, desire it; it is an order."
Tau looked at her in his calm fashion and answered:
"This army is under my command, not yours, Niece, and having put on armour the Queen of Egypt is but one officer among thousands," and he touched her shining mail. "Therefore I must pray even the Queen of Egypt to obey me. Or if that is not enough, I must pray Nefra, a Sister of the Dawn, to accept the word of the Prophet of the Dawn without question, as she is sworn to do. The safety of the Queen of Egypt is much, as is the safety of the Prince Khian. But the safety and the triumph of the great host of the King of Kings are more."
Nefra