The Bronze God of Rhodes

Onas and Manethôs came aboard the Hathor at noon the next day. Manethôs wore a linen robe and headcloth, and shoes of papyrus. He carried a copper statue of a cat, twice life-size and weighing, I judged, five to ten pounds, I said:

"Have I misunderstood you, sir? I thought you were to bring the mummy of your cat on the journey."

"The mummy is in this," he said, tapping the ruddy copper.

"How did you get it into the statue?"

"Through the hole in the bottom, ere the base was riveted on." Manethôs set the statue in the corner of the cabin, whence it stared at us with a supercilious expression. The statue even included a pair of earrings in the cat's ears as I have seen on living cats in Egypt.

After the Sebennytan cousins came a free servant from the temple of Thôth, staggering under Manethôs ' baggage. The servant, Phiôps, settled down on the boat to stay. These additions crowded the Hathor and brought expostulations from Horos. I was not sorry, however, to have another pair of strong hands aboard, as Dikaiarchos had made it plain that he did not wish others than himself to give orders to his slave.

Manethôs nodded gravely to Berosos and Dikaiarchos as I presented them. When I added, "And this is Azarias of Bousiris," however, something curious happened. Manethôs , his face blank, said:

"A Judaean?"

"Why, yes."

"Oh," said the priest, and turned away to see to the stowage of his gear.

Azarias, likewise, had failed to acknowledge the introduction. He glared with tight lips at the priest, as at a mortal foe.

"Do you know him?" I said to Azarias in Phoenician.

"Ouph, nay! Nor do I wish to," said the weaver. "But let us speak of another matter. We shall reach my city within the hour. I pray you, in the name of the lord Iao, to let me feast you and your fellow soldiers, the Egyptian and the Babylonian, at my house. It is the least I can do for your saving my life."

"I thank you, but I fear we have lost so much time in Sebennytos that we must press on ..."

However, the little man pleaded so earnestly that I gave in. Then another thought struck me. I asked:

"How will you guest a group of foreigners, not of your religion, without violating your complex rules of eating?"

"Na, fear not. It is not the company that our laws restrict, but the manner of preparing the victuals."

Between Sebennytos and Bousiris, Azarias and Manethôs ignored each other in a way that not even the dullest could fail to mark. We reached Bousiris while the afternoon sun still shone with Egyptian splendor.

First I sought out Thorax, the strategos of the Province of the Protector. His clerk said, "Wait," and went into the adjoining room, whence came the sound of snores. The snores ceased, and soon the clerk beckoned.

"What do you want?" growled Thorax, sitting on the edge of a couch and rubbing reddened eyes.

I showed Tauros' letter and spoke my piece.

"Oh, ordure!" muttered the strategos, glancing over the letter. "I know nothing of any such malefactors. If people cannot keep better watch over their property, they deserve to lose it. Try the deputy strategos at Leontopolis, or Hybrias at Athribis. Now leave me, my good man, for I am exceedingly busy."

Nettled, I went out, not doubting that the snores resumed as soon as I had gone. After I rejoined my comrades, Azarias led us to his house, whence came the clatter of looms.

As we entered, the noise of the looms desisted and a swarm of Judaeans flung themselves upon my fellow traveler. So swiftly flew the talk that, what of the peculiar accent wherewith these folk speak Phoenician, I could no longer follow. Azarias, arms flying, told of the attack on the Anath and of his subsequent rescue. His family burst into tears and wails when he told of his danger and screamed with joy at his deliverance. When he identified us as his saviors, they threw themselves upon us and kissed our hands, to my no small embarrassment.

Azarias' household included his wife, a short dumpy woman; three daughters and two sons, ranging in age from about five to fifteen; an apprentice; and several free servants. He showed us about, explaining the technical details of his looms. He had three of these for linen, two for wool, and one for silk. I suppose his family had developed the habit of shouting at one another to be heard over the clatter that arose when all these machines were in use at once. Pointing to the loom for silk, he said:

"This is a new thing, and not sure am I that it will gain me a profit. Any fool can weave wool, but for silk new ways are needed. We must tune the tension of our warp threads with utmost care, for silken threads yield less than those of wool. I learnt the art from a cousin in Jerusalem, who learnt it from a weaver in Sidon, who learnt it from a silk weaver of Kôs."